30/7/11 - South of Studley

Distance - 5.75 Miles
Geocaches - 21
First Cache
Reasons to be cheerful - Sun is shining, Football on TV, post brings wedding invitation, exam pass, payslip, trail magazine and a new walking book.  And I have a great wife and children.  And a nice dog.

Great Alne

I think the stars have aligned today or my biorhythms are in sync, as I am in a fantastic mood today.  This 21 cache geotrail has certainly added to a great start to the weekend.

Last weekend was dedicated to walking and as I need to keep the caching numbers up, I have a look at identified geotrails in the area and pick this one.  I used to go on corporate events at Studley castle back in the days when I worked for AT&T.  If I had know that really good walking country was just around the corner, I would have sneaked out with my boots on.

Feel its a bit early to park at the pub, as I dont think it will be open when I finish the walk, so I park at the village hall and walk up.  My one concern about these big geotrails is that loads of people will be out on a Saturday and I'll end up compromising my furtive activities.  True enough, when I get to cache one, I can see that it has been signed today by GeocacherScott.  Wonder if I will bump into him.  So far, its been families walking their dogs.

Good start to the walk through wheat fields and then into the woodland to the east of Great Alne.  I find evidence of the Warwickshire Indians and tread carefully through their sacred land.

White man cache with forked tongue

Doing well on the caches, although the longest hunt of the day is at cache 3 but rewarded with success.  Continue east crossing the River Alne.  Unfortunately, there is no way for Molly to drop down for a drink.  We will need to find her an opportunity to imbibe at some point in this weather.

This brings us to unexpectedly into a caravan park, where we have to walk straight through the centre.  A small amount of road walking and I am heading down south on the Arden Way.  This is expecptional walking country, heading through a prarie like wheatfield to a small hillock.  Warwickshire is not known for its height.

Not much of a hill, but there are views.

The arden way leads onto the wooded hills of Aston Grove.  I am fairly sure that I have been walking here before.  Drops to the east, where Molly gets to play (in her grumpy, old before her time way) with a black lab that is being trained as a guide dog.

Only in Britain, would this be available to all.

Come to the village of Walcote.  Not a speedy winger playing for Arsenal, but a village that hasn't changed in centuries.  Wonderful buildings and a deep sense of history.

Head north on the home stretch.  At cache 17, I finally get a cache that hasn't been signed by GeocacherScott - did he have a DNF, have I overtaken him without noticing, is he lost?  Future logs will tell.

We walk through the grounds of Great Alne Mills and this is why you have to marvel at this country.  The mills have been converted into residential property by a rich fella.  He is playing tennis with his mrs but thanks to the laws of this land, a fat bloke in a too tight walking shirt with a stupid hat can march right over his manicured lawns and finally, allow his dog to get some refreshment in his pond.

Well earned dunk.

After this highlight, its back to Great Alne, which can claim some fine buildings of its own.  Get back to the car and as I pull away a man with a rucksack sits down at the bench next to cache 21.  I nearly shout hello, its attached to the flagpole, but on reflection, I am not sure if it was a cacher and probably make the right decision to look for my own refreshments. 

Its 12:30pm.  Naismiths rule of walking obviously doesn't count when caching is involved, as 5.75 miles should not take 3.5 hours.  But the good news is that the Huff Cap is open.  Take £4 out of by parking fund to buy a well earned drink.  Now, this is a nice pub but it is morally reprehensible for this not to be enough to purchase a pint.  Even if it does come in a fancy Italian glass.  Order my drink and then have to scuttle back to the car for an extra 40p.  Is it right that a pint is 25% more than the minimum hourly wage of a 16 year old?  I'll let Ellie answer.

I was sure that I would enjoy the caches (thanks to HKMHill for setting them up, glad to get 100%) and I have been pleasantly surprised as to how good the walking has been.  And for some reason, the sat nav brings me back through Alcester - which is a superb looking place and a scene of previous caching trips.
All is good in the Mappiman's world.

26/7/11 - A bit of the A4, A bit of the Avon and Kennet Canal

Distance - 5 Miles
Pubs - 5 - 1 walked past
Caches - 3
Walk from - 100 Walks in Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

Woolhampton

If I'd have had company, this would have been a perfect evening.  However, the power of an Internet Connected Mobile phone means that you can keep everyone updated with where you are at through Face Book places.  Get told to concentrate on the caches rather than the pubs from she who must be obeyed.

This is a great walk, taking in fields, a nice little village (Woolhampton) that has three pubs - a lovely strecth of the Avon and Kennet Canal, before coming back up to the A4 where is a Chef and Brewer and at 10pm, its warm enough to eat outside.

Walk up Cox's Lane, across fields and into Midgham.  Looks like I just missed out on the entertainment.

Social Event of the Season

Turn into what looks like someones garden and then out on a tree lined avenue through the nice farmland of Midgham Park Farm.  The footpath signs are of an exceptional standard in Berkshire - surprised the pikeys haven't had them for scrap metal.

Any old iron

Have to negotiate a field full of young bulls that get a bit frisky but does provide inspiration for what to have for tea.

I'll have the one with the stripe please

Come to a lane and drop down into Woolhampton on the A4.  Choice of two pubs on the A4.  The Falmouth Arms is famous for a relative of Charlie Chaplain shooting at his wife and then himsefl.  He missed her, but suceeded with himself.  The Angel has worse beer but better food (by the looks of it).

Drop down to the Canal, giving way to a train at the crossing for 5 mins.  Walk past the best pub of the lot, the Rowbarge, where the allow people to camp in their garden.  Looks like a great spot.  Cache number one is behind a notice board.

The walking is flat and the swing bridges, locks and pools to the side are all pleasant on the eye.  Slight detour for cache number 2.  Criss cross the canal several times and look at the fauna.

You should see the size of the stingers

At Midgham lock we come back up to the a4.  There are so many pubs along this route because it is a former coaching road.  Today, instead of stage coaches, we have lorry drivers parked in mass along the side of the road.  I try the coach and horses - incredibly expensive food and after being served 3/4 of a pint and having communication problems with the Eastern European behind the bar, I go to the Chef and Brewer for a nice meal sat outside as darkness descends.

24/7/11 - Three ways in Winchcombe

Distance - 7 Miles
Geocaches - 1
Vaguely rude sounding place names - Puck Pit Lane, Strip Lynchets and Monk's Hole.

Winchcombe

I cannot tell you how much I love Winchcombe.  It is my favorite place in the world.  After Edinburgh and London.  And New York was pretty cool.  But it is right up there.  It's prime walking country and I always have an annual visit.  Usually on a Sunday, as you can park for free in the high street, if you get there early enough.

One my first visits was when I was completing the Cotswolds Way in 2006.  This was my first stop off point from Chipping Campden and I remember being very wet when I got to the old white lion pub, my bed for the night.  We go back in again after the walk.

Today, Ellie is dropped off at work.  I have been planning this walk for a couple of weeks but put off through bad weather and no company.  No problems today, as Sonia is up for it and it is glorious weather.

Park in the high street and walk down to the bottom and north onto the Cotswolds Way at Puck Pit Lane.  We are following 4 American ladies but have to try and keep our distance as our only cache is not far up here.  This is thwarted when they stop to take off jackets and then enquire about the labradoodle.  Its nice to think that this part of the world is that beautiful that even the septics, not known for their passports, are prepared to make the journey.  They move off and we stop for the only cache of the round.

The Americans continue on the Cotswold Way towards Broadway and we climb up a path on the right that is a bit indistinct.  Sonia complains that its full of cow pats and the stingers are up to her armpits.  We have a run in with the beasts that make the mess and I get stung on the back of my knees.  Arrive at the fantastically named Monk's Hole.

Cow Pats and Monk's Holes.

That's all the climbing for the day and the views over the vale of Evesham are outstanding.

 

Ask Molly which way is Evesham?

We now have great paths on the Gloucestershire Way to follow, passing by Father Ted's holiday home.

Too Much Gaelic Dancing

Head east to Lyne's Barn and then south along Campden Lane before picking up our third long distance path, the Wardens Way.  This is exceptional walking, as we have the views back towards Winchcombe and can see how long it is until dinner.

Lunch is behind us.

The Warden's way meanders its way down through sheep fields to Sudeley Castle.  This is why the americans are here.  You can walk the history and be a part of it.  This was home to Henry VIII last wife, Katherine Parr, who is buried here.  It was used by Charles I in the English Civil War and trashed by the miserable Cromwell.  Its thats sort of behaviour that would get your corpse dug up and put on display in a London pub.  It is our destination, as the Plaisterer's Arms is next to it.

Take me to the pub.

Past the tourists (and there are many) and into the town.  12:10 and the menu outside the Plaisterer's Arms looks good.  Sonia decides upon a baguette and I decide on the nachos.  However, the Irish landlady has other ideas.  After a row about whether they do Pear Cider (there is a tap with Gaymar's Pear Cider on it), I lose the 2nd argument of the day when it becomes clear that they only do Sunday Lunch.  And who wants that in 25 degree sunshine?  Still, its a fantastic pub.  What a collection of Irish Whiskeys. Honestly, this is a theme park to me and my equivalent of Alton Towers.

We move on to the Old White Lion Inn.  Another great pub.  Here, you can have baguettes if you want them.  We stit outside in the smoking area and get regaled with stories of the drinking exploits of the locals.  Last night, Sid was in till 3am, went to work at 8am this morning and is back at 12:30.  I bet Sid doesn't even know what an SSRI is.

So my advice is to be like Sid but do some walking rather than the working.

18/7/11 - Soho, but not the one that I know

Distance - 5 Miles
Geocaches - 9 out of 11

The Jewellery Quarter

I am looking for adventure on this Monday night.  I have noticed a new series of caches in Birmingham.  I thought that it was criminal that I have found about 10 times as many caches in London as I have in my home city.  So once I worked out is was free to park outside Captain Cods after 6:30pm, I headed off to the Jewellery Quarter on the train.
Birmingham is split up into the following Quarters....

The Jewellery Quarter
The Gun Quarter
The Irish Quarter
The Chinese Quarter
The Convention Quarter
The Millennium Quarter
The Business Quarter

Thats how good Birmingham is, a City with 7 quarters.   The Jewellery Quarter has the feel of the east end of london to me - old industry, the odd trendy bar but the streets are absolutely deserted.  People ask me about Geocaching (not often, but occassionally).  How are they hidden?  Whereabouts are they?  I won't name this cache but this is an absolute classic of the genre - tucked away down a little alley with people walking past every day.

Pull out and all is revealed!  Caching Genius

So I round up a few on the streets, taking down Spencer Street, to Warstone Lane, passing a gothic looking cemetary with the aim of getting down to the canal for a series of caches around the Soho Loop.  Views of Birmingham are never far away, and there are a few solo outlier caches to pick up.

Where is everyone?

This canal loop is off the Birmingham to Wolverhampton Canal.  Despite walking past some run down factories, the tow paths are in great condition.  I see a handful of joggers and cyclists and thats it.

Not the Soho I know

So the caches in the main loop - Cache 1, I walk past and double back around but still dont find.  Cache two requires a bit of bridge saddling.  Didn't like the look of Cache 3 - bit too much rubbish around.  Cache 4 I liked.  Pop up from the towpath to get a good look at Winston Green Prison.

Lee Hughes former home

Cache 5 is in the shadow of a railway terminus.  Cache 6 brought a smile to my face and Cache 7 could have been a nightmare but I managed to find the little fella without any trouble.  Nice little series, so thanks to Pure-CaK for setting them up.

Back up Pitsford Street and time for a quick drink at the Drop Forge before my train comes.  I pick up a leaflet showing a pub crawl of 14 camra real ales pubs in the vicinity, so I know what I am doing next time I come here.

Get back to the station, train only 5 mins late and when it pulls into Kidderminster, a gang of 30 teenagers between Ellie and Alex age all pile on with cans of Cider.  Just what is going on in Worcester at 10:30 on a Monday Night?