28/12/19 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 3 - Ivinghoe Beacon

Distance - 13.5 Miles
Geocaches - 12
Walk Inspiration
Pub - The Kings Arms, Tring
Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2

The answer to the question "Where do Hertfordshire folk go for an Xmas Walk" is surely Ashbridge. It's a National Trust Area of Outstanding Beauty. Ample parking, although you need to be there early. Plenty of Geocaches and fine woodland, hillside paths.

I'm back on the Chiltern Chain Walk... a collection of 20 walks covering the area. I was meant to be doing 4 stages a year.   Its a symptom of too much going on and bad planning when I reveal that this is the first time I have made it in 2019. Must do better in 2020.

My start is Bridgwater Monument, a doric arch built in honour of a canal-man. Only on my return to a computer screen do I determine that you can climb the 107 internal stairs.   Again, I must plan better in 2020.

Bridgwater Monument

There's two main features for the walk.   I completed the Ridgeway nearly 4 years ago and this is the first time I have revisited it.   Heading north from Bridgewater Monument, I work my way over the broad tracks in Moneybury hill to pick up the final stretch of the Ridgeway at Incombe Hole.  December murk put pay to any decent views but even on a dull day, its an unbroken vista over middle England.

Incombe Hole, looking over Buckinghamshire

The final stretch of the Ridgeway

The remainder of the walk is nearly all woodland and common land.   Most of it on muddy forest tracks.   Makes for reasonable walking but there are only so many photos of tress that you can take.

Trees Everywhere

If the trees did become monotonous, there's a high amount of Geocaches in the area - with plenty of puzzle caches.   The Xmas period provided me with enough downtime to complete a crossword and a Sudoku to provide the co-ordinates for two and I was pleased to find the actual treasure, after making a diversion from the planned walk.  The final find of the day was a touch amusing... I could see a large group of adults and kids spread over a wide period.  They didn't look close enough to GZ to be caching but that was the only possible explanation for multiple generations turning over logs in woodland.   Making a walk up find in front of an audience is as heroic as my life gets.

Unless you include the relentless pursuit of Good Beer Guide ticking.   The walk, if you excluded the tea hut at the start, had no civilisation at all.   The nearest GBG pub was a couple of miles away down in Tring.   Of course, I was heading that way.   I'd just walked 13 miles and had a thirst on.

The Kings Arms is a handsome boozer.   I would describe it as "backstreet" but its really not far from the pretty town centre.

Regal, yet Back Street

Traditional inside, it was all wood paneling and beer adverts from yesteryear.   Separate rooms for the darts players, the drinkers and the diners.  But of course, the regulars all sit around the bar.  It wouldn't be normal if they didn't.

Wood Paneling and Bar Hangers

An interesting collection of LocALE hand pulls.   A first for me from the Leighton Buzzard Brewing Company.  A Restoration X, stuffed into a Marstons Deep 61 glass.  £4.20.

The Robin Hood is the 2nd Good Beer Guide entry in town.   I'm sure I will get there on the next leg of the Chiltern Chain Walk.  Hopefully before Xmas 2020.

Parting Shot

26/12/19 - Tintern Wye Valley Hotel to Devils Pulpit

Distance - 6 Miles
Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine - Jan 2017
Geocaches - 1


14th annual Xmas walk in Tintern.   A quick check of the 2020 Good Beer Guide reveals that the sole entry in these parts is the Wye Valley Hotel.   As this establishment is at the very edge of town, far away from the Abbey, I've never visited it.

Time for that to be corrected, even if it means a good 1/2 mile along the road until the real walking action is picked up at the old footbridge.

And like every walk this winter, its very muddy action.

Poor Conditions, but better than watching Bond films on ITV4

The aim is to get up onto Offa's Dyke Path, eat turkey sandwiches at Devils Pulpit and then come back along the former railway line running next to the River Wye.    The paths cut through the woodland, where everything's gone green and occasional views are offered over the Severn Estuary and across the water to the ruined abbey.

Its a lovely, atmospheric walk.

Heading up to Offas Dyke

After attempting to convert the monks, Turkey Sandwiches

The Abbey, from the other side of the Water

The 1/2 mile back to the Wye Valley Hotel passes two pubs.   The Anchor always serves a decent pint of Otter and the Rose and Crown positively encourages me to enter - claiming a warm welcome awaits muddy dogs and their owners.

I shun them, having a tick to get.  A tick that remains ungot.

2pm on a Boxing Day afternoon and the place is locked and bottled.   The sign next to the door offers no indication - just the menu.   Signs of life inside, but even with my dog whispering skills, I am not going to be able to convince a greyhound to unscrape the bolt through the power of mime.

How very strange.    Nothing for it, I'm back at the anchor to meet an otter.

I inquire about what fate has befell the Wye Valley Hotel, wondering if its gone the way of the much revered Cherry Tree Inn in the village.   A 35 year ever present in the bible was not enough to save that place from conversion to houses.

They tell me that it has gone bankrupt.   Twitter indicates it won a 5 star hygiene award only two days ago.

Either the information is hot off the press or the greyhound's owners simply fancied a bank holiday off.

I'll check again in Xmas 2020

21/12/19 - Craven Arms, Birmingham

Good Beer Guide Tick - #422

The Craven Arms, Gough Street, Birmingham

422 ticks from the bible and although I am yet to complete a county, I have now completed a City Centre.

The Craven Arms is not totally convenient for the Xmas Shoppers - but if you're attending a gig at the Academy, its just around the corner.   The Wonderstuff are in town and I find myself with like minded people - even if I think that 50 is a touch too old for a band T-Shirt.

Indie Kids, Punks and Mrs M - permanently on her phone

What to say?   Its a Black Country Ales pub - and once you've been in one, you've been in them all. There's a blue print. Classic old pub, renovated to pubby comfort, an eclectic variety of beers from breweries that you may have heard of, loving displayed on TV screens with a corporate powerpoint theme of white on black.

Tonight I struck lucky - a Titanic that wasn't plum but glacial and an Oakham that was Citra.

Outside is where the beauty lies.

Tiling to make Manchester Proud

Rest of the West Midlands to follow.

15/12/19 - Ticking off the Manchester Stragglers

GBG Ticks - 439-441

My reasonably frequent visits to Manchester are allowing me to work through the Good Beer Guide pubs.   Its an endless task.   New ones coming in, old ones going out.   Doubtful I'll ever get a clean sweep but I'll keep trying.

Drinks, pre a Mark Lanagen gig, provide a chance to potentially knock off 3 more.

The Grey Horse, Portland Street, A Winters Tale

Manchester Utd at home, so it wasn't a day for checking out Europe's smallest bar.   Manchester has a habit of grouping several pubs together and next door to the tiny Circus Tavern is the Grey Horse.

A single room, traditional boozer - it has slightly more room - but only if prepared to share with exhausted xmas shoppers, those escaping the filthy weather or men in red scarves celebrating a credible 1-1 draw with the Toffees.

But for the weather, I surely would have got a better angle

Ornate Door

Decent beer (even if I couldn't find A Winters Tale on Untappd), plenty of chat and a real old school experience.

Paramount, Oxford Street, Jaipur

It was the rain that bought me in here.   Manchester, living up to its wet reputation, with the raindrops positively bouncing off the pavement.

Paramount

I could have written the review without going in.   Words like Busy, Filthy Tables, Quality Beers and Dirt Cheap would have all appeared.

This was one of the busiest.

And filthiest.

Sticky Spoons Tables

Lass of Gowrie, Charles Street, Deeply Vale Brewery Optimum

The GBG ticks are stored in Google Maps as "Want to Go".   Must remember that the guides are not etched in stone - things change.   The Lass of Gowrie has been demoted since my 2019 GBG programming.

I'd love to know why.   Best pint of the night and a beaut of a pub.    Wouldn't swap it for 10 JDWs.

Exterior Tiling

Interior Tiling

Its Greene King - but I didn't see a single one of their usual wares.   Instead, there were 5 locAle on, each loving described at the hand pump.   I've made a good choice.

Optimum

Just in case you couldn't love the place any more - the facilities came with exact instructions.

No Confusion

14/12/19 - Arcadia Ale House, Headingley

Good Beer Guide Tick - #438

Occasionally, you stumble on an establishment that is confident enough in its own virtues that it can discourage punters.

Send them to the Competition

To be fair, there were an awful lot of Xmas jumpers, super heroes and golfers on the Otley Road.

Standard.

The Arcadia Ale house is what you'd describe as a much extended micro.   A former bank, over two floors and possibly two premises.   Hard to tell.

Micro with a Mezzanine

The light fittings were made of Belgian beer crates - Delerium, Bosteels, Chimay.  Would the upcycling advertising affect my choice?

Up cycling

It could have been a dubbel, tripel or a quadrupel.   I could have lost my lambic virginity.

But not when you are in Yorkshire.

Boltmaker

09/12/2019 - Soho's Coach and Horses Lives!

Three pubs and none in the Good Beer Guide. My work will never be done, if I get distracted.

I blame a new Twitter resource - @BeerGuideLondon.   A couple of weeks ago, they'd reported on some fine continental imbibing places in the Smoke.   Notes duly made for a future visit.

Mayfair Mercato, North Audley Street

I'm simply a sucker for drinking in places with great architecture.

Take that JDW

I'm not exactly sure what Mayfair Mercato is but the link may help.   It would appear to be a bit like Manchester's Mackie Mayor's, based on the descriptions provided by my daughter. On two floors, there is a collection of independent eateries - three if you include the cellar hosted cheese emporium. Once again begging the question why I do my research after a visit.

At the top end, where the altar should be, is a bar hosted by German Kraft Beer. Paper money can be exchanged for an earthenware pot of 0.4l German brew.

Unique.

De Hems, Macclesfield Street

All roads lead to Soho, where previously I have visited a French themed pub and can now add a Dutch one. De Hems is London's only authentic Dutch pub. I know this, as the food menu leads with Fish and Chips. But eating is cheating anyway.

De Hems, with the bunting

I'm here for the beer and there's some choice but I don't get past the pink elephant of Delirium, especially when its a Xmas Ale on offer.

Wonderful.

One to add to the "Must Visit"

Coach and Horses, Romilly Street

I'm obsessed with this place and honestly felt that I had said a tearful farewell to it, when I signed the petition to stop Fullers from offloading the previous landlord back in May '19. 

Seven months have passed since then and I feared the worst. Would gentrification from an organisation concentrating on real estate rather than real ale have occurred? Worse still, would they have ripped out the classic bar backboard without giving me a chance to fit it in my dining room?

Hell no - almost exactly the same!

I expressed my delight to the staff who said the only change was an improvement to the toilets. This needed checking and I can confirm that they have removed the "Smash the Cistern" sticker from roof mounted flush.

I'm not saying it is safe - and just in case, as I had the place more or less to myself at closing, I took what could be a final memento.

07/12/19 - London Countryway Summary

Length - 234 Miles walked
Geocaches Found - 167
Stages Completed In - 22
Start - Gravesend - 16/12/17
Finish - Gravesend - 07/12/19

What to do when you have walked the Capital Ring and the London Loop, but still feel the need to orbit the Capital?

The Countryway follows the same principal - a circular walk - and even further out.   Its not an official, signposted long distance way.  The route is described in an out of print book by Keith Chesterton.   It was written in the 1970s,  well before the M25 was constructed.  Remarkably, the footpaths are more or less in tact.

Des De Moor has kept the path alive through his blog.   Please look there for in depth route descriptions.   A number of bloggers have also documented their experiences, although I have the feeling that something terrible has happened to Dick Bowman.   From his now defunct site, I was able to lift the very useful GPX files but alas, the domain name is now for sale.   Should you need the GPX files, you will be able to download them from the Viewranger Maps at the start of each of my blogs.

I've completed the journey through monthly trips to the smoke - taking advantage of cheap advance Virgin Tickets from my Midlands home.  Seems fitting that I finish on the day they lose their franchise. 

Lets hope the next West Coast rail providers have similar offers.   I've got my eye on the London Peaks and the London Spiral next.

Highlights

The sheer variety of architecture, landscapes and terrain - Kentish hop fields, medieval manor houses, neolithic burial mounds, canals, river paths, woodlands and drops/climbs across valleys.

From a walking perspective, the North Downs Way on the Southern part of the Loop was an absolute joy.   Endless vistas along a lengthy ridge path as we moved from Kent and into Surrey. 

Plenty of interesting towns to visit - Sevenoaks, Windsor, High Wycombe and St Albans all offering plenty of beery charms.

Lowlights
The Northern Section from High Wycombe gets a tad repetitive - woodland and seemingly never ending ups and downs over the many valleys.    The less said about Stage 21's crossing of the A127 the better.   At least Des had warned us!

The Stages

Stage 1 - Gravesend to Sole Street
Stage 2 - Sole Street to Borough Green
Stage 3 - Borough Green to Sevenoaks 
Stage 4 - Sevenoaks to Oxted
Stage 5 - Oxted to Merstham
Stage 6 - Merstham to Box Hill
Stage 7 - Box Hill to Horsley
Stage 8 - Horseley to West Byfleet
Stage 9 - West Byfleet to Sunningdale
Stage 10 - Sunningdale to Windsor
Stage 11 - Windsor to Marlow
Stage 12 - Marlow to High Wycombe
Stage 13 - High Wycombe to Great Missenden
Stage 14 - Great Missenden to Berkhampsted
Stage 15 - Ashley Green to Kings Langley
Stage 16 - Kings Langley to St Albans
Stage 17 - St Albans to Brookmans Park
Stage 18 - Brookmans Park to Broxbourne
Stage 19 - Broxbourne to Theydon Bois
Stage 20 - Theydon Bois to Brentwood
Stage 21 - Brentwood to West Horndon
Stage 22 - West Horndon to Gravesend

The Flickr Album

07/12/19 - Gravesend Good Beer Guide Pubs

Pubs - 3
Good Beer Guide Ticks - #435 to #437

The London Countryway is complete, following a 14 Mile walk and a ferry crossing from Tilbury.

As if by design, I disembark at the first of three Good Beer Guide pubs in the town.

The Three Daws, Northdown Brewery Pale Ale Mary

An envious position, overlooking the Thames Estauary.   The seaside feel is enhanced by a history of smugglers, ghosts and secret tunnels.   I went investigating and only found three blokes singing along to Chas and Daves Margate on the outside terrace.   iPhone speakers are impressive.

Straight off the boat

Entrance is gained to the first floor door, via a roadside stair case.   Low ceilings, maritime paraphernalia and not a right angle in the entire place.   After selecting one of the five handpulls, I had to settle on external seating with the Gerchta boys.

The third man with the tunes is on his way

My transport from Essex and the walk completed in the distance

The Jolly Drayman, Skinners Betty Stogs

The seaside feel continues as I navigate the mean streets of Gravesend to find a hotel/bar next to an impressive Sikh temple.

Temple

Here I am in Kent and two of the five beers - all pumps with little Xmas hats - were from Cornwall. 

Betty Stogs was an unexpected find - so far from its home.   Easily pint of the day.

Betty is a big favourite

Despite British Legion external appearances, there was a small wooden paneled bar, providing a classic pubby experience.   Other punters fell into two camps - post wedding Sikhs dressed to the nines and horse racing enthusiasts.  Maps available for solo hikers, planning their next adventure.

The Port of London

Compass Alehouse, Tonbridge Brewery Rustic

A walk back to the Station - aiming for the 16:42 express to Kings Cross that takes a staggeringly short 20 minutes.   There's a micro pub available and as it might be a while before I am back in this part of Kent, I may as well complete the set of GBG ticks.

Shop drinking

It's at the uncomfortable end of the micro pub range.   High bench seating around the edge of a room that is so small, you have no choice to either eavesdrop or join in the conversation.   There's ancient mobile phones screwed into the wall - presumably encouraging chat and not checking the football results. 

I tried, but even with my lack of culinary knowledge, I felt the man waving a joint of silverside beef around, proclaiming that it needed 15 minutes at 230 degrees would not want my opinion on potential lack of success offered by that approach.

A laminated instruction for types of European beers offered was an interesting distraction.  Ciders and real ales on a chalkboard - with gravity fed barrels kept somewhere out the back.

07/12/19 - London Countryway Stage 22 - West Horndon to Gravesend

Distance - 14.5 Miles
Start - West Horndon
Finish - Gravesend
Geocaches - 0
Pubs - The Good Beer Guide Pubs of Gravesend
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

Another goal reaches it's end.    Monthly, for the last two years, I've been taking advantage of Virgin Trains cheap advance tickets to travel from my Midlands home and walk a section of the London Countryway.    Seems fitting that this, the 22nd such trip, is on the day that Virgin lose the West Coast Mainline franchise.   My 17:43pm from Euston amongst the last handful of services they will run.   I expected the drinks trolley to make it out of first class to share the gin with the regulars.   Should have taken a later train.

Following a painless commute, my walking day started at West Horndon at 10am.   The walk is going to end in spectacular style with a Thames Ferry Crossing.   No great endeavour deserves to finish in Tilbury.   Homework done, and I know even ferrymen have a lunch break - with a gap in the services from 2:10pm.    I have four hours to walk about 13 miles - so there won't be any hanging around.

Its not Geocaches or pubs that slow me down in the early stages - but endless muddy fields and un-signposted footpaths that criss cross water ditches.  Get it wrong and you are either dyke jumping, or doubling back on yourself.

Deceptive fields of mud.   Some of it exported back to the West Midlands

I can bring you little joy on the first 9 miles or so.  The tower blocks of Chadwell St Mary mark the beginning of the end - soon, it will be farmhouses that seem to be producing nothing but junk machinery and industrial scale mud.   Plus some pylons and abandoned factories.

Civilisation

Abandoned factories

No need to despair - there's a reason for what looks a lengthy detour to Coalhouse Fort.   A more direct route could have been taken into Tilbury but this stretch of 3 mile stretch of the Thames is an absolute joy.

Keith Chesterton describes a scraggly collection of houses and a pub that lead to the Fort.   They're all still there - undeserving of even a name on the OS Map.   With the seagull squawks, there's a real seaside feel to the approach to the Thames.   A little church, bombed from the estaury by the Dutch in 1667, shows why the gun batteries were needed.

Coalhouse Fort

A slight concern - especially as I am in the last few miles of a 205 mile walk - is the news that the sea wall has been breached by previous high tides and the footpath back to Tilbury is closed.

I've little choice but to investigate - my return tickets are from Gravesend - and there's no way I'm leaving a 2 year mission incomplete.    On inspection, you can't help but feel the council are over reacting.   Yes, the sea wall has a broken stretch of about 10 metres - which they have sealed off quite dramatically.   To get through, a drop down to the foreshore and back up is all that is required.

I find myself reminded of the closing stages of the London Loop - which had a similar walk along the Thames to Purfleet.   The skies are quite wonderful and there's a real feel of industrial decline, with endless ruined wharfes and constructions to which you can only guess the purpose.  Many photos, of the low winter sun over Gravesend.

Reaching the Thames

Mudlarker

Seaside-esque

More of the Same

Another, much older, fort at Tilbury and the cruise ship Magellan points to where the Tilbury Passenger crossing is.   It's 2pm and I've made it by 10 minutes.   It seems other people are in the mood to join in my celebrations.  You'd think I was making it up if I told you about the three well oiled cockneys on a water based pub crawl were dancing to Chas and Daves' "Gertcha".  What started off as amusing became quite annoying when the track skipped onto "My old mans a dustman" as we board the ferry.

Waiting for the marginally less impressive 2:10 passenger ferry

10 minutes on the ferry and I'm back in Kent.   Dropped off at the Three Daws pub, one of the three Good Beer Guide entries that will be in a separate blog.   Its busy, so I take my celebration pint into the beer garden - providing fine views back over my route.   I look over the water and consider the odyssey undertaken until my reflection is interrupted by unmistakable dulcet tones.

The three amigos have found their way outside and cranked up Chas and Dave's "Margate".

My ferry - and see those Pylons?  I walked through them

The end of London Countryway celebration.   Gertcha!

04/12/19 - Worcester's New Drinking Dens

Pubs - 3
GBG Tick - 434

An evening in Worcester to investigate three of the new micro pubs that have opened up over the last couple of years.

The Arch Rivals, Netherton Court, Wye Valley HPA

Ever wondered what its like to drink in an Anderson shelter?   Well wonder no more and head to the railway arches, as the train line crosses the river.    Its well hidden, but you will find guiding lights and a big pub sign to show the way.

Pub - Big Arrow

Recreating the spirit of the Blitz - especially when a train goes over

I did my usual trick of staring at the brightly coloured craft cans in the fridge, not being able to identify a single one and falling back on the consistent HPA.

It was especially good.   All subsequent punters ordered the same.

Oil Basin Brewhouse, Copenhagen Street

Copenhagen Street is where the new micro pub action is happening - a bottle shop, a brewhouse and a newly opened Belgian Beer Bar, all within spitting distance.    Should you want something more traditional, the magnificent Plough is not far around the corner.

Micro Action in Copenhagen Street - in the 2020 Good Beer Guide

Unusually for a micro, this has a nice pubby feel to it.   A front room with at least one comfy chair, beamed roof and the instruction manual for how the magic is made.

W+M+H+Y = B

The locals all gather at the bar - blocking the wares - so I cannot report on the brewery or product that was my 6% vanilla stout - but it was damned good.   So good, I went back for a 2nd, only to find the barman had disappeared.

No worries - the real reason I was in Worcester was right next door.

Tripel Bs, Copenhagen Street, Tripel Karmeliet

Facebook, uncannily knowing what I like, posted an advert for this place on my timeline.   Its a Belgian Cafe that pays attention to detail.

Drink a Tripel

To overcome the problem of bar blockers - there's an extensive beer menu on every table.   Once you've got past the 6 pages of bottles and draught beers, there even a charcuterie section.   Next time, I'm having cheese.

And if you need help, the owner has an encyclopedic knowledge of the brews.   I'm a lover of Kwak (available of course) and tried the Karmeliet from the same brewery.   Presentation glass - no shoe required as a deposit.

Beautiful

A little bit of Belgium in Worcester.  Travel without the travel.   I wish them every success.