21/06/16 - The Folly Inn, Napton - Millennium Way Stage 37

Distance - 4.9 Miles
Geocaches - 2
Pub - The Folly Inn, Napton, North Cotswold Shagweaver
Walk Inspiration


Getting to the end of the month, so I need to fit in the next leg of the Millennium Way.  Stage 37.

As is often the case, this short walk starts at a pub.  Very handy.  Bang on the canal, and this provides the early walking.  It must be a good pub, as there's a traffic jam of barges moored up.

End of the Parking Zone

Early view of the Napton Windmill from the Canal

We leave the canal at the Bridge at Napton - a dead pub, as reported on last month's leg.  There's something wrong in Warwickshire.  They like to kill of their public assets, as we will find later in today's walk.

A stiff ascent of Napton Hill - providing good enough views over Warwickshire that they built a look out tower in WWII.

I feel I am being watched.... a very close flap of wings for the first time in my life, I am being dive bombed by a bird of prey that I can't identify but will affectionately call Stuka.  Twice I get the fly by treatment.

View from Halfway up Napton Hill

Stuka

Death from Above

It leaves me alone once I summit the hill and take a quick detour to find only the 2nd Geocache of the day.

Closer to the Windmill

Napton means settlement on the hill.  You can feel the history of the place as you walk through the village.... its doomsday mentioned and a lot of Georgian architecture juts up against the new builds. My map shows a Big Blue Cup of Joy and I vow to sample its wares, should it prove interesting enough.

Alas, The Crown at Napton is completely and utterly dead.  You've killed another one, Warwickshire.

It looks very sad.  Internet based research showed the last Facebook update in Xmas 2012.  Johnny's leaving shindig.

What 3.5 Years of Neglect Looks Like

A one shop stop for today then.

A drop down the hill and contemplation that if the Warwickshire Lad doesn't like going to pubs, quite how does he entertain himself?

The answer appears to be target practice.

Drive By

A couple of fields to cross and back to the canal to be delivered to my refreshment point.

The Folly is an old rambling farmhouse and entering is like walking into someone's house.  Usual choice between left and right.  I head right, finding the less formal dining area - which judging by the number of troughers, is what this place is famous for.

The beer choice is also not bad - I first spot the North Cotswold Shagweaver and once again, refuse to ask my 20 something barmaid for it by name.  I could have also gone for a choice of two Hook Norton's.

Superb pint, taken outside listening the boat people talk of how few miles they are completing over such long holiday periods.

The Folly

The Choice

The Shagweaver