08/03/14 - Perfect Day. Almost.

Distance - 6 Miles
Geocaches - 1 new find

Winchcombe at EveryTrail


Sometimes the planets align just enough to trick you into thinking that it is your day. 

I have been looking forward to a walk in Winchcombe since I read Bill Bryson's Book - "Notes from a Small Island".  He talked about leaving a quintessential English town on foot and making an amazing discovery.  I had already made that discovery, but his text made me want to come back.

Joy Number 1 - After taking the mickey out of Sonia because an article in the Times had her classed as "Chronically Angry", we miss our turn off the M5.  This works out fine, as we come in from Cheltenham and get the last parking space in the street outside the Corner Cupboard pub.  "She who must be enraged" research had suggested that this might be the only pub in this perfect part of Gloucestershire that would have the Albion on at 12.45.

A great place to start a walk

We head off.  Soon on familiar ground as we past Sudeley Castle.  I ask the question about which one of Henry VIII's wives spent her final years here.  Sonia was close with "Anne Parr", but it may have been a random guess.

Katherine Parr's former Home

This level of historical walking cannot fail to put a smile on my face.  The real reason I am here is even more historical. 

The only thing that surprises me is that I reviewed at least 10 walks from my collection of Country Walking and various books and not one of them takes me here.  Its like it is a secret that no-one wants you to know about.

The location itself is in strange contrast to the rest of the Cotswolds.  Instead of the gorgeous vistas and the honey stone buildings, we are in a damp wood, with very green ferns.  There is a ramshackle pile of bricks that could be an old farmhouse but is something more ancient.

Not your usual Cotswolds walk

There is a small building with a tin roof that hides away a tarpaulin held down with stones.  You are quite welcome to remove the cover and underneath is a 2000 year old mosaic from the floor of a former Roman villa.

Closest I will be to an archaeologist

Quite how it has survived the ravages of time and delinquents with nothing better to do is beyond me.  But it is a stunning stop off.

To further improve our mood, the sun come out just as we get to the top of the hill.  There are some caches around here but I have found them previously, apart from one.  Sonia asks me if there is any treasure and I comment on the missing one, just as we approach GZ.  I was here nearly five years ago and recorded a DNF.  Sonias exclaims that she can "Bloody well see it from the Path".  I can only blame ancient Sat Navs.

The clue is "Stump".  I am a poor cacher.

We now have downhill walking and can see Winchcombe in the distance.  Sonia is convinced it is Cheltenham as it looks a fair way away.  The walking could not be finer, as we pick up the Windrush Way.

This LDP leads us to an old Watermill that is in a state of gorgeous decrepitude.

Watermill

A look at my Sat Nav shows that we are 45 minutes from kick off so we get a wriggle on as fast as we can through the particularly gloopy Cotswold Mud to deliver us back to the castle.

Back at the Beginning

Joy Number 2 comes when we take a different way into the town.  There is always one walk a year when you know that we can say goodbye to Winter and say hello to Spring.  And today is that day.

First Lambs of 2014

I am positively beaming at this joyous discovery.  And to top it all, we are back in town at 12:30.  We degaiter and deboot but need to confirm that the Corner Cupboard has the football on.

Joy number 3 is displayed in the Window.

Either way, its a fine looking pub

Oh Yes - a Sign

Perfect.  We enter.  We ask if they have the game on.  They say yes.  We get a prime seat in front of a 50" inch HD TV.  They have Timothy Taylor Landlord.  They will do my Liver and Bacon with Chips. 

I think long and hard about investing in a lucky dip lottery ticket.

The Albion lose 0-3.

02/03/14 - The Brummie Ring Summary

Distance - 74 Miles
Start and End Point - Alvechurch Station
Start Date - 05/10/13
End Date - 01/03/14
Geocaches Found - 58

The BrummieRing Summary at EveryTrail

As is customary after completing a Long Distance Path, a summary blog is required;

Inspired by the Capital Ring, I aimed to create something similar for myself in the country's second city. Armed with little else than an OS map and a sense of adventure, in one night, I plotted a round route and setup the website to track progress.  The original plans and aim held and over four months, I worked my way around the City on a variety of good footpaths and canals, with as little road walking as possible.

The Best Section - There were a number of highlights.  For pure walking, Stage 1 and Stage 11 had some excellent countryside and great views.

The Worst Section - You would have to stretch the imagination to get much joy from Stage 5.  It started in Wednesbury.  It past the West Midlands Bull Terrier appreciation Society.  It then followed a canal all the way to its destination in Hamstead.

The Phases - (Click on Phase Hyperlink for Walk Details)

05/10/13 - Alvechurch - Phase 1
12/10/13 - Longbridge - Phase 2
19/10/13 - Old Hill - Phase 3 
09/11/13 - Tipton - Phase 4
24/11/13 - Wednesbury - Phase 5
06/12/13 - Hamstead - Phase 6
19/12/13 - Sutton Coldfield - Phase 7
04/01/14 - Coleshill - Phase 8
25/01/14 - Marston Green - Phase 9
08/02/14 - Solihull - Phase 10
01/03/14 - Earlswood - Phase 11

01/03/14 - Mission Accomplished

Start - Earlswood Station
Finish - Alvechurch Station
Distance - 6 Miles
Caches - 2 Found, 1 DNF

Stage 11 of the Brummie Ring

BrummieLoopPhase11 at EveryTrail


The last piece of a plan that was hatched back in September 2013 has been completed.  Phase 11, the final stage of the Brummie Ring, has been completed.  Five months after setting off from Alvechuch Station, I return.

This sounds more heroic than it really is.  I did a couple of legs every other weekend.

And this was a fitting end to the odyssey.  We had sunshine.  We had glorious countryside, including a trig point adorned hilltop.  We had two pub stops and an exceptional lunch at the Coach and Horses on Wetheroak Hill.  Even Sonia came, to join in the celebration nosh up.

The infrequency of the trains to Earlswood meant that a 5 mile journey would have taken a connection at the City Centre and 90 minutes.  So we ordered a taxi.  He was bang on the dot of 9:30, as arranged, and expressed mild interest in the finale of our challenge.

A nice little hut to put on our waling wear

Dropped off at Earlswood Station, we gaiter up and head off down lanes.  A shame that the first mile or so was along lanes, but our patience is eventually rewarded with some stunning walking.

Cache number one is found in the tunnel under the M42.  We are in good conversation, which means a couple of detours as I am not really looking at the Sat Nav.  It didn't help that the footpaths have been rerouted around Newlands Farm since my OS Map was printed.

Once in Newlands Farm, we had great views

We work our way to the trig point at Hob Hill.  There is a cache here, but we will add to the previous DNF.  Not to worry, the views over the M42, Longbridge and the Lickey Hills are stunning.

One of the best parts of the Brummie Ring

Which provides these views

We can see Alvechurch in the distance, and we walk along great paths to reach our destination.

Time to reflect on what we have learned and discovered on our circumvention of the 2nd City.

1. Canals.  Lots of Canals
2. An Abbey
3. Taking the dog on the train
1. To Tipton
4. Tramps.  Lots of Tramps.
5. Eating sausage sandwiches under a canal bridge near Wednesbury to shelter from the rain
1. With Tramps
6. 3 pubs in Solihull
1. Sonia was driving that day
7. The sense of achievement of completing a project
8. And this is where we walked

The BrummieRing Summary at EveryTrail

On arrival at Alvechuch, we take a tour of the town.

Alvechurch.  In Spring

 
I wanted to eat a big slap up meal at the Red Lion.  Sonia is nothing but diligent in her research and the slaggings that this pub had taken on tripadvisor meant that he had a quick drink only.  We couldn't stay for much longer, as the smoke from the real fire was billowing into the lounge.

Bad Reviews on Trip Advisor.  And their Lion isn't Red.

But I can celebrate anywhere

So we drive on for a much better experience at the Coach and Horses.  What a find.  A brewery and a choice of three different menus.  This will not be the last time I come here.

With this long distance path ticked off, I can get back to more regular walks.  And dream up my next challenge.

23/02/14 - Asking Questions of Myself

Distance - 8 Miles
Geocaches - 13 Found, 4 DNF

Cutnall Green at EveryTrail



Now, I am the sort of person that does not like losing things.  This has been borne out today by a lost magazine before I got going on the day and then only being able to find one shoe when I got home and had to de-mud both myself and the trusty geohound.

The magazine was found.  The other shoe remains elusive.

So why do I spend my weekends out in the great outdoors looking for treasure that has been deliberately lost?

Initially, this was to be a rare walk free weekend.  I had too much on.  However, a change of plan caused mainly by old age, meant that I am free and available for a Sunday walk.  Initially, I was planning a trip over to Warwickshire but the planned walk had zero caches.  Not one.  And I couldn't bare what would be 14 days without recording a smiley.

So instead of the walking books, I look at the geomap and see that there are a few around Cutnall Green that have not been explored.  Hastily assemble them into some sort of walk and head out, finding parking around the back of the village store shop.

Pub Car park totally empty, but not in the mood for post walk pint today.

Short walk down the lane to pick up the Monarch's Way.  Cache one of the day is here.  I have my head in various bushes as the wind picks up in this exposed part of Worcestershire.  Its always the first of the day that causes the most problem and as I am passing this way on my way back, I decide to leave it for when my cacher's eye is in.

This part of the walk is as good as it gets.  The Monarch's way is a long distance path that follows the route that Charles II was meant to have taken on his escape during the English Civil War.  I am constantly bumping into it, including the part where it meets the tree that he hid in.  Today's stretch weaves through woodland, past fishing pools and strangely through peoples' back gardens.

Feeling like a trespasser but signs give me confidence

Find my first cache of the day but fail at the next.  1-2.  Worse than the Albion.  Things pick up where I find an amusing one in Lunnon Lane, that is worthy of both a TB drop off and a Fav point.

Make my way towards Rushock Church, famous as the burial place of John Bonham, Led Zep's drummer.

Head for a Rock and Roll Shrine.  Grave always adorned with drumsticks

It's at the point, the walk take a turn for the worse, even if the caches take a turn for the better.

The wind has been picking up all walk.  Then it starts to rain.  The terrain goes from slippy to gloopy on the mud Richter scale.  The stiles, which are frequent, are worthy of an olympic event.  Its bad enough for me, but almost impossible for a dog.  Especially an 11 year old one.  She valiantly plods on, requires only occasional assistance, but the unspoken words between hound and master are "We could be reading the paper and eating bacon sarnies".

At least the caches have shown plenty of imagination and the series is a challenge.

After nothing but farmhouses - some drama.  Its also a GZ for one of the best of the day.

I don't know if it was the misery of the stiles, mud and weather or just that the caches were getting harder but it seems strangely apt that the last three of the day, including a repeat of number one, are all DNFs.

As we slop back to the car, our bottom 30% covered in mud, I fail to find the answer as to why I cache. 

I just know that I will be back again next week.