03/04/16 - The Condicote Muggling

Distance - 4 Miles
Geocaches - 10 Found, 1 Not Found
First Cache

Sonia is back working in Broadway Centre - asking tourists why they come to one of England's most scenic villages.

The answer is out there, if you look hard enough.

This presents me with the opportunity of walking in the area.  But where to go?

A look through my extensive resources of Costwolds walks shows plenty of options - but I fancy something non too strenuous.  It is Sunday, after all.

A quick 4 mile round of 11 Geocaches placed by one of the best CO's in the area seems like a good plan.

So, the worker is dropped off and then another 9 miles are added to the journey to get to Condicote - a place that I haven't been to before.

It's nearly perfect - all Cotswold honey stoned loveliness but without a pub.

Cross.  There's no pub.

Before getting onto the round, there is the small matter of a couple of multi-caches.  1 involves the slightly ghoulish task of getting dates from grave-stones.  The other getting data from the post box.  I sit in the bus shelter (is it a bus shelter?) and plot the answers.  Slightly off route, so its a there and back walk in the opposite direction to grab the smileys.

No problem, but when I get back an Octogenarian Lady is waiting for me and coming over all Miss Marple.

The conversation goes something like this.

Old Lady - "Have you been on the footpath?"
Mappiman - "Yes"
Old Lady - "Well, were you lost"
Mappiman - "Nope, why?"
Old Lady - "Well for weeks men have been walking up to that field boundary, hanging around and then turning back to come the way they went".

Thoughts of Captain Mainwaring come to mind.  Whatever you do, don't tell them your name, Mappiman.

She looked that concerned by what men were doing in her field that I had to explain the hi-tech hobby that does sound weird when you describe it out loud.

She took it in her stride and said she had wondered why there was a tupperware box in her field edge.

I trust a controlled detonation will not be taking place in a quiet Cotswold backwater anytime soon.

Best get on with the trail before Nick Berry turns up on his bike asking more questions.

As expected, the walking is superb - quiet lanes and decent path which I think may have been another section of the Gloucestershire Way. (I was on the GW yesterday in much different terrain in Newent yesterday - its fast becoming my favourite walking county).

The caches are all different and in the main, straightforward.  I say straightforward.  I failed on "Old Iron".  Thanks wrighty for another superb little trail.

Hinchwick Manor Farm with drainage issues in the lower field

Beechy Bank according to the OS Map

Gloucestershire Way to take me back

Back in the village to see that no text has been forthcoming to say work is over for the day.

I'll have to find another way to entertain myself until I am summonsed.

Favourite Pint in my Favourite Broadway Pub