10/12/13 - Ten on the Tenth and Two FortyNiners

Distance - 6.3 Miles
Geocaches - 10
Walk Inspiration - A County Top 10 Pub (#3 in Worcestershire)

Bromsgrove Caching

Day 2 of gardening leave.  Someone in the house is going to work again, this time to Bromsgrove.  I decide to tag along.  There are two Top 10 County pubs up for grabs and I am sure I can plan a walk that takes in one of them.

Consult my library of walking manuals.  The only walks include Tardebigge locks, which I have blogged about twice - most recently in February 2013.  Decide on another approach, I'll take in the odds and ends caches that are around the town and finish in the high street for the pub.

Sonia drops me off at Sander's Park.  There are three up for grabs.  Only two are found and both are animal identity tags.  They are so small, I can only assume they were designed for gerbils.  Still, as meatloaf once said, two out of three ain't bad.

Park Life

Exit the park on the opposite side and make my way through a housing estate towards Aston Fields.  There are a couple of caches - 1 is a fail, but the 2nd one involved some troll like behaviour in sight of a school.  I am glad that my stealth avoided a confrontation with the rozzers.

A classic Bailey Rangers layby challenge is thwarted by people parked in said location.  I will have to come back another day. 

The map is not a good representation of Ground Zero, where a housing estate has been developed in the grounds of the former Garringtons Works Site.  According to the cache info, this was the world's largest foundry.  Now its a maze of Barrett Homes.

The cache is a deserved winner of "cache of the day".

There is a cache in here.  Somewhere.

Move on to the railway line - grabbing three caches along the way.  These are much easier than what I have been faced with today, although I make hard work of the third.  Two TBs are grabbed to be moved on. 

I am now out in the country.  Sugar Brook Manor is hidden partly hidden by walls but the sign says its 16th Century and you can see the Tudor Timbers.  A quick stretch of countryside brings me to the Queen's Head Pub and the Canal, at the bottom of Tardebigge locks. 

Queens Head - Guarded by Neddies

I've walked past the Queen's Head many times but not been in.  They don't like dogs in their extensive pub garden - which now contains a smokers' Tee Pee.

Today, it's too early but they are belting out Christmas Songs.  The sounds of "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow" remind me that Sonia has lovingly prepared a Turkey and Cranberry Baguette.  Like a Napoleonic soldier, I chow down on this as a I plod my way past the locks.

Tardebigge Locks was always going to get in on the walk

At lock 33, I fail to find the cache for the third time in my life.  It's becoming an obsession.  I think I am just going to ask the CO to tell me where it is.  I have a quick look again, but I have already been over this ground forensically.

It is my cue to head inland and climb the hill.  It provides a view of where I need to be for my refreshment.

Need to aim for the Spire

Two more caches to successfully find before I arrive at Aston Fields.  Past the train station and road walking all the way back to the Red Lion Pub in the high street.  Not really been to Bromsgrove shopping area before but whoever is selling pastry based products is doing a roaring trade.

My Destination

Just get time to order my pint of Ringwood Fortyniner from a landlord that knows everyone by name.  Its only 12:15 but already very busy with pensioners.  As I am alone, its impossible to not to eavesdrop as they rabbit on.  And what do I learn?

Nelson Mandela is currently getting a hell of a send off.
Elvis died at 42 on the toilet.
It is possible to be married for 56 years, but only if you drink every day.   

On that final gem, Sonia calls me.  Thanks to finding a free parking space, she can join me and explain what it is like to work for a living.