03/03/26 - West Midlands Way - Stage 11 - Lichfield to Tamworth

Hazards to Overcome

I am well off-piste on the West Midlands Way. For some reason, known only to 1970s walk planners, they manoeuvred around Lichfield without actually visiting it. I couldn't resist the triple spires and the easy public transport.

I now need to get myself to Kingsbury - a distance that is too far for a day's walking and again, with limited public transport options. Instead, I set my target slightly North. To Tamworth. For reasons that anyone with an interest in pubs will know.

But there are many hazards to overcome. This is HS2 Country - a thing I thought I had left behind, not expecting there to be any works north of Birmingham. But no - Komoot shows a shaded red danger area right across my planned route.

Then there is Whittington Heath Rifle Range. A MOD facility that hosts live firing several times a week. 

Finally, I intend to enter Tamworth along the River Tame. A river that has been in flood for the last few weeks.

How to mitigate disaster? Ask the hive mind of the Internet. Walk 1000 Miles contributors provide the answers needed - I should be OK to progress unhindered. Provided I go on the first Tuesday of the month and when there is a Wolf Moon.

A surprisingly decent walk ensues.

Borrowcop Hill - Home of Lichfield Legends

Discussed in the last blog

Low risk of fire - would you progress on Yellow or Orange?

What they are shooting at

Hopwas Hays Wood - pretty walking for those brave enough to face bullets

Easy navigation on the Birmingham and Fazeley

After the unflooded river Tame plains - the prize - Tamworth Castle and Queens Bridge

Onto the pubs. Not as easy as you would think. The Old Bank House was recommended - but not open on a Tuesday. The Tamworth Tap - which has to be visited - doesn't open until 4pm.

Sir Timbo can save the day for the traveller prepared to wait around a little. I am one day too early for the latest beer festival but the landlord tells me what I could have won and even gives me a leaflet to read at my pleasure. The usual great value can still be found - £2.35 a pint, but the guest ales choice completely limited to IPAs. If you are going to have an IPA, have one from the Indian Brewery.

Hard to tell what this building used to be

Still need to wait. I poked my head in the door of the Sheriff of Tamworth. Google reviews pointed to a fine Belgian Beer Range at good prices. I saw nothing of interest and an unmanned bar allowed me to make a quick escape to the Joules House, the Market Vaults. The house beer - an Aurora Golden - was in poor nick. 

Functional and opposite the ultimate destination

Finally, the clock strikes four and it's over to the Tamworth Tap.

And why was I prepared to wait? It's been CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2022, 20223 and 2025. The only venue to win three times. 

This suggests very good promotion or a very active local CAMRA. Personally, I think open hours should have been used in the selection criteria.

That said, it's exactly my kind of pub. Multiple levels, brew paraphernalia on the walls, wingback Chesterfields and an exceptional beer range. How often (excluding my own garage) am I forced to choose between a Bathams and a Straffe Hendrik, in the presentation chalice?

There is no denying it is gorgeous

All in all, a very successful day.

Now to try and plan the next leg. I am getting closer to the end, with Meriden almost in striking distance.

Walk Details

Distance - 8.5 Miles

Geocaches - 12

Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6 (Part 1), Stage 6 (Part 2), Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9, Stage 10

27/02/26 - Coffee at Ferryside

Please, No More Mud

Even the route planner, Julie Royle away from her usual Worcestershire patch, states that there isn't much in Ferryside.

A lonely but frequently served railway station. A pub that opens at the odd time of 13:00 on a Friday. A cafe, taken advantage of. Free parking, taking advantage of with thanks. Golden sand/mud dependent on the tide, as the River Towey flows into the sea. A well maintained coastal path. Rain. Deep mud.

Willow, exploring the Ferryside foreshore

The walk follows the Wales Coast Path up and over the headland. Past converted farmhouses with ambitious outdoor swimming pools. The going is unpleasant. Streams where there shouldn't be streams. Mud everywhere else. We have had enough. The route suggests a 2-mile excursion to Llansaint. I've already checked and the pub is "temporarily closed". We can see the church. We aim to make our way back to civilisation on lanes, rather than fields.

Disappointment with the White Lion opening hours more than made up for with the beach hosted coffee shop. Attention to detail and a friendly service. 

The coffee shop - looking over the estuary

The of-little-use-at-midday White Lion Hotel, Ferryside

I might to change the name of the blog to Mappiman's Real Coffee Walks. 

Walk Details

Distance - 4 Miles

Geocaches - 0

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, October 2016, Walk 20

25/02/26 - On the Trail of...... Dylan Thomas

Dry Wednesday

Into Laugharne - a quiet estuary town with a famous son. The famous son who pronounced the place "the strangest town in Wales".

Dylan Thomas drinking in Brown's with Caitlin. They now share a grave.

I've been following Dylan Thomas around the globe already. I have drunk pints (yes, they served pints during Covid) in the French House/York Minster in Soho. This is where he lost the manuscript to Under Milk Wood.

I've holidayed in Newquay - where there is a sign for the fictional Llareggub near the Black Lion.

I've drunk in the White Horse Tavern, Greenwich, New York. Maybe not the 18 straight whiskies that led to his untimely death at just 39.

Can you see a theme emerging? It's a wonder he had time to write any poems with the amount of boozing he was reported to enjoy.

Laugharne is the location of his final home/writing place and indeed resting place. An Adventure Lab Cache takes me to all of the key locations, adding on his grave to the AA Walk originally plotted.

It's a mixed figure of 8 walk over Sir John's Hill to the south Delacorse to the North. The stretches along the River Taf estuary are stunning. The inland sections a muddy bog of overgrown brambles.

The lad himself, looking at the Norman Castle Ruins

The creator of the DT Birthday Walk lives at Salt House Farm. Prepare for a chat if you meet him

A simple memorial

The Boat House - his final home

His writing shed - formerly a garage for Laugharne's 1st motor car

Walk over - now for refreshments. The Internet is little help - Whatpub, Google and very annoyingly, establishment's own websites all have different and often incorrect opening hours.  I'm looking at you - the New Three Mariners.... Good Beer Guide 2026 accredited you may be but midday opening in the week, my hairy aris. 

And the ironic thing is for a town that celebrates a dipsomaniac? Not one of the four pubs is open on a Wednesday lunchtime. 

Laugharne - a dry in the sunshine hours town.

Mrs M - a paragon of sensibility - says that they should at least take it in turns to open on alternate days.

A special place in hell for when their own website is incorrect

Didn't even get chance to undo my wasitcoat

Closed

Closed

Closed - with the man's face on the sign

Even the cafe's were closed. The only sign of life? The Chipper.

My god, you get a lot for £13.

Walk Details

Distance - 6 Miles

Geocaches - 5

Walk Inspiration - AA Walks Through History, Walk 99

24/02/26 - The Royal Oak, Saundersfoot

The Miners Path

In the 19th century, Saundersfoot was a key exporting point for the anthracite coalfield that ran inland around Stepaside and Kilgetty. The harbour was built to ship coal across the Bristol Channel, and tramways once ran down through wooded valleys to the sea.

The tramways have now been converted to tarmacked footpaths and named the Miners Path - absolutely perfect for the conditions, when spring makes an appearance after the relentless rain. Today's walk completed in balmy 12 degrees. Warm enough for Mrs M to declare we should eat al fresco. A decision she soon changed her mind about.

We follow the tramways to Wiseman's Bridge, continue along the Wales Coast Path to Summerhill, before following the lovely Pleasant Valley back to our beginnings.

Coast Path to Wiseman's Bridge

Looking at Saundersfoot through a tram tunnel

Willow - on the Pleasant Valley

A mooch around the harbour and then the hunt for that most seaside of delicacies - fish and chips. 

Why not combine worlds? The Royal Oak is the village Good Beer Guide tick. It runs a lunchtime specials menu. Fresh haddock and chips for a tenner.  Washed down with some proper Welsh beer.

Mrs M convincing herself we should dine outside

Glamorgan Brewery Cwrw Gorslas

Defeat admitted - the view from the bar

Walk Details

Distance - 5.75 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, March 2023, Walk 21

Geocaches - 11

23/02/26 - The Ship Aground, Pembrey

No Sea at Pembrey

Another dog-sit - Wales best Bed and Breakfast for a cockapoo - in the hamlet of Llanllawddog. An indication of the problems I am going to have getting the blog proofread this week. 

To escape the rain, we pick one of the several coastal walks that I have programmed. We are hoping that Penybedd Woods may provide some shelter.

Meet Willow - the latest Mappiman Victim of bad weather walks

The walk is forgettable. We follow St Illtyd's Way through the forest rides, cross the railway line and have a convoluted climb in the woods around a farm called Coed. The high ground should have provided sea views, but there's nothing doing. Mizzle.

Only Pembrey can save the day. A cafe - dog friendly and warm bara brith with butter. Two pubs in front of a sinister-looking church. The Red Lion long closed. The Pembrey Country Inn clad in scaffolding.

Pubs - 50% of them open.

The Good Beer Guide 2026 insists that we continue 3/4 of a mile towards Burry Port. The Ship Aground recommended and proudly proclaiming it is open 7 days a week. This consistency deserves support.

We find a solid boozer - thick, unplastered walls, a separate dining room and a surprisingly small bar. A collection of friendly locals and to justify the chef's wages, two couples ordering food.

Ship Aground

Just the two beers on - I choose a Gower Gold, which probably needs to be renamed Gower Cold. Freezing. Stuffed into a Worthington glass hardly showing a dedication to the landlord's art. But the local CAMRA must have found something to recommend.

Ignore the lacings and see the icings

Sand Dunes on the map surely mean the sea is not far? Pembrey Downs are protected by a creek system.

We saw nothing.

I cannot see the sea

Walk Details

Distance - 6.5 Miles

Geocaches - 0

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, November 2024, Walk 18

19/02/26 - The Eagle, Cookley

Spin Eagle

The Eagle at Cookley is filed under "Locals" in the Worcestershire Historic Pubs book. Centre of the village and providing sustenance for the workers at the local metal-working factory. We then have some details of its names since inception in 1834. The Spin Eagle, the Eagle and Spur and now simply the Eagle.

First - a walk, which meets the requirement well. No mud. A jaunt down the Worcester/Staffordshire Canal - including the tunnel that cuts directly under the village houses. (For future reference, it is possible to get to the village - Google maps was unclear on planning). Solid paths through agricultural land connected to Lea Castle and back to explore the village.

Joining the canal near Caunsall

Which came first? The tunnel or the houses?

Surprisingly mud free

Entrance to Lea Castle

Inside St Peters

It looks like Cookley supported three pubs - The Red Lion is now a convenience store. The Bull and the Eagle sit side by side in the village centre, opposite the chipper.

Impressive in size, if not in colour

The Eagle is multiple houses knocked together, which provides a higgledy-piggledy internal experience, bars lead to corridors, which lead to a lounge containing the king of pub furniture.. The Chesterfield. The cask also needs to be hunted - the main bar looking disappointingly keg only. Two hand pulls on another bar - Wye Valley Pyoneer and HPA.

Walk Details

Distance - 4 Miles

Geocaches - 6

Walk Inspiration

16/02/26 - The Good Beer Guide Pubs of Bedford

London Prices

Why Bedford, you are probably right to ask? We can blame the Great British Rail Sale. A four-stage, four-hour journey for the grand total of £3.60. Every connection on time. Seat and charging points available.

Coming Home

A first visit - so a chance to investigate the town and its famous residents. Adventure Lab Caches taking me to the architecture and its famous sons. John Bunyan, writer of the Pilgrim's Progress. John Howard, a High Sheriff and prison reformer. And the greatest Guv of them all.

Let's find the places where he learned his trade. I'll blog the Good Beer Guide Pubs, but a shout out to a first. The Hidden Barrel. My first Lithuanian-themed micropub.

Volfas Engelman Imperial Porteris all round

The Castle

As usual, getting the timings correct is key. There are four GBG pubs in town and each has unique opening hours.... 'Spoons leads the way on customer service - others at 2pm, 3pm and 5pm. The Castle is a 3pm opener but I don't think the punters have got the memo.

Charles Wells Hotel/Pub

The place is empty on arrival. This includes bar staff. A walk around the central bar finds no one. If I hadn't set the hand dryers off to announce my arrival, I may well have walked back out again.

80's soft rock and a £5.80 Ghost Ship (a beer totally on theme with the experience). In the 30 minutes I was there, one other punter came in - looked around, found no service and promptly took his Golden Retriever elsewhere.

The Lost Punter

The Devonshire Arms

Opens at 5pm but a lengthy walk to this out of town, terraced locals' pub. The Three Cups can also be used as a staging post.

More Charlie Wells

Nice low lighting, a log fire flickering away at a far end and a handful of punters who have timed it for "bolt scraping". A fair selection of cask - with London Pride again north of a fiver. I think I am either going to have to turn advertising on the blog or start a Patreon. This is becoming unaffordable.

£2 down and I've only walked from the bar to the fire

The Wellington Arms

Others have told me that this is the best pub in town. And the others are right. Head and shoulders above the rest.

Night falls on Bedford

A central island bar, with seating all round. Plenty of pubby chat and pubby paraphernalia. Bass on cask, but my eyes were drawn to the Belgian/German bottle fridge. Is a 750ml St Bernardus ABT 12 a good idea for a pub crawl? No, obviously. Instead, I try and recreate Christmas in the cruellest month.

Let's get the party started

If my evening meal hadn't been calling, I would have stayed the night.

No need for certificates.... everyone knows it's Bedford's finest

The Pilgrim's Progress

Curried up in the rather too posh Three Rooms (wine glasses! roses! potato and chickpeas in a biryani!) the 'spoons is on the way back to Lenny's Purple Palace.

£1.85 pints and plenty of people.

The retiree adventurer's friend.

Thanks Timbo!

An alternative to the Premier Inn