05/03/16 - Alcester Return

Distance - 4.61 Miles
Geocaches - 12 Found, 3 DNF
First Cache
Pub - The Swan, Alcester, Timothy Taylor Landlord

Only 22 caches found in February.  This is a low.

Something needed to change, so I search the Geocaching Map to find a suitable local trail to bolster the numbers for March.

Local is becoming a relative term - but it was no hardship to return to Alcester for a nice looking four mile trek on the Arden and Heart of England Way.

Love Alcester - and there is a cracking little pub called the Hollybush that is fully deserving of a return visit.

Rather than park up at the trail start, we park up in the town and head out past the Saturday morning football games.

Over the Bridge at Oversley Green

The cache trail is mainly micros - tweezers recommended - but there was one cache big enough for a TB swap over.

The walking, as expected, was impressive.  Part on the Arden Way - a nice looking 26 mile route starting at Henley in Arden - that I may tackle as a day walk one day.  Or maybe a two day walk.

Part on the Heart of England Way - which has already been identified as a future long distance walk - just as soon as I finish the Millennium Way.

Spot the Cache on the Arden Way

The Arden Way

Oversley Woods

Hiking Information, Library and Final GZ

Cache trail over, its just a case of finding our way into town.  The church tower provides the guide and we make the correct decision of walking up the wonderful Mill Lane.

Mill Lane, Alcester

Church Provides the Route Finding

And leads to a Top 10 Pub in Warwickshire

We came to the Hollybush on our last visit.  Something is definitely not right today however.  Its like the Marie Celeste - empty bar and not a single punter.  I half think that we pre-12pm but a quick check shows that it's 13:25.  On a Saturday Afternoon.

Weird.

Eventually someone does materialise but inquiries lead to the revelation that they are no longer doing food.  They are between chefs.

We move on, leaving an empty pub.

There's plenty of choice but for one reason or another, we end up in the Swan at the far end of town.

Where lunch is provided, with a great example of my favourite beer