30/09/23 - The Plough at Ford, Gloucestershire

Who would have guessed what my First Good Beer Guide Pint for the 2024 Edition was?

No UK based walking blogs for a few weeks. We've been rambling in Portugal, fueled by Superbock. A member of our party was from Stow on the Wold and wasn't a fan of the brewery closest to his home.

This reminded me that its been two years since I walked the Donnington Way. Day 4 saw me walk past the Plough Inn at Ford too early for refreshment. 

A quick search through the reference material and I find a shortish walk - suitable for Mrs M and a Guide Dog in Training, Ivy. Mrs M keen for lunch out. Ivy keen for new fields to sniff at.

We head off, full of optimism that is cruelly shattered when Mrs M checks Google for the post code to be entered into a German Sat Nav. The Plough is closed for unspecified reasons for two weeks.

No worries, the Farmers Arms at Guiting Power is not too far from our planned destination. This pub was temporarily closed when I was on the 5 day walk. Between landlords. Mrs M checks opening hours.  All Good. Checks they do food. All good. Then she throws in the most unexpected news....

Donnington SBA will be my first GBG 2023 Pint

There's a turn-up. I haven't even started my cross ticking yet.

First the walk - The Plough at Ford leads directly to the Cotswold countryside. A frankly dull walk that is either along the edge of Jonjo O'Neills horse training gallops or through agricultural fields.  The paths are decent - the Gloucestershire Way out and the Diamond Way back.

2 attempts and the Plough at Ford remains unvisited

Most of the views have been like this today

Out of the three of us, I'd say Ivy enjoyed it the most.

Free running next to the cornfields

Have you ever tried to use the voice controlled Sat Nav input of a German Car to say "Guiting Power"?

Do you know what it says back to you when you yell "FFS!" after the forth attempt prompts the reply "I cannot find Guiding Powder in my database"?  To get its own back at my anglo saxon language, it takes us down roads with grass in the middle that lead to bolted gates on a private estate. Kamikaze guinea fowl testing the ABS. 

We are a little stressed by the time we make it to the busy village - but a combination of getting the final parking space and table in the pub cheers up our mood. Things could have been so much worse.

Ladders out to erect the "We are in it.... 2024 GBG" Sign

It's all as expected from 5 days of walking between their tied house. A handsome pub. Very plain beer. I asked the Landlord if the brewery had sent any acknowledgement to their CAMRA endorsement. They hadn't but they certainly should. Talk about defying the odds. The SBA perfectly kept but as devoid of taste as I remember.

2024 Kicks Off

And my taste buds are working fine. It took me three bites to determine the "Pie of Day" - steak and ale, according to our server - was in fact chicken.

It was damn fine. Pastry crust top, bottom and side.  

A pie, not a lie.

Walk Details

Distance - 6 Miles

Geocaches - 1

Walk Inspiration - Cotswold Rambles, Red Book, Walk 8

03/09/23 - Centenary Way Stage 21 - Warminster

A Walk Linking the Civil War Villages of Arlescote, Ratley and Warmington

Handsome walk, this. Not often I say that about the Centenary Way but at long last, it is starting to deliver interest, good walking and a surprisingly good post walk pint.

I'm starting in Warminster - a timeless village, with a spacious village green overlooked by a 1603 manor house. The Church at the top of the hill contains several graves from causalities of one of the first battles in the English Civil War. 1642 and the Battle of Edge Hill. The vicar recorded the burial of one of the Parliamentary Captains before supporting the war effort rather more directly;

Warmington’s vicar, Richard Wootton, supplied swords, pikes and muskets to Parliament from the war’s outset and eventually abandoned his parish to captain a parliamentary troop at Warwick. Roaming the countryside with his men, Wootton was eventually relieved of his commission after raping a lady’s maid. He was finally expelled as vicar in 1656.

What a wrong 'un.

Warminster Village - Timeless

Final resting place of Captain Alexander Gourdon

This tranquility is soon lost to the roar of the M40. I feared the worse for the fields leading to Avon Dasset. A previous log on a missing geocache showing head height rape crops with no discernible paths. Thanks to crop rotation in the C21st, I have a freshly harvested wheat field to cross.

Lanes take me through Arlescote. Another manor house, where Kings Charles children supposedly stopped during the days before battle. The walking turns beautiful, with undulating but mercifully short climbs and drops over Edge Hill.

Warwickshire Views 

And Good Paths

Ratley will be rediscovered on the next leg. The village itself is stunning, hiding away in a dip in the hills. A lovely looking pub, the Rose and Crown, will surely be visited - although it looks like there may be some competition. I've previously enjoyed the Castle Inn at Edge Hill and that cannot be missed either.

St Peter Ad Vincula - 4 different window styles suggesting the Black Death interrupted construction

An easy stretch on the Macmillan way delivers me back to Warmington, route carefully plotted to ensure my final steps lead to the Plough Inn.

The Plough Inn, Warminster

Door ajar, and I enter into a low ceiling bar. All the talk is on the Indian Summer and it makes sense to take advantage of their rear beer garden. In these hard times for hospitality, every pub needs a selling point. 

A mini golf course guarded by a gorilla may be unique in all my pub exploring.

Might have been two runs behind, making it a 6 holer

Beer-wise, it also delivered. With the needle in the mid twenties and a handful of other drinkers, I would normally go Euro-lout. Having never heard of the Church Farm Brewery, I made an exception. Their Harry's Heifer, a superb session bitter.

From just outside Warwick - with a ceremonial glass.

Bucolic walking. History. Good Beer. Mini Golf.

It's been a fine old day. 

Walk Information

Distance - 6.5 Miles

Geocaches - 1

Pub - The Plough Inn, Warminster

Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9, Stage 10, Stage 11, Stage 12, Stage 13, Stage 14, Stage 15, Stage 16, Stage 17, Stage 18, Stage 19, Stage 20

02/09/23 - Psychogeography in Digbeth

Urban Rambling with the Bluenoses

The blog is in danger of becoming too urban. Two weeks running with the Baggies at home for a 3pm kick off. Once again, I tackle a city walk from my AZ Hidden Walks in Birmingham Guide.

This quirky little route is concentrated around the eastern side of Digbeth High Street. As usual, unusual items of interest are pointed out. The effigies that brighten up the Institute. An out of place monument to JFK. The unique in the UK open air pulpit on St Martins in the Bullring. Junkies stopping me bringing you a photo of that particular piece of architectural interest.

I also got a look inside the Bull Ring Tavern. Not as scary as I always thought, even when packed at 10.30am with football fans. I'd neglected to take into account that the Blues were at home at midday. They were out in force all around Digbeth. Who knows where the Milwall fans were, but most pubs had "Home Fans only" on the signs. 

Craft Union now running the Tavern in the Town?

A pre-preemptive effigy on the front of the Institue

JFK - Celebrating his Irish Roots

I'm not sure where this left me as a Baggie.... but I'm too old and fat to wear replica kits, so I'll go incognito for mid and post walk refreshment.

First, random bimbling around the deserted back streets that would have been terrifying if not totally deserted by people - excluding those queuing to buy vintage clothes by the kilo.

It always surprises me how empty Birmingham feels whenever you leave the centre. It provide ample opportunity for street artists to do their thing.

Digbeth Street Art

I had plans for which hospitality venues to visit, but on an Urban walk, flexibility is key. I was never going to walk on past Dead Wax. Especially once the outside boozers had noticed I wasn't from Wapping.

Beer, Vinyl, Live Music - Welcoming Party

Excellent music. If you are a mod. More of a ruin bar than the ruin bar coming up, with all sorts of obsolete technology nailed to the walls. Super little sheltered beer garden.

Edgy, like Hoxton, Prices to match with a £6.50 Siren

The Bluenoses thin out after midday, leaving me to still wonder how they will walk a mile and get to their seat in time.

I have company at the Baggies and my son was interested in previous experiences of Zumhoff. A taste of Bavarian Beer Garden in Brum. They also have Pilsner Urquell tanks for fresh beer.

I asked the barman how the tanks of filled and he said "Never seen it happen mate, as it only gets refreshed every 6 months". I laughed until I tasted. The beer was sour and quickly swapped for Paulaner.

I cannot accuse him of lying - tasted 6 months old

More European style boozing as we leave Germany for Hungary and our answer to the Budapest ruin bars.

The Ruin follows the disheveled blueprint well, even if there is little imagination with the nomenclature. One day, I will explore the beer garden.  And bring you interior photographs.

The Ruin

Regular blogfans may have spotted a couple of missed tick opportunities. I was too early for Halton Turner and Digbrew is dead, permanently closed since January 2023.

One for the dubious ticks committee 

Walk Details

Distance - 3 Miles

Walk Inspiration - AZ - Hidden Walks in Birmingham Walk 5

Previous Birmingham AZ Walks - Walk 1 & 2, Walk 3, Walk 4

Pubs - 3