30/07/26 - Lammas in Halesowen

Early Harvest

I may be two days early for Lammas, but the strange weather makes a mockery of the calendar. All the conditions for a pilgrimage walk seem to have fallen into place. The farmers are already bringing in the harvest, and I find an oak beneath which to eat my ham sandwich. I have neither loaf nor companions to complete the ritual as tradition prescribes.

August brings Lughnasadh (or Lammas), the ancient Celtic festival of the first harvest, celebrated on 1 August. Lammas, from the Old English hlaf-mæsse ("loaf mass"), marks the baking of bread from the new grain and giving thanks for the harvest. This is the time for bread baked from new grain, for gathering berries on hedgerow walks, for songs of John Barleycorn, the spirit of corn who must die so we might live.

Pilgrimage at Lughnasadh is earthy and practical, when you can bring a loaf, break it with your companions beneath an oak, and share it together.

Harvest Special

I'm in Halesowen with plenty of plans - a new Adventure Lab Cache, a local walk in Country Walking Magazine and a lunchtime visit to CAMRA's Cider Pub of the Year (Stourbridge and Halesowen Branch).

It's a walk I know reasonably well but there's always something new to discover.

The remains of Halesowen Abbey - built 1218

A new waymarked walking trail

I knew that Leasowes Park was a Dudley Geosite but the new trail, with fresh waymarker signs is a bit of a mystery. A Google search and the only reference is an upcoming Ramblers Walk that follows a route from Halesowen to Waseley Hill Visitor Centre. Considering the effort they have gone to on plotting the walk on the ground, they could do with a little more advertising on the route it takes. And saying it is Geotrail 1 suggests more Geotrails are coming. I'll keep my eyes peeled.

Perhaps the most intriguing feature of this walk are the remnants of the Halesowen Branch Line.

Old Hill to Longbridge

The map shows the course of the route from Old Hill to Longbridge, but offers no clues to the engineering feats involved in its construction. Fallen trees forced me into the woodland, where the surviving brick piers can still be found. These once supported a lattice ironwork viaduct that rose 100 feet above the valley floor and stretched for 700 feet. Built in 1883, it lasted just over 80 years before being dismantled in 1965. All that effort, but would it have passed today's health and safety tests? It looks rather delicate!

Reclaimed by nature

10 mph speed limit. Unsure if it ran when windy

The route - unusually for this summer, completed in rain - is back to town via Leasowes Park and the disused number 2 canal.

Post walk refreshment has to be Roberto's Bar. For daytime drinkers, this means arriving on a Thursday/Friday or Saturday - when it opens at midday. Come on a Sunday and it opens at 2pm, but selling the most extraordinary looking Bloody Mary's - made in a vat and sold until gone.

You know what day it is! Don't miss out! I'm away next Sunday so you'll have to get your fix today! Cheers! pic.twitter.com/pTiaTVqXcA

— Roberto's Bar - Halesowen (@RobertosBarHale) July 26, 2026

No "Breakfast of Champions" on this Thursday afternoon but the electronic menu does demand some attention. Two pages of ciders were expected. About a dozen different meads wasn't. But there was only one choice for me. Not often I see the laughing abbot on draught.

Straffe Hendrick Quad chaser also available

Walk Details

Distance - 8 miles

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, April 2026, Walk 12

Geocaches - 10

Previous Celtic Pilgrimages - Imbloc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice

27/06/26 - Perry Barr, Witton and Aston - a Birmingham AZ City Walk

Spaghetti, Stadiums and Dead Centres

If you take nothing else from this blog, take this. Do not stop in Perry Barr Square, waiting to get a signal on your GPS. You will be left wondering why extras from The Walking Dead need spare change.

This walk from the AZ Series is primarily concerned with stadiums. The Alexander Stadium was re-developed for the Commonwealth Games. The Greyhound Stadium closed in 2025 and has already been demolished. Villa Park sadly remains. (A joke from a Baggie, Vile fans).

First they came for the pubs, then the greyhounds

Commonwealth Games Legacy

1709 Perry Bridge - with tags

The Birmingham Canal is picked up, which could take us all the way and under Spaghetti Junction. Yet we make a worthy diversion into Witton Cemetery, one of the largest in the country. A stop for lunch on a handy bench by the main chapel of worship. A grave catches my eye - Big Lee was a young man when he died. A quick Google - stabbed in the neck at a house party after calling an acquaintance a paedo. Just one of the thousands of stories contained in this huge final resting place.

Looking across the M6 into the City

Back to the canal for a unique perspective of Spaghetti Junction from underneath. 18 different routes across five levels, with 559 columns and 13,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel.

How it looks below

Up to civilisation on the Lichfield Road to walk on roads through Aston and Witton.

Watkins, ?, Martinez

Back at Perry Barr to avoid the zombies and head into a shopping estate 'spoons. What it lacks in looks it makes up for with £2.45 pints of quality cask.

Just don't sit outside.

Walk Details

Distance - 7.75 Miles

Geocaches - 1

Walk Inspiration - AZ City Walks, Walk 13

Previous Birmingham AZ Walks - Walk 1 & 2, Walk 3, Walk 4, Walk 5, Walk 6, Walk 7, Walk 8, Walk 9, Walk 10, Walk 11, Walk 12

26/07/26 - The Fox and Hounds, Lulsley

Hanging On

Mrs M demands a Sunday lunch, I tell her to find the pub and I will plot a route to work up an appetite.

The Fox and Hounds in Lulsley comes up with great reviews. I know the pub, just off the Worcestershire Way, but in the back of my mind, I remember reading it was up for sale. True enough, a Worcester News article from 2025 detailing how there cannot be a viable business and planning permission has been granted to turn it into flats and new houses.

Late Victorian pub, replacing the same named one half a mile up the road

I'm unsure what has happened since a failed auction, but the pub is still operating. It's positioned just off the Worcestershire Way and above the River Teme. A walk is easy created, adapting a much shorter walk through Alfrick to really earn a roast.

A climb to Rounds Hill for the Worcestershire Way and a drop down on lanes into Alfrick. Just a church here - warning what awaits Lulsley unless they start using the amenities available.  Folly's Road leads us to the River Teme, where the map offers more than reality delivers. Cold Place is actually Coles Place and Lulsley Court - in old text on the map - looks nothing more unusual than an old farm. Offering a side-line in camping weddings. A teepee and a bell tent city thankfully had the weather on their side.

An unusual view of the Malverns from Camp Hill

Alfirck Church

The River Teme, after Lulsley Court

We meet an elderly gentleman dog walker on the hills. He tells us about Tom the landlord and how he's saving £36K per year by getting his parents to cook the roasts. He says for us to say hello to Tom. 

Tom has no idea who the mystery walker was. To be fair, Tom is not great with dog breeds. Two other drinkers are in the bar and all three ponder who owns the flat coat retriever. Photos from parish magazines are presented but no joy in identification.

At least this provided some entertainment in the main bar. In the dining room, a family of 3 turned up and there were two more diners in the bar by the time we left. Seven covers and two drinkers for a Sunday Lunch..... which was as excellent, as it was cabbage heavy.

My guidebook tells me what we would have won in 1995 when it was published. The "Hungry Hounds Mixed Grill" points to a disappearing age. But some things remain unchanged.... under drinks, it says Worthington or Bass Real Ale.

Permanently available

A check of the National Bass Inventory, where it is not registered. A tweet to Sir Quinno required. Maybe the legion of Bass fans can make pilgrimages and ensure that another one doesn't bite the dust.

Walk Details

Distance - 6.5 miles 

Walk Inspiration - Short Walks from Worcestershire Pubs, Walk 5

Geocaches - 0

24/07/26 - The London Spiral Summary

Around and around in circles for 5 years

So what's a man to do when he has walked the Capital Ring, the London Loop and the London Country Way? Each of these Long Distance Paths are circular, in ever more distant circles around the Capital. 

How about a Spiral walk that starts at Kings Cross and gets further and further out till you are dumped at Gravesend?

There are two sources available -  Inspiral London and The London Spiral Walk. As far as I can tell, they follow the same route. Inspiral London appears to be the originator, has the better mapping and has a mission statement, that is was only partly successful in achieving.

Inspiral London is a unique artist-led metropolitan trail, a collective on the ground mapping that creates a new walk trail winding in and out of London. This anti-clockwise spiral walk begins at Kings Cross, unwinding six times to finally end at Gravesend, only to begin again. The route crosses the River Thames at ten strategic locations, using bridges, foot tunnels, a cable car and ferries. At over 300-miles of pathway, the trail is divided into 36 segments all easily accessible by public transport, allowing the public – walkers, urban explorers, excursionists, citizens – to experience the city and its environs as one vast art space in which to re-imagine their city.

It's the art-space element that lost me - some of the associated blogs, did indeed identify public artworks - especially in the early stages. I am sure this was largely forgotten by the times we reached the commuter boroughs and the agricultural walks on the outer loop.

It is a fine piece of psycho-geography. Putting my journey in the hands of others, following a random and on-the-ground unmarked trail and not knowing what (if anything) I would find.

The Highlights

My appreciation and knowledge of London (especially its public transport!) has increased. All the areas you would want to explore—and some you probably wouldn't—are covered. The treasures are endless, and the stories on every street are myriad.

Of course, the pubs - 55 of them. I have been able to tick off Good Beer Guide Pubs in some of the more unloved areas of Greater London. And there have been some absolute classics, either revisited or discovered. As a big fan of the Deserter Podcast, it was almost a pilgrimage to visit the Shirker's Rest in New Cross. I exported Slabs crisps to Worcestershire. Shout outs to the Faltering Fullback (Arsenal), the Mayflower (Bermondsey), The Wanstead Tap, Cricketers (Richmond) and the Park Tavern (Eltham).

I am unsure whether I would have crossed the Thames by cable car if it wasn't for the route. Surreal, especially as I was completing an Adventure Lab Cache, airborne. I've lost track of the number of crossings but I think bridge, underpass, cable car and boat covers all the manners of the crossings.

The Lowlights

The later stages, especially the North and West, were an endless procession of housing estates. A decision point loomed at Hayes and Harlington (stage 20), where I said I would reach the river for the final crossing at Hampton and make a decision. Planning showed the remainder could be done easily with a couple of overnight stays. In true style, those four walks were poor, excellent, excellent, poor.

Arriving in Penge, a local asked me what I was doing. When I told him I had walked from Wimbledon he said "what the bloody hell have you done that for?" I was at a loss on how to reply.

The finale was disappointment. Then again, I knew the terrain of entering Gravesend from the London Country Way. There is no easy way of stating this. It's not pretty. It's not for walkers.

The Stages

Stage 01 - Kings Cross to Marylebone
Stage 02 - Marylebone to Hoxton
Stage 03 - Hoxton to Archway

Stage 04 - Archway to Kensington
Stage 05 - Kensington to Canada Water
Stage 06 - Canada Water to Turnpike Lane
Stage 07 - Turnpike Lane to Shepherd's Bush
Stage 08 - Shepherd's Bush to Clapham Common
Stage 09 - Clapham Common to Lewisham
Stage 10 - Lewisham to Wanstead
Stage 11 - Wanstead to Arnos Grove
Stage 12 - Arnos Grove to Wembley
Stage 13 - Wembley to Kew Gardens
Stage 14 - Key Gardens to Wimbledon
Stage 15 - Wimbledon to Penge
Stage 16 - Penge to Woolwich
Stage 17 - Woolwich to Roding Valley
Stage 18 - Roding Valley to Hadley Wood
Stage 19 - Hadley Wood to Carpender's Park
Stage 20 - Carpender's Park to Hayes
Stage 21 - Hayes to Hampton Court
Stage 22 - Hampton Court to Epsom
Stage 23 - Epsom to Kenley
Stage 24 - Kenley to Knockholt
Stage 25 - Knockholt to Farningham Road
Stage 26 - Farningham Road to Gravesend

Walk Summary

Distance - 275 Miles

Geocaches - 124 and many Adventure Lab Caches 

Pubs - 55

24/07/26 - London Spiral - Stage 26 - Farningham Road to Gravesend

5 Years

That's exactly how long ago - to the day - it is since I set out from King's Cross on the London Spiral.

26 day walks later, having crossed the Thames by bridge, boat, underneath and cable car. I've reached the end of the track. Although some variations cross the water again to Tilbury. But there be monsters.

I've walked out of Gravesend on the London Countryway, and I was right to not expect too much. It's impossible to access or escape, with gyratory road systems and urban spread.

But I have to get there first - and that is no fun at all either.

It's all lanes to Grub Street, where I thought I would be grateful for the countryside to the admittedly pretty Southfleet. Alas, the countryside is a horror show. Head height crops and disappearing paths. It is possible to walk around the sweetcorn but a wade through thigh-high stinging nettles and thistles is impossible.

The only photo I have is an unopened pub in Southfleet.

There are no bad pubs in the country called ‘The Ship Inn.’

From a walking perspective, a fitting end to the London Spiral Walk. It's certainly not been one for the walking purist and there were times - especially in the latter stages of housing estates of unloved London boroughs, where I thought of knocking it on the head.

Instead, I have proved that I see things through to the bitter end. 

A planned two-centre celebration for the new Good Beer Guide Ticks in Gravesend.

The Three Pillars is easily missed. A cellar bar in a Masonic hall, accessed only by steep steps. Even with Google Maps, it's a tough find.

There's a pub down there

So you would think they would make it easy for the unsuspecting traveller who has made it this far. The first sign is "Cash Only". Of course, I have no cash. You can't lie to Bromley Tramps if you do.

Despite a friendly but complicated explanation of where the nearest cash point is, I saw nothing (apart from the air conditioning) to warrant drinking alone in an underground bunker.

My other new tick - reached without passing an ATM - is the Invicta Bar. 

Open-fronted micro bar

They take card here. Mainly because they charge £7.40 to celebrate the end of an odyssey like a Mexican.

Enjoyed once, but I'm off to 'Spoons

Of course, there will be a summary blog of the route. Once I have had time to review 26 walks over 5 years.

Walk Details

Distance -  9 miles

Start - Farningham Road

Finish - Gravesend

Areas Walked - Gravesend

Geocaches - 1

Pubs - 2

Previous Walks - 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, Stage 21, Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 25

23/07/26 - A Bromley Pub Crawl

The Modern High Street

Overnighting in Bromley, as I go through the final knockings of the London Spiral Walk. Civilisation (ha!) and a Bar Trek route that offered a couple of Good Beer Guide pubs, made it a tempting base.

Easy Crawling

The town is quite pretty. A more or less pedestrianised high street. Some interesting architecture in the old shop frontages. A lovely park just away from the main drag. Yet, here I am at 57 years old, doubling the amount of robberies I have witnessed in my lifetime. In just over 12 hours.

Crime 1: A Trainspotting-esque dash from Sports Direct, chased by the security guard, running style hampered by the boxes under his arms. My attention drawn by the crowd cheering. He was caught, but the guard simply retrieved the goods and let him on his merry way. 

Crime 2: Sainsbury's Local. Two of them, casually walking around, not even hiding the products and just walking out, setting off alarms but as casual as you like.

Crime 3: Greggs at breakfast time. A hungry fella walks in, takes his drink and sandwich and walks out again. The lady next to me reports it to the staff, who simply say "happens every day".

I'll get onto the pubs, before I start ranting about "Broken Windows Policing Policy".

The Partridge is a fine place to start. A solid, handsome Fuller's Pub, with a distinct air of civility with Chesterfields, atriums and smoking rooms. A beautiful Good Beer Guide Tick and a perfect ESB.

Handsome Outside....

.... and In

The next two on the crawl are both closed. The Bar Trek App is only a couple of years old, so its worrying how quickly things change. At least the Artful Duke has been repurposed as a chicken shop, the clucking crazy Saucy Bird. The Barrel and Horn is simply boarded up.

Since retirement, I am a big fan of Wetherspoons. But you have to be in the mood. As a solo pub ticker, the app is invaluable in protecting a table, but you have to be able to get a table in the first place. I thought that I would try The Greyhound a bit later, when things have calmed down.

Standing room only at the Greyhound

Instead, I was seduced by the architecturally imposing Star and Garter. Sometimes, the recipe for a good pub looks so easy that you wonder why more people don't adopt it.

Floor-mounted brass plaque states it is "1898 Vernacular Revival"

Tiling in the outside alcove

Unsure of the collective noun for fiddle players (a scrape?), there were plenty of them setting up in the corner. But my real love came from the drinks choice. I could (and probably should) have stayed here all night.

Amongst the many highlights on draught were Stille Nacht, Kernal, Deya, Ross-on-Wye ciders and in an unexpected turn, beer from my home town on cask. I have never seen Bewdley Brewery beers outside of the Wyre Forest but the bloke in front of me was ordering three pints.

Definitely the town's pubby highlight.

The Swan and Mitre didn't look like it would offer much and it didn't. My inability to leave things unfinished meant I popped my head in to see a very limited range. Why are bar staff so efficient and friendly when you just want to escape? A half of Cruzcampo out of politeness. I don't think the ceremonial chalice comes in half pints.

Low expectations, realised

Which leaves the ubiquitous micro pub. The Craft Beer Cabin will be fighting against many things. Its location, well out of town and the other pubs, will work against it. The music choice - heavy metal at an uncomfortable level - will dissuade more than it welcomes. As will the pricing. I vowed to stop drinking when it went north of a fiver for a schooner.

Peaceful.... apart from the music

Obviously run by an enthusiast but just two punters on a Thursday night won't be paying the electronic beer board Untapped subscription costs, let alone the rent. I wish them all the best.

Conscious of nightfall, I legged it back to the safety of the Travelodge.

Via the Star and Garter. The range deserved a second look.

 

23/07/26 - London Spiral Stage 25 - Knockholt to Farningham Road

Penultimate Pleasure

The final two days on the London Spiral act as a metaphor for the whole route. Today, it's lovely countryside walking on great paths. Tomorrow, the grim descent into Gravesend. The route has never been a 100% success but I am not a quitter.

The other good things about these final throes - single digit walking.

From Knockholt station, two pubs are instantly possible but even I feel the drink needs to be earned. The Bo Beep boasting an existence since 1500.

Open, but I haven’t walked enough miles to justify it.

Across fields, with views of the distant London skyscrapers and then a long passage through Lullingstone Park and the castle. Dodging golf balls.

Nestled in the Darent Valley near Eynsford, Kent, Lullingstone Castle is one of England's oldest family estates, with the Hart Dyke family having owned it continuously since the late fifteenth century. Although described as a castle, the present building is principally a Tudor manor house, incorporating elements of an earlier medieval residence whose imposing gatehouse still survives.

There’s London, from the extremes of the Spiral Walk.

A first glimpse of Lullingstone Castle

and the gatehouse

I walked the Darent Way 9 years ago - so the route under Eynsford Viaduct should be familiar. It isn't. I only know that I have visited the picture postcard Lion pub when I try to rescan the Cask Marque QR code. During that 2017 visit, it was Doom Bar for £3.65. Today, it's Harvey's Sussex Best for £6.05. What does that say? Better choice of beer? Inflation has been running at an average of 6% over the last nine years.

And yet the King of the North says it's 2.8%. 

I'm off-track and ranting again.

Look at that for timing!

Next to the folly bridge and the River Darent

Time is against me with an hourly train from Farningham Road - the walking along the river, under the M20 is pretty and geocache laden. 

What lies beneath

I made it with one minute to spare, knowing I will be back tomorrow.

If I survive lawless Bromley.

Walk Details

Distance -  9 miles

Start - Knockholt

Finish - Farningham Road

Areas Walked - Lullingstone, Eynsford

Geocaches - 9

Pubs - 1

Previous Walks - 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, Stage 21, Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24

21/07/26 - St Michael's Boundary Walk, Tenbury Wells

12 Miles of Nothingness

The idea for this walk came from the "Boundary Walk" for the Beltane Pilgrimage. AI based research managed to find 8 out of the potential 29 Boundary walks. A tick-list was formed. Rare access to the car, meant I could head off to Tenbury Wells for a route that I approached with justified trepidation.

In this part of the world, the paths are usually in chronic condition. A look on the map, and I could see that there was little of interest. Although the paths were better than expected, there were issues. If I knew exactly which county I was in, I would probably log dense undergrowth and locals blockading rights of ways and removing signage. 

No one to report in the lack of villages, pubs or items of interest to. Unless you like dilapidated farms, abandoned golf courses, orchards and wheat fields, there is little for you here. If it wasn't for St Michaels School and a rather unusual church, there would have been nothing to blog about. The walk became a time trial. Could I maintain > 3 mph in a heatwave?

Very specific signage

Herefordshire Orchards

Inquisitive horses, with Titterstone Clee Hill behind.

St Michaels's provided the first place of shelter for lunch and remains of water. An imposing church - especially considering the remoteness - that is nowhere near as old as it looks.

St Michael and All Angels Church, Tenbury Wells stands in an isolated position on the edge of Oldwood Common, about a mile south-west of Tenbury Wells, and is one of the most remarkable Victorian churches in Worcestershire. Built between 1856 and 1858 as the centrepiece of St Michael's College, Tenbury, it was the vision of the Reverend Sir Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley, a priest, musicologist and passionate reformer of Anglican church music. Designed in the Gothic Revival style by Henry Woodyer, the church was intended to recreate the atmosphere of a medieval collegiate foundation, complete with a renowned choir school, daily choral worship and an exceptional musical tradition. Its soaring architecture, Hardman stained glass and magnificent Father Willis organ reflect Ouseley’s belief that music should be at the heart of worship. The college closed in 1985, but the church remains a remarkable survival — a “mini-cathedral” in the Worcestershire countryside and a lasting monument to Victorian devotion, scholarship and the revival of Anglican musical life.

Tinderbox landscape

I missed the organ. Here is the altar. 

Walk Details

Distance - 12 miles

Geocaches - 0

Pub - 0

Interesting villages - 0

Highlights on Komoot - 0

Walk Inspiration

20/07/26 - Wychbury Hill

Temples and Yew Trees

There was simply too much inspiration in section 2 of Jonathan Meades Travels with Pevsner. The main topic was Georgian Pershore but how could I ignore "the most momentous building in Worcestershire".

This is the Temple of Theseus. Built in 1758 by Lord Lyttleton, so he could look out over the Malvern Hills. It is the first example of neo-classical architecture in Europe.

There's a lot going on at Wychbury Hill. I have already told the tale of "Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?". No need to repeat it here, but of course, there will be a photo of the obelisk. I also remembered that the Mysteries of Mercia Facebook page had discussed the yew trees at the iron-age hillfort. These were to be investigated. 

A walk was easily fashioned, a variation of the "Rail Trail" between Hagley and Stourbridge.

The temple is not strictly on a footpath, but on the ground, there is a well trodden path - either caused by graffiti artists, drinkers who like a view or possibly even the new inhabitants, usurping Lord Lyttelton but getting the same views. 

How we look after the county's most important architecture 

Perfectly Proportioned by James Stuart - following a pilgrimage to measure the original

Cows had already trampled the fencing

Folly Views

Back to the proper footpaths, via the obelisk.

Obelisk

Bella - an unsolved 1940s murder victim

Next stop, the yew trees of Wychbury Hillfort and have spawned a number of legends. Was it the site of an ancient battle between the Romans and the natives? Is Wychbury Hill the final resting place of King Arthur? Are the yew trees a manifestation of fallen warriors? Probably not. Is the site use by local pagans during key calendar events? Yes. But why?

In pre-Christian pagan traditions across Britain and north-west Europe, the yew tree was revered as a symbol of death, rebirth and eternal life. Remarkably long-lived and capable of regenerating from ancient wood, it seemed to embody the endless cycle of nature, making it a powerful emblem of immortality and the passage between this world and the Otherworld. Yews were often associated with sacred sites, burial places and places of ritual, where they represented wisdom, protection and ancestral memory.

My favourite on-line resource is from the Ancient Yew Tree  website. Someone went to the trouble of mapping the 23 trees, providing a summary and a description of each individual tree. You've got to love the Internet. Next, middle aged men will be writing about their walks and pints and hoping someone out there finds it of interest.

x marks SO9205581800 - a perfect place for lunch. 

It's incredibly accurate and easy to follow. A circuit of the hillfort and most of the trees were identified.

One of the 23.  We'll leave it there. No need for the other 22

30 minutes spent lunching in a Pagan worship spot, the GPS left on, explaining the random mess on the track recording.

Finally, a drop down to Stourbridge for one of the CAMRA's Heritage pubs. The Seven Stars.

Handy for the Station

Built for Mitchells & Butlers Brewery and opened in January 1905, the Seven Stars has an outstanding collection of M&B etched and painted windows plus much Maw & Co wall tiling.

The entrance hall has lots of light blue and cream dado tiling, which extends up the stairs and into the public bar. That room has its original counter and a superb four-bay, mirrored bar-back with a clock-adorned pediment. Below the pediment is a recently-reopened hatch to the smoke room behind. This is modernised but bell pushes remain above the benches, as do fine etched windows. The restaurant left of the hallway has nothing of historic interest bar a couple of windows.

Recently, it was closed down for a number of years, until resurrected by the Black Country Ales chain. Incredible really, they have changed nothing (apart from the drinks available) and it has gone from an unviable business to one that you are lucky to get a seat. As with all BCA Pubs, the drinks available are many, usually unheard of, a dedication to real cider and always well kept.

Interior Intact - Hobson's Town Crier chosen

Walk Details

Distance - 4 miles

Geocaches - 2

Future Inspiration

Ancient Yew Group

White Dragon

Tales from the Halfshire Hundred