08/01/17 - The Bell at Avening and Roundabout Geocaching

Distance - 6 Miles
Geocaches - 34
First Geocache

Play Misty for Me

You would think that the weather conditions portrayed in the above photograph would be perfect for the clandestine hobby of Geocaching.

Think on.  In the course of this decent Geocaching round in the Cotswolds, I was muggled by the following;

• Jogging ladies in dayglo lycra
• Cyclists
• Kamikaze farmers in battered Land Rovers
• More sedate farmers hand feeding two sheep
• Various dog walkers, including the one with a cross between a husky, staffordshire bull terrier and a border collie.  This was one dog.  No, I'm not sure how it was created either.  It did have odd coloured eyes.  I asked if it was named Bowie. It wasn't.
• Americans.  On Horseback.
• Another family of Geocachers  (Nice to meet you, Carylr and Otterholic)

There is no need for the CO to panic.  With the exception of the last category, no-one else quite saw what I was up to.

The conditions didn't really lend itself to the walk.  I saw little.  I photographed less.  The Geocache trail is perfectly executed - all nice and easy to find and a satisfying bonus to solve by paying particular attention to caches #5 and #23.

Bet its lovely in the Sunshine

The walk is a figure of 8 and named after a circular group of trees that are represented on the OS Map as the Roundabout.  The trail takes us past them twice.  The first time, I couldn't even see them but the mist had cleared as I made the 2nd pass and made my way to the suitably apt bonus.

The Roundabout

Thanks to the Haiselden family for a  well thought out trail.

I'm delivered back into Avening at 12:15pm and with a change of footwear, I can investigate post walk refreshment.

There may be two pubs in Avening.  The Queen Matilda is named after the William the Conqueror's wife, who stole the land from a previous suitor, who spurned her advances.  In a previous life, it used to be a pub - with the Cross Inn proudly adorned on its flanks.  It now appears to be a luxury Bed and Breakfast, although the large number of barrels outside suggest all is not lost.

The B&B formerly known as the Cross Inn

No questioning the pedigree of the other establishment.  The Bell is a classic looking village pub.  Its that full of regulars that the bar staff are berating the elderly chap at the bar for his attempts at yesterday's crossword.  I am assuming he went home in-between.

Four real ales on - and as I am in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds, I maintained loyalty with a Wickwar Bob.  The brewery is near by.  I found it on a walk last year.

Perfect Village Pub

Wickwar Bob