29/08/20 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 8 - Chenies

Distance - 12 Miles

Geocaches - 1

Walk Inspiration

Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7

The only thing I know about Chenies, is that it's the one place you can get a drink if you are walking the Chess Valley, as long as you are happy to add a mile diversion.

With this knowledge in mind, I start Stage 8 of the Chiltern Chain Walk from the Red Lion. A fine looking pub, that I later find to be enforced by one of those perfectly scary landladies.  Never before have there been so many pub rules to follow - and although similar in many establishments, there is no national standard.  Even expert pub tickers need to learn as they go along.

Mein Host today was especially keen to ensure that I had plastic funds to support any future transaction and to avoid unnecessary touching of her door knocker.

Post Walk Refreshment

Of course, this comes after the walk - another lengthy section of Chiltern lovliness of ancient green lanes, chalk stream valleys, wild woodland and pretty villages.

Chenies itself has some architectural wonders - a manor house and a church are passed as I take myself to the river Chess for a repeat walk along the valley floor.  The two horses I met on the last leg greet my arrival, with one of them dropping the biggest fart heard this side of Christmas day afternoon.  Who knew horses fart?

Chenies Church

Chenies Manor House

The River Chess

I've found that the Chilterns are smashing to walk but offer few things of interest.  This is true again on Stage 8, where it all been delightfully dull.  What can Chalfont St Giles offer a struggling blogger?

It's a choice between the cottage where Milton wrote Paradise Lost or a Good Beer Guide 2020 entry.

Merlin's Cave will not remain long in the memory, even if it does have one of the best pub signs that I've stumbled across.  A Charles Well's Gastro pub - where my chaperone and table server was that sure I would want his food that I was thrice offered a menu.  He could not quite get his head around that someone would only want a St Austell Tribute.

Only one way to enter, around the back

Pub Sign par excellence 

A climb through what passes as a Buckinghamshire housing estate, a skirt around Newland Park and then Shire Lane takes me back to Chenies - never feeling more little Englander when the final yards take me along the boundary of an in-flight game of cricket.

And what fine collection of Pub Snacks the Red Lion has.  Somehow, I managed to resist the "Filthy Chips" - Cheesy Chips with added onions.

25/08/20 - King Charles II, Worcester

A high proportion of my walks stumble across the Monarchs Way.... A 615 Mile Long Distance Path that follows the escape route of King Charles II, after the 2nd battle of Worcester.

Surprisingly, its taken me this long to get around to blogging the pub that has the claim of where he started his escape from.

The King Charles II, in one of Worcester's oldest streets.

A Pub in a 1577 Building

Of course, a few external shots before I make my way in.

Other Pubs Available in same street

A living museum

Inside, its exactly as you would expect.  Wooden wall paneling, low lights, creaky floorboards and low, bowing roof beams.  A bar downstairs and more seating available upstairs.

Interior decor

  

My visit coincided with the last Tuesday of Eat Out to Help Out.  The people of Worcester know a bargain when they see one and are seemingly happy to cram into such a tight space to get half price pies.  Social distancing is not really possible in a 1577 boozer.

It's a free for all in terms of bar service and finding somewhere to sit but I wait my turn.  I have the bar to myself and ask as to where the skeleton mentioned in the good beer guide is.  Now he could have just taken the piss out of my pronunciation (I know its not Skel-ING-ton, but I was raised in Smethwick) but instead, he started re-organising the whole pub.

For it used to live in a secret dungeon, next to the fireplace at the far end of the bar.   This was covered by a table used by a couple of pie munchers.  They were also intrigued as to the barman's booming voice and temporarily left their meal to move tables and pull back covers.

Another reminder that attempting conversation only leads to unnecessary fuss.  I was interested, but not enough to organise a pub version of Mike Read's runaround.

Not even my photo - lifted from Google

Excitement over, everyone returns to their pies.

Beerwise, this is a Craddocks tied house.   They are a brewery in Stourbridge and although not reaching the Black Country heights of Bathams and Holdens, have a decent range.  If only they had some sort of description on their bar pumps so you could get a feel for the type of beer.   

A name and percentage ABV does not give too much away, unless you play it safe with a 4% Saxon Gold.

22/08/20 - Inner London Ring - Western Half

Distance - 13.5 Miles

Geocaches - 4

Inner London Ring - Eastern Half

Walk Inspiration

Good Beer Guide Ticks - 487 to 489 - Victoria - Paddington, Bridge House - Maida Vale and Draft House, Camden.

After 6 months absence, I could no longer resist London's call. Its been too long since train travel and a good walk in the metropolis. 2 days after my brave adventure, I'm reflecting that it was fine but time will ultimately tell.  Wearing a mask for a 1hr 45 minute journey was less of a problem than I was expecting and unused aisle seats made for good distancing.

The walk is a tourist's bonanza.  The Eastern Half of the Inner London Ring (a 25 mile circuit of London) took me to more out of the way places, like Victoria Park and the Olympic Village.  The Western Half is a full on sightseers dream.

It would be rather a boring blog - at least to those familiar with the Smoke - so I'll bullet point the places visited and have a link to the Flickr Photo Album.

• Start at Tower Bridge (on the day it was raised and got stuck)
• Monument
• Leadenhall Market
• The City's Alleys
• St Pauls
• Millennium Bridge
• South Bank
• Westminster, Big Ben and the London Eye
• St James Park
• Buckingham Palace
• Green Park
• Hyde Park 
• Paddington
• Little Venice
• Regents Canal
• Primrose Hill
• Camden

Flickr Album to Scroll through

Obviously lots of choice for refreshment.   I was looking for previously unexplored Good Beer Guide Ticks to knock off.  I found three that were open for business.

The Victoria, Paddington - London Pride

Easily the pick of the three.

Handsome Outside

A one way system means that I have to check in, but from that point I have the place to myself.  Gives me space to take my interior photos, but I am being virtually observed.  Within seconds of my Untappd check in, I have a "You are welcome" reply".

If you like a beautifully decorated Victorian bar of ornate gilded mirrors - and who doesn't? - then this is the place for you.

When in London, Take Pride (if ESB unavailable)

Handsome Inside

No ESB on in this Fullers Pub but London Pride is a suitable replacement.

The Bridge House, Maida Vale - Camden Hells

A Cafe/Theatre Good Beer Guide Tick

I know we are in strange times for pubs, but I am unsure how a cafe/theatre bar that has a single hand pull of Doom Bar gets in in the Good Beer Guide.   Maybe I was correct in not visiting during my last pub crawl in the area.

It is, however, a nice place for lunch - there's a weekend non-Rishi Dish offer of three tapas for £11, which included Cheesy chips in veal Jus.   £6.05 for a pint of keg was a touch on ouch side of things.

Beer - £6.05

Camden Draft House - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

London Outdoor Seating = Tramp Hassle

Last of the in the only busy part of town I found - Camden.  Even in the grip of a pandemic, you can have your photo taken with a Mohican punk for a £1.

A standard Brew Dog establishment, where I break my own rule of drinking outside in the smoke.  

My Pale Ale lasts nearly until the point that I get hassled by a tramp for change.

Change?  I haven't seen or used cash since March.

14/08/20 - The Star Inn at Wenhaston

Distance - 6 Miles

Geocaches - 4

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine - September 2003

The week in Suffolk moves towards its end.  This final walk has all the ingredients for success - last nights storms have cooled things down and we start at a Good Beer Guide Pub - but it turns out to be a bit of a trudge.  

Unusually, I can't recommend you do this one.

9am and we are parked up at the Star Inn.  Its a midday opener and for reasons that will become apparent, we nearly make the 6 miles last three hours.

A promising start at a GBG Pub

An initial circuit of Wenhaston Commons.  Four caches found, which gets me to the mightily annoying grand total number of 9999.   You can guess what I will be doing tomorrow on International Geocaching Day.  One of these caches is even the Church Micro - but a lack of planning on my part has meant that I was unaware of the famous medieval doom paintings inside, until kindly informed on Twitter after my post walk pint.  This would have been the highlight.  As has happened so often before, I've had to make do with Google.

Wenhaston Common - All going well

Church Micro at Wenhaston Church

The bulk of this walk is along the river Blyth.  Footpaths are marked on either side of the river but the reality is somewhat grimmer.  Waist high reeds right to the waters edge.  One of those walks where you need a petrol strimmer to make headway.  Mrs M doesn't moan but at one point, Guide Dog in training Abi simply gives up.  She lies down and refuses to move any further.  

Paths either side of the Blyth

Eventually, we coerce her onwards and she gets her reward - near Blythburgh church is a natural beach and after much teasing of being denied access to the water because of the muddy banks, she can finally get her dunk.  She seems so much happier afterwards, as are we.... especially when we see the splendour of Blythburgh Church

Guide Dog in Training Abi Cheers Up

As are we at the impressive Blythburgh Church

The way back to pub from here is plain sailing across lanes and agricultural land.

We arrive at the pub at 11:30am to see the landlady - who we will name Sybil - struggling with kegs.  I confirm opening hours and ask politely if we can wait in her beer garden.  There's a pause that's long enough to make your wonder if its come from someone in the hospitality industry before she says "if you want to".

Its in the garden that we determine this is the only part of the pub functioning.  A makeshift bar has been setup with gravity fed barrels.  Its here we meet Basil.

Pop Up Good Beer Guide Pub

Watching the pair of them setup shop nearly ruins the magic of pubs.  An almost polite argument over the pumps ensues, culminates with the whispered but not quietly enough retort of ,"I have turned the f***ing pumps off".

If it wasn't for another family turning up, we may have given up.  But a walk is not a walk unless there is a pint in it.

The barrels are positioned at a distance that renders them unreadable to me with or without my glasses, so I have to ask Basil what's on offer.  The Green Jack Brewery from Lowesoft is new to me, but simply telling me the names of the four beers on offer is not going to help.  I do get a description and go for a Trawelerboys - described succinctly as "Bitter".

It has everything going against it.  I'm no fan of gravity fed ales and then horror is added to horror when its provided in a plastic glass.

The Trawlerboys are coming... in plastic glasses

Surprisingly, it was a decent pint and managed to show signs of life to the last sip.

As the locals start turning up, I can see they are bringing their own glasses with them.

 

12/08/20 - The Anchor at Walberswick

Distance - 5 Miles

Geocaches - 1

Walk Inspiration - Jarrold Suffolk Walks

Walk of the week and its from Walberswick.

Starting point is the beach car park, where you can measure the quality of people's driving by their ability to navigate the dog-legged tidal lock bridge which provides access.  Sat in the boot of our car, with a post walk ice cream, we witnessed at least four figure damage to a Land Rover Discovery.  This, even after the husband had got out the passenger seat to offer helpful advice, such as "right hand down".  Next thing uttered from his mouth will be on the phone, inquiring about a rear quarter panel.

A slightly later bimble today.  There's no way I want to be hanging around for the bolt to be scraped at the Anchor - so we head off at 10am.  Initially we are on the other side to the River Blyth, where we walked at the start of the week.

All the action on the opposite side

Its so damned hot.  No shade until we reach Walberswick Common.  Guide dog in training repeats her trick of finding the muddiest bog water imaginable to wallow like a hippo.  At least she is cool.

Eventually, the shade on the common runs out

Marshland along the River Dunwich - which seemingly just stops and empties out nowhere - leading us to the golden sands and a wash off point for Abi.

Following the Dunwich River Ditch

Its not every walk where the last two miles can be completed bare foot.

Country Walking with a Difference

11:59am and we are in the beer garden at the Good Beer Guide recommended Anchor.  Of course there are detailed instructions.  Of course, I read them incorrectly.  As a casual drinker, I should not have made my way to the terrace - or indeed anywhere else.  I should have stood at the door, put on my saddest eyes and asked politely if we could have a drink.  No, we hadn't made a reservation.

They were very accommodating and I can tell you two things.   Adnams Southwold Bitter is the pick from this brewery.  Its even better when someone does the fetching and carrying whilst enjoying the shade from the tree lined beer garden.

Best part of any walk

Cheers!

11/08/20 - Westleton to the Ship Inn at Dunwich

Distance - 7.5 Miles

Geocaches - 4

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine - July 2014

RSPB Minsmere is our gateway to Britain's Atlantis - the lost village of Dunwich.

 A Surprising Lack of Birds at RSPB Minsmere

First thing to note about RSPB Minsmere was the lack of birds.  Not sure what we were expecting but they were noticeable by their absence.  Maybe it was because we hadn't paid membership.   The second thing to notice is the sandy tracks through shady woodland.  Most welcome during this unending hot spell.

Shady Walking

Dunwich is where all of the action is.   At one point in the C11th, it was a town similar in size to London.  The harbour was washed away in a series of great storms in the C13th and slowly it loses ground year on year.   We approach from the crumbling high cliffs, where there are the remains of an Abbey and one last gravestone clinging to terra firma.

The Abbey

The Last Grave

We've previously explored Dunwich Beach on evening walks.   Today, it's a patient wait for sausage sandwiches from the beach side cafe - with tea for 2, a fiver.  They are an adopter of Rishi's Dishes Mon-Wed half price offers to encourage the masses to lose weight to fight corona.

Playing on the beach, waiting for sausage sarnies

There's also a Good Beer Guide Pub - The Ship.   I could tell by its size that it wasn't really going to be my sort of place, regardless of the quality of the beer.  In current Covid Times, I had to register with Johnathon - who let's be honest - has let power go to his head.  He told us that we couldn't sit in the near empty huge beer garden unless we are having food and wanted us to sit in a packed front porch.

We beat him and his petty rules.   A scan of the QR code attached to a garden bench and you can order your £4.30 Ghost Ship on line.  Delivery time similar to Amazon Prime.

Another Good Beer Guide Tick.  Another Ghost Ship.

I'd recommend saving yourself for the more down to earth White Horse in Westleton, who's only noted crime recorded by Mrs M is not doing a roast for Sunday Lunch.  When the temperature is in the 30s.

Getting there is a delightful walk across the shaded trees and purple heather common land of Westleton Heath. 

Westleton Common taking us to the White Lion

10/08/20 - Aldeburgh and the White Hart Inn

Distance - 6 Miles

Geocaches - 2

Walk Inspiration - Holiday Which

Today's walk starts at Aldeburgh's Moot Hall - a C17th building where the town elders gathered to decide on important civic issues.   No need to decide where the post walk refreshment will be.   There is a single Good Beer Guide Tick available in town.  Lets hope its an early opener, as once again, we are up with the larks in an attempt to beat the heat.

Moot Hall - Starting Point for Today's Walk

No navigational problems as we make our way to Thorpeness - following the cycle path or shore line for a couple of miles.

Looking back to Aldeburgh avoids having Sizewell nuclear reactor in shot

Thorpeness is a pretty little village - a huge pub dominating the village green.   Somehow, we manage to find the Windmill but fail to spot the House in the Clouds.   I cannot even blame cloud cover for this oversight.

House in the Clouds is Nearby

Our way back skirts a golf course and provides much needed shade before a little road walking leads to a disused railway.

Shady Golf Course Walking

Guide dog Abi enjoys her free run.  We enjoy her having her free run.  This is until she disappears into the undergrowth and emerges like one of those cormorants that has fallen foul of an oil slick.

We have a plan to get her clean in the sea but not until she has completed the walk of shame through the caravan park.   Other dog walkers know she has been in the "ditch".

Shipping Disaster News Item

But an easy way to get her clean

All refreshed, we have an hour to kill before the bolt is scrapped back at the White Hart.   In the time of a global pandemic, you would not believe the things that people will queue for.  Tat shops, the coffee shops and unbelievably the Co-Op.

The true professionals are setup in the White Hart beer garden.  Tasks are divided up - half the party queue at the chip shop, the other half at the front door of the pub.  Those with experience get their dinner and Adnams bang on 12:05am.  We consider taking up the offer of fetching chips into the beer garden but give up when the queue is at least 40 deep.

The pub - a traditional single roomer - offering Adnams Bitter, Broadside and Ghost Ship.

Mrs M gets into the spirit of things and comments of the disappointing lack of head and lacings.

There is a reason I married her.

Aldeburgh's Good Beer Tick - White Hart

09/08/20 - Southwold Marshes, River Blyth and the Adnams Brewery Shop

 Distance - 5 Miles

Walk Inspiration - AA 1001 Walks - Walk 651

Geocaches - 2 

Getting up early to avoid the Sun has as a negative impact.  The pubs aren't open when the walking is done. We are in Suffolk for a week, so there should be chance to return to the Lord Nelson for a Good Beer Guide Tick later.

A choice of two walks today - heading north from Southwold was going to be our route but I think the cliff path has collapsed since the 2000 edition of Country Walking detailed a 7.5 miler.   We were met with plenty of Private Signs on the cliff top - and a high tide meaning the beach below was inaccessible.

A more sedate 5 miler through the marshes to the River Blyth will have to do for today.

The Southwold Marshes are not the best introduction to Suffolk walking.  A high man made path, cutting through bog water ditches, with only 3ft high reeds to look at is no ones idea of fun.

Southwold Pier - Starting point for either walk option

An unpromising Start

Things do improve when we reach the River Blyth and Southwold Harbour.  Its a hive of activity, even at 9am on a Sunday morning.  The fresh fish shacks are open, leaving us with a conundrum of how to get kippers back to the cottage in this heat.  The Harbour Inn looks like it will open later but I'll have to make do with a reminder of just how bad the 1953 floods must have been.

We can tell the temperature by the length of Guide Dog Abi's Tongue

1953 Flood Line

One of the many fish shacks

Back into Southwold to discover all the joys held within.  Preparing for the next visit, we find the Lord Nelson.  But if you fear that this is a blog with no beer, you would be mistaken.  Most boozehounds know that Southwold is synonymous with Adnams and there is a healthy looking queue waiting for the 10am brewery opening.

Although today is my birthday, on reflection, bursting into the shop with pistol fingers and shouting "Give me all your beer" was ill-advised.

We'll be back for the GBG Tick

Happy Birthday to me!