27/05/24 - Habberley Valley Circular and an Update on the Kidderminster Pub Scene

Random Selector choose my home town....

If the sun is shining and its an unexpected day off - say a Bank Holiday -with  no plans, I will put my fate in the hands of the gods. A random spinning wheel will pick a page in my "Hidden Places of Worcestershire" book. Round and around it goes, where it stops, no-one knows.

Until it does.... on Kidderminster.

Not exactly a hot-bed of walking activity but the resource library of walks is consulted and Kommot has a gentle 4 miler that more or less follows the well signed Habberley Valley Walk.

Can't get lost

From the visitors car park, its a climb on the good paths to Trimpley for the views over to Clent.

Up on high at Trimpley

Then down through Easthams Coppice to the poppy fields of Franche. Disgruntlement at the farmer not maintaining the public footpaths dissipates through the photo opportunities.

This is meant to be a footpath

That's a pleasant way to spend a morning.

The Kidderminster pub scene has been blogged about many times over the years. Mainly static, with a few dropping out and coming back in over the years. Here's a quick summary;

The two Weavers provide an old school experience at the traditional Park Lane one and a more contemporary micro pub one at the Comberton Hill. Both have fantastic range and quality.

The King and Castle, the go to for arrivals on train, steam enthusiasts and lovers of Bathams. And we are all lovers of Bathams. The only station in the land where I am glad if the taxi rank is empty.

Bad news for the Beer Emporium, which didn't survive Covid. The range was always fantastic and I miss my Christmas St Bernadus, which became a tradition on my one man festive parties. The unexpected consequences of a home worker. Last time I walked past, the unit was being converted into a Sports Bar. I doubt they will stock the grinning monk.

Kidderminster's oldest, the Seven Stars, had a lengthy closure but reopened in 2022. It's added onto my Xmas crawl, to provide some tradition and an antidote to drinking more unusual beers in converted shops. 

The new kid on the block is the Bear and Wolf. A micro with big ambitions. Hosting comedy, live music and regular pub quizzes.

Kidderminster's newest addition

The range is ever expanding. Deya a near permanent feature, when the landlord thinks Kidderminster can handle the price. Other craft keg and traditional keg. My last visit was on the Friday before the bank holiday and the Cider range is becoming very impressive.

As if I need any more temptation.  

Walk Details

Distance - 4 Miles

Walk Inspiration

25/05/24 - Geocaching at RAF Desborough and the Good Beer Guide Pubs of Market Harborough

Pots and (half) Pints

A 44 Mystery Cache trail on the Northamptonshire/Leicestershire borders. The plan is that you solve a puzzle to reveal the actual co-ordinates and it provides "GeoArt" on the map. I could show today's example but I made such a poor job of finding tubes taped to branches in woodland that I have more gaps than a hillbilly's smile.

Geocaching Success!

I had no idea what to expect of the terrain and it was certainly odder than I could have planned. A 7 mile circuit of the former RAF Desborough Airfield. The concrete strips are the runways. What I thought to be agricultural buildings are huge aircraft hangars. Best part of four hours in the field and above is my only photo.

Thinking of how I can improve the blog, I head to Market Harborough. I can investigate the Civil War History, look for lunch and get a couple of Good Beer Guide Ticks.

The most significant event associated with Market Harborough during the Civil War was its proximity to the Battle of Naseby, fought on June 14, 1645. This battle was a decisive victory for the Parliamentarians under Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell. Market Harborough served as a Royalist headquarters before the battle.

• King Charles I and his troops stayed in Market Harborough before marching out to meet the Parliamentarian forces. The King's decision-making and the Royalist army's preparations were based here.
• Following the Royalist defeat at Naseby, Market Harborough saw the retreat of the Royalist forces. The Parliamentarians captured several key figures and royal possessions in the aftermath, including the King's personal correspondence, which was later published to undermine Royalist support.

Onto the pubs.... and you cannot find a better "does what it says on the tin" place than The Beerhouse.

A Hive of Activity

Gaining access is slightly odd, walking through the white door below the "Optimum You, Yoga and Wellness" sign. This gives me just the right amount of quip ammunition to get the response "we offer a different type of wellness".

Boom - I pitch them up, they bat them back.

A bigger than average micro bar, with outside seating that popular I need to lift a photo from TripAdvisor. The wellness on offer is a huge collection of cask and keg. A chalkboard that requires a damn good staring. I ignore some of the more exotic Tartarus double digit stouts and settle on a Round Corner. 

Naturally, the reply is "which Round Corner?"

The sort of place you need a damn good session in to work your way through the wares.

Onwards, and lunch is needed. The Good Beer Guide Pub App - which I will not be able to re-install when I get a new phone - states that The Admiral Nelson has food available.

A classic back street boozer, I am slightly suspicious but still hope for cobs. You'd definitely get cobs in this sort of place in the West Midlands.

Back Street Boozer

Half a Bass - in such good condition I was googling Premier Inn - and mini cheddars.

A lunch fit for a (defeated) King.

Walk Details

Distance - 8.5 Miles

Geocaches - 44

First Cache

19/05/24 - The Long Compton Witches

Witches and Stone Circles

There are enough witches in Long Compton to draw a hay wagon up Long Compton Hill.

That's the saying from the olden days - right up to 1875. Within the cemetery at Long Marsdon church is the grave of Anne Tennant. Considered a witch by some villagers, she met a violent end. The story goes that in 1875, she was accused of witchcraft and subsequently killed by a local farmer named James Heywood. Heywood stabbed her with a pitchfork, believing she was responsible for various misfortunes in the village, including the illness of his animals. He  never tried to deny his responsibility, claiming several more witches existed in the village and it was his job to get rid of them all.

This is the story told in Episode 3 of the Loreman Podcast. A road trip to Oxford and we could incorporate a stop for a fine Cotswold walk that also takes in the third most important Stone Circle in England. Only Stonehenge and Avebury top trump it.

Here's the history, should you have a spare 10 minutes.

Parking up at the sports ground behind the village stores and heading out into the hills. Nothing spooky, just an aged but well maintained geocaching trail.

Mrs M getting bored with Tupperware in bushes already

Little Rollright for a (popular) lunch stop. A remote church with two other sets of diners and a chance to explore inside. Extraordinarily well preserved tombs within.

Resting Knight

Memento Mori

Onwards and upwards for an Adventure Lab Cache to add a modern twist to the Bronze age standing stones.... 

If a woman visits the Whispering Knights at midnight and listens closely, she may hear the voice of her future husband whispering to her.

The Kings Circle - Turned to stone by a witch and when counted, you never reach the same number

The King's Stone - Other side of the road and said to grant wishes

Any beer on this walk Mappiman?

Long Compton has a single pub - the Red Lion. A classic Cotswold Gastro-pub, with a rather fine rear beer garden.

Red Lion, Long Compton

I'm not saying the Landlady is a witch.... she was actually very friendly. But a Goff's Jouster Bitter and a Eurofizz and lime at £12.20.  

Enough to set a rambler pricing up pitchforks on Amazon.

Walk Details

Distance - 6.25 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Locations from the Loreman Podcast, Episode 3 

Route Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, December 2002, Walk 15

Geocaches - 9 and an Adventure Lab Cache 

Previous Loremen Walks - Churchill, Burford

18/05/24 - The Clifford Arms, Great Haywood

Varying it up on Cannock Chase and finding a Bass House

Cannock Chase - fine walking country but it can get a bit monotonous.

Cannock Chase, located in Staffordshire, is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that spans about 26 square miles. It features a mix of woodlands, heathlands, and valleys, providing habitats for diverse wildlife, including deer. The area is popular for outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and horse riding, with well-maintained trails and bridleways. Historical sites include the German War Cemetery and Castle Ring, an Iron Age hill fort. Attractions like Go Ape and the Museum of Cannock Chase offer additional recreational and educational experiences. Conservation efforts are in place to maintain its natural environment and biodiversity.

This route solves any problems with boredom by including beautiful walking along the Sherbrook Valley, a short section of the Trent and Mersey Canal and returning through Shugborough Estate.

Cannock Chase - would be a dull day if it was just this

Walking alongside the Sherbrook - stepping stone crossing later on

Bargelife in the Trent and Mersey Canal

An Adventure Lab Cache provides a break in Great Haywood - a blue plaque cottage where Tolkien lived, a couple of churches and of course, the village local.

A lot to admire in the Clifford Arms - keen pricing, where a drink and a hot beef baguette gave more change from a tenner than a city centre pint. Bass proudly proclaimed as a permanent fixture, along with Timothy Taylor landlord and three other handpulls. A decision would have been needed to be made, should I have not been on pop.

Surprised its not a GBG Pub - even if I didnt test the quality

 A lovely return across a C17th pack horse bridge to follow the Staffordshire Way through the grounds of Shugborough Hall.

Essex Bridge....

.... with the daytrippers

Shugborough Hall, from the Staffordshire Way

Could the walk be improved?  Well, there was an ice-cream van at Milford Common Car Park. I would say "No!"

Walk Details

Distance - 8.5 Miles

Geocaches - 4 and an Adventure Lab Cache

Walk Inspiration - Jarrold 14, Shropshire, Staffordshire and the Heart of England.  Walk 17

13/05/24 - Pagham Harbour, West Sussex

RSPB Coastal Walk and Gruesome Art from 1537

Better than expected weather, so a final walk in West Sussex. Planned in a hurry and after a tense Championship Play Off Semi Final 1st Leg that involved much nail-biting and no goals. Baggies go again on Friday.

We start at St Wilfrid's in Church Norton. A seemingly forgotten corner of little England that contains treasures if you look closely.

Not much on the actual walk - lane walking, through a new estate where the found GPX doesn't match my aging OS Map but turns out completely navigable and to the English Coast Path. Whereas the Witterings properties were all mansions, the residents of Selsey are converting ancient railway carriages.

The view is the same.

English Coast Path Markers (and route directions)

Shingle beach at Selsey

A short stretch on the Southern coast of Pagham Harbour - an RSPB nature reserve.

A multi-cache allows for exploration of St Wilfrid's - a tiny chapel, that was once part of a much bigger church. Victorian worshipers from Selsey stealing the main church for the greater demand in town.

Doors Open Church - for Inner Exploration

Inside, sparsity but tucked away in a little corner is a religious carving dating back from 1537. 

 

The Martyrdom of St Agatha

In the interests of keeping my blog without the adult tick, I am not going to describe what's happening here. However, there is an annual festival of celebration in Sicily. They have cake.

Sicilian's capturing the mood in perhaps too jaunty a fashion

Close the door with a shudder and head for lunch at the Old Piggery Farm Shop. 

Enough grim medieval art

£15 for a crab sandwich, but we do get to see the owners collection of Rolling Stones memorabilia from his time with the band. Art work all over the walls, the odd guitar and what cannot be fitted in main restaurant is in the ladies loo.

Properly put Mrs M off her tinkle

Walk Details

Distance - 3.5 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Possibly OS Maps or Komoot download

Geocaches - 2

12/05/24 - The Pubs of Wittering, West Sussex

Missing Out on Rock and Roll Folklore

A walk between the Witterings......  

East Wittering - Bucket and spade shops. Topless men with tattoos, carrying boxes of Madri to the stony beach. The town sport seems to be endlessly riding a pony and trap up and down the High Street. Topless. With tattoos.

West Wittering - The beach is sandier, broader and the family patriarchs are fully dressed.

A pub at either end.

A walk between the two is found on Komoot. Along the English Coast Path, checking out more superb housing stock and considering why people who have curtains don't use them. Our favourite - a couple of old dodderers in one of the undeveloped original "shacks" breakfasting in bed in their PJs. I suppose if you have view, you should maximise it.

English Coast Prom Walking

An optional loop of the Dunes at the estuary. Marked as National Trust on the map and plenty of instructions to not disturb the birds. Shade found as we walk up the estuary to loop back down Ella Nore Lane.

The Spit in sandy West Wittering

Sailing on the Chichester Estuary

Pub 1: The Witterings. Centre piece of West Wittering Village, we catch it at opening time, waiting for the official scrape of the midday bolt in their suntrap garden.

Team Mappiman deciding whether its open or not

Our drinks show it is

A little of what you would expect from a holiday pub. Arbitrary rules, like only food ordered from the outside menu can be eaten outside. Food from the indoor menu must be eaten inside. Lunatics, who would eat a Sunday Lunch in the mid twenties sunshine, possibly needing protecting from themselves.

Onwards with the walk, where we head South back to the beach. A little bit more planning and I could have brought you tales of Marianne Faithful arrested in nothing more than a fur coat, mars bars and asking the question "Who would break a butterfly on a wheel"?

Rock and Roll Folklore - Keith Richard's infamous Redlands

Instead, its Pub 2: The Shore Inn, East Wittering. We visited three times and its a proper little gold mine. A Good Beer Guide 2024 entry.... the full Sharps range and a couple of more interesting offerings from Hop Back and Langham Breweries. Possibly at least two cask hand pulls too many, based on the audience beverage preference.

East Witterings GBG 2024 Shore Inn

Friday evening saw a packed pub but with efficient service, encouraging outside table sharing with friends we hadn't met yet.

Saturday afternoon - a live band and all too much. Especially, when the drinks were served in plastic glasses. We legged it to the rather unique Pond Barn in Bracklesham Bay. I try and draw the line at plastic pints.

Sunday evening - a chance to see it once the tourists had gone and the local dog walkers felt confident to reclaim their local.

Walk Details

Distance - 7 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Komoot

11/05/25 - The Ship Inn, West Itchenor

Millionaires Row

AA 1001 Great Family Walks - one of my favourite reference books. Today, I am accompanied by a couple more of my Great Family. Mrs M and myself joined by the two aging students. One who will be closer to his thirties than his twenties next weekend.

National Rail working OK on a Saturday - a pick up at Chichester and a short drive to to the previously unvisited West Itchenor.

The guide promises;

Chichester Harbour's plentiful wildlife and colourful yachting activity form the backdrop to this waterside walk. 

 

They could have added gawking at properties that wouldn't be out of place on Grand Designs. Some serious houses overlooking the coast - the old, the new and several plots inbetween. If you are looking for a builder in West Sussex, they are all in Itchenor. It's enough to have the two younger members of our walking party wondering how far a university education will help during future mortgage applications.

Meet the Ramblers

The walk is a little beauty - follow the estuary west, head inland and past a church where post wedding photo shoot is taking place and back along the coast to civilisation. The question "who lives in houses like this?" is attempted to be answered at the pub.

Heading to the open sea

Signposting is perfect.

Footpath to the Pub

Amongst this property opulence, the Ship Inn manages to retain a nice "down to earth" feel. Not as ridiculously posh or as gastro as the location - and its likely customer base of seafaring yachters - would suggest.

Pub Ahoy! Its The Ship Inn

Listed on the CAMRA Pub Heritage site for its "fielded panelling, parquet floors and original fireplaces". I guessed correctly at its 1930s origins. A pub has been here since C16th and was previously known as the Noah's Ark. Of course, there were smugglers. No such thing as a coastal pub without smugglers. 

After complimenting the landlady on her pretty pub, I ask after the residents of the fine properties. "Anyone famous?" is met with Kate Winslett and an old fella from Game of Thrones. We couldn't deduce who that might be but an added clue is that he never uses the pub except as a car park to walk his dog. Sounds like the sort of thing Littlefinger would do, but maybe too young, so I am going for Varys.

Except he doesn't look like a dog walker.

Beer-wise - our party went Long Man Best Bitter on Cask, Long Man on Keg and a couple of Lagers with different quantity of additions dictating the quality. Shandy gets Fosters, Dash of Lime gets Birra Moretti. 

Long Man Best Bitter - Cellar Cool

Walk Details

Distance - 3.5 Miles

Geocaches - 1

Walk Inspiration - AA 1001 Great Family Walks - Walk #224

06/05/24 - Chiltern Chain Summary

 

Distance walked on Circular Walks - 254.5
Geocaches Found - 191
Stages Completed In - 20
Start - Dunstable Downs - 26/08/18
Finish - Goring - 06/05/24

I stumbled on the Chiltern Chain Walk through Google. Its not an official Long Distance Path but has been meticulously put together and documented by someone called Pete. He created a route that covers the length of the Chilterns AONB through 20 Circular Walks that are ever so slightly interconnected, so a chain is formed. He writes;

I don’t really expect anybody else to walk the Chiltern Chain Walk, and I don’t intend to do much to publicise it. It was simply a challenge for my own purposes, to plan, design and create a long-distance path and then walk it. However, I have documented the route, by writing reasonably detailed route descriptions for each of the 20 walks. I would hope that maybe one or two people might find some of the walks of sufficient interest that they would do them themselves – indeed, I think that some of the walks are so good that it would be a shame if nobody else ever tried them. 

Sounds like he handn't budgeted on people like me having time on my hands.  So thanks Pete - appreciate your diligence in putting this together.

The route and the interconnected 20 routes

Highlights

The Chilterns provided fine walking and the walks - between 10 and 15 miles - provided enough justification to warrant the fuel to get down there.

The website was informative, well written and although .GPX files were not available, on-line resources allow the easy conversion of Google .KML files.

The Ridgeway was revisited, which is always a pleasure to walk. Ivinghoe Beacon a highlight.

Lots of pretty villages - Chesham, Chenies, West Wycombe, Amersham, Hambleden and Goring to name a few. The pubs were often ancient and full of character. The beer a touch more pedestrian, with lots of Brakspear.

Cache laden routes - often stumbling on some great circular trails, which probably had the CO wondering why I had only found a percentage of those available. A few ALCs in the villages, keeping the numbers up.

Lowlights

Lots of woodland. The footpaths through them were perfect for walking but disappointing for photographs.

The Stages

Stage 1 - The Dunstable Downs

Stage 2 - Studham

Stage 3 - Ivinghoe

Stage 4 - Pitstone Hill

Stage 5 - Wendover Woods

Stage 6 - Buckland Common

Stage 7 - Chesham

Stage 8 - Chenies

Stage 9 - Chalfont St Giles

Stage 10 - Amersham

Stage 11 - Prestwood

Stage 12 - Princes Risborough

Stage 13 - Parslows Hillock

Stage 14 - West Wycombe

Stage 15 - Hambleden

Stage 16 - Cowleaze Woods

Stage 17 - Christmas Common

Stage 18 - Stoke Row

Stage 19 - Exlade Street

Stage 20 - Goring

The Flickr Album

06/05/24 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 20 - Goring

The End of this Particular Road

The final stage of the Chiltern Chain Walk. Nearly 6 years ago, I set off on the Dunstable Downs, aiming to complete these series of interconnected walks at a rate of 4 per year. Not quite hitting the target but a fair effort considering the journey lengths involved.

An early start to Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. End of the Ridgeway and staring at Berkshire on the other side of an odd little wooden and concrete bridge. The Catherine Wheel or Miller of Mansfield identified for post ramble celebration.

The Berkshire / Oxfordshire Divide

Head east out of the village. A heavily laden cache trail providing entertainment through the downs and into Great Chalk Wood. Yep, the first half of this walk is all woodland. Said it many times on this trail - great walking but dull photos.

The terrain changes as we reach Mapledurham. Alas, its a dead end lane into the village, otherwise I would have been able to embed a YouTube from the 1976 film, The Eagle has Landed. I've been before and with 13.5 miles the longest walk in 2024, I couldn't afford to add anything extra.

Instead, its west, through the grounds of Hardwick House but never getting a clear view from close to bring a photo. Lunch stop on a bench on the outskirts of Whitchurch-on-Thames. A final push along the geocache heavy Thames Path back to Goring.

Little to photo - but here is a WW2 Pillbox guarding the Thames

Into the village on wobbly legs. The Catherine Wheel is a Brakspear pub, which has become the theme of these latter stages of CCW. I try my luck for a better pint but probably a worse pub at the Miller of Mansfield.

The Miller of Mansfield

All too Gastro for my liking. But its a bit fur coat and no knickers. 14 years ago  I stayed here for work and my double room - immaculately decorated - had no door for the en-suite. Hardly inspiring a romantic getaway.

Today, after battling for service with a man rather annoyed he had been served smelly fish - I find a decent pint of Renegade Good Old Boy. I even manage to get it topped up to the King's Pint by using only my eyes.

God, I am good at pubbing.

A chance to reflect on another goal ticked off.

Time to set a new one.

Good Old Boy

Walk Information

Distance - 13.5 Miles

Geocaches - 22 

Walk Inspiration

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

05/05/24 - Advanced Carvery Technique at The Lenchford Inn, Shrawley

Bluebells - The Rambler's Greatest Recruiter

Mappiman gets horticultural

The perfect conditions are required for Bluebells. Shade. Moist, well drained soil. Deciduous trees.

And everyone in the Wyre Forest knows that this is provided in abundance in Shrawley Woods.

Every walking meetup group and ramblers branch seems to be organising walks here. Cars abandoned on the B4196. Elderly folk in goretex with sticks risking life and limb by walking in the windy road with fast traffic. 

With the help of an OS Map, its easy to fashion a walk with a longer and safer walk in. And to have a Sunday carvery once the pretty flowers have been appraised.

The Lenchford is a Georgian Riverside hotel that has previously acted as commercial wharf and underwent a 2023 refurb. Just in time for the next floods.

A view from the water

A short road walk before heading through riverside meadows with sheep demonstrating the circle of life. Newborns frolic around the corpse of a dead elder. It may have been asleep but it hadn't moved an inch when we returned through the fields.  

We're through the mud and into the woods for an assault on the senses. Bluebells for the eyes and wild garlic for the nose.

Foraging with Mrs and Miss M

Agricultural Worcestershire in gaps through the woods

A fine walk. Now to see how much food we can balance on one plate. I've used AI to improve my technique;

• Arrive Early: If possible, arrive early when the carvery is freshly stocked with a variety of options. This ensures you have the widest selection to choose from before popular items run out.
• Survey the Selection: Before diving in, take a quick walk around the carvery station to assess all the available options. This allows you to plan your plate strategically and prioritize your favorite items.
• Choose Wisely: Select items that are more substantial and take up space on your plate. Opt for cuts of meat, such as roast beef or turkey, that offer generous portions. Consider pairing these with hearty sides like mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or Yorkshire pudding.
• Layer Strategically: When loading your plate, start with larger items like meats and main dishes as a base layer. Then, strategically fill in the gaps with smaller items like salads or lighter sides. This helps create a visually appealing plate while maximizing the amount of food you can fit.
• Don't Overdo It: While the goal is to get the most food on your plate, be mindful not to overload it to the point where items start spilling over the edges. Aim for a balanced plate that's satisfying but still manageable to carry.
• Use Utensils Wisely: Use utensils provided to scoop and stack items neatly on your plate. This allows you to fit more food in an organized manner while minimizing mess.
• Be Polite and Patient: Remember to be considerate of others waiting in line behind you. Take only what you can eat and avoid wasting food.

Walk Details

Distance - 3.5 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Self developed from the OS Map

Geocaches - 0