Late, for the Summer Solstice
This was meant to be walked on 21st June. It was also meant to be walked at sunset. My first excuse is that I have been busy on the coastal walking. My second excuse is that we have the 1am England Mexico game this weekend. I am not staying/getting up late twice in succession. My third excuse, I would be shot for lighting fires in the tinderbox heatwave we are experiencing.
Summer Solstice: The Longest Day
June brings the great pivot of the year: the Summer Solstice, when the sun seems to pause at its zenith before beginning its slow decline.
It's a festival of fire and light, of fullness and ripeness, of standing still in the very height of things.
Pilgrimage at midsummer has always been drawn to the great circles of Stonehenge, Avebury and Callanish, where sunrise aligns with ancient stones in a drama that has played for millennia. And, of course, in a more contemporary way, Glastonbury Festival, always occurring around Midsummer's Day.
But it can be as simple as walking to the highest hill near you, lighting a small fire, and watching the sun dip late before rising early once again.
For my highest hill, I have picked the County Top of Worcestershire - the Beacon.
A short but beautiful walk that I know well. Up the 99 steps to St Annes Well, yomp along the spine of the Malverns and then work my way back to town along the western side of the hills. Four locations of an Adventure Lab Cache telling the history of the working donkeys of Malvern, adding to the entertainment.
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| St Annes Well |
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| Traditional Caching, with views |
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| The Toposcope |
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| Trig Point Bagging |
To finish a perfect day, Black Country Ales have opened a new pub, the Old Royal Library. Directly opposite the Unicorn, which has subsequently closed down. The two things may be related, but the Unicorn has survived years opposite a much cheaper (and grander) Wetherspoons. They were used to competition.
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| New Pub in Town - The Old Royal Library |
Everything one would expect from a BCA - the usual decor, cobs, bewildering range of unknown breweries and real cider/perry.
Walk Details
Distance - 5 miles
Walk Inspiration - Julie Royle's Worcestershire Walks Book 2
Geocaches - 6
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