29/07/17 - Ashton Under HKMHILL

Geocaches - 18
First Cache
Walk Distance - 5 Miles

Lets look at the reasons why HKMHill has provided me with more finds than any other cache owner.

His many cache trails always incorporate the following essentials;

A Charming Village

I'm a Worcestershire boy, born and bred.  Bredon is one of my favourite places and the desired resting place for my ashes to be scattered.   Although Mrs M is looking for somewhere more local (and how rude of her to presume I'm going first).

Yet, I've never previously been to this charming little black and white village.

Ask an American to draw what England looks like and they'll probably produce something like this.

C14th Stone Cross

Black and White Timber Framed and Thatched

Great Walking

This figure of 8 walk takes in most of the mile length of the village and then climbs the Eastern flanks of Bredon Hill.   I was surprised by the woodland.  I wasn't surprised by the views.

Great paths, all in fine condition.

Ashton Wood was a real surprise

The Views were not

Interesting Containers and Always an Ammo Can

Proof indeed that caches can be made out of absolutely anything.  The trademark army pouches were expected.  Banana guards suspended under a bridge were not.

I'm coming up to 7,000 finds and never before has Mrs M demanded a sniff of one.  Much chuntering about needing cake for the rest of the walk.

Caching Assistant distracted by Vanilla

King of the Cache Containers

A Pub

The Star Inn is a classic country boozer that markets its services on several footpath markers on this walk.  Proud of their food and their beer, you will find evidence of their marketing all along this walk - with adverts placed on various footpath signs.

Black Sheep is not too often found in Worcestershire.

I was delighted.

Need a place to start the Round?  It will cost you a round.

Classic Country Pub

Black Sheep - One of My Favourites

Once again, thanks Mike. I'll eagerly keep my eyes open for future cache notifications.

23/07/17 - Wye to the Thames Summary

Number of Stages - 12
Start - Hereford on 07/05/16
Finish - Oxford on 23/07/17
Total Distance Walked -  130.5 Miles
Geocaches Found - 68


I forgotten how I found out about this walk, but there's no doubt on where I got the guide book from.  What did I used to do before eBay?

Think I paid more than £2.50 as well

Published in 1995, it details 12 walks that run between the railway stations on the Cotswold Line.

The Start is Hereford (The Wye) and the end is Oxford (The Thames).  Each stage begins at a railway station, involves a ramble ranging between 5 and 18.5 miles and then catches the train back to your starting point.  Simple but effective.

And with the exception of the industrial estate at Pershore, all of the paths remain.

Highlights
The walking is uniformly excellent and you pass through some great Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Oxfordshire villages/towns, with some cracking boozers.   I don't think I will ever forget nearly getting press-ganged into the Ledbury faction of the Morris Men at the Prince of Wales pub on Leg 1.

Everyone knows how good the walking is in Malvern but the qualities of Worcestershire Walking in Evesham (arrival by hand pulled ferry) and Pershore are there to be explored on this route.

This of course leads to the honeypots of the Cotswolds, including Moreton in the Marsh, the start of the Cotswold Way in Chipping Campden and Sezincote Hall.

Oxford is a fitting finale to any adventure.

Almost Joining the Morris Men in Ledbury

A Typical Cotswold Walking Vista

Lowlights
Man, they got free parking at all the stations back in the nineties.  Now you can expect to have to pay via an App or phone call.   After walking for 5 hours, its a little saddening to get whisked back to you starting point in less than 10 minutes and often paying the best part of a fiver for such a short journey.

And GWR seem to stop operating for a couple of hours at lunch time.  Time it wrong and you could be hanging around for a train for rather a while.

The Stages
Blog for each Stage.

Stage 1 - Hereford to Ledbury
Stage 2 - Ledbury to Colwall
Stage 3 - Colwall to Malvern
Stage 4 - Malvern to Worcester
Stage 5 - Worcester to Pershore
Stage 6 - Pershore to Evesham
Stage 7 - Evesham to Honeybourne
Stage 8 - Honeybourne to Moreton in Marsh
Stage 9 - Moreton in Marsh to Kingham
Stage 10 - Kingham to Charlbury
Stage 11 - Charlbury to Hanborough
Stage 12 - Hanborough to Oxford

The Photo Album on Flickr 

Flickr Album (arrows to move through photos)

23/07/17 - Oxford Pub Crawl

The final section of a Long Distance Walking Path, the Wye to the Thames, delivers us to the City of Dreaming Spires for traditional end of adventure celebrations.

No problem finding boozy inspiration.   The 2017 Good Beer Guide has 12 entries.  This excludes several city classics.   Even after careful planning, we manage to miss the location where Bill Clinton failed to inhale.

The Bear, Alfred Street, ESB

It's not in the GBG but who wouldn't visit a Fullers Pub with 4,500 neck ties, wall mounted and on display?

The Bear

We time things perfectly to a) get a bar seat in one of the tiny alcoves and b) get in before a gaggle of around 20 foreign students burst in to buy drinks individually.

Prime position to engage in chat, mainly around the price of Oxford Hotels.   As this was a celebration night, I was seriously tempted to splash out on the Randolph Hotel.  Until I saw the booking.com price of £400 per night.   One of our fellow drinker in here used to work in the kitchens.

Apparently, they are minging.

It's my perfect pub and the ESB was in top condition.   Have a butchers at my new FB profile pic.

A man at peace with the World

St Aldgates Tavern, 108 St Aldgates, XT 2

Short hop, skip and a jump and we are getting our first GBG Tick in Oxford.   This is a classic looking Victorian City Centre pub.  One that tourists shouldn't walk past.  It's practically a living museum.

First Tick in Oxford

Quite a fan of the XT Brews and later tonight, I learn what the numbers mean from a beer towel in another pub.   I'm not sure if I knew the higher the number, the darker the beer.   I definitely didn't know they went up to 9.

An uninspiring, lifeless yet aptly named, number two today.  Not a great example.   All nice and quiet until our tranquility was interrupted by a rabble of annoyingly noisy twenty-somethings who Mrs M thought had been punting.

She may have got her University cities confused.

The Royal Blenheim, St Ebbes Street, White Horse Waylands Smithy

Possibly the first time I have ordered a pint simply because it's named after a place I have walked past.

I'm new to the White Horse brewery and this is one of their tied pubs, dispensing the full range with the odd Everards on offer too.

Functional enough, this single room Victorian pub was empty apart from us.   We were driven out by the light metal music that was gently being piped in for entertainment.

But not before Mrs M rested her post 11 mile walk achy foot

The White Rabbit, 21 Friars Entry, Shotover Oxford Scholar

The Blenheim was tick number 2 and after a struggle finding an alley round the back of the High Street, this was tick number 3.

It was worth it for several reasons.   Quiz night had brought the students out in force and the place was packed.  We thought about joining in, but two of us against the elite minds of the University world?  Really, we should have.   I might not have known the official name of a Jaw Bone but I did clean up on the music round, with most songs from the 70's or 80's.

This was a pub done well - food seemed to be only pizza.  Real ale was limited to two or three.  And a first Oxford Scholar was easily pint of the night.

Students, the same the world over

The Eagle and Child, 49 St Giles, Hook Norton Old Hooky

We were hoping to get two more visits in - a non tick here and a tick at the Lamb and Flag over the road.   However, its been a long time since I have been out in a strange place on a Sunday night and it would appear the 10:30pm Sunday Licences laws are religiously adhered to.

We try this one first - because of its literary connections.  CS Lewis and Tolkien met here weekly in the Rabbit Room, under the group name the "Inklings".

I wonder if the beer was as bad then?

An Inkling Ghost - Haunting the Rabbit Room since poisoned by Old Hooky in 1962

The beer was terrible - flat, cloudy and rank but was changed for a bright Brakspear Oxford Gold with no complaint, once the offending article had been tested for opaqueness by being held to the light by two different barmen.

It's 10:32 when we cross the road to try the Lamb and Flag.

All the chairs on on the tables.  The night is over.  Till next time, Oxford.

23/07/17 - Wye to the Thames - Walk 12 - Hanborough to Oxford

Distance - 11.5 Miles
Geocaches - 3
Previous Walks - Walk 1, Walk 2, Walk 3, Walk 4, Walk 5, Walk 6, Walk 7, Walk 8, Walk 9, Walk 10, Walk 11
Pubs - The Trout Inn, Godstow and the Perch Inn, Binsey

So the journey ends.

I found an old book that detailed 12 walks between the stations of the Cotswold Line Railway.  The plan is you start at a station, have a lovely bimble and catch the train back to your starting position.

I set off on 7/05/16 from Hereford, completed a stage roughly once a month and find myself arriving in Oxford at the end of the line, just over a year later.

As is custom with the end of a project, a celebratory night out is planned.

So this means the first challenge is to get from our hotel (don't do this on a Saturday kids, Oxford hotels are about three times more expensive than on a Sunday) to Hanborough to start the walk.   A combination of bus (conversation to amuse Mrs M with the bus driver - so I can use an all day ticket all day?  As many times as I want?) and the first train out of Oxford on a Sunday means we are heading out into the countryside at about 11:30am.

A post walk nap is in jeopardy.

Hanborough Station has a handy reminder of the journey that has been completed.

I've walked that

Early stages of the walk are what we have come to expect from Oxfordshire.  Fine views, woodland, pretty little villages.   The first up is Church Hanborough, containing a potential refreshment point in the Hand and Shears pub.   Too early for us and too many miles left to do.

Woodland Welcome - Straight through Pinsley Wood

Oxfordshire Countryside Views

Mrs M at Church Hanborough

About an hours walking on overgrown paths, disturbing the tiny Muntjac deer that Mrs M mistakes for "Ginger Dogs" and we are in the deeply weird place of Eynsham.

The approach is down a bridleway which has around 10 decreipt caravans - all flat tyres, broken windows, covered in green moss and inhabited by a community.  A community of what, I am unsure - all young to middle aged men, tending makeshift fires and looking at ramblers encroaching on their manor.

The town itself appears to have something of identity crisis.  The housing estate is a mixture of council houses, with rather posh new builds with names like "Orchard Cottage".   The architecture of the place is summed up in the town centre - a turreted church next to a terrible 1970's style shop.

Eynsham Main Street

We took advantage of the benches opposite the Re Lion (d had fallen off) to take lunch.

Not much walking until we reach the Thames, crossing the Toll Bridge at Swinford where a man in a hut must question his own existence at having to collect 5p from passing cars.  Ramblers go free.

Is it Worth It?

Over the Thames

It's the Thames Path most of the way now, but the route saves us a mile by taking us inland past Wytham Great Wood.   Its about 9 miles in and we vow to stop at the next pub.

This is provided by the Trout Inn at Godstow Lock.  Like the wasps that attacked everyone in the beer garden, the punters really swarm to this place on a warm summers day.   The finer points of queuing at bars needed to be pointed out to a couple of impatient pensioners, who really should know better.

Mrs M wondered how much change I got back from my two pints.  A not unreasonable £2 from a tenner is the answer, although the Old Hooky was not in great condition.

Like Wasps to a Honeypot

Old Hooky looks worse than I remember it

Godstow provided some unexpected history, with an Abbey one side of the river and a nunnery the other side.

Godstow Nunnery

For thirsty ramblers, the next pub stop is not too far downstream.  About another mile on in Binsey is the Perch Inn.  Its slightly off the Thames Path but their signage and dramatic entrance through a series of fairy light lit arches on a sunken path make it impossible to ignore.

Cannot be ignored

The Outside Bar

Another Old Hooky here - gravity fed from a barrel but much clearer than in the Trout, even if it did lose all life within three sips.

Refreshment stops over, its all riverbank walking into Oxford, where we meet the 500 bus at the train station to whisk us back to the Hotel.  Its 5pm.   Mrs M insists she can get an hour in before we head out to celebrate properly.

Oxford Captured in a Picture - The Thames, a boat and a bike riding student

As with all adventures, a summary blog is available.

18/07/17 - CAMRA Good Beer Guide Pubs of Reading - Part 1

The Number 6 Emerald Bus whisks me away from the Holiday Inn South into the Town Centre.

I'm on a mission to see how many of the 8 CAMRA Good Beer Guide entries in Reading I can tick off.  Its not going to be all of them as a) its a school night and b) I will be back in the area soon and can save some for other adventures.

I'm not a regular bus user.  You can tell by the way I have Google Maps running on the phone so that I know roughly when to ring the bell to get off.  Catch a glimpse of Hop Leaf (1 of the 8) and note its location for the next visit.  I'm going to tackle the West first, and alight at the nearest bus stop to Castle Street.

Castle Street Tap, Castle Street, Bad Seed Brewery Old Skool

The Collapsed Sign behind the pedestrian tells you all you need to know

There's a certain frisson to entering a new pub for the first time.  What beholds the thirsty traveler as they push through the door and enter the premises?  Will dart players pause mid arrow?  Will you be advised to stay away from the Oracle?

Nothing much happens.   The single front room looks like this at 7:30pm on a Tuesday.

At least there is a Dart Board

The bar is similarly deserted.  At least this gives me time to make my selection and I do see a Bad Seed beer, a brewery that I have been following on Twitter, simply as they must be Nick Cave fans.

When it becomes clear that I have made my mind up - the only "punter" in the place leaves his laptop and headphones next to the bar to come and serve me.   The only communication between us "Old Skool Please", "£3.90".

I was expecting at least a "Fine Choice, Sir".

Not much to explore in the main bar, so out around the back for the giant TV screen in a back room and a collection of drinkers sat in the courtyard.

The beer didn't disappoint.

The Nag's Head, Russell Street, West Berkshire Brewery Good Old Boy

It must be a problem having another, well established Real Ale Bar, just around the corner.  Maybe this explains the lack of Tap customers and the fact that this place fills up nicely in the evening.   Or maybe its because the staff and other patrons interact with strangers (and when I say interact, I mean pinch their paper when they go to the loo).

The Nag's Head has near legendary status.   Their glassware announce there is a beer festival 365 days a year.

Down a side road, just out of Town

Plenty of Choice at the Daily Beer Festival

There's 12 real ales on but the staff are happy to help you decide, offering advice and tasters.

Tonight it was West Berkshire Brewery (when in Rome) Good Old Boy.   My sort of pint, a dark classic bitter.

Enjoyed with the Sudoku (at least whilst my bladder held out), admiring the surroundings.  The CAMRA awards, the Good Beer Guides going back over the years kept out of reach above the bar and the light fitting made of Malt Whisky tubes.  An inspiration for my next lounge makeover.

Awards Aplenty

Just as I am thinking of moving onto the next place, something meteorological happens outside.  The first of the summer thunder storms.

There's worse places to be trapped for 90 minutes.   The other 6 will have to wait.

And I'll have to make do with a Pork Scratching/Crisp combo for my tea.

Rain stops Ticking

15/07/17 - Heart of England Way - Stage 4 - Castle Ring

Distance - 6.5 Miles
Geocaches - 20
Pubs - The Nelson Inn - Olde Trip, Park Gate Inn - Lancaster Bomber
Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3


After three months and 3 walks, the Heart of England Way finally takes me out of Cannock Chase. The walking there has been fine but something was missing, as the experiences left me slightly underwhelmed.

That something has been identified on Stage 4.  Geocaches and pubs.

After finding about a grand total of 10 caches on the first 3 legs, I manage to triple my count for the Long Distance Path today.

And after having passed next to no pubs (There is one at the start in Milford, but I wouldn't recommend it), I walk past 4 today.

It's all kicking off in Staffordshire.

The walking is far more varied today.  The woods are left behind for common land, country lanes and some very good footpaths.

There might even have been elevated views over the West Midlands but the weather put paid to that.

Looking over Gentleshaw

It's all downhill, diving into bushes for cache retrieval and working my way across lanes and common land.  Good walking, good caching but little to photo.

A couple of pubs are passed.  Tempted by the Drill Inn but at 11:47am, the door was firmly bolted.   Only 20 minutes further on before I hit the Nelson Inn in Creswell Green.

Halfway round is always a good place to take a breather.

Nelson Inn

Olde Trip

I can tell by the amount of cars pulling emergency stops that this is a hard place to find.  I imagine it was a run down sort of place that has had a make over.   They've added "Country Dining" to the signage.

It's immaculate.  The toilets smell as chemically fresh as a municipal swimming pool, no doubt scrubbed to within an inch of their life.  It caters for families, with small kids.  I tried to take my pint outside but was beaten by very wet garden furniture.

And the pint?  There was a choice of 5, most were uninspiring and well known (think Abbot Ale) and I thought I would go for a Olde Trip, following a taster.

It was Greene King.

Moving on, its all uphill, with not quite the same amount of caches.  One cache does offer decent views at Ground Zero.

Staffordshire

The walking back is OK, but the planned route does have to be changed twice because of lost footpaths.  I really ought to get on to Staffs Council about the one at 52°41.822'N, 1°54.049'W, the footpath north has been fenced over with no access and a detour along Lower Lane was required.

Some encounters with Staffs Wildlife - past a field of happy free range pigs and a through a field of laid back bovines and I'm at the Park Gate Inn.

A much more satisfactory walk on the HOEW.  I'm positively itching to get back for Stage 5 and hit the fleshpots of Lichfield.

The Park Gate Inn is a former farmhouse - complete with a well outside and a similar, rather scary hole in the main bar - leading to the wine cellars.  Fortunately protected by iron railings.  It too, has the Country Pub Eating motif pasted to the sign but has a more down to earth feel than the Nelson.

Round the Back of the Park Gate

Next to the Well

Four real ales here - two from Sharp's (Doom Bar and its shyer brother, Atlantic).  A rather too lively Lancaster Bomber was chosen.   It wasn't the best.

Whiled away the time in the garden researching the history of the pub.  This article provided the most interest on Staffordshire Pub and Paranormal goings on.  But I was forced to stop reading once I got to the bit about the Sasquatch of Cannock Chase.

Hard to read with tears in your eyes.

10/07/17 - CAMRA Edinburgh Pub Walks - Walk 4 - The Castle

Another visit to the most beautiful of European Capitals, using the CAMRA Book of Pub Walks to explore it's nooks and crannies.

After using the guide to get reacquainted with the new town in Walk 6, I'll use the same approach to investigate the area around the castle.

All uphill from Princes Street, but a nice break is lined up at the foot of Cockburn Street.

The Malt Shovell, Cockburn Street, Belhaven IPA

Foot of Cockburn Street

If you had to describe a chainy, Greene King pub, this would be it.  Big menus, corporate branding and a tariff to make anyone draw in air over their teeth.... even the book author when he saw my tweet, capturing the beer selection chalk board.

Everything is north of £4.  The Green King Amplified coming in at a whopping £4.70.  Still, the pump dispenser is in the shape of a microphone, so you get some value.

Eye Watering

My IPA was functional - much like the pub.   I wouldn't end the walk here, unless you want to dine at the lovely Mexican next door.

To work off my Chicken Mole, I followed the book route up News Steps.   Sherpa's and oxygen recommended.

The Castle Arms, Johnson Terrace, Stewarts Edinburgh Gold

I've been travelling to Edinburgh regularly for work and pleasure for many years.  It remains the only city where I've been asked to leave a premises with my teenage children when we have looked to get a meal.

So it was a touch surprising to find this place full of American families eating Tex Mex at 9pm.   They must apply for different licences, the closer you get to the touristy bits.

I am unsure I have been to the Castle Arms before.   I certainly should have.   It's a fair summary of the geography of the city.  You can enter through a little door at one level and go looking for the loos, going down, down deeper on down, until you have lost all the height you have gained from climbing News Steps.

The Castle Arms

The view from the Terrace over West Bow makes it all worthwhile.

Smoker's Paradise

If you can find an exit that doesn't involve a final abseil, one of Edinburgh's finest, the Bow Bar, is down below.

Worth the visit and one to remember, should I find myself looking for food with little people.

The Ensign Ewert, Lawnmarket, Stewart's Edinbugh Gold

Going off piste now.  This, surprisingly, is not in the Guide.  Not in this walk or any other in the book. It's got the credentials - established 1680, and a lovely story about the Hero of the Battle of Waterloo.

I've been before and liked the way that the landlord would decide not enough tourists were drinking and close up at a time to suit himself.  You don't tend to get that elsewhere too much.

Enticed by the live fiddle music coming from within and to ensure that the interior had not changed like the exterior, I ventured in.

Lick of Paint

Pleased to report the full length painting of Waterloo is all present and correct.

And I can probably shed some light why it didn't make the CAMRA guide.   Same pint as over the road and this was a ghastly colour.  More gloop than gold.

I should have complained but how can you when fiddles are blasting and Canadians are working their way through a Whisky menu.

The Jolly Judge, James Court, Applecross Red Rock

There is a sign on the Royal Mile for this cracking boozer, hidden down one of the little court yards but really, you need someone to show you where it is.  Once you know, you'll keep coming back.

I was introduced to it on a previous visit by joining in with a guided "Literary Pub Walk".  A great idea, should you ever find yourself in a strange city and needing entertainment.  We did the same in New York.  There wasn't such an option in Wolverhampton.

Once you know its there!

A great locALE pint here, where they allowed a tester to make sure it met with the Mappiman seal of approval.  Cheapest of the night at £3.25.   Are you watching Malt Shovel?

Always a good atmosphere in here and tonight no exception.   Watching a load of Americans try and win a pub quiz about the Lions tour was quite interesting.   Even with Smartphones, the closest score to winning the £200 clean sweep prize money was a 4 out of 6.

Prize money is rolling over to next Monday.   Get yourself down there, quizzers.

The Halfway House, Fleshmarket Close, Stewarts 80'

Tonight's new visit.  I thought I had done Edinburgh too.

Fleshmarket Close needs no introduction to Ian Rankin fans.  I've taken photos of signage before but head down and just before you reach Waverley Station, is a delightfully old school little boozer.

Scaffolding ruining the ambiance

A tiny little pub - but as there were only two other punters in, this did not present a problem.   Cracking pint of wee heavy too.

The list of "must visit" Edinburgh pubs grows by one.

The Guide comes up trumps again.  Cheers Bob.