18/05/19 - Heart of England Way - Stage 26 - Mickleton

Distance - 8.75 Miles
Pub - The Fleece Bretforton
Geocaches - 3
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, Stage 25


Stage 26 of the Heart of England Way brings me to Mickleton.   A village that has been a regular in this blog over the last 7 years, where there has been an adventurous pub walk, the pudding club and a geocaching round.

To avoid familiarity (and because they were poor to average), I'll be forced to find a post ramble refreshment other than the Kings and Butchers Arms, but that's for later.

I also remember from my previous walk that it might be nice to descend from Kiftsgate rather than having another pant up the grassy ride.    That's the direction sorted, anti clockwise.

Leave Mickleton heading South and picking up a church micro geocache.   An attempt was made to gain access to the building to see the stained glass windows but I only met with a locked door.   Instead, a chance to test Google Translate with a dead language.

Lovely Honey Stone Church

Law of God, Light of the Day

My climb is onto Bakers Hill, where an extraordinary FYI (for your information) Geocache brings something to my attention that I would have possibly missed.   Carved into the side of the tree is an image of a Belgian Soldier made by a veteran convalescing from injuries received in WWI.

Amazing.

The geocache involves getting info from the information board and plotting co-ordinates for the treasure.   Great fun and a delight to be shown a 100+ year piece of art/graffiti.

Views from Bakers Hill

Can you see the face in the tree?

How about now?

The remainder of the walk is agricultural Cotswolds.   Emma and Rob's wedding is taking place at Mickleton Hill Farm, there are goldfish in the trough at Hidcote Boyce and downhill from Kiftsgate is a nice change.

Mickleton Hill Farm Drive - the Way to Emma's Big Day

Who does this?  Why aren't there herons in the Cotswolds?

Downhill to Mickleton

A decent ramble, as you would expect from this part of the world.

So the pubs - as mentioned, the Kings Arms looks much better than what is delivered.  The Butchers Arms is better but all Sharp's Beers - although a lesser spotted Sea Fury did line up next to the ubiquitous Doom Bar on my last visit.

Instead, I head to the Seagrave Arms on the way home in Weston Sub Edge.  It stunning looking and the last time I walked past was outside opening hours.   I vowed to investigate when I had the chance.

Like all good ideas, this is a mistake.

What's not to like?

Its the worst type of Gastropub.   I may have missed something, but after walking through room after room of empty fine dining tables, I found a (the?) bar.   It was both unmanned and devoid of any proper beer.

No one saw my entry.  No one saw my exit.

Always with something up my sleeve, I instead head to Bretforton.   If you know anything about pubs in the UK, you won't need me to tell you the name of where I am heading.

The Fleece Inn, Bretforton

The Fleece is owned by the National Trust and is a half timbered medieval farm house, converted to a pub in the 1800s.   My blog tells me its been 6 years since my last visit, where I was at the launch of that year's asparagus-fest.  They take this vegetable very seriously in the Vale of Evesham.

This year, they were merely selling asparagus on the bar.   I declined to see how it would pair with my Uley Brewery Pig's Ear.

Last Pub Blog was Pork Scratchings in Gornal.  Today, a bundle of Asparagus.  £3.50.