18/04/14 - Lunch amongst the Glacial Erratics

Distance - 11 Miles
Geocaches - 21
Walk Inspiration
Distance on Ridgeway - 4.7 Miles
Starting Point - Free parking at Barbury Castle

I never for a moment expected a potential walk of the year to be starting just outside of Swindon.  I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised, I have been to Barbury Castle once before.  This was for a works social event that involved the use of shotguns.  It could have gone very badly wrong.  I remember at the time thinking that this looked like fine walking country and vowed to come back.

Its taken over two years to make this happen and the reason is that its stage 2 of the Ridgeway, as I try and break down this Long Distance Path into a series of day walks.

A bank holiday and excellent weather.  What are the chances.  I didn't feel too bad getting up at 5:50am to get down here, as there was no traffic and a relatively quick drive on deserted motorways.  By 7:30am, I am parked up, booted up and have my hands on the first cache of the day.

As an extra bonus, this section of the walk is loaded with caches.  They are mainly in excellent condition and easy finds.  I could be here all day talking about them, so I will leave it with just a "thanks to the cache owners" for boosting my numbers so significantly.

The walking is simply superb.  No need to worry about directions, as I follow an excellent path South East.

Just follow the Chalk Road

This is horse training territory.  Not your average neddies but for racehorses and a couple are out on the crest of the hills this morning, going through their paces.

Never mind the Gallops

If my maths is correct, I have found 13 caches by the time I reach the road to Rockley.

Not as many standing stones as Stage 1 in Avebury

I might be on the road, but its still superb walking through the Hamlet of Rockley.  A church, unmarked on the OS map and some interesting cottages give me something to photograph.

Unexpected Church

Pond Cottage on the other side of the road

I pick up a decent track through the woods and the caches start to come again.  Soon, the path turns into Green Street.  In a walk of many highlights, this could be my favourite stretch.  And I am not even on the Ridgeway yet.

Tuck Into That

More horse training at the top of the hill.  The traditional caches dry up, but there is an earth cache to find and log.

By the read of the description, it is a massive boulder in a field full of boulders, all moved here by Glaciers in the ice age.  It's the largest field of Sarsen Stones in Great Britain.

I bet Sonia can't believe she missed out on this for an extra hour in bed.

Sarsen, as far as the eyes can see

And a handy place for lunch

The reason for being here is the next waypoint, as I pick up the Ridgeway at the exact spot where we tuned back to Avebury last time.

Straight on, Avebury - Right fr the Ridgeway

For the first time of the day, I see other travelers, although these people are mainly on bikes.  I only have time for a quick hello, as I am mesmerized by the views.  I have a lot of photos from today.

Views in all directions

These clumps of trees are known as Hedgehogs and scatter the route.  Burial Grounds.

For the first time on the Ridgeway, there are a few random caches.  All in places with superb views and occasionally hidden behind old stone markers that I would have otherwise missed.  I am pleased to get nearly five miles on the Ridgeway as well, although as I am now in double figures of miles for the walk, I am equally pleased when the Barbury Castle Hillfort comes into view.

Nearing the End - Just the ramparts to go

There is a multi cache to work out.  Which I do.  But the treasure is back the way I came, so this will be one that escapes me.

I plod on back to the car, happy that another plan is turning our so well.  Simply stunning walking today.

But wait, I hear you cry.  There is something missing from the Blog.  The remote walking today has not bought into contact with any pubs. 

Don't worry - I spied one on the way there.  Always Patriotic, me.

12/04/14 - Happy Valley Mappi

Distance - 10.8 Miles
Geocaches - 8
Start - Upper Warlingham Station
Finish - Banstead Station

It's London Loop time of the month. Cheap tickets to London ordered. Mr Piggy Sausage Rolls purchased. Alarm set for a stupid O'Clock.

Today, an alarm is not needed. The dustbins are coming with me. This means one of them is in the shower for 4:50am and then asking his mother where the iron is. The other is more slumbersome, having not got in till 2am.

To be fair, both were ready for the 5:40am departure. Even if Alex didn't have shoes or socks on. Car and train to the smoke.

I leave the pair of them at Euston Station and make my way to Upper Warlingham station, via Victoria. 8:52 and I am ready to head off.

Before starting the walk, I have to turn on my new toy. I have had my eye on an Autographer camera since I saw a review saying that basically they were rubbish but an interesting concept. I thought it could be a nice way of doing time lapse photography of a walk but wasn't going to pay the £299 price for one. A bit of sniping on ebay got me a brand new one for less than half price.

And here are the results.

05/04/14 - Pleasures Combined

Walk Inspiration - Millennium Way Stage 11
Distance - 6.25 Miles
Geocaches - 14


Time is just too precious.  Too many plans, not enough free time.  So what to do?

How about combining my hobbies?

This one takes in a Top 10 County Pub, loads of Geocaches and this month's installment of the Millennium Way.  Perfect for a man with more ideas than time.

The route would have us start at the Throckmorton Arms.  I prefer to have Alcester as my start, as on my return, I will be delivered to my pub to investigate.  From previous walk, I also know that the parking is free.

So park up and head out on familiar paths along the Monarch's way.  Someone has been planting caches, otherwise I would have had these previously.

Fields of Yellow as we head out of Alcester

Turn Right at the entrance to Cold Comfort Farm

Nine caches as we make out way along Spittle Brook towards Coughton Lane.  Quite a variety and I have to make use of several tools in my Geocaching bag, including Tweezers, Penknife and Magnetic Ariel effect "Bodger".  Add in a couple of near tumbles into various streams and good spirits abound.

Easily the best GZ on route

A mile on the tarmac of Coughton Lane brings us to the first real things of historical interest.

Medieval Cross marking the entrance to the Forest of Arden

We also obtain glimpses of Coughton Court through the trees and over the heads of the new born sheep.  Another walk, another Tudor reference, as this was the home of the Throckmorton Family - close friends of Henry VIII.  Until he tried to divorce Katherine of Aragon.

From R-L, Catholic Church, Church of England, Tudor Manor House

Sonia wanted my feet over the top of the tower.  Achieved Neither.

A couple more caches on the way to pick up the River Arrow, which we follow all the way south back to the town.  The walking is OK but expectations of refreshments are taking priority.

I have completed my research and I am looking forward to the eight real ales that are served at the Hollybush in town. 

However, Mrs Mappiman has other ideas

But I will not be denied to tick off the Top 10 pubs in my closest counties.

Unassuming from the Outside

Joyful on the Inside

The pub is a proper 10 out of 10 experience.  It doesn't look much on the outside but inside its has a central bar with some lovely alcoves surrounding it.  The dining room and menu looked incredible.

And with my perfect pint of Black Sheep, I was presented with a card to collect stamps from the top 40 real ale pubs in Warwickshire.

Could I have found a new challenge?

We return to the car by walking up the high street passing;

1. Turks Head
2. Three Tuns
3. The Bear
4. The Royal Oak

All in a line.  All waiting to be discovered.  We get to the car park at the back of the Swan.  We can see two more pubs.  The Swan have a comedy night on tonight.

Alcester.  You are my new favourite town.

30/03/14 - BST

Distance - 4 Miles
Geocaches - 1
Inspiration - July 2009 Country Walking Malvern at EveryTrail

My favourite weekend of the year.  It's like coming out of hibernation, knowing that after 6 months of dark evenings, I can increase my outdoor activities by taking in mid week adventures.  There is only one way to celebrate and that is to pick another County Top 10 pub walk.

The pub is easy to choose.  The Nag's Head in Malvern is a ten real ale classic of a pub.  A suitable walk is found from a five year old Country Walking Magazine. 

We park up at the pub and head for the hills.

And its all uphill.  We skirt our way around the back of the clock tower and have the steep climb at the back of the quarries and resevoirs.  Sonia leaves me for dead.  The winter spent eating pork pies everytime I make a cup of tea has left me hill unfit.  Sonia shouts diet plans from her elevated position.  The dog looks confused, wondering whether to keep up with her mistress or "stop to check the map" with her master.

As with all hill climbs, the views of worth it when we make it to North Hill.

Hazy views from a welcome bench

That's all the heavy work completed as we make our way past Table hill towards Sugarloaf.  There is the one cache I need to find up there, so I leave Sonia on a bench as I go and retrieve.  She spends her free time fighting off the attentions of gentlemen ramblers whose tongues are as silver as their hair. 

Only a man of a certain age would even attempt to address a woman with the line "Do you come here often?".

One of them doesn't give up his wooing on my return and for a time we think he will follow us to Beacon Hill.  However, the lure of St Anne's Well cafe means we go our separate ways.

We pick up the track with a sulky looking teenager whose dad has made him come for a mother's day ramble.  At least they got him out.  Ours is at home "revising".

Highest Point In Worcestershire

We drop down looking for the excellent paths on the Eastern side of the hills.  There is another micro to look for but not knowing the difference between a Bilbury and a Gorse Bush, I have little chance of making a find.

Sonia has no 3G, so our botany research cannot go on line

The walk back has everything going for it.  Good paths, great views and importantly, all down hill.  We soon make our way to one of the best 10 pubs in the County - The Nag's Head.

Nestling in the Shadow of the Hills

Sign

Beer Garden

It is a superb pub.  The only problem is knowing what to have.  They are doing a roaring trade in Mother's day Sunday Lunches but a meal of that size seems a bit heavy.  Especially for an out of condition hill walker.  So how about a compromise of a Hot Beef Sandwich, with two roast potatoes and a little pot of gravy?

Next choice is even harder - which of the ten real ales to pick?

I promise to be back to celebrate the end of BST and try one of the remaining 9.