12/09/20 - The Sloop Inn, Bantham

Distance - 4.5 Miles

Geocaches - 1

Walk Inspiration - Mike Powers Pub Walks in Devon

You know how it is.  You drive for 3.5 hours, find your holiday accommodation, unload the car.

Time to find the nearest pub.

The Sloop Inn in Bantham is not quite the closest to Thurlestone but it looks a decent walk across the headland.  Our only danger is getting caught after dark.

Not that getting dark early is putting people off enjoying their Indian Summer.

Indian Summer at Thurlestone Beach

Thurlestone Bay and the Arch

Arriving at Avon Mouth and we know mid walk refreshment is available.

Bantham - on the high ground above the River Avon

I've never been to a Sloop Inn that hasn't been an boster and this is no different.  A classic village St Austell house, with a nice sheltered courtyard for those avoiding the indoors.

With one of the best pints of Proper Job I've ever found.

Classic holiday pub.  Or village local.

The track alongside the pub is the route home - with a stiff climb over the headland.  

Still, there's plenty of opportunity to stop and admire the sunset over Burgh Island - where I'm sure we will get to the Pilchard sometime during the week.

Sunset over Burgh Island

12/09/20 - The Ring of Bells, Taunton

Geocaching Lab Adventures provide us with two achievements, as we make our way from the Midlands down to the South West for our latest Staycaction.  

Who needs Portugal when the sun is shining in Devon?

Achievement 1:  An historical tour of the Taunton provides us with the chance to learn about its past and identify the key locations of interest.  We find one of the oldest brick buildings in the UK (the Almshouses), determine that Costa Coffee is a Tudor building from the 1500s and there is a Cross in the churchyard that has some dice on it.  Only we (and other Geocachers) know what they add up to.

Even Son number 1 got into it from the 2nd stage.  This will teach a 22 year old to come on holidays with his parents.

Stage 1 and 2 - The Museum and Castle Bow

Tudor Building, now a Costa

On waking, we had little idea we would be vising one of the oldest brick buildings

In Somerset, they like their towers high

Achievement 2:  We pass by a couple of Good Beer Guide pubs but my research has set my heart on the Ring of Bells.  No prizes for guessing how it got its name.   I knew that it was dog friendly, had a beer garden and did decent food.   

The Otter Amber was a fine re-introduction to the South West.

Is there a better named pub?

A long time since my last Otter.

09/09/20 - The Railwayman Arms, Bridgnorth

The only mistake I've made ticking of the Good Beer Guide Pubs of Bridgnorth is not doing them on a full day, 6 Centre pub crawl. I could have arrived/departed on the Severn Valley Steam Train, feeling more sanguine about the high fare as I chugged back into Kidderminster for Bathams at the King and Castle.

Instead of this epic day out, I have been visiting the pubs one trip at a time.  My latest excursion, an Adventure Lab Geocache.  For the uninitiated, this is a virtual treasure hunt, using a mobile phone and finding hidden gems in an area.  A wonderful piece of psycho-geography, that often points out lesser visited spots within an urban location.

Five stages, and I walk from low town, to the cliff railway, the town hall and the previously unvisited castle gardens.

Low Town - A climb to come

Or I could have taken Public Transport

The Town Hall - which always contained a physical geocache

What remains of Bridgnorth Castle

But this is only only four locations, I hear the still awake cry.

As if by design, the final GZ is the Railwayman's Arms - one of my three remaining Good Beer Guide Ticks.  I could not have planned the visit better myself.

At last - I find a good pub with Railway in the name

Its located at Platform 1 of the SVR.  As you would expect, its full of railway paraphernalia and posters that make Aberystwyth look more beautiful than the the Malcom Pryce novels.

Usually Packed

Like Kidderminster, the Bathams is usually available - but not today.  Covid, of course, is blamed.

Hobson's Town Crier is an able substitute.

06/09/20 - Gospel End Summerhouse and Baggeridge Park

Distance - 6.75 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Pub Walks in the Black Country - Walk 12

Geocaches - 2

What a surprising walk!

Gospel End - South of Wolverhampton, West of Sedgley, North of Lower Gornal and East of Wombourne.  

Who would have thought such a varied country walk could be found in these parts? 

Of course, we start at a pub - The Summerhouse - where it is a short walk into Baggeridge Country Park.  Up high, there are fine views over Staffordshire as we collect a couple of geocaches and make our way to Wombourne.

Staffordshire Views

Here, we pick up the disused Kingswinford railway line, passing under the roads on a secret path, providing traffic free walking until we reach Himley Hall.... seemingly the de facto playground for all West Midlands families. Ice Cream refreshments for family members who are questioning the 6m anticipated mileage of this walk.  Several swim-able pools for part dog, part hippopotamus - Guide Dog in Training Abi.

Secret Walking along a disused railway line

First Refreshment option of the day - in front of Himley Hall

Following the edge of Island Pool takes us bizarrely through a fair ground and back to Gospel End.

Always like it when a walk exceeds expectations.... and onto the pub.

The Summerhouse

We'll file this under old school. Dogs aren't allowed inside, but a choice of two outdoor patio areas mean we can be accommodated. Waitress service and the question of what ales are available is met with "Bitter or Mild".  It's as though Banks does not need to be added as a prefix... which certainly used to be true for these parts.

A further classic touch was the availability of a mixed grill on the menu.  My Internet searches for mixed grills invariably only return Indians. Alas, it was without kidneys and/or liver - so I remain unable to re-capture the glory days of the 1980's pub dining.