18/08/12 - Roman Roaming

Distance - 11 Miles
Geocaches - 8 Found, 1 DNF
Previous Walk in Alcester
Walk from - CW Magazine - May 10 - Walk 8

Alcester

Sonia needs to work in Alcester today.... asking tourists what they think of the town.  I offer to do my walk from here, leaving the dog behind as it breaks the 6 mile rule of what she is now capable of.

Park up for free in Bleachfield Street after a 40 minute journey.  We get the last parking space and then look for the machine to pay.  There isn't one... no wonder the car park is so full.  Just to check, I ask the fella who is painting the roof of his camper van and he says "Yes, its free", I reply with a "how unusual" and he responds with a "Weclome to Alcester".

Leave Sonia to her work and head out on the Monarch's Way up Seggs Lane.  This long distance path has been a companion on the last 3 or so walks, from the bottom of Gloucestershire into Shropshire.  Either this country is too small or the Monarch in question had one hell of an escape.

The lane towards the A435 is quiet but despite the signs, a fella walking his dog on a motorised scooter (fella, not the dog) allows his animal to poop without the scoop.

Molly unwelcome, even if we are good dog citizens

As I get to the trunk road, I pass a gardener who is singing a lovely song about a girl who "wears red feathers and a huly-huly skirt".  What a jolly fella.

Thoughts of his serenading keep me going as I fail dismally to get the first cache of the day.  The previous fella didn't find it either, so I don't feel so bad.  Eventually muggled by a couple of dog walkers and move on.

Nice walking through Cold Comfort Woods and I do find the second cache of the day (thanks Delta68). 

Its all gently uphill into Cladswell, which is a collection of houses and a church. There is a mystery cache here, but I had a look last night and it all looked rather complicated, so I give it a miss.

Vista opens up for nice views and our first real photo opp.

Forgot my hat

Work my way south to Knighton.  The quality of the paths is dreadful, overgrown again with stingers and then sometimes completely boggy.  My new Italian mountain boots are not designed for this amount of gloop.  At this point of the walk, I admit that I am not massively impressed.

Get to Knighton and its the end of the overgrown paths, although the boggy ones are still prevalent.  The cache density increases massively and I bag another four before Morton Spirit Farm.  I admit to being impressed by their warning sign.

He doesn't look all that

The next field contains bulls, so I hoike myself over the fence and give them a wide birth.  One of them is only a baby and the daddy just lies there, looking hard with his piercings.

The walk improves dramatically.  Climb through Weethley Woods and then emerge into a wheat field with a great path through the middle.  Disturb two deer - but don't get the camera out in time.

Nice walk up to Church Farm and emerge at the interesting buildings.  The antithesis of Huly-Huly boy is tending his garden - he meets my hello with a grunt.  Both ends of the gardening spectrum are on display today.

Once crossing the road, I am rewarded with some OMG views, which take my mind of the fact that not all the cows are with udders.  Some have nose rings and something else on their undercarriages.

Matador Pose

Another couple of good caches on the way down, one with a completely clean log book.  Will need to check if I am a FTF.

Its then a straightforward return to the town.  See Sonia bothering strangers and we head off to take advantage of the Turks Head "exceptional garden".  My emergency tenner stretches to a couple of pints but it looked touch and go for a baguette.

A walk of two halves from a lovely town.  Enjoyed the drive home, listening to the opening game of the premiership - the first time that the Baggies have managed a win on this day.