10/12/16 - The North Cotswold Brewery

Distance - 7.2 Miles
Geocaches - 5
Pub - The Plough, Stretton-on-Fosse, North Cotswold Brewery, Cotswold Best


Just like this time last year, we find ourselves in the Northern Cotswolds, completing a walk and visiting a brewery.  Last time out, it was Hook Norton.  This year, in recognition of Hung, Drawn and Portered being my pint of 2016, we are off to find the North Cotswold Brewery.

In a nice instance of serendipity, we can also start the walk at a CAMRA Good Beer Guide recognised boozer.  Car parked up at the Plough, Stretton-on-Fosse at 9am.

First visit to Stretton.  It's all thatched cottages and Cotswold honey stoned loveliness.

Cross the Fosse Way for the first time today and head out into the agricultural heartland that is this corner of Warwickshire/Gloucesteshire.  Conditions are grim above, and grimmer underfoot.

Hood Up

Half of Warwickshire is coming home with us

The mud adds to the workout.  It's like walking in deep sea divers boots, as we make our way South East to the medieval village of Ditchford Frary.  No evidence of former dwellings, but there is the first geocache of the day.

Geocaching GZ and the Brick Hut

Todenham Church Spire acts as our reference point across the fields.  We skirt the edges of Todenham Manor and can hear the serfs on walkie talkies arranging to start a-flapping.  They are there to scare the pheasants out of hiding, so that the line of toffs can blast them out of the sky.

There's something rather disconcerting as a working class Brummie to be walking past a line of country folk with shotguns.  Thank god my map reading is up to scratch and I provide them with no excuses.

Reference points ensuring we didn't stray from the path

And pheasants, evolution would have done you a better service, if after that initial dash to the sky, you didn't just glide.

The crack of firearms, combined with the mud, completes the Somme-like experience.

There's nowt wrong with the Northern stretch to the very edge of Shipston-on-Stour.  A cache trail presents part of its circuit.  We talk to a number of dog walkers, who we see twice as they complete a circular route.  The conditions don't really lend themselves to photos.

South West for a couple of miles of hard going to reach Ditchford Farm.  This is where the magic happens - in a little shed on the side of a farmyard.

All Joy Contained

There's a little shop.  Its open till 1:30pm.  We will be back for supplies, after praising the lady running the place on her fine produce.

A country lane delivers us to the Fosse way and ultimately, back to the Plough. The locals ignore the sign outside saying "Opening Time 12am".  The bar is packed at 11:45am.

The Plough, Stretton-on-Fosse

It's a fine, fine pub and quite deserving of their place in the Good Beer Guide.   A chalk board tells me whats on and what is coming.  Maintaining loyalty it's a first NCB Cotswold Best.

Cotswold Best

After a drink, a fine lunch and the option of a ceremonial lighting of the open fire, all thoughts of rain and mud are forgotten.

There's just time to hot foot it back to the Brewery to purchase a mixed case.  This will keep us going over the festive period.