Sunday 12 May 2019

12/05/19 - The Bulls Head, Wootton Wawen

Distance - 4 Miles
Geocaches - 18
First Cache


Wootton Wawen in Warwickshire.  Jonathan Ross's least favourite village.

I'm here for a 18 cache geotrail - that takes on a short section of the Stratford Canal, Austy Woods and a section of the Monarch's Way long distance path.

Beautiful morning, gorgeous skies, easy walking, fine caches waiting to be found - apart from when muggle barge owners are moored up at GZ.   Austy Woods had the bluebells out and rape seed was in the fields, creating a beautiful yellow contrast to the blue skies.

Stratford Canal
Starting along the Stratford Canal
Bluebell Woods
Bluebells in Austy Woods
Rape Seed Fields
Simply Gorgeous fields of Rape Seed on the Monarchs Way

Lovely little round that was perfect for my Sunday morning needs.

The day got even better when I looked for post caching refreshment.   I've lost track of the amount of times I have walked from Henley in Arden and Alcester but never once have I been to Wootton. 

The OS Map showed a Big Blue Cup of Joy.   At first, I wondered if a pub was still there and open. 

There aren't necessarily signs of life from the road.

Bulls Head, Wootton Wawen
Car Park at rear
There's a lot of claims in the UK to the oldest pub.  Ye Olde Trip in Nottingham, Fighting Cocks in St Albans and the Porch House Inn in Stow on the Wold have all been visited.

This one almost matches their claimed date - although Porch House - I'm not sure people even lived in houses in 947 AD.   I thought it would be all mud huts.  At least Ye Olde Trip is a cave.

This ramshackle former cottages/farm houses has a stone dated 1317 inside.  Beerwise - a tired of Marstons Pedigree was never going to tear up any trees but that was not really the point of the visit.

I doubt your local hungry horse is going to have thirsty ramblers stumbling upon them and admiring the internal joinery in 700 years time.

To add further historical emphasis, its opposite the oldest Church in Warwickshire.  Saxon, dating from 800AD.

Maybe I've been too harsh on the Porch House and domestic buildings were there in the first millennium.

Wootton Wawen Church - Oldest in Warwickshire
Couldn't find an angle without a Red Nissan in front of it.

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