31/12/18 - Heart of England Way Stage 21 - Alcester

Distance - 7.2 Miles
Geocaches - 3
Pub - Three Tuns, Alcester
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, Stage 19, Stage 20


One last walk in 2018, providing just enough time to get my monthly leg on the Heart of England Way.

This is an area that I know well. I've walked from here many times. I managed to knock off all of the pubs (except the Cross Keys) when I stayed over at the Travelodge, whilst on the Warwickshire Cakes and Ales trail back in March.

Today's trail starts from the town centre, so I have a reminder of what's available and a 7 mile ramble to ponder on which establishment will receive the post walk Mappiman dollar.

Even though I've walked the area, I am still finding new paths. Once through town and I head North along the River Arrow, passing through play areas and fields until I reach Coughton Court.

Weir over the Arrow and a Geocaching GZ

Coughton Court Church - Closed for the rest of the year

Three long distance paths share the route home.  Of course, the Heart of England Way is why I'm here but we're also ticking off sections of the Arden Way and the Monarch's Way.    To be fair, with the Monarchs way being 625 miles in length, you probably can't walk for 7 miles anywhere in this country without stumbling upon it :-)

Three Ways today

Not much to write home about.  It's field edges all the way although there is plenty of evidence of a massive program of tree planting.   Rows upon rows of plastic green tubes with spindly tree tips poking from the top.   Looks like there's going to be a recreation of the Forest of Arden.

Back into town..... my mind is made up.

The Hollybush is a fine pub, nestling next to the church and the market hall but once again, it looks bereft of all life.   The Turks head was mental busy on my last visit - to make sure I had made the correct decision, I poked my head through the window.   Looked like a good but slightly pedestrian choice of Purity or Wye Valley.

The Three Tuns it is.

The Tree Tuns, Alcester

I was hugely impressed on my last visit with this plate.   On re-reading my notes, I said that I was surprised it wasn't in the 2018 Good Beer Guide but if there was any justice in the world, it would be in the 2019 version.

It's almost as though CAMRA are listening to me.    The posters are up proclaiming their new found status.

Out of the 8 hand pulls available, I made the correct choice with a Burton Bridge Brewery Porter.

A fine way to end the year.

Another year's blogging, rambling, geocaching and pub ticking is over!