10/01/26 - The Pubs of Henley-in-Arden

Geocaching in the Snow

There aren't many Geocaching trails published any more. There was a time when seemingly a multi-cache trail within my 25 mile home radius would be created monthly. Someone posted on the UK Geocaching Facebook group asking for a family friendly trail and one of the few responses pointed to Henley-in-Arden.

Starting at the railway station, it's a short 3 mile loop with 13 caches. I expected the snow and ice. I did not expect puddles the size and depth of small lakes. I am pleased to report that my aging Scarpas are still waterproof, but really, wellies would have been a better bet.

The terrain was familiar from the Arden Way, Millennium Way and West Midlands Country Way.

Station Start

Out into the Countryside

Henley-in-Arden was once a coaching town. The main high street runs for a mile and is unusually wide. It was the first stop from Birmingham to London and once there were 25 coaching inns lining this mile.

With a (kind of) new establishment being setup, I decide to tick off those that remain. Bar Trek suggests 6 locations, but we can discount the Bluebell and the Mount as restaurants only. The Black Swan a little too far to the north.

The Three Tuns

Starting with easily the best - a Good Beer Guide regular for the last four years. I don't really need the new advertising to entice me in.

Liquid Gold

The Best in Henley

12:30pm and I am the only punter. The bar staff are loading coals onto the open fire, so I know which seat in the house I will be taking to thaw out. A nice beer chat about how well the Bathams sells.  The locals need to get to the Exchange in Stourbridge. Paying £5.20 here, their minds will be blown at how cheap it is in the Black Country.

Show me a prettier sight?

The Nag's Head

All of Henley's punters appear to be in here. Most tables are full, with a mixture of diners and boozers. One gent on lunchtime whisky, which is always brave.

The beer choice is good - Proper Job or Landlord. Having just got back from Cornwall, I chose the latter. Which was far too cold for cask.

Traditional Boozer - Henley's most popular

The White Swan / The Henley Mile

I've never warmed to the White Swan - the most gastro of gastros, where I experienced poor service on the Heart of England Way and have never forgiven them since. Not since I discovered the Three Tuns.

Yet, I was intrigued by a new tap room in town - The Henley Mile. It's hard to know where this starts and the White Swan ends - as it is housed in the same building on the opposite side of the courtyard.

Look carefully for the Henley Mile Sign

My chatty barman couldn't offer any advice. He stated that they were autonomous operations with shared infrastructure. The "Our Story" section of the website offers little more.

Several of their own beers on - Twice Hanged, Perkins Prescription, Run Charlie Run (chosen and very good) - all named after local Henley characters, with explanations on the beer mats.

Run Charlie Run - A Perfect Best Bitter

So, that's the Henley-in-Arden pub scene completed.

I only needed 90 minutes.

Walk Details

Distance - 3 Miles

Geocaches - 14

First Cache

07/01/26 - The Pubs of Cleobury Mortimer. Shropshire

100% Quality, 75%  Available

It was a Slow Way that brought me to Cleobury Mortimer. 5 hours and 13 miles after setting off.

I feel that I am deserve a reward. All the rewards.

In Bayton Church, I fire up the Bar Trek App and find that 4/4 pubs are open on a Wednesday. I had my doubts as to the veracity of this, but they're all close to each other.

The Royal Fountain sits opposite the church with the twisted spire. A terraced free house dating from the 17th Century.

Pub 1 - The Royal Fountain

Enter into a main bar - where two men hang at the bar and one man guards all four of the comfy seats that a man who set off walking from a different county surely deserves. A cheery hello from the bar staff and my glasses instantly steam up. Which means the heating is on! Through the mist, I spot 5 cask hand pulls (a lot for three men, two on Madri) and as I am in Hobsons County, I plum for a Best Bitter.

Only 3.8% but very tasty and in very good condition.

1C or 10

Sadly, despite two sources of information saying open at midday, it looks like The Kings Arms opens at 3pm. There are only so many sources of the truth a man can review. Photos outside, much to the bemusement of the two workies who are also trying to gain access.

Kings Arms - Dubious Tick

The Talbot and The Stables share the same building infrastructure but are two independent premises. The Stables proudly celebrating their 10 year anniversary. It's a long way to go before they can match the Talbot - a 16th Century Coaching house, that looks handsome today as it did then.

All coaching houses need stables

Front of house - the Talbot

As the original and oldest pub in town, it becomes the first tick in my Shopshire Inn of Interest booklet. Love how the 1960s get excited at Chicken in a Basket. To be fair, the prospect got me buzzing.

There must be a pensioners offer on in the stables. Nearly every table is full of the grey pound. I manage to find the last place to sit and enjoy high quality Wye Valley Butty Bach.

Banished to the back of house

The talbot is the opposite extreme - just two men, one playing the puggie, the other playing cards with the bar man. One cask on - Hobsons Pale - but running high on success, I decide to give it a go. 

A bucket pulled through as the barrel is freshly on. 

Perfect.

Life is all about timing.

Gorgeous

Which extends to transport home. The nearest bus stop is called "The Talbot" and the 292 is bang on time.

A journey to Kidderminster to ponder on why no Cleobury pub is in the 2026 Good Beer Guide.

 

07/01/26 - Slow Way - Stourport to Cleobury Mortimer

Cross County Slow Way - Worcestershire to Shropshire

I am pleased to report a few things on this lengthy walk. It's much better than the Slow Ways other review would suggest. Yes, there are a lot of ups and downs but the paths are all clear and the stiles in fine condition. The GPX is accurate. And the beer in Cleobury Mortimer is very good. Worthy of a separate blog. And a visit from CAMRA. It's a little criminal that no venue is represented in the 2026 Good Beer Guide.

I'm walking this in reverse. From Stourport aiming for a two bus journey home. No need to go into detail about the route - its all woodland, agricultural and sheep field, with densely packed contour lines. The walk goes through the hamlets and villages of Heightington, Rock, Clows Top and Bayton before a rather spectacular arrival in Cleobury, via the grounds of Mawley Hall and the River Rea.

Here's what I found along the way;

Chapel Farm - The Nothing Bound Brewery and Tap Room

Low Winter Sun

A short section of the Worcestershire Way at Heightington

Today's view mainly shared with the sheep

Rock Cross Inn 

Unbroken Views from Bayton Church

Where a coffee break from the cold was taken

Exterior of Bayton Church

Overlooking Mawley Hall Gardens to see Cleobury Mortimer below

Crossing the River Rea

A thirst was more than worked up.  With 90 minutes until a conveniently (and on time) bus, there was time to explore the 4 pubs that were said to be open.

And 4 pubs makes for a Pub Crawl blog.

Walk Details

Distance - 13 Miles

Geocaches - 0

Walk Inspiration - Slow Ways

04/01/26 - St Erth and the River Hayle

A Dog's Birthday 

The week's dog-sitting comes to end. It is Coops 6th Birthday. Quite by accident, we take him on his favourite walk. It's easy to tell, zoomies, waggy tail and multiple jumps down the bank and into the fast flowing Hayle river.

Later, in the pubs of Hayle

Makes a change from the sea

It's all going swimmingly. Until it isn't. We've walked about 2 miles on a fine riverside track. Suddenly, we are met with a newly erected padlocked green fence. On the other side, is the footpath closed sign.

OK, I can cope with riverbank erosion but come on Cornwall Council. If you're going to the expense to erect a fence deterrent - which has been in place for over a year - why not put a sign at the start of the footpath warning emmets not to proceed?

The End of the Line - Annoying

A double-back required to the nearest bridge and rerouting on good paths through woodland and fields until we pick up the lanes we were meant to return on.

A Cornish Walk without sea views. It is possible

The week at Hayle comes to and end. One new Good Beer Guide Tick, a couple of excursions into St Ives. Plenty of swimming (for the dog). £6 pints. £12.95 Whiskies. £18.50 crab sandwiches. It has been a blast. We can only imagine how busy it gets in summer.

PS - New Year's Resolution - stop moaning about the cost of things.

Walk Details

Distance - 4 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Walking West Cornwall - Walk 38

Geocaches - 0