11/02/23 - Centenary Way - Stage 16 - Leamington Spa

Countryside, canals and HS2 on the latest stretch of the Centenary Way

Just three weeks between Centenary Way stages and we have a change of seasons. Warwick in January was completed in sub zero temperatures with freezing fog. Leamington in Feb and people are out in short sleeve tops.

Once again, I can avail myself of public transport - beginning from the Town Centre station. Familiar paths along the River Leam to pick up the official start at Newbold Comyn Park. Heading east to Offchurch, I find some familiar Millennium Way markers, yet I remember nothing of these distinctive paths along the Leam. It looks like significant re-routing has been completed. I think we know who to blame.

Along the River Leam

Dont remember walking this on the Millennium Way

Yes, it's our old friend - the white elephant that is HS2. Another article in the Times today, another budget review, rumours of it not making the East Midlands, Manchester and (you couldn't make this up), Central London.

I don't know how the digger-men work up the enthusiasm to relentlessly fill the dumper trucks with soil.

Thankfully, Ridgeway Lane is still open to Cyclists.  And Ramblers.

Ridgeway Lane leads to the Grand Union Canal for an easy walking, if not rather dull stretch back to the Leamington Flesh Pots - where four Good Beer Guide Pubs await my ticking.

The Grand Union

Walk Information

Distance - 11.5 Miles

Geocaches - 6 and 2 Adventure Lab Caches

Pubs - See Good Beer Guide Blog

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

05/02/23 - January Man - February on Long Mynd, Shropshire

Walking the chapters of Christopher Somerville's The January Man, Month by Month

Distance - 9 miles

Previous Walks - January

Walk Inspiration - Self developed from the book references 

Pub - Bottle and Glass, Picklescott

February's theme is snow. Somerville reflects on childhood memories at the vicarage, his father battling to get his ancient Austin started and onto the A34.

He chooses the Long Mynd for this month's walk and recounts the well told story of the Reverend Carr almost losing his life in an 1865 snow storm. The Reverend was responsible for hosting services across a number of villages and set off to walk from Ratlinghope back to his home in Woolstaston, 5 miles away. Disorientated in the snow-drifts, he lost his hat, gloves and boots and nearly his life. 27 hrs after setting off, he stumbled into Carding Mill Valley, snow blind and half dead.

No snow today, but there is a hard frost, as I tackle the minor roads to Picklescott. Somerville stayed the night at the Bottle and Glass pub, so my first walk necessities are easily achieved. Parking and post walk refreshment.

My planned route is developed from the clues in the text and it doesn't disappoint. From Picklescott, I climb Betchcott Hill to drop down the Golden Valley to Ratlinghope. Fine walking on a crisp winter's day.

View from Betchcott Hill

Dropping down into the Golden Valley

Views from the valley floor

Ratlinghope Church has another story. The last of the English Sin Eaters, Richard Munslow, is buried here. The Sin Eater's job was to spend a night with a corpse, and to drink ale and eat bread that had been balanced on the dead person's body. The fodder absorbing their sins before burial. The story, and hope to correctly pronounce Ratlinghope, detailed in this video.

Richard Munslow, the last of the Sin Eaters

A interesting diversion before more uphill walking to the Shooting Box and the Portway - an old drovers road - which carries me arrow straight to Woolstaston.

The Portway

Reverend Carr's other Church - Wollstaston

Just another mile back to the Bottle and Glass to pay for my parking through the purchase of lunch.

A fine Country Inn....which is best explained by the fact that two horses are parked in the bay next to my car. The place was doing a fine trade with the Sunday lunch crowd, but I was able to commandeer a bar area for my tuna chiabatta and decent Ludlow Gold.

The huge roaring fire, an added bonus to thaw out in front of.

Bottle and Glass, Picklescott

A blissful fire

Ludlow Gold in a Three Tuns glass.

I struck lucky with February. A brilliant ramble, relatively local...... let's see what March brings!

04/02/23 - The Good Beer Guide Pubs of Blackheath and Rowley Regis

The CAMRA Good Beer Guide delivers two Britannia's and a Micro

Good Beer Guide Ticks - #792 to #794

As a navigational aide, the Good Beer Guide is fairly hopeless. The two closest recommendations to Rowley Regis railway station are sectioned under Blackheath. The furthest away, Rowley.

The three pubs detailed within a short stagger, do show the bible's strength. All quite different, some unexpected surprises and I am not going to argue with their inclusion. Quality booze in each.

My first is an unexpected JDW - The Britannia. Unexpected? Well, its not an imposing former bingo hall, just a converted 1950's pub, formerly the Traveller's Rest.

Need to look closely for the JDW clues

Saturday afternoon and it's fun. All walks of life. Sartorial Pensioners in trilbies. Families having a mixed grill eating competition. Lads, lads, lads.

A battle to get served at a packed bar - I should have used the app - and an unexpected drink to enjoy.  LocALE, 6.5% and just £2.47.

Couldn't have enjoyed a rarely seen Enville Blizzard any more.

Will bring Mrs M back for the Valentines day offer.

From a community local to a micro. You knew it was coming. The Cyder and Cobb ticking all the classic micro boxes. A converted shop, next to a nail bar.

Classic Micro

My pub scoring system - for which I have given a lot of consideration - includes a category "Unexpected Surprises".

I think we can file bar mounted demijohns of 14% cider in that category. We can certainly file a bar mounted cake stand, with perspex dome cover. Especially when it is chock a block with a selection of pork pies. I chose well with my thick wedge with a boiled egg.  A trio of middle aged ladies commented they had "pork pie envy".  A true gentlemen would have returned to the bar, purchased the stand and seen how the afternoon progressed from there.

I felt the ciders may have been a mistake on a Saturday afternoon session that had already seen a (double) margarita. Hop Back Summer Lightening a sensible and fine choice.

Uphill to another Britannia - this time with the suffix, pub and brewery.

How I loved this place. Outdoor gaspers stopping my own photo, so one lifted from Google Maps.

Beer.  Food.  Music.

Looking at their facebook, they seem to be a massive success. Different entertainment options on each night. Photos of packed rooms for pub quizzes. Live music in the conservatory. Cheeseboards, in front of coal fires.

Once the blog is complete, I'm onto Rightmove.

Yet, I cannot help but think they could be even more successful if they advertised. No website. No Twitter. Even UnTappd has little information about their house brews, with no art work.

I used my usual experimentation technique of going for the strongest ale and this was a Working Mon's Dark. Untappd tasting notes..... "Yeasty".

Now I am having a fine day in the Black Country and I am known for hyperbole but it was the best pint in the world.

Worthy of a before and after photo to show you the lacings.

Going, Going.....

.... Gone

My untappd checkin ports to Twitter..... Mrs M's response had my friends texting me the number for Relate.

What a joy. This is better than my house. Real fire and Chesterfields 🤣 - Drinking a Working Mon's Dark by Britt Brewery @ Britannia Inn — https://t.co/a3sw4YPluR

— Mappiman (@Mappiman1) February 4, 2023

04/02/23 - The Slow Way to Blackheath

The best way to get to Birmingham's finest Mexican Restaurant?  The Slow Way.

When describing the motivation behind walking from Birmingham to the Rowley Regis, I doubt many blogfans would have expected the answer to be Mexico.

There's been some high twitter praise for Bearwood's "A La Mexicana" restaurant. To complete a holy trinity for my weekend needs - on the Sandwood Road crossroads, there is also a barbers and a Good Beer Guide Tick available.

You'd also be forgiven for thinking Snow Hill, Bearwood and Rowley Regis would not provide decent walking but the Slow Ways movement have provided an intriguing route. Their aim is provide a network grid of walking routes between all of Britain's towns. I could spend a lifetime just playing with their website, let alone putting the theory into practice.

The proposed route manages to mainly avoid road walking. Instead, it finds the hidden corridors available in urban locations.  A lengthy stretch of the Birmingham Canals leads to Summerfield Park, where it is possible to pick up one of the second cities lesser known paths. The disused Harborne railway line could only provide greater pleasure, if cyclists were banned from having little bells.

Heading west along the Birmingham Canal

The disused Harborne railway providing fine walking

Only 10:30am and I have reached Bearwood. A spruce up from a Turk who has trimmed all my visible hair above my shoulders but worryingly still asks if I would like anything else clippered and I am taking advantage of the Bear Tavern's civilised opening hours. A lesser spotted 9am-er.

The fading glory of the Bear Tavern

Plenty of I-Spy potential from the exterior. Count the bears. Translate the Latin.

Photo doesn't quite capture how green it was

Tempus Fugit when counting bear heads - at least 5 more on the clock tower

Its a Greene King pub and the only deviation from their usual range appeared to be Wye Valley Butty Bach. A 10% discount, if I could have produced a CAMRA membership card. A very typical inner city chain pub, with the type of clientele you would expect, with an additional Mexican food loving rambler with a smart new haircut.

At the ding of 12pm, I am the first punter into A La Mexicana. Two firsts, a mid ramble margarita and the first time offered one as a double.

Make a change from my usual pint pots

The place soon fills up and I delighted to report that I am not the only one on cocktails. The owner, Jose, was lovely. Doesn't take much to make customers feel welcome but a few simple questions and interest in how your day is panning out goes  a long way. I will back, not least to check out the dinner menu, which is available later in the day.  A classic brunch of huevos rancheros fortifying me for the remainder of the walk.

Slightly more street walking in the second half, as I move through Brandhall. There's still Green Spaces provided by Warley Woods and Brandhall Golf Course.

Open Spaces

The walk finishes at Rowley Regis station but for those that have completed their research, three Good Beer Guide pubs are available, should you incorporate near-by Blackheath.

Post walk entertainment, worthy of a separate blog.

Walk Information

Distance - 10 miles

Geocaches - 4

Walk Inspiration - Slow Ways Network

Good Beer Guide Tick - #791