Distance - 6.5 Miles
Geocaches - 1
Pubs - 2
Previous Days - Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4
The odyssey comes to an end, with a short distance to walk and a route that I covered step-by-step on the Heart of England Way.
An opportunity to reflect on the beer.
There are three in the core range.
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| The Three Donnington Beers - and a Cider |
BB - The entry level - a 3.6% traditional bitter. I avoided it for the entire walk. When it was the only (gravity fed) beer available at the Fox Great Barrington, I developed a hankering for red wine.
Cotswold Gold - Found at all the pubs - their web site says that its award winning, but fails to mention what award it was. A golden 4.0%.
SBA - Not found until half way around the trail at the Black Horse, Naunton. Easily the pick of the bunch at a more robust 4.4%.
The beers are deceptive - when kept well, they initially poor perfectly. A crystal clear pint, often with a decent foamy head.
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| Looks the business - maybe a top up required |
The head will soon disappear and lacings are an alien word. I was always left with a clean glass.
The real problem though, is a lack of taste. There's so little going on. It will refresh you after a long walk, but you'll never get that moreish hit you'd expect.
Still, the pubs are lovely.
Leave Chipping Campden and head due south - through the pretty village of Broad Campden (too early for the GBG Bakers Arms) and into Blockley.
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| Ancient Quaker House, Broad Campden |
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| Blockley |
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| Looking back on Blokley from the Heart of England Way |
It's all downhill from Batsford Arboretum, through arable fields and into Moreton-in-the-Marsh to have a final pint of SBA until I return to walk from the unexplored. The temporarily closed (Farmers Arms) and the passed too early (Plough Inn, Ford).
The Black Bear opens at 11:30am and at 11:32am, there is a queue to get in. I wait for the scrape of the bolt from the other side of the road and when the line is no longer there, I make my move.
An explanation to the bar-maid about this being the end of my 5 day journey does not result in the free pint that I was hoping. Still, can't complain. I did get a free hat from the brewery on day 2.
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| Black Bear, Moreton-in-Marsh |
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| Waiting for the queue to die down |
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| A Final SBA. An accidental reveal of the WiFi Password. Canned Alternatives. |
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