27/10/18 - Heart of England Way Stage 19 - Out of Henley

Distance - 7 Miles
Geocaches - 1
Pub - Good Beer Guide Tick 332 - The White Swan, Henley in Arden
Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9, Stage 10, Stage 11, Stage 12, Stage 13, Stage 14, Stage 15, Stage 16, Stage 17, Stage 18


I was full of praise for the last leg of the HOEW - really enjoying the walk that took us into Henley in Arden.

Stage 19 - taking us out of Henley - has proved the polar opposite.  Dull as ditch water and completed on a day when I had failed to bring my winter walking wardrobe.   I was froze.

Out of the now all to familiar Henley High Street and up to the railway station.   Soon in the countryside, following shared Long Distance Paths - The Millennum Way, the Arden Way and of course, the HOEW.

All the Ways

The "target" is Bannams Woods - marking the point where the HOEW is left and a return to Henley is plotted.   The path disappears in the undergrowth but there are decent Warwickshire views from the slight ridge.

Warwickshire Views

Simple country paths, running parallel to the HOEW take me back.   There's really nothing more than this to show you.   Sleet is just too damn complicated to photograph.

Clouding Over for Wintry Showers

Its the thought of a Good Beer Guide Tick that keeps me going.

White Swan, High Street, Henley in Arden - Black Sheep

Unsurprisingly, in this ancient town, a pub has stood here since 1352.   Location, location, location - opposite the church and the Market Hall.

Pub, closest to the Church

And the Indian

The current building is from the 1500s but when its been taken over by the Stone Aged Steakhouse company, its bound to have had a bit of a tarting up.

Tudor - not Stone Aged

Once in, its a very smart gastro pub - with drinkers forced to sit on high seats running along the bar.

This is annoying.   A)  there is a separate dining room - so why allow diners to commandeer the bar tables to eat their thin crust pizzas?  and B) it means I cannot get to the bar and the bar staff have no control on who is next to be served.

Eventually, a prize winner for surliest bar staff of the year asks "who's next" and I volunteer my services to sample the Black Sheep.

It's carried around the bar looking for a seat - hopefully next to an open fire - but alas, no room in the inn.

I'm forced to take it into the dining room and sit, all alone at a secondary bar.  Plenty of time to contemplate just how this place gets in a Good Beer Guide.

Then I take a sip.

Perfect Pint

Top class beer.   Dreadful Experience.

See you next Month for Stage 20.