18/08/19 - Heart of England Way - Stage 29 - Batsford

Distance - 6.5 Miles
Pubs - None
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, Stage 27, Stage 28

Blockley - a place that I mused on last months HOEW as to why its not as popular as the other Cotswold Honeypots.  Today, I have the answer.   The pubs are bobbins.   Last month, I had an awful Hooky Gold at the Best Western, so was keen to try the other pub.   We'll come to the Crown later, if I can bring myself to relive the memories.

If you are here for the walking, then you're fine.   This is a top quality ramble in the heart of the Cotwolds that delivers the final climb of the HOEW.   Literally, its all down hill from here to Bourton on the Water.

The path out of Blockley is shared by the Monarchs Way and the HOEW and rises gently to Batsford Arboretum.   The views are behind and worth a glance.

Blockely behind

A circuit of the walls of Batsford Arboretum, eventually getting close to village.   Contained within the walls are the largest collection of privately owned trees.   A collection started by Algernon Mitford, grandfather to the Nazi sympathising sisters and buried in the church, which seems imported from France.  Handsome but unusually shaped.

Nazi Grandpa's final resting place

More Architectural wonder at the Stud Farm

Back up hill for the views over Draycott.  A dry village, full of beautiful buildings but no pub.   The locals all come out to watch a man get his drill out and put up a house number.   That's what passes for entertainment in villages without boozers.

Looking Down towards Draycott

An encounter with non native beasts.   Not entirely sure they were friendly.

Arrival back in Blockley is along a wonderful street of Terraces, Park Road.   By the number of foreign cars and little key safety deposit boxes fixed to the walls, this must be prime AirBNB territory.  One's up on right move for 345K.   Its a deceptively spacious (their words, not mine) two bedder.

Its not a direct route back to the car but as mentioned at the start, I want to check out the Crown Hotel for post walk refreshment.   Normally, I wouldn't trouble something marked as a Hotel but I had noticed a little bar to the side on my last leg.

So I enter and find a bar that is empty of people (staff, punters, ghosts of former patrons) and with no hand pulls at all. 

I left before I was seen by the staff.   At push, I can take bad beer but not in a silent, empty room.

Footnote - last review on Pubsgalore was from legendary blogger Alan Winfield

17/08/19 - London Countryway Stage 18 - Brookmans Park to Broxbourne

Distance - 12.6 Miles
Start - Brookmans Park
Finish - Broxbourne
Geocaches - 4
Pubs - Woodman and Olive, White Bear and The Bull at Broxbourne
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


The London Countryway is taking me to some mysterious places.   I'm not exactly sure where Brookman's Park is, but the first observed bus "labelled Luton" provides a small clue.   If the walk doesn't pan out, I can always take advantage of public transport and see the Baggies who are playing there today.

Wherever it is, it's prime commuter territory for the City Big Wigs.   The long avenue to the golf course (say no more) is resplendent with massive houses, no two architecturally the same, with the only common ground found by the high end German cars parked on the two entrance driveways.

The walking is OK.   We're not hitting the heights of the Southern Section and you know when your blog is in trouble when the only things of interest to describe are a radio transmitter and a water tower.  There's some decent agricultural footpaths and the first village, Newgate Street or Ponsbourne (as the Church labels itself) is pretty enough.   Shame its only 11am, as the Coach and Horses looked much more promising than the pubs I did find open later.

Hertfordshire Agricultural Footpaths

Ponsbourne Church, Newgate Street

Coach and Horses remains undiscovered due to 11am arrival

Ponsbourne Park House

Wormley Woods is a pleasure to walk.   Ancient Woodland, boardwalks for the boggy bits and in August, home to an awful lot of dragon flies.   I'm following Dick Bowman's GPX Files and all I am going to say is he got badly lost.   There's a West-East stretch along what looks like a path on the OS Map but is actually a badly overgrown ditch.    Future London Countrway'ers should stick to the present Authority on the route - Des De Moor.  I survived and felt this should be rewarded with a pint.

Woodland Selfie

Lovely walking over the boggy bits

The OS Map shows a big blue cup of joy at Wormley West End.   My map is old and pubs are dying at an alarming rate, so this is no guarantee of refreshment.   But the building is there, even if its is now a Greek Restaurant.   I know this, as they have appended "& Olive" to the original name "The Woodman".

I hope the food is better than the beer.

Christmas is just around the corner.  It's August.

No ales on but you do get charged £5.10 for flat Italian Lager

Not to worry, I'll soon be in Broxbourne - where very early signage (I am at least 2 miles away) tells me it was the home of the Kayaking in the Olympics.  I simply have to navigate Baas Hill Common, cross the A10 and drop down to the village.   Really, I should be following the New River to the Station but a) I have this ear marked for a future walk and b) I need to see what Broxbourne has to offer the weary foot traveler.

The New River Path - for another day.

I am the only man in the White Bear who doesn't have a Ralph Lauren polo shirt on but I get away with it as they are all Arsenal fans and Arsenal are on the TV.   The only real ale on is Doom Bar but as the Cask Marque accreditation next the front door says "Expired", I join my Gooner friends in a Stella.

Dress Code, Ralph

Over the road is a McMullens tied house, the Bull.   I know really feel that I am in Hertfordshire.   A chainy pub but the County Bitter was pint of the day.

McMullens Bull

I'm rather looking forward to the next leg - where I will have my first visit to Waltham Abbey.   A place that I've wanted to visit since reading the first chapter of Iain Sinclair's London Orbital.

08/08/19 - Edinburgh South Side Pubs

Distance - 2 Miles
Pubs - 4
Good Beer Guide Tick - 408
Walk Inspiration - Camra Pub Walks in Edinburgh, Walk 13

Edinburgh for the Fridge but we cannot complain.   We are some of the tourists that render the streets impossible to pass and bus rides that double in duration.   True Toonies (googled that) move out of the City in August.  We know this, as we are renting their flat on AirBNB.

And what a fine flat in Morningside it is.   It means that once the laughs with David O'Doherty are over, we can fashion a walk home through the South Side to get some harder of the harder to reach City pubs.

Dagda Bar, 93 Buccleuch Street, Oakham Citra

Only pub of the four in the 2019 Good Beer Guide.

Tenement Terrace Pub

It's a tiny one roomer with a bar across the back wall.    A battle to get through the punters but quick and friendly service for my first (believe it or not) Oakham Citra.

Decent pint, functional boozer.   Now I know where it is, I will return.

Inside a busy one roomer...

The Abbey, South Clark Street, Deuchars

Very little in the guide about this pub - just mentions its corporate make over.   Usually enough to put me off, but we were passing and when I follow a pub crawl, I like to do the author justice.

Corporate Abbey

It was perhaps better for its whisky than its beer and I only wish I had seen the "region samplers" where a tenner gets you three 25ml measures from a particular area.   Good value.

Instead it was a quick Deuchars, once the barman realised I hadn't said Guinness.   A Brummie in Edinburgh, divided by a common tongue.

Leslie's Bar, Ratcliffe Terrace, Timothy Taylor Landlord

The guide is far more gushing about Leslie's Bar - a place that I have stored in my phone from my previous Edinburgh visits, when it was in the 2018 Good Beer Guide.   Removed from this year's edition, which seems cruel, especially when the serve the King of Beers.

Leslie's By Night

A magnificent island bar built in 1899 and completely unchanged.   Bob Steel loved this place and I can see why.   However (and there's always an however) its not entirely practical for the newbie.  A photo lifted from their facebook page will reveal.   I'm not that brave to take one in situ.

An 1899 Bar

The left hand side has a built up bar with snob screens.... originally so the gentry would not be observed at head height.   Nice idea, but not if you don't know what beers are on offer.  So I head to the opposite side, where a row of bar hanging seats are all fully occupied and the only way to get service is to poke your head between a couple of men who are both deep in conversation and refused any more alcohol by the barstaff, presumably based upon that conversation.

The TT landlord is taken back to Gentry Side, where the glory of the place can be properly admired.

Inspiration for a future pub walk

The Old Bell, Causewayside, Lagavulin 16

My night time photo did not do the architecture justice, so another photo lifted from the net.

Handsome by day

I'd also told Mrs M that although we have been walking in vaguely the right direction for our AirBnB, Morningside was the best part of 2 miles away.

A nightcap, whilst summonsing up an Uber.

Marriage is all about compromise.

It came in 3 minutes - making my 16 year old malt the most expensive drink I've ever consumed, based on pence per minute.

03/08/19 - High Rock, Rindleford and Bridgnorth's Black Horse Hotel

Distance - 5 Miles
Geocaches - 1
Walk Inspiration - AA Walks in Shropshire


Mrs M will testify that I have a decent collection of walking books.    Every time I walk one, I make a little note of the date walked at the top of the route page.

Today, we had the honour of looking after Guide Dog in Training Poppy - so I thought I would find an old favourite ramble to keep her entertained.

The note at the top of the page showed that I last walked this in April 2004.   15 years ago.   Where on earth does the time go.

By the state of the paths, I would suggest that very few people have subsequently walked it.

We start at the Cemetery - a steep path running alongside the walls.   Some serious tree maintenance since my last visit - to the point of decimation.

Wasteland

Its nice and shady for Poppy, who is happy to pose for next year's Guide Dog Calendar.  Reasonable paths take us up to High Rock - which does exactly what it says on the tin.   Views over the Severn and Poppy tethered in case she doesn't appreciate heights.

Guide Dog Photo Shoot

Always a tree in the way

From here on, things get tricky.   The paths along the edge of Pendlestone Rock disappear and are frequently blocked by fallen trees.  A tough half mile, not made any easier with adult kids in tow.  When Ms Mappiman gets her hair bun stuck in a tree, you know you are in trouble.

Short lived relief at Woodside, where a sunken path takes us down to Fenn Gate and into the Batch.   As strange a place as I have ever walked.  Completely remote, leading to the River Whorfe and Rindleford - the place that time (and everyone else) forgot.

Even I, the hardiest of ramblers, cannot put on a brave face as we battle 6ft ferns.   Rindleford does not want outsiders to find them.

Public Footpath to the Batch.  Only 1 out of 5 of us smiling

The Whorfe was almost worth it - a fast flowing, shallow stream that Poppy loved a splash around in.  No drama on the way back through crop fields and taking a short cut to town along the footpath on the A454.

The Walk is Over

Onwards to promised refreshment.  Bridgnorth has 6 Good Beer Guide Entries.   With a couple previously explored, we made our way to Low Town for a visit to the a first - Will Mod themed pubs catch on?

The Black Horse Hotel is a sprawling, multi roomed pub that has recently been extended into next door's building.   Finding the bar where someone was serving required a full tour through empty rooms.

Enter through the Round Portal

Empty Room #1

The Who

With a left over prop from Quadrophonia 

Beer wise - it was a delight of quite similar Pale Ales.   Batham's Bitter, Hobson's Town Crier and Three Tuns XXX sounds like a starter for my top five beers ever and all were on display. Something I've been putting off for long time had to happen and my favourite declared.

The task was made slightly easier by the bloke in front of me returning his Bathams for the pump clip to be reversed and declared off.   The overall winner selection cancelled due to non runners.

I can report that The Three Tuns was in exceptional condition.   Been a long time since I found this old favourite on sale.

Earlier we mentioned Ms M woe at being snagged in trees and her day got progressively worse.   The Black Horse does not do cooked food, so her promised lunch was a pickle laden cob and crisps.  Taken outside, where she was singled out for attack by a hoard of angry wasps.

She went and sat in the car.