25/04/26 - Mawgan Porth to Watergate Bay

The £16 Breakfast

Dog sitting at Mawgan Porth for the third time. We know what we are doing. With walks this good, repetition is bound to happen.

A simple there and back walk over a spectacular section of the South West Coast Path. Dramatic cliffs, secret coves, glorious beaches. Completed during our first visit and again in our second, where I chose not to blog, as there was nothing different to report.

If we hadn't stopped for breakfast (we don't have enough cold cross buns to get through the toaster-less weekend ), then there would be nothing new to say this time.

Mawgan Porth Beach

Inaccessible Beacon Cove

Watergate bay - for breakfast

A full English Breakfast at the Beach Hut. We're paying for the views but £16, where tea, toast and a service charge are all extra. In case you say "so what?", Mrs M asked for an egg on her vegan monstrosity. £3. One Egg.

And they forgot her beans.

Cold Bacon, improved by curly sausage

It was a better start to the day than a review from my Facebook page suggested;

Oh dear oh dear.

Massive tomato, one equally massive mushroom and an artisan sausage. A single piece of thin bacon and green stuff on the eggs. There is no place for anything green on a breakfast. No black pudding.

Beans in a pot ensures proper separation however which is a plus point.

3/10

These things are taken seriously by my Facebook followers.

Fuel for the return back... Ruby and Wolf, with Mrs M

Walk Details

Distance - 5 Miles

Geocaches - 0

24/04/26 - The Old Albion, Crantock

A Tribute

It was Facebook memories that altered us to the anniversary. Exactly 12 years ago, we were completing a walk from Crantock. A fine photo outside the Old Albion - playing up to my football and national loyalties - used occasionally as a profile picture on one of my route websites.

Armed with a National Trust Membership card, it seemed fitting to repeat the walk and the photo, The £9 saved on car parking can be put towards post walk refreshment.

Dogs demanded a play on Crantock Beach before the walking started

Over West Pentire Head to Polly Joke

A sandwich stop at Holywell, before a different inland route to same ultimate destination.

In a world of change, it's nice that some things are timeless. The Old Albion - like me - showing it's age a little with bits dropping off it but still the same. Tribute, thatched roof, low ceilings, outside patio.

See you in 2038.

2014 Edition of Mappiman

2026 - Gained a lantern lost a L D and B

Walk Details

Distance - 7 Miles

Geocaches - 3

Walk Inspiration - Jarrold Cornwall

21/04/26 - The West Midlands Way Summary

 

The West Midland Way is a 50 year old walking route. Starting at Meriden, rumoured centre of England, it charts a circular route through Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Hand drawn maps are always a challenge, but it was simple enough to plot, with many of the paths incorporated into established Long Distance Paths. The North Worcestershire Way and Heart of England Way were frequently visited.

Highlights

The route started with well connected by public transport locations. 

Stage 4 offered superb walking - the first time I have walked the Lickey Hills, Clent Hills and Waseley Hills on the same route - utilising the North Worcestershire Path.

Plenty of new and interesting discoveries - not least arriving at Rugeley to follow an Adventure Lab Cache detailing the life of the "Prince of Poisoners".

My adaption of the route included some fine drinking towns. Bridgnorth, Lichfield and Tamworth for the three times winner of CAMRA Pub of the Year. Bathams at the Three Horsehoes in Alverley, was possibly the best way I have ever waited for a bus. The bus stop right outside.

Lowlights

I will never understand why the route designers, Ron and Eric, missed out Lichfield. Looked like they did this on purpose, as the route detoured around it. Of course, I had to include it for public transportation. 

Seeing one man bring the entire North/South Railway network to a standstill by smoking cigarettes on the bridge just outside Penkridge Station was a lesson in woke policing.

Warwickshire is the most boring county to walk in - so the ending was not particularly fitting. Boring fields gave way to two miles of road walking, which could only be avoided by adding serious miles to an already long route. 

Meriden hides its only pub away from the town centre - which meant delayed celebration.

The Stages

Stage 1 - Meriden to Kenilworth

Stage 2 - Kenilworth to Henley-in-Arden

Stage 3 - Henley-in-Arden to Alvechurch

Stage 4 - Alvechurch to Hagley

Stage 5 - Hagley to Kinver

Stage 6 Part 1 - Kinver to Alverley

Stage 6 Part 2 - Alverley to Bridgnorth

Stage 7 - Bridgnorth to Shifnal

Stage 8 - Shifnal to Penkridge

Stage 9 - Penkridge to Rugeley

Stage 10 - Rugeley to Lichfield

Stage 11 - Lichfield to Tamworth

Stage 12 - Kingsbury to Meriden

21/04/26 - West Midlands Way - Stage 12 - Kingsbury to Meriden

I Finished Something!

The West Midlands Way - a fifty year old book, charting a route around the West Midlands - comes to an end.

Due to strange logistics, I have been forced to amend the second half of the route - for the life of me, I cannot understand why Ron and Eric, the route planners, missed out Lichfield and Tamworth. Fine towns but more importantly, public transport hubs.

It was Tamworth that I found myself finishing Stage 11 at. No matter how I planned it, I couldn't find decent paths to get to Kingsbury but there is a handy bus.

I've walked this part of the world extensively on the Heart of England Way and the Centenary Way. I have previously pronounced Warwickshire the country's most boring walking county. 

Two out of three ain't bad

Nothing today has prompted me to change my mind. Kingsbury Water Park offers occasional glimpses of bodies of water through the woodland. Shustoke Reservoir is hardly observed from the footpaths that circumvent it. There are endless agricultural fields - devoid of livestock and crops (at this time of year). One pub - The Swan at Whitacre Heath - so "chainy" that it wasn't worth stopping at.

The only chance to see Shustoke Reservoir

Distant views of Birmingham from a field in Warwickshire

The only item of interest on the map is Maxstoke Priory and this is a disappointment. The church is locked up and the remains of the priory - a couple of walls in a poor state of repair - are hidden from view on private land.

Maxstoke Church

Ideally, I would have liked to end things here. There are two miles of road walking to get back to Meriden. A bus would be handy but it only runs on a Wednesday - and then at 10am! Google Maps was checked for likely traffic and/or grass verges. It was safe enough to walk but I needed the Deserter Podcast to keep my spirits up.

Into Meriden - and despite the green, a memorial to the centre of England and a monument to British Cycling, there is no pub at hand. The Bull's Head another quarter of a mile on from the bus stop.

The Actual Centre of England is at Fenny Drayton

An underwhelming end to an interesting experience which started so well.

Walk Details

Distance - 12 Miles

Geocaches - 4

Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6 (Part 1), Stage 6 (Part 2), Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9, Stage 10, Stage 11