14/07/19 - Heart of England Way - Stage 28 - Blockley

Distance - 6.5 Miles
Pubs - Great Western Arms, Hooky Gold
Geocaches - 0
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, Stage 27


More Cotswold loveliness on the Heart of England Way - and like Stage 27 - this is a multi pub walk.

What's not to like?

I'm starting from Blockley.    A sizeable village that is as handsome as any of the more famous ones in the area but without the visitors.   Must be the lack of antique shops.   Starting at the Great Western Arms and heading north, I save the village centre until the triumphant return.

Its North - on paths shared between the HOEW and the Monarchs Way - first wheat fields and then some bovines to negotiate.

Path Sharing

Friendly Bovines on the HOEW

At Campden Hill Farm, I dog leg North East onto some fairly hopeless paths.   Quite surprising that major long distance paths in the Cotswolds can be so overgrown through lack of footfall.   Its a battle to get into Broad Campden but the reward is mid ramble refreshment at the pub I visited on the last leg.

Bakers Arms - Broad Campden

The way back is on paths that are in much better condition - with views opening out to Cleeve Common.

Cleeve Common Views

Wheat Fields

Woodland, marked on the map as "The Warren" provides a change in walking conditions and it's into Blockley, walking the length of the high street filled with honey stoned cottages and reaching the impressive Norman Church.

Norman Church

There are two pubs available and I'd already made up my mind to shun the Crown Hotel in preference of the Cask Marque accredited Great Western. 

Usually, you can't go wrong with a Hook Norton tied house.

But something was quite wrong with my Hooky Gold.

The Great Western Arms

Soup of the day - £4.10

Only two other customers at 2:15pm and they were both on Coffees.

I wish I had joined them.