15/12/12 - Double Dose of Dodgy Tourism

Distance - 8.05 Miles
Caches - 5
Walk from - Jan 2003 Country Walking Magazine

Boscobel House and White Ladies Priory

The beast from the east has shuffled away and it's a grey 7.5 degree day and a late start.  After a highly exciting week of travel to London, Chippenham and Manchester, I needed to recuperate with a big lie in for the lads. 

It's 10:30 when I park up at the impressive Church at Tong.  The heavens open and there is a multi stage cache in the church yard.  As I am goretexing up and know I have a dog who needs to use the facilities, I do consider giving it a miss.  However, there is a story attached to the church and it would be very rude not to investigate.

Charles Dicken's grandmother used to live in Tong and work at the castle.  There were rumours he based the location of the "Old Curisoty Shop" on the village and that Little Nell was buried here.  In 1910, the clergy faked burial records, which resulted in an international tourist trade being developed.

This from a man of the Cloth

I have to gather the co-ordinates from dates on graves and the welcome sign and plot the final location. It's on my route, but right at the end.  I leave the churchyard with the vague feeling of being conned.  What I don't know is this walk contains more tourist related dodginess.

Start of the walk is uninspiring, heading down alongside the M54 on a decent footpath.  The roar of the traffic keeps me company.

An early highlight, passing under the M54

 

I am then walking alongside Cosworth Airfield, with constant flyovers from the gliders as they come in to land.  I then pick up Shackerly Lane, which I have to follow for about 3 miles, crossing back over the M54.  Dull walking.

After 2 miles, I have a choice - shortcut to White Ladies Priory or plod on for an out and back trip to a piece of British History. 

Is the Royal Oak going to be worth it?

Seems a shame to have come so close without seeing where Charles I hid in a tree to escape the roundheads after defeat at the battle of Worcester. I plod on and am quite pleased that we have open access land, encouraging the history based rambler to take the field edges. When I set off on the walk, I was unsure whether I would have to pay £6 for the joy of seeing a tree, but the access land confirms I am on a freebie day out.

 

 

First Views of Boscobel House and the Tree

 

The Royal Oak is marked on the OS map.  To say that its underwhelming is an understatement. Just how big was Charles I?  How poor were the Roundheads at tracking him down?  I think the owners of National Trust are related to the clergy at Tong.

 



Look out, the King's About!

 

To be fair, this tree is not the original - which was destroyed by visitors taking cuttings in the 18th and 19th Century.  This tree is a cutting from the original and has been hit by lightening and battered by gales to such an extent that the National Truft have erected a fence for our own safety.

 

As I am on foot, we can sneak into the grounds of Boscobel House, where Charles went for his tea once the dozy rounheads had shuffled past.  There is a shed on a grassy knoll and some crazy paving.

 



Molly Considers Sneaking in

Whilst her owner dicks around in a shed on a knoll

 

When I get down from the shed, I can see all the paying tourists are gawping at me through the windows of Boscobel House.  I leg it before a man in a cap comes and charges me six notes.

 

Retrace my steps, but the views over the Wrekin are exceptional.  I meet the path to White Ladies Priory again and the geocaches come into play, with three down this waterlogged track.  White Ladies Priory is just my sort of place to look around.  Charles also came here on his escape.

 

All that is left are the ruins of a 12th Century Church and we have a good look around.

 

Sonia would have just googled it.

 

Having taken plenty of photos, we continue on the Monarch's way, looping around Meashill Farm.  If it wasn't for the water logged paths, this would have been fine walking.  Four caches in total, all found.

 

We are soon back to Tong and it's time to tell if I have programmed the co-ords correctly.  Looks promising as it is on a lane and sure enough, there is the final booty of the day.

 

So, a surpising amount of history, relatively close to my doorstep.  But how much of it was true?