Welcome to the Monkey House
I'm taking massive liberties with this stage of the Cakes and Ales guidebook. Again, the author wants a very lengthy walk - 15 miles - and to introduce a big hill. This time, Bredon Hill. It could be argued that I have recently walked over Bredon into Pershore. The real reason for the massive diversion is that I am near to a place that I have wanted to go to for a long time and that is only open on Fridays and Sundays.
Most of the blog will be dedicated to the Cider House, Defford.
This leaves the walking a little dull - over the river at Upton, to head east on the Wyche Way across agricultural fields. Views of the Malverns behind and Bredon in front. Nothing really of interest until the decision point at Strensham, where I leave the official route to plough my own furrow.
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| Upton Marina |
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| Hills behind - The Malverns |
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| Hills in front - Bredon |
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| More than just a service station - Strensham Church - Door Locked |
The Cider House is one of only four dedicated cider houses left in the country. I've done my research - I know its opening times (Friday Lunch, Sundays and Wednesday in Summer). I know that it's cash only. I know that there is no bar and cider is dispensed from a hatch in a barn door. I know that it's been managed by the same family for the last 150 years. But time is meaningless here. I could have been drinking in the Middle Ages.
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| The main door with its weathered sign |
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| Queuing at the serving hatch |
Not ordering a beer and having paper money allowed me to be accepted by the landlady and a friendly gang of farm hands and workies taking advantage of the limited opening hours. Unsure how some of them would be going back to work. I had two pints of dry and found myself singing on the top deck of the X50 back to Worcester. Dispense is from the barrel, via a jug and only untappd suggested the brew may have a name - Woodmancote Dry. Note that the ABV is unknown.
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| Previous check-ins suggested this was my brew |
The strength of the brew may go some way to explaining how the place received it's nick-name of the monkey house. I'll leave the CAMRA Real Heritage Guide explain;
What else did I discover? I thought I was missing out on a cocktail when a lady asked for a "Carpet Square". Nothing so fancy, it was exactly that - a carpet square to sit on, if the bench seating is too hard on your backside. And if it rains - everyone can go inside to the "tool-shed".
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| Inside the tool-shed |
A roof, a luxury not extended to the male facilities - a roofless wall, which if you are 6ft - you can peer over to view the countryside that you should have been walking.
Walk Details
Distance - 7.5 miles
Geocaches - 3
Walk Inspiration - Stage 2 of the Worcester Cakes and Ales Trail
Previous Stages:
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