27/10/19 - Heart of England Way - Stage 31

Distance - 9 Miles
Geocaches - 2
Pubs - Golden Ball - Lower Swell, Kings Arms - Stow-on-the-Wold
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, Stage 29, Stage 30


Peak Cotswold loveliness on the penultimate stage on the Heart of England Way.

The start is Stow-on-the-Wold.   Free parking in the nearby tescos and Mrs M makes a note to self to remember a 20p coin to use the facilities.   I'm sure she said that on the last stage in Moreton in the Marsh too.

The town square is already filling up and never has there been so much choice for post walk refreshment.   Which pub will get the Mappiman Dollar?  Well, it won't be the Porch.   This was my chance to add another "Oldest Pub in England" to the list - having ticks at St Alban's Fighting Cocks and Nottingham's Trip.   Alas, they were fully booked for Sunday Lunch several days in advance.

Stow on the Wold Centre

We leave on the Monarch's Way, heading North East past the wells that were used for drinking water until the mains came in 1937.   Views available as soon as you leave the town.

Cotswold Views

This walk is made up of several villages, some of them armed with pubs.   The first is Broadwell - Church, large village green and the Fox Inn.   The 2nd time I have walked on by this handsome boozer due to being too early.   Some would say that's not a bad thing when its a Donnington Brewery house and we will come to that later in this blog.

Undeniably Handsome

Other hamlets are Donnington (dry), Longborough (Coach and Horses), Upper Swell (Dry) and Lower Swell (The Golden Ball).   And we do pass the source of this disconcertion - Donnington Brewery - located in an idyllic setting, in a fine former mill house.

Apparently has a Brewery Shop now 

The Donnington Brewery

Onto Donningtons then.   My least favourite beer in the land is Arkells.   Donnington Brewery was founded by a member of the family in 1865.   Their tied houses dominate the area and there is even a Long Distance Path - the Donnington Way - that has been on my to do list for far too long.

The pubs are a perfect representation of the English Country Pub.

However (and you knew there would be a however), the beer is very, very poor.   We stop at the Golden Ball in Lower Swell and is if to prove a point, I am presented with some truly terrible swill - Donnington SBA.   One of the few times in my life I am pleased to have ordered a half.

Golden Ball

Tasted every bit as terrible as it looked

What a shame! 

The Donnington Way is still on the list though.  Mrs M questions my sanity.   It's location, location, location.

A minor short cut is taken back to Stow-on-the-Wold after determining that there is a footpath East along the B4068.

A palate cleanser is needed, quickly.

With so much choice in Stow, TripAdvisor was used to find the best Sunday Lunch in town - and although it is a Greene King, the Kings Arms did not disappoint.   I mean, it looks gorgeous.

To be fair, they all look like this

Black Sheep was a welcome relief and the Sunday Lunch lived up to the reviews.

Booking advised.