04/08/12 - Royal Connections

Distance - 10.1 Miles
Caches - 6
Walk Inspiration - Jarrold - More Walks in the Cotswolds, Walk 27

Tetbury

Three weeks without blogging.  Not that I haven't been walking, exploring and geocaching... it's just that internet access was prohibitively expensive from the middle of the mediterranean and post holiday blogging sounded too much like showing off.

When I am abroad, sweltering in the heat, I do fantasise about the British countryside. First walk back and I aim for the Cotswolds, an area that rarely disappoints.

Original plans were to do the start of the Cotswolds way near Chipping Campden, but when researching a walk, I spied one from Tetbury.  This is an undiscovered area for me - so rather than do what I know, I head out for the unfamiliar.

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have bothered.  The walking was dull and Tetbury was not up to much.  Yes, it has it's tourists and chocolate box style buildings (every other one an antique shop) but there is something lacking.  A poor man's Broadway is the best way to describe it.

Whilst on Holiday, I made a deal with Ellie that the dog no longer had to come with me on walks greater than 6 miles.  She is an old lady now, although she has developed an art of hiding that is so cunning you could brush your teeth with it.  Good job that I am solo walking, as Tetbury doesn't like dogs.

In case the dog catches something from a golfer

Drive down and arrive at 8:45am.  Park in the long stay parking car parking.  You can either park for an hour for £1 or until next Monday for £3.40. 

The first royal connection of the walk is the Monarch's Way, which I follow south west for around 3 miles.  A second long distance path, the Macmillan Way, soon gets added to the same path.  Two LDP's for the price of one.

Collecting Badges

The walking is uninspiring along roads at first (first cache soon found on the outskirts) and then agricultural land.  As with every other walk that I have completed this summer, the heaven's open for a good drenching.  Monotonous.

Another soaking

Along this strecth, we do walk past Prince Charles' family house - Highgrove House.  The only way I know this that it is marked on the map.  There are no views through the trees, so I have no idea just how grand his abode is.

Skirt the edges of Westonbirt Arboretum.  At least the trees break up the views a bit.  The sun comes out. 

Don't trust the clouds enough to remove jacket

Westonbirt is a pretty street.  There is one cottage for sale - a snip at £395K for two bedrooms.  The street leads onto the golf course where the footpaths get confusing.

Farmers seem to think its OK to stretch electric fences every 100 yards to keep their prize cows and horses in check.  Makes an interesting climb over.  If I am really, really careful, I can just about keep my testicles off the wires.

Nutshock

Arrive at Shipton Moyne.  I like this even more than Westonbirt for two reasons.  1) it has a pub, which must be uniquely named and 2) there are a number of caches on the trail back into town.

Like it

The cache trail takes me through the grounds of Eastcourt Park, providing some interest on a walk that has been devoid of views, hills or anything of interest apart from an amusingly named pub.

Tetbury Ahoy.

Tetbury Spire comes into view, so I know where I am heading.  Start seeing some other walkers, inlcuding a party of 4 very posh youngsters who for a moment I think could include William and Kate.  They are not - they just liked wellies, green quilted jackets and flat hats.

Back into Tetbury.  Look for somewhere to have a post walk pint.  The Crown is an imposing looking pub but all boarded up.  This is not a good sign.  The main street - Long Street - is a never ending collection of Antique Shops.  Get all the way to the end, when I see the Greyhound Pub.  Enter and at 1pm, I am the only punter.  Another bad sign.  Don't even bother to ask if they do sandwiches but do see they have one of my favourite pints on.  After two weeks of drinking refreshing continental fizz, I am looking forward to some real ale.

We're Doombarred

Like the walk, the pint is deceptively disappointing.  Probably the 1st to be pulled of the day and tastes of vinegar.  Get halfway down and realise that bits are floating around at the bottom.  The rest of it gets flung on garden and I am away from this dark, dark place.