30/12/17 - Horse and Jockey, Knighton

Distance - 8 Miles
Geocaches - 0
Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, August 2017, Walk 27


Two new year's resolutions here.  Never listen to either Mrs M or the BBC Weather App.  To be fair, Mrs M gets her info from the BBC Weather App, so the two things are the same.

This morning, I descended the stairs with my finest winter waterproofs only to be told its a balmy 11 degrees and wall to wall sunshine.  Only half of that sentence was true.

By end of the day, this walk became known as the "shittiest, good walk ever completed.

It promised so much - in a town I was convinced was new to me but upon arrival quickly recognised.  If we hadn't have started in town, it would have been completely in Shropshire.

Half in Wales, Half in England.  Totally in the wrong clothes

We've started at the Offa's Dyke Visitors Centre and its this path that takes us across the River Teme and up the flanks of Panpunton Hill.  It's a lung gasper but on a fine day, you will be rewarded with a magnificent view of the Teme Valley.   Like us blogfans, you will have to make do with this.

Things have not been this grim in 2017 since the Langdale Valley.

No point taking photos.  It's a case of trudge on and try and keep the camera safe from the horizontal rain that completely soaked one half of your body, leaving the other half relatively unscathed.  The only way to try and improve morale was by me completing a spectacular fall - a skid, windmill like leg movements and a mud bound plonk. 

Mrs M creased herself, but she may have been delirious through hypothermia.

Trough the farm at Five Turning, along a broad farm track and downward scramble through Holloway Rocks.  I remember that someone said if the weather is grey, try turning your camera to Monochrome setting.

Slightly better than the mirk

Stowe Church before a couple of godawful, sheep poo strewn fields, where we get in quite a state.  We wonder whether Knigton pubs will allow us in, but we do find a stream to get the worst off.

Stowe Church - where the Sun Peeps

A quick walk through this pretty town, passing the Railway Station.  There are two lines - one way to Shrewsbury with two stops along the way.  The other to Swansea with 120 stops along the way.  All in places I've never heard off. 

There's also a high degree of specialism amongst the shops.

Unique in that the Station is in a different Country to the town it serves.

Yes, this is a Subbuteo Shop

So the pubs.  The 2018 Good Beer Guide was consulted and there is a single entry - the Red Lion.  But not before we are forced to walk past an interesting looking boozer, the Horse and Jockey.  Mrs M is that desperate for refreshment, I have to drag her out.

The Red Lion sits delightfully next to the town square clock tower and keep ridiculous hours.

I mean come on - a pub (classic, not micro) that doesn't open till 17:30 on a Saturday?

Looks Good.

Looks Bad.  Doesn't even bother on a Sunday or Monday

With much contrition we head back to the H&J.  Window stickers show that this was a 2017 Good Beer Guide entry and as we are still in the year, I'm counting a tick.

Mrs M wondering why we are walking past.  If only she knew as much about weather.

All turns out fine in a most serendipitous way.  The H&J has a lot more going for it - Medieval origins, an interesting horseshoe shape of ramshackle buildings, excellent Three Tuns Beer and the icing on the cake - the best beef and onion baguette known to humanity.

Really, you have to go there.

Sustenance taken and the misery of the previous three hours was very nearly forgotten.

Loved the layout of this former coaching inn

Almost as much as this