30/11/14 - Broken Bridge

Distance - 4 Miles
Geocaches - 4
Walk Inspiration - Millennium Way Stage 18

 As we nearly enter the festive season, I only just manage to fit in my monthly walk on the Millennium Way.

This is another short leg, with some repetition from Stage 17.  The order to do the walks gets a bit confused around middle England and for the next 6 legs, it looks like I will be seeing some of the same paths from different perspectives.

Today, I park up at Packwood Hall.  Having not seen any Family Mapp visitors before, it's had me twice in 6 weeks, my parents once and they are even talking about going back for the carol service.

Turn right out the car park and once again up to the Church at Packwood Hall.

Observant Blogfans will have seen this before

Take the opposite path to last time.  There is a cache here.  I manage to find it, dismiss it and the have a closer look to see that yes, I had the cache in the first instance.  Conclusive proof that woodlice and slugs love geocaching.

Meet some fellow Labradoodle owners - although you would have been hard pressed to guess.  Mine wins the Doodle beauty contest paws down.

Get to the road at Chessett's Wood Farm and I can see a sign on the footpath post.  This invariably spells bad news and means something is up.  True to form, the sign details that a bridge is in poor condition and the footpath is closed for a month.

What to do?  The map shows no alternative paths and I would be a poor adventurer if I turned back at the first sign of trouble.  Anyway, it may not turn out to be that bad.

Get the feeling that the footpath officer wanted a career taping off crime scenes?

Still, there's alway a way.  Even if it means picking the dog up (she'd developed the ability to sadly sign when doghandled unexpectedly) and chucking her over a fence.

That obstacle overcome, I just need to gentlly walk through fields with evil horse guardians.

Over the railway and a quick diversion to the canal for a cache.  I would have saved it for the next leg, but it promised a Travel Bug.  Alas, it was empty except for the log book, so I make good and place one of my own in it.

Went for a Travel Bug

Back to Valley Road and past a few country cottages before entering the grounds of Packwood house from a different direction to last time.  This time, there is a tree lined avenue to greet my march.

Packwood Avenue

Continuing the Festive Theme - Holly Tree (cache close by)

Easy Route Finding

Packwood House - Entertainment Options

Back to the House

I am getting to know this neck of the woods well now, so I know my choice of post walk entertainment.  It could be Packwood house Tea Rooms or the lovely pub that has the TeePee from two legs ago.  But which one should I grace with my presence?

The TeePee has been taken down for the Winter.