07/10/17 - Heart of England Way Stage 6 - Leaving Lichfield

Distance - 10.4 Miles
Geocaches - 19
Pubs - Separate Blog
Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5

After a September that was too busy to fit in my monthly HOEW walk, I am back in October.  A relatively easy train journey means that I can double up on pleasures big time.   There are four Good Beer Guide Ticks to be had in Lichfield.

First the walking.  This is a fine circular trail, heading southwards out of the City.  A couple of miles of street/back alleys and canal restoration projects.  New pavement mounted signage shows the way.

HOEW Gets new Signage

I'm out in the countryside, on good bridle ways with fine views over Staffordshire.

Easy Walking in the Sunshine

Views over the Pig Farm to Knox's Grave Lane

High proportion of Geocaches on route - including a taster of the Lichfield Extreme Caching Organisation (L.E.G.O) hides.  Their motif is a sinisterly nailed lego figure at GZ.

Knowing I was at GZ made for easier finds.  Tricky cache returned to rightful location.

Knox Grave Lane marks the turning off point from the HOEW and a bit of Internet research tells the story.  Knox was a highwayman operating in the area and reputedly living in Hopwas Hays Wood.  He would lie in wait in the country lanes for the solitary traveler returning home late at night from a local inn and hit him from behind with a heavy cudgel.  After capture and execution, his family buried him in an unmarked grave along this lane.

No danger of being cudgeled today but there are other threats.  Hopwas Hays wood is now a military firing range.  I could have phone in advance to see if they were on operations, but decided Saturdays should be fine.

I was right... the red light wasn't flashing

Footpath goes across the actual firing range

A super walk, in unseasonal no jacket required sunshine.  The route brings me back into the City.

Let the pub ticking commence.