25/01/20 - Battersea Park to the Good Beer Guide Pubs of Richmond

Distance - 13 Miles
Geocaches - 7
Good Beer Guide Ticks - #453-455
Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine October 2019

Ostensibly, this is meant to be a discovery of all of George Eliot's London homes.  Having not read Middlemarch or being in possession of the knowledge that George was really a Mary, I've tackled it as a lengthy ramble, taking in many of the reasons why London is so appealing to the walker. 

Varied landscapes of riverside, city, organised parkland and the wilds, where deer run free.

With the promise of three Good Beer Guide pubs at the end.

I start at Victoria Station, working my way to the river, whilst the Sat Nav picks up a signal at the walks official starting point at the southern end of Chelsea Bridge.

Varied Geocaching Success in Battersea Park, before picking up the Thames Path, carrying me West to the former home of Youngs Brewers - Wandsworth.

Bridge Crossing Number 1 - Chelsea

Who says London is unfriendly?

Battersea Bridges

Some urban discovery, but plenty of refreshment options, as Wandsworth Saturday morning chaos gives way to the never ending Wimbledon Park Road.   I do find #31 - complete with blue plaque marking the author's residence.   She'd be horrified to see what's it's up for with Savills.

Home for a Victorian Author

I was correct in thinking the bottom part of Wimbledon Park Road looked familiar.  The rest of my route follows the highlight of the Capital Ring. Over 8 years since I walked this leg, so well overdue a re-visit.

Capital Ring at the Wimbledon Windmill

Lunch stop at a handy bench at Queens Mere

Wimbledon Common, where of course the Geocaches are named after Wombles.

The Wimbledon woodland gives way to the wilds of Richmond Park.  Last time, it was rutting season. Winter finds them in much more sedate, camera friendly mood.

Unstartled Deer

Penn Pools at Richmond Park

Messing with the GoPro

After 5 hours and 12 miles, I deserve a drink.

Roebuck, Richmond Hill, Oakham Citra

Enviable position for this 200 year old boozer - appealing to the families that come out of the park and the day trippers that want to get the best views of the Thames at Petersham Meadows.

Enough staff to cope with the undecided, who think they are being edgy by deliberating on whether to have a Punk IPA, having dumped their kids paraphernalia in the way of your pub ticking hero.

Surprisingly, the best pint of the day.

The Roebuck

Trip Hazards

Enviable Position - Elevated views over the Thames

The Mitre, St Mary's Grove, Landlord

A nice downhill walk to a hidden gem, directly opposite a terrace of wonderful alms houses.

Nice on the Outside

Gorgeous on the Inside

Decision time - with the wood burning fire on the opposite side to the blood red chesterfields.  It's not that cold but my legs are weary.  Added advantage of the comfy furniture is its next to the library and I learn that their very own Rudi - who comes to say hello - stars in a book about pub dogs.

The Lad Himself

I should have stayed.

The Tap Tavern, Princes Street, O'Haras Stout

Either Richmond and Houndslow Camra have lost their minds or they had to get three entries into the bible.

Looks a bit "identikit" but be brave Mappiman

Multiple horrors await inside.   One cask Ale - and that's from Shrewsbury.  The only free tables are piled high with dirty wine and proscecco glasses.  And it was six pounds a pint.

The bar lady clocks my rucksack strap mounted go pro and asks if she is being filmed.

The SD card is now in the hands of Crime Watch.

Peeking through the foliage at my fellow lunch time booze hounds 

22/01/20 - Bathams Pub Walk - The Fox and Grapes, Pensnett

Distance - 2 Miles
Full list of Bathams Pub Walks

Nice to finish things off. I came up with a plan to complete a pub walk of all eleven of the Bathams tied houses.  Naturally, I started at the source - The Bull and Bladder. Best part of six years later, I hit number 11.

Sometimes, its about the Journey.

Looking at the OS Map Pensnett did not provide too much inspiration for a walk but investigation into a bit of greenery to the north of the pub revealed Barrow Hill Country Park - complete with a volcano.

Don't believe me that Dudley has a volcano?  The council wouldn't lie in a PDF.

Straight over the road and drop down into the Barrow Hill Country Park. Heading left, a disused railway line is picked up.  Pools with herons, a big old fox and full of birdsong.

Too slow with the camera to pick up the herons.  Or the fox.

A railway spur line to the right passes Hunts Mill Farm and then it a case of taking one of the myriad paths that conquers the peak of the Dudley Volcano. If rupture in the earth's crust was unexpected, so was the Black Country's homage to Christ the Redeemer.

Atop a Volcano

Better views available when the sun is shining.  Or go to Rio.

An easy path down from the summit leads to St Marks, the Cathedral of the Black Country. Only a short walk, but it can be easily extended by heading south along the railway line and completing a circuit of middle and fens pools.

St Marks

The Fox and Grapes is a traditional, community pub that soon starts to fill up. I have 10 minutes alone to catch it in all its glory.

Brick Built and not in corporate colours

Good beer mat uniformity and proper bench seating

I have all that space to make a seating choice. Of course, I take the regulars spot by the far partition.  The regular entered.  He hovered over me.  He left me his walking stick to look after whilst getting a pint.  As I hadn't taken the hint, then asked me to move.

Traditions must be respected.

The other tradition is the Batham's Meal Deal.  Roll, Crisps and a pint of Bitter.

If only they asked if I wanted to "Go Large"

A walk from all 11 tied pubs but is my odyssey complete?

Well I've just found the page that lists and additional 18 freehouses stocking their wares.

18/01/20 - Heart of Wales Line - Stage 1 - Hopton Heath to Craven Arms

Distance - 9 Miles
Geocaches - 2
Pub - Craven Arms, Wadworth 6x

A perfect day to start my next long term challenge - the Heart of Wales Line Trail. This is a long distance path that follows the stations on the Heart of Wales Railway line - from Craven Arms to Llanelli, South Wales.

The third weekend in 2020 saw gorgeous blues skies and sub zero temperatures that nearly froze the mud. Perfect walking weather.

The trains are infrequent, just two services a day, so it made sense to catch the first train from Craven Arms to Hopton Heath and walk back. It may have been a long wait at Hopton Heath, if I had done it the other way around.

The 9:29am is bang on time and I find the guard to make the request stop at HH. There's a fair number of other Ramblers on the service but its only me getting off in the middle of nowhere.

A New Adventure Begins

The Approach Road to Hopton Castle

New Sign Markers to follow

The trail is picked up at Hopton Castle - a few farm houses and unsurprisingly, a castle - investigated by the Time Team TV Programme for its Civil War history, where no conclusion was reached as to whether a massacre took place in the cellars.

Hopton Castle

Road walking is left behind, as height is gained to Purslow Woods and the drop down to Clunbury.  Black Ice a road hazard for the rambler and the driver.

One less Heart of Wales Trail sign - but the kissing gate survived

Clunbury has little apart from a church and a crossing over the River Clun, which becomes the handrail into Aston on Clun.  Refreshment could be found in the form of the Kangaroo Inn but five miles after being dropped off at 9:40am, it's unlikely to be open for anyone doing the route in this direction.  Quick Internet based research has proved its the only pub of its name in the country (named after a boat, rather than the animal) and someone had the worst Sunday Lunch of their lives there.  I will never know.

First pub on the HOWL - the uniquely named Kangaroo Inn

It's from Aston on Clun that the walking turns spectacular.   A climb to Hopesay Hill under crystal clear blue skies, far reaching views and a classic Geocache container is good for the soul.

Walking away from Aston on Clun

Hopesay Hill Views

First Cache of the HOWL

From the hilltop, the meandering Shropshire Way is picked up, through Oldfield Wood and down to Craven Arms at the Valley Floor.

Valley Floor to Craven Arms

A very encouraging start to a new trail.

Craven Arms is an odd little place.   Seemingly expanding outwards, with new builds where my elderly OS Map shows fields.   Take away the Museum of Lost Content (Closed for the Winter) and the Shropshire Discovery Centre where  you can meet a woolly mammoth and you are left with entertainment options of just the one real pub.

The Craven Arms is an imposing former coaching house from 1805, that's valiantly trying to keep going.   A menu that contained just three items (fish, steak or gammon) was explained by the landlord as "limited, as its January".   A surprisingly decent Wadworth 6x.

Its OK - I would have had the Gammon anyway

14/01/20 - Waggon and Horses, Stourbridge

Distance - 2 Miles
Geocaches - 8
First Cache
GBG Tick - #452


Literally, a walk in the park.   A nice series of 8 micro caches placed in a muggle heavy location, presenting little problems with searching when its tipping down with rain.

Normally, unworthy of a blog, but in this instance I was close to a Good Beer Guide Pub.

Stourbridge is seemingly one of the more democratically inclusive towns.  Over time, every pub will get a chance to be in the bible.  Except the Mitre.   Additions and deletions are constant in every issue.   Some close down - like the Bank - visited last time I was in town.  Some spring up in one issue, only to disappear in the next.   Pub ticking is about the journey, not the destination.

One ever present over the last four years has been the Waggon and Horses.   Just outside the ringroad but well worth the underpass crossing.

Camra decreeing that they are down to a single Horse

A central bar, surrounded by open plan rooms.  I investigated the front two - but with just two other lunch time punters (taking advantage of their Camra Discount), it would have been indiscreet to go mooching around the back.  Five real ales on, but with my steamed up glasses from the rain, I went for the one I recognised - a very decent Salopian Oracle.

Lunch choices were traditionally black country - a cabinet full of rolls and baguettes.   Multiple choices of scratchings - and if I'm not mistaken, sold loose like in the pick and mix at the cinema.   As its #Dryjanuary - I avoided - sticking with the old classic Monster Munch.   Not Pickled Onion, I'm not a monster.

Balanced diet - Beef and Stilton Baguette and (beef) Monster Munch

The overheard conversation was the sort of wonderment that you only get on a wet winter's day on a Tuesday lunchtime.   Discretion means I cannot repeat all but your ears are bound to pick up when the theme of the tale is about a man that missed his own funeral today because of the need for an emergency post mortem.

Only in pubs.

11/01/20 - Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Urban Ramble - The Mayflower and the Angel.

Distance - 9 Miles
Geocaches - 16
Walk Inspiration - London's Hidden Walks, Volume 2

First 2020 trip to the smoke and its a special day.   My first Baggies away game since we lost 1-0 to Shrewsbury in 1986.   To indicate just how long before the premier league era of VAR this was, any errant balls kicked out of the ground had to be rescued from the river by a man in a coracle.

So what to do before a 3pm appointment in Charlton?   The usual - walking, geocaching and a couple of history rich, river side taverns.

My walk starts at London Bridge and ends at Rotherhithe station - but its a meandering route, aimed to finish at the pubs at a time when they are open.

First up - quiet London back streets - once the home of the Leather Trade - now an eclectic collection of mid rises, quaint housing that wouldn't be out of place in a mining village and former wharfs,  now offering loft style living.

Too early for this Good Beer Guide Tick - offering Harveys and TT Landlord

London Leather, Hide and Wool Exchange

Shard Views

Morocco Street

Enid Street - Part of the Bermondsey Beer Mile

Geocache Location - Looking upstream to the City and Tower Bridge

To wait for the scrape of the pub door bolt, I head inland for a crossing of Southwark Park to grab some Geocaches, before picking up Greenland Dock to finish the walk in spectacular style along the Thames Path around the Rotherhithe shoreline.   It doesn't matter how many times I walk this section, I never get bored of the views.   I can only imagine living in one of the many flats that look affordable to a white collar worker from the Black Country but certainly won't be.

Caching GZ in Southwark Park

Rotherhithe Shoreline - looking over Canary Wharf

And Back to all of London

A fine way to pass three hours.   Onto the pubs.

The Mayflower, 117 Rotherhithe Street, Redemption Hopspur

One of London's must visit historical pubs.   It was from this location that the Mayflower set sail to America in 1620.   The captain of that vessel is buried in the graveyard opposite.   The inside is full of enough nick nacks from a nautical past that you can spend all day investigating the nooks and crannies for bric a brac.

Greene King Pub - but several independent Real Ales on.  And if you are peckish - the build your own cheese board has prices ranging from 1 cheese to 10 cheeses. 

I leave you with the thought of a 10 cheese, cheeseboard.

Pub 1 - Mayflower - a Classic

Just how you imagine the inside to be

 

More of the same

The Angel, Bermondsey Wall East, Sam Smiths Stout

The Angel is a short walk upstream and a pub that I have never previously past whilst its open.  Another enviable location right on the Thames - with views from inside and out.

Glorious

There's no external marking to suggest its a Sam Smiths pub but I've read enough blogs to know what to expect when faced with such a scenario.   Beer Wise - the Stout has the highest recommendation.  It will be cheap.  There will be a ban of Mobile Phones.

All of these things proved true - but even I was taken aback by the Mobile Ban.   A huge sign, prominently displayed right next to the till.

How am I going to check in on UnTapp'd?  How will I find the most efficient public transport route to the Valley?   Is this even legal, under discriminatory laws?   Just some of the questions that I would have asked if I hadn't been in such flagrant breech of the rules.

No one could see me through the partitions.

Wait till the man turns his back and Untapp'd away

Route identified and I arrive at the Valley with 40 mins to spare. 

Walking, Geocaching, Classic London Pubs and Football.    I'd file it under "a good day".....

... if the Albion could defend set pieces.  2-2 an unfair reflection