Saturday, 16 April 2022

16/04/22 - Centenary Way - Stage 9 - Brinklow

Distance - 7 Miles

Geocaches - 1

Pub - Bulls Head, Brinklow

Previous Stages - Stage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 6Stage 7, Stage 8


Another leg of Warwickshire Weirdness on the Centenary Way. Brinklow is the starting point. A village that you can instantly feel its antiquity from the buildings that align Broad Street. A limited amount of research points to Roman origins and a Motte and Bailey Hillfort.

Heading South West, I find myself walking a narrow corridor between abandoned mineral working.  Grim pits, muddy tracks and a clogged up conveyor belt.  The Centenary Way throws up surprises, not all of them pleasant. 

Abandoned Mineral Workings
Abandoned Mineral Workings
Mineral Pits
Industrial apocalypse but at least the footpath remains

To counteract the grimness the CW serves up Coombe Abbey - A National Trust, former monastery, now hotel and Go Ape family friendly destination. It's weird rambling amongst families doing Easter Egg hunts but it at least offering something easier on the eye.

Coombe Abbey
Chateau..... 
Coombe Abbey
..... Warwickshire Style

Route finding is not the easiest.  The OS Map shows the path going straight through the centre of the hotel.... before disappearing completely.  On the ground, a circuit of the pools is required before a well signposted "permissive path" leads to my exit.

Emerging from Coombe Abbey
Follow the (permissive) bear

Agricultural walking on the Coventry Way to return to Brinklow and refreshment.

Where there is a choice of 3.  The Raven, a Marstons, family pub.  The White Lion - unsure of its pedigree but WhatPub states it serves Greene King and Landlord.  1 out of 2 ain't bad.

Instead on choose the Bulls Head - despite all the signs indicating avoid.  A children's adventure playground to challenge Croombe Abbey's Go Ape setup. Cask Marque certification has its distractors, but I probably should have taken this as a warning.

Bulls Head, Brinklow
Sign of cellarmanship quality

A short measured, on the cusp of ropiness, Oakham Citra providing confirmation. No sandwiches on the menu, but all was no lost. There is a chipper over the road. 

Bulls Head, Brinklow
Oakham Citra in the Sunshine.  Chips to follow.


1 comment:

  1. Life After Football29 April 2022 at 21:19

    Love it! Lived in Balsall Common for years but never ventured into Brinklow… although you’ve not sold the bulls head to me 😃

    ReplyDelete