28/03/20 - Coniston Bluebird at Blackstone Rock

Distance - 7.5 Miles

Desperate days but I will adapt to survive and make the best of things.  A walk from my front door, with a place in mind for a refreshment stop.

It gave me time to reflect on our town. A town where even Wetherspoons sold up their pub. I pass this, next to the "fun fair" and a group of men are taking advantage of the outside furniture to drink their own cans and smoke their own fags.

I don't know whether to be appalled at their disregard of a national crisis or be impressed with their carry on as if nothing had happened spirit. On reflection, it was the former.

They were on Carling.

Stourport Custodian - Keeping an eye on a former Wetherspoons

The river is reached without coming within 2m of any potential carriers. The west side is quiet. The floods have gone.  The mud has hardened.

The River Severn, my companion.

At Ribbesford, we find the artifacts of an ancient civilisation.  Who knows what they used the green space with white sticks at either end for?

Ribbesford - a place for ritual sacrifice or something more sinister?

The midway point and I spy my lunch spot.  Blackstone Rock - a sandstone rock, providing a lookout, high over the river.

Lunch time

Ham Sandwiches and one of my 10 bottles of Coniston Bluebird that has to last me through this crisis.  Like a man on a lifeboat, I have decided to trickle feed them as an occasional treat, rather than go for a couple of big Fridays.

How Civilised - bottle conditioned, so I remembered my glass 

Up high, I had a good view of any approaching infected. But I couldn't stay there forever. 

I ran out of sandwiches.

20/03/20 - The Accidental Wainwright - Dodd

Distance - 5 Miles
Geocaches - 1

A walk that was completed before the coronvirus lockdown

A last chance of normality.  Within two days of this ramble, the country went on total lock down.  I will be adhering to the advice and completing isolated, solo walks in my local area for the foreseeable.

We were looking for a quick walk to take advantage of the nice weather before driving home.

Dodd Woods have a visitor centre, a cafe (still open, with tables arranged 6ft apart) and in a potentially misguided act of altruism, a car park with charges temporarily waived.

I didn't have a route planned but there is a board of the walks - with four trails on.   Most were 1-2 miles, so we went for the Green one - a reasonable looking 3 miler.

I hadn't read the small print and for the first time in my life, I conquered a Wainwright fell in my jeans.   Secretly delighted, of course.

Its a well signposted and straightforward walk - just a bit more hard work than you would expect.  No inbetweens, its either uphill or downhills.

The early (and late stages) are forest roads through the trees.

Up we go

For a team photo

Eventually, we emerge above the trees. You know what I am going to say. The views on a clear blue sky spring day are out of this world. South over the fells, north over the Solway Firth to Scotland.

Dodd Views 1

Dodd Views 2

Dodd Views 3

Last week, this blog gave up Pubs.

This week, this blog gives up far from home walks.

At the time of writing, I am still allowed a daily walk. They haven't stipulated the distance but common sense will apply. Along with the occasional bottled beer.

19/03/20 - Barf, Lord's Seat and Broom Fell - 3 Wainwrights

Distance - 6 Miles
Geocaches - 3
Walk Inspiration - Trail Magazine, Feb 2015, Walk 9


With pubs out of bounds, I need to find something else to tick off. A couple of unexpected days in Keswick and the answer is obvious - back onto the Wainwrights.

Leaving the family slumbering in the AirBnB, I head off early to knock off three easy ones on the western side of Bassenthwaite Lake.

Parking is available in a little car park opposite the former C17th coaching house, the Swan. Now apartments.

Would have been of limited use in Today's climate

The hard work - and it is hard work - is completed early in the walk.  It's steep climb alongside Beckstone's Gill and it involves a crossing where there is no bridge and some hands on scrambling.  The reward is increasingly lovely views of Bassenthwaite as you get your breath back.

Danger - falling rocks, slippy rocks.   Rocks in general

I've once again read the guidebook when I got home - so I missed out on Wainwrights loving description of the Bishop's Rock - apparently whitewashed by Keswick mountain rescue.

Barf provides the views - east over the lake and west to the next top to be peaked - Lords Seat.  It's an easy path and with the height gained, a doddle to walk.

Celebrating Geocaching Success

Nothing really on Lord's seat but a bit of old fence ironwork.  The route to Broom Fell is clear - its a there and back walk to get the tick but at least there is an impressive cairn and a bit of a shelter to rest at - if only I had packed a breakfast.

Broom Fell Summit Cairn and Shelter

My guide route wants me to head north into Kings Wood.  The target is obvious but no clear path and when I arrive at the woodland boundary - a new fence has been erected, with no obvious stiles to cross.  Still, there's no way I am going back up across the heather and its not barbed wire topped.

The forest roads within remain true to the OS Map and its a zig zag down to the road at Woodend Brow and a 1/2 mile of roadwalking back to the motor.

Kings Wood views of Bassenthwaite

A super walk for the time limited.

14/03/20 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 5 - Wendover Woods

Distance - 13 Miles
Geocaches - 10
Walk Inspiration
Pub - Kings and Queen, Wendover
Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4

Today was meant to be the Bermondsey Beer Mile. For reasons that I cannot spell, I wouldn't have been a completer.

STATEMENT ON COVID-19 & FOURPURE

We want to update you on the impact of the health pandemic and how it will affect our people & our venue. Unfortunately from today we will also be closing our taproom for the immediate future. See blog for more details. https://t.co/iUJAcqi3d1

— Fourpure Brewing Co. (@fourpurebrewing) March 14, 2020

Instead, I'll use the opportunity to walk the 5th Stage of the Chiltern Chain walk and get a Tick from the Good Beer Guide that may well be the last for a while. Who would have thought #CloseThePubs would be a thing?

Today's ramble starts at Wigginton, visited briefly on the last leg. A free car park at the village swings far more appealing than the official start at Wendover Woods visitor centre, where the car parking is eye watering.

Most of the kids here were called Hugo, so I guess they can afford it

This is a pleasant enough walk - challenging in length and on good paths.   Its just a bit samey and with no refreshment places to stop at en route. The first half is through the Ridgeway Woodlands, high on a ridge, with expansive views over the vale of Aylesbury. I can bring pictures of trees or views or to save space, a bit of both.

Tress and Views at a Geocaching GZ

A break from the trees, as we drop to the valley floor, before I'm back in trees in Wendover Woods.  Despite the parking costs, it's very popular.

A short break from the woodland

Returning to the start requires following Grim's Ditch for 4 miles.   No one quite knows what the Ditch was used for and taking photos is pointless.  Best to explain.  An anglo saxon earthworks where a trench of around 2ft was dug and the earth stacked up on one side. Its arrow straight. When its not full of mud and water, there is an occasional Geocache.   May have been a boundary marker but no one can say for certain. Still marked on the OS Map.

Enough of the history and into Wendover for refreshment. A toss up between the Good Beer Guide entries of the King and Queen or the Pack Horse.

King and Queen Wins this time

As of 3pm on a Saturday Afternoon, the evening St Patricks Day celebrations were still taking place.  It's doing better than Birmingham or London, although I hear Manchester are stoically pressing on.

Through that front portal, you have a choice of going left to the bar or right to the bar/restaurant.  You'd be hard pushed to tell which one I chose from the this picture postcard perfect view of a comfortable drinking area.

Bar/Restaurant

Eavesdropping had to occur when I heard a chap asking the bar man if he had heard what had happened to John after his week at Cheltenham races?  I was there on Thursday and on tenterhooks as to whether he had developed an uncontrollable dry cough.

Turns out he had drank 15 pints a day for four days and isn't very well.

Panic over for now.

If this is going to be the last pub blog for a time - the Irish Public are demanding a closure to all pubs and the UK cannot be far behind - then I go out for now with a magnificent Timothy Taylor Landlord.

See you on the other side.

The Guvnor

07/03/20 - The Tamworth Trio of Good Beer Guide Pubs

Distance - 9 Miles
Geocaches - 10
Pubs - 3 - Good Beer Guide Ticks - #474 to #476
Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine - Feb 2020, Walk 12



Worcestershire's first new railway station in over 100 years opens up a new world of pub walking destinations. South to Cardiff, North to the Beer Towns of Burton, Derby and Nottingham.

New Transport Options

But I've never been to Tamworth.  I knew nothing about it being the Capital of King Offa's Anglo Saxon kingdom of West Mercia only to be raised to the ground by pesky vikings.   Like a phoenix from the flames, it was resurrected by Aethelfaed, daughter of Alfred the Great.   It's got a castle.

Norman Castle

Its from the castle that I pick up the River Tame to take me west to Hopwas.   Not the most interesting of walking but the good people of Tamworth were not going to be defeated twice by the Viking and have built a collection of gun emplacements - should they try it on again in their longboats.

More effective warcraft than helmets with horns on

A handful of Geocaches in Hopwas, where I pick up the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal all the way back to the River Tame south of the town.

A potential friend, ahead on the tow path.

In no time at all, I am back in the town for all the pleasures on offer.   Lunch provided by the joys of street food and three Good Beer Guide entries to explore.

Tamworth Tap, Market Street, Bathams

Easily the best of the three.   This rambling pub is built in the former tourist information office. The landlady was keen to show me around.  A lovely suntrap terrace overlooking the castle, little alcoves and an upstairs for even more room.   I even got 10p off my pint for being a lapsed Camra member.

Much better than your average shop conversion

Wing back chairs providing an eye on the world

Outside Terrace and Castle Views

Its the home of the Tamworth Brewing company but there were too many other temptations.

Three Tuns, Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby or Bathams?

Easily the best pub in town.  If you visit only one, this should be it.

Sir Robert Peel, Lower Gungate, SRP

When the good people of Tamworth are in doubt on what to name something, they go for Sir Robert Peel.

Tamworth's Favourite Son

There's a hospital, a pub and even the beer sold in in the pub all called SRP.   Confusion must reign, when you arrange to meet someone.  Guess you have to ask if they are ill or thirsty first.

Another SRP

A very average pub that won't last in the memory for long.

The Kings Ditch, Lower Gungate, Yeovil Ales Harlequin

In the quest for town completion, I force myself to go in the most micro of micros.  I know what I am going to get.  Stares from the regulars as I enter their inner sanctum.   The hope of getting a comfortable seat dashed, with all six tables in use.

Not going full frontal.

There's one tiny stool free, perched next to the coat stand and in front of the curtain that hides the way to the toilets.   Its the only choice, so I sit there and join the regulars in staring into the middle of the former shop. 

For entertainment there are two options.

Option 1 and by far the most popular is when someone walks past who is recognised and a two minute debate on where he had been could easily have been avoided as his shopping bag had Morrisons emblazoned on the side.

Option 2 there is a TV.  Its tuned to a live feed of where the beer is kept.   So you can see the man run around the back and pour a punters pint.  Like a Camra version of the Wizard of Oz.

This was oddly comforting.