17/09/26 - Craycombe House, Fladbury

Serendipity

The sort of strange coincidence that I love.

Five weeks ago, I had never heard of the author, Francis Brett Young. Yet there was enough motivation to join a Walkspace West Midlands group walk to find locations that were important to him and his haunted house novel, Cold Harbour.

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My latest Travels With Pevsner walk provided the usual high amount of inspiration. I could have walked to the Chateau Impney, one of the Wells (Tenbury/Malvern) or Ribbesford House but how could I ignore Craycombe House? 

The former home of Mr Young!

Craycombe House sits to the North of Fladbury - a charming village on the River Avon, with a mill, a couple of pubs and a doors open church. In planning, it remained a question of how close I could get to the house. A promising looking footpath sits in the woodland above the property. Another rambler - attempting to create a long-distance path in honour of Tolkien - states that the property does come into view.

On the Wychavon Way

Only one way to find out.

For transportation purposes, the walk starts at Cropthorne - with a handy stop on the X50.  A collection of thatched cottages and a firmly closed church.

The main street in Cropthorne

Cropthorne Church

Across the River Avon at Jubilee Bridge, through the village and across the golf course - homing in on the target. Somehow, I did manage to receive a personal tour of the church by the warden. On explaining my quest, he did say that the house is now owned by a banker, who likes his privacy. He's certainly let the trees grow to provide cover.

The Avon

Fladbury Signage - the Anchor Pub in the background

Banker's Privacy

I start to think my quest is going to end in failure. Yet perseverance at Machine Farm - where they have removed all PROW markers and let the hedges consume the stile - provides the required result.

There she is!

As good a view as I am going to get - short of knocking on the front door.

Success celebrated at the Anchor Pub - a solid looking locals pub, with outdoor seating on the village green. They keep excellent Wye Valley HPA.

Walk Details

Distance - 7 miles

Geocaches - 1

16/09/26 - Moseley Bog

Tolkien's Middle Earth

It was only a matter of time before the AZ City Walks took us exploring in the footsteps of one of Birmingham's more celebrated sons.

Yet there is still no blue plaque marking his childhood house.

5 Gracewell Cottages is now 264 Wake Green Road

Moseley Bog is closely associated with J.R.R. Tolkien’s childhood and is widely regarded as an inspiration for the Old Forest in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien moved to nearby Sarehole in 1896, aged four, with his mother and younger brother, and lived there until 1900; he later described his time in the area as among the happiest and most formative of his childhood. He explored the surrounding countryside extensively, including the woodland and former millpond of what is now Moseley Bog, which survived as a relatively wild area while much of the surrounding countryside was later built over. Birmingham City Council notes that Tolkien acknowledged the Bog as an inspiration for the ancient forests in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, while Birmingham Museums connects the wider Sarehole landscape, including Sarehole Mill, with his creation of Middle-earth.

A fair amount of country walking here - Moseley Bog is small, wild and fortunately covered with boardwalks to keep your feet dry. A long section along the River Cole passes a ford crossing and the ripe-for-anagramming Sarehole Mill. Terraced streets at school chucking out time are enough of a reminder that you are in the big city.

Over the boardwalk

Haunt

Sarehole Mill

If hairy-footed hobbits, bearded dwarves, lumbering Ents, or assorted orcs, elves and wizards aren't your thing, then maybe an unlikely collection of Grade II listed buildings are.

The Wyke Green Prefabs were built at the end of WWII to provide emergency housing. They were designed to last 10 years.

Unlike Tolkien's House, these get Council recognition

Prefabs Sprouting

Walk Details

Distance - 4 miles

Geocaches - 6

Walk Inspiration - AZ City Walks, Walk 14

Future Inspiration - The Shires Way, Long Distance Path

Previous Birmingham AZ Walks - Walk 1 & 2, Walk 3, Walk 4, Walk 5, Walk 6, Walk 7, Walk 8, Walk 9, Walk 10, Walk 11, Walk 12, Walk 13

14/09/26 - Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove

Ever get the feeling you've been (nearly) cheated?

A trip to Dorset would be lacking if it missed this classic coastal walk. Yet things conspired to defeat us. Meteorological conditions could not be helped. The British appetite for ripping off people could.

We drive past several fine looking parking spaces in West Lulworth to try the official car park at Lulwoth Cove. A whole 5 minute walk away. You've never seen a Seat do a 180 quicker than when its driver spots that 3 hours parking is £17.

Jesus H Christ. On a bike. Going downhill. Without brakes.

After the walk, we pop down to the cove for coffees. A 20 minute boat trip is £20 for adults and £15 for children. £70 for a family of four to be entertained for a whole third of an hour.

Padstow's £25 fish and chips may have lost its crown as "Britain's Worst Tourist Trap"

If you are lucky, or it's a Monday on a bleak day, then you should find street parking to commence the walk. We decided to do the high headland first, saving the highlights for the return. They is a good reason for this.

On Hambury Tout things, can only get better

And they do - as we get to the many lung-bursting ups and downs of the coast path, the gloom lifts. Camera phones out for the magnificent seascapes around every corner. Durdle Door Arch leads to Man O' War Cove and then Lulworth Cove.

Did I tell you how much the boat rides were?

Man O'War

Final drop to Lulwoth Cove. Ironically through the car park.

It's a walk that all Rambers should do. Just time it right to start in the right place. In the right weather.

Walk Details

Distance - 7.5 miles

Geocaches - 5

Walk Inspiration - AA 1001 Walks, Walk 102

13/09/26 - Portland Bill

Sheds, quarries a dolphin but mainly desolation

Portland Bill - the UK mainland's answer to Father Ted's Craggy Island, where they take the roads in for storage when the rain gets really bad.

Effectively, the tied island is one enormous quarry - providing the stone that built Britain, not least St Paul's Cathedral. The majority of buildings - apart from lighthouses - appear to be sheds. The South West corner is labelled "Lawnsheds".

We are walking the South tip - with a choice of a 4 or 7 miler. At the decision point, our Millennium generation kids declare they have had enough desolation for one day.

Pre-lighthouse marker

Windswept on Portland

Tombstoning on Portland

More quarrying

There is a cafe back at the lighthouse - excellent scones, where an impossible to photograph dolphin provides some excitement. For one of the party, the first one spotted in the wild.

Walk Details

Distance - 3.25 miles

Geocaches - 8

Walk Inspiration - Komoot