21/04/19 - Heart of England Way - Stage 25 - Long Marston

Distance - 9 Miles
Pub - The Masons Arms, Long Marston
Geocaches - 11
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, Stage 21, Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24

The monthly trips on the Heart of England Way enter their final area - The Cotswolds.

Today, like last month, I start at a Mason's Arms.   Unlike Pebworth, the Long Marston version is not as well hid, falling under the attention of Cask Marque.   As is the norm, I'll save the pub until last.

Long Marston is left behind on the HOEW, heading east.  The obvious prize and highlight of today's walk is Meon Hill, an Iron Age hill fort.   I scramble the western flanks after moving through the expanding villages of Lower and Upper Quinton.  House building everywhere.

An early view of the Iron Age Hill fort of Meon Hill

The View from the slopes of Meon Hill

I don't quite enter Mickleton, saving this for the next leg, but the route back north is over progressively unused footpaths.   It starts with a battle through rapeseed, then some very overgrown but unknown vegetation before the rights of way give up the ghost completely at Court Farm.  I can see from my GPS that I am in the right place.   The farmer has built a barbed wire fence and ditch system with no stile to halt my progress.

I'm forced to walk through their farmyard to find an exit.  If I could be arsed, I'd be looking on how to report blocked footpaths on Warwickshire County Council website, but there's always that nagging doubt that I've done something wrong.

It gets progressively worse.

12:30 and back at the Long Marston's pub.  Having used their car park, its only correct that I purchase their wares.

9am, Masons Arms, Long Marston

Its a country pub and of course, on a day like this, the locals are out if force in the beer garden.

A teeth jarring bash of the head on the doorframe to get in.  The sign warning you to mind you head is on the door, which is wide open due to the unseasonal bank holiday weather.   I'm probably the only punter drinking real ale and the Theakstons Paradise Ale showed that.   Not the greatest.

The locals telling me to go San Miguel