24/11/19 - Heart of England Way Summary

Length of Heart of England Way - 102 Miles
Amount walked on Circular Walks - 234.75
Geocaches Found - 163
Stages Completed In - 32
Start - Milford Visitor Centre, Cannock Chase - 17/05/17
Finish - Bourton on the Water - 24/11/19


The Heart of England Way is one of those footpaths that keep stumbling on when walking around the Midlands.   It starts at Cannock Chase and then winds it way south, to the East of Birmingham, through Warwickshire and into the gorgeous parts of the Cotswolds.

You could walk all 102 miles over a long week.  Or you could take your time on a series on monthly day walks, following routes developed in a guide book by Stephen Cross that I no longer have any use for.

Highlights
Easy Midlands walking, with at least one pub at every location.   Lichfield was a real joy, and as I travelled on the train, I was able to investigate four good beer guide pubs after my walk.  Berkswell, Henley and Alcester are picture postcard perfect English Villages and of course, you end in the Cotswolds where people travel from around the world to admire the chocolate box cottages.

Lowlights
Cannock Chase promises a lot to the walker but is monotonous and the first four legs start to become very dull.

The Stages

Stage 1 - Milford Visitor Centre
Stage 2 - Cannock Chase Glacial Erratic
Stage 3 - Cannock Chase Visitors Centre
Stage 4 - Cannock Chase Castle Ring
Stage 5 - Cresswell Green
Stage 6 - Lichfield
Stage 7 - Hints
Stage 8 - Drayton Bassett
Stage 9 - Kingsbury
Stage 10 - Whitacre Heath
Stage 11 - Shustoke
Stage 12 - Fillongley
Stage 13 - Kinwalsey
Stage 14 - Meriden
Stage 15 - Berkswell
Stage 16 - Temple Bassall
Stage 17 - Lapworth
Stage 18 - Into Henley
Stage 19 - Out of Henley
Stage 20 - Great Alne
Stage 21 - Alcester
Stage 22 - Into Bidford
Stage 23 - Out of Bidford
Stage 24 - Pebworth
Stage 25 - Long Marston
Stage 26 - Mickleton
Stage 27 - Chipping Campden
Stage 28 - Blockley
Stage 29 - Out of Blockley
Stage 30 - Moreton in the Marsh
Stage 31 - Stow on the Wold
Stage 32 - Bourton on the Water

The Photo Album

24/11/19 - Heart of England Way - Stage 32 - The End

Distance - 8 Miles
Geocaches - 1
Pubs - GBG Tick # 432 - Mousetrap Inn, Bourton on the Water
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, Stage 20, Stage 21, Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 25, Stage 26, Stage 27, Stage 28, Stage 29, Stage 30, Stage 31

The conditions were not a fitting end to my monthly rambles on the Heart of England Way.   I started in April 2017 in Cannock Chase and knocked a circular walk until 32 were completed, finally arriving in Bourton-on-the-Water for the grand finale.   I wanted blue skies and solid ground.   I got dank November mist and mud but miseries were soon forgotten with a 2020 Good Beer Guide Tick at the Mousetrap.

Heading North East out of the Village across the Salmonsbury Meadows Nature reserve, I'm quickly aware of what I am in for on today's walk.

Grim, by any standard

The only thing to keep me going is the promise of my post walk pint and laughing at other walkers who have not realised that trainers aren't going to cut it.   A high percentage of them are Americans, presumably lured in by Cotswold honey stoned village charm but then hoping that the slurry in the cow fields is only mud.   Some ruined reeboks for sure.

I could bring you more photos of dank fields but we'll move onto the final stages.   Hyde Mill provides a touch of interest - the final resting spot of a racehorse who's name I failed to record but overheard a local explain it was a Gold Cup Winner.   Its prime walking country and many ways (Monarchs, MacMillan, HOEW, Gloucestershire) share the same paths.   Lower Slaughter is the only village passed on route and its a damn fine one.   Stream running through the centre, impressive church and the Slaughters pub.   Try to imagine it in the sunshine.

Hyde Mill

All the ways, sharing nicely

Lower Slaughter - gentle stream, pub, off image church

To reach the Mousetrap and celebrate the closure of a long term goal, I have to enter Bourton on the Water in the Landsdown area - ever so slightly away from the tourists trying to find Birdland.

Its a handsome, small single roomed freehouse.   As you'd expect, there's a heavy emphasis on food and as I sat at the bar, I saw several disappointed walk-ins politely informed to keep on walking if they hadn't booked a table.

The drinker hasn't been forgotton and quite rightly, its in the Good Beer Guide.  This is an achievement lost on the much bigger Stow-on-the-Wold just up the road and the centre point for the previous leg on the HOEW.

There's three real ales on - two from local breweries and a Titantic number that wasn't plum porter.  The Stroud Brewery Fall - a Smoky Bitter - was perfect.   The wall shows the clip pumps from past beers.  Pints are offered in straight or handled glasses.  Toilet Art, ever so slightly homo-erotic.  I feel the landlord may be having a joke on middle England sensibilities.   Where as you normally expect saucy carry on cartoons, we had half naked, mustachioed men, embracing.

Mousetrap Inn

Stroud Brewery Fall - Smoky Bitter

So that's the Heart of England Way over - and a summary blog of all stages is available here.

New adventures await in 2020.

27/10/19 - Heart of England Way - Stage 31

Distance - 9 Miles
Geocaches - 2
Pubs - Golden Ball - Lower Swell, Kings Arms - Stow-on-the-Wold
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, Stage 20, Stage 21, Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 25, Stage 26, Stage 27, Stage 28, Stage 29, Stage 30


Peak Cotswold loveliness on the penultimate stage on the Heart of England Way.

The start is Stow-on-the-Wold.   Free parking in the nearby tescos and Mrs M makes a note to self to remember a 20p coin to use the facilities.   I'm sure she said that on the last stage in Moreton in the Marsh too.

The town square is already filling up and never has there been so much choice for post walk refreshment.   Which pub will get the Mappiman Dollar?  Well, it won't be the Porch.   This was my chance to add another "Oldest Pub in England" to the list - having ticks at St Alban's Fighting Cocks and Nottingham's Trip.   Alas, they were fully booked for Sunday Lunch several days in advance.

Stow on the Wold Centre

We leave on the Monarch's Way, heading North East past the wells that were used for drinking water until the mains came in 1937.   Views available as soon as you leave the town.

Cotswold Views

This walk is made up of several villages, some of them armed with pubs.   The first is Broadwell - Church, large village green and the Fox Inn.   The 2nd time I have walked on by this handsome boozer due to being too early.   Some would say that's not a bad thing when its a Donnington Brewery house and we will come to that later in this blog.

Undeniably Handsome

Other hamlets are Donnington (dry), Longborough (Coach and Horses), Upper Swell (Dry) and Lower Swell (The Golden Ball).   And we do pass the source of this disconcertion - Donnington Brewery - located in an idyllic setting, in a fine former mill house.

Apparently has a Brewery Shop now 

The Donnington Brewery

Onto Donningtons then.   My least favourite beer in the land is Arkells.   Donnington Brewery was founded by a member of the family in 1865.   Their tied houses dominate the area and there is even a Long Distance Path - the Donnington Way - that has been on my to do list for far too long.

The pubs are a perfect representation of the English Country Pub.

However (and you knew there would be a however), the beer is very, very poor.   We stop at the Golden Ball in Lower Swell and is if to prove a point, I am presented with some truly terrible swill - Donnington SBA.   One of the few times in my life I am pleased to have ordered a half.

Golden Ball

Tasted every bit as terrible as it looked

What a shame! 

The Donnington Way is still on the list though.  Mrs M questions my sanity.   It's location, location, location.

A minor short cut is taken back to Stow-on-the-Wold after determining that there is a footpath East along the B4068.

A palate cleanser is needed, quickly.

With so much choice in Stow, TripAdvisor was used to find the best Sunday Lunch in town - and although it is a Greene King, the Kings Arms did not disappoint.   I mean, it looks gorgeous.

To be fair, they all look like this

Black Sheep was a welcome relief and the Sunday Lunch lived up to the reviews.

Booking advised.

15/09/19 - Heart of England Way 30 - The Bell at Moreton in Marsh

Distance - 7 Miles
Geocaches - 1
Pubs - Coach and Horses, Longborough and The Bell, Moreton in Marsh
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, Stage 20, Stage 21, Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 25, Stage 26, Stage 27, Stage 28, Stage 29


Out with the old and in with the new, as September sees the release of the 2020 Edition of the Good Beer Guide, known only in this blog as "the bible".   Ticks have been moved over between editions and and London appears to need completely restarting again.

Let the Ticking Re-Commence

Moreton-in-Marsh is easier.  It had one entry last year.   It has one entry this year.   The Bell remains a valid post walk destination.

From the heart of this bustling tourist trap of a town, we head west towards Batsford.   Decent paths shared with puppy walkers upsetting Mrs M with their tiny charges, who bizarrely appears to be canine broody.  Our destination, Bourton-on-the-Hill, where the truly thirsty could imbibe at the Horse and Groom.

Heading out on the Monarchs Way

Horse and Groom at the top of the Hill

It's at the church where we pick up the Heart of England Way and this little stretch is as fine as the walking gets on this LDP.   We are slightly elevated, with an endless vista of patchwork fields to the left and Sezincote Hall delivering a taste of architectural India on the right.   Even the sun comes out.  Bliss.

The finest walking on the HOEW

Sezincote Hall, peeking through the trees

For a Mr and Mrs Mappiman Selfie

At the end of this stretch?  Longborough - a quintessentially charming Cotswold Village.   I've walked through it a couple of times, always before the Coach and Horses has scrapped back the bolt to allow in thirsty ramblers.   Not today.... it's 12:03pm and as Mrs M didn't have the requisite change to use the space age loos in Moreton, facilities are required.

Its a Donnington Tied house, so we can expect a wonderful building and beer that's a slight improvement on Arkells.

Lovely Beer Garden

Beautiful Building.  Scrumpy drinking American consulting the Map.  Stone dog keeps watch

The walk back to Moreton is 2 miles of gentle countryside on the Monarch's Way,  delivering us to the Duck Pond.   A well walked area means there's little chance of unfound Geocaches but there is a new Church Micro, should you be able to get a car driver to pause to let you cross the road.

Walking Back to Moreton

For a Church Micro Geocache in a lovely location

Onto the first tick from the 2020 bible.   I've booked a table for 13:30 and its 13:28 when we breech the threshold, having looked at the tenuous signs proclaiming Tolkein significance.   Mrs M mutters under her breath about it being like Tintagel and King Arthur all over again.

Ding Dong, its a gorgeous Cotswold Pub

Prancing Pony, Frodo Baggins local.

Its much quieter than you would expect.   The bar staff are nearly equal to punters - of which there are four elderly diners and yours truly.

Its therefore rather disappointing to be told there's a 45 minute wait for food.   What on earth is the Chef up to?   He can't be cooking for anyone else. 

At least there's a good choice of Ales to keep me entertained.   Prescott Hill Climb and North Cotswold Shagweaver would have been more loyal to the area, but as I failed to find Timothy Taylor Landlord anywhere on our recent holiday in Austria, there could only be one winner.

14:15 and the elderly's food comes out.   A parsnip is dropped into a drink.   There are complaints about burned Yorkshire Puddings.   Al Dente Vegetables need to be rigorously defended by a harassed manager.

We are glad we don't work in Public Service Jobs. 

Although I did need to ask where the head on my Landlord had disappeared to.

The Map offered no clues

18/08/19 - Heart of England Way - Stage 29 - Batsford

Distance - 6.5 Miles
Pubs - None
Geocaches - 3
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, Stage 20, Stage 21, Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 25, Stage 26, Stage 27, Stage 28

Blockley - a place that I mused on last months HOEW as to why its not as popular as the other Cotswold Honeypots.  Today, I have the answer.   The pubs are bobbins.   Last month, I had an awful Hooky Gold at the Best Western, so was keen to try the other pub.   We'll come to the Crown later, if I can bring myself to relive the memories.

If you are here for the walking, then you're fine.   This is a top quality ramble in the heart of the Cotwolds that delivers the final climb of the HOEW.   Literally, its all down hill from here to Bourton on the Water.

The path out of Blockley is shared by the Monarchs Way and the HOEW and rises gently to Batsford Arboretum.   The views are behind and worth a glance.

Blockely behind

A circuit of the walls of Batsford Arboretum, eventually getting close to village.   Contained within the walls are the largest collection of privately owned trees.   A collection started by Algernon Mitford, grandfather to the Nazi sympathising sisters and buried in the church, which seems imported from France.  Handsome but unusually shaped.

Nazi Grandpa's final resting place

More Architectural wonder at the Stud Farm

Back up hill for the views over Draycott.  A dry village, full of beautiful buildings but no pub.   The locals all come out to watch a man get his drill out and put up a house number.   That's what passes for entertainment in villages without boozers.

Looking Down towards Draycott

An encounter with non native beasts.   Not entirely sure they were friendly.

Arrival back in Blockley is along a wonderful street of Terraces, Park Road.   By the number of foreign cars and little key safety deposit boxes fixed to the walls, this must be prime AirBNB territory.  One's up on right move for 345K.   Its a deceptively spacious (their words, not mine) two bedder.

Its not a direct route back to the car but as mentioned at the start, I want to check out the Crown Hotel for post walk refreshment.   Normally, I wouldn't trouble something marked as a Hotel but I had noticed a little bar to the side on my last leg.

So I enter and find a bar that is empty of people (staff, punters, ghosts of former patrons) and with no hand pulls at all. 

I left before I was seen by the staff.   At push, I can take bad beer but not in a silent, empty room.

Footnote - last review on Pubsgalore was from legendary blogger Alan Winfield

14/07/19 - Heart of England Way - Stage 28 - Blockley

Distance - 6.5 Miles
Pubs - Great Western Arms, Hooky Gold
Geocaches - 0
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, Stage 20, Stage 21, Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 25, Stage 26, Stage 27


More Cotswold loveliness on the Heart of England Way - and like Stage 27 - this is a multi pub walk.

What's not to like?

I'm starting from Blockley.    A sizeable village that is as handsome as any of the more famous ones in the area but without the visitors.   Must be the lack of antique shops.   Starting at the Great Western Arms and heading north, I save the village centre until the triumphant return.

Its North - on paths shared between the HOEW and the Monarchs Way - first wheat fields and then some bovines to negotiate.

Path Sharing

Friendly Bovines on the HOEW

At Campden Hill Farm, I dog leg North East onto some fairly hopeless paths.   Quite surprising that major long distance paths in the Cotswolds can be so overgrown through lack of footfall.   Its a battle to get into Broad Campden but the reward is mid ramble refreshment at the pub I visited on the last leg.

Bakers Arms - Broad Campden

The way back is on paths that are in much better condition - with views opening out to Cleeve Common.

Cleeve Common Views

Wheat Fields

Woodland, marked on the map as "The Warren" provides a change in walking conditions and it's into Blockley, walking the length of the high street filled with honey stoned cottages and reaching the impressive Norman Church.

Norman Church

There are two pubs available and I'd already made up my mind to shun the Crown Hotel in preference of the Cask Marque accredited Great Western. 

Usually, you can't go wrong with a Hook Norton tied house.

But something was quite wrong with my Hooky Gold.

The Great Western Arms

Soup of the day - £4.10

Only two other customers at 2:15pm and they were both on Coffees.

I wish I had joined them.

15/06/19 - Heart of England Way - Stage 27 - Chipping Campden

Distance - 8 Miles
Pubs - Churchill Arms, Paxton and Good Beer Guide Tick 389 at the Bakers Arms, Broad Campden
Geocaches - 1
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, Stage 20, Stage 21, Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 25, Stage 26

Peak Costwold Walking here.   Expansive views, four lovely villages - all with at least one boozer, with three Good Beer Guide Ticks.

Not bad for an 8 mile adventure in the countryside.

I make my start at Broad Campden and head North on tracks that share the Monarchs Way and the Heart of England Way.

Easy Navigation to Chipping Campden

With Waymarkers, if you need them.

Less than a mile and I'm in the honey spot of Chipping Campden.   Start of the Cotswold Way, full of tourists and that means plenty of refreshment options.   Of course, I was too early to revisit but you need to find the Eight Bells for your Good Beer Guide Tick.

Start of the Cotswold Way - an unusual inside shot of the Market Hall

Easily the best pub in Chipping Campden

I head out of the village on the HOEW, heading North West - the opposite direction to the usual walks on the Cotswold Way.   A chance to admire St James Church up close, where the 120ft Church Tower is a landmark for most of this walk.

St James Church

Agricultural walking along field edges, until a little bit of lost history is found at Mickleton Hills Farm.   The last pitched battle on English soil?  Have a read at the link, I like the injuries ranging from an almost severed head to a bitten off little finger.   And the fact it was resolved by going to arbitration.    How very British.

Things you find in Cotswold Fields

Next chance for a break coming up in Ebrington, where the Ebrington Arms, a Good Beer Guide regular, is well worth a visit.   Its not the Times #1 Country Pub for nothing.

I'm spoiling you with Good Beer Guide Tick #2.   We're not even half way

I'm saving myself for Paxford, a village that I've not visited previously.   It's agricultural walking through overgrown fields.   I was mildly concerned with the "Beware of the Bull" sign over one stile but other animal presented more problems.   The fields are fiercely guarded by a bird of prey that I won't embarras myself by attempting to name.   The monster made 5-6 sweeps at my Fjallraven capped head before I resorted to defending myself my swinging my camera around my head and shouting "Away with you, foul Griffin".

I needed a drink.  And Paxford has the Church Hill Arms.

They're all handsome here.

Its a dining pub, with a huge picture of Marco Pierre White, that I initially mistook for Al Pacino.  Two real ales are on - ignoring the Purity Gold, I went for a Winston, taking 10 minutes to get the connection.   Like the Yubby at the Ebrington Arms, this is a North Cotswold Brewery special just for this pub.   There was little point registering my check in location in UnTappd.

Two Winstons in the Churchill Arms

More overgrown walking for the mile back to Broad Campden, mercifully free from attacks from the sky. 

The Bakers Arms is another Good Beer Guide Stalwart - although its questionable how such an isolated pub can afford to carry five hand pulls on.   Two x Wye Valley, Wickwar Bob, Prescott Hill Climb and a rarely spotted Stanney Bitter from Stanway brewery.   You simply wouldn't think they would have the turnover to keep so many options fresh.

Still - no complaints with my Wickwar Bob.

Had enough of Gorgeous Cotswold Boozers Yet?

The Timeless Bar of the Bakers Arms

Five stages left on the Heart of England Way.   This may well have been the highlight.