26/12/14 - Blakedown Boxing Day

Walk Inspiration - 100 Hill Walks Around Birmingham
Distance - 4.1 Miles
Geocaches - 4 Found, 1xDNF


After a day of Timothy Taylor, Turkey, Red Wine and Karaoke, a refreshing blast of countryside was required for the pair of us and the Labradoodle, who spent yesterday hiding from our visitors in a hole she had dug in the garden.  The kids named it her "Stress Pit".

Strange Dog.

Blakedown is a small village on the outskirts of Kidderminster that has been on my walking radar for a while.  I have walked here before, but not for a long time.  A quick plot of a route from a trusty walking book and a GPX download of 5 caches is made and we head off.

Park at the Parish Rooms.  By the amount of new Goretex that is on show, we won't be the only walkers out today.

Head off up the B4188 and find the first cache of the day as we join the Monarch's way.  Good, if not a little boggy walking, where we make find 2 after waiting for a horse muggle to pass and find 3 after Sonia disappears up to her knees in mud.  She takes this rather well.

Sonia Knows the Way to Fun

Blakedown Swampland

We meet a couple dressed from head to foot in tweed that can only be the Lord and Lady of Blakedown.  Exchange dog related pleasantries and warn them of their impending doom in the mud pit.  They know they path and know exactly where to avoid.

One last cache in a novelty contained and then a DNF, where the clue was a new acronym to be BOMT.  I think I know what it meant but I wasn't prepared to go down the bank to investigate :-)

We turn right to walk around the back of Barnett Hill Garden Centre and climb the hill.  Wonderful path and wonderful views

Towards Barnett Hill

Where we pick up the hoards of other Boxing Day walkers

These paths are all new to me, which is a surprise considering its locality and the amount of walking we do.  Drop down to pick up an unnamed stream and a spooky abandoned mill.  Follow the stream back to Deansford Farm, where I get the last cache of the day.

This is from the Size Matters Series, which I attempted in March 2010.  I couldn't look last time because of muggles.  I can probably claim a prize for the longest elapsed time between initially looking and logging success.

A quick blast up a lane that can only be described as Millionaire's Row by the size of the properties and a bridle path returns us to the car by dissecting the Pools.

The Best Way to Spend Boxing Day.  Now home for Turkey Noodle Soup.

24/12/14 - Gibletless

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine - March 2014
Distance - 5.5 Miles
Geocaches - 3

In a break from tradition, I fetch the Xmas Turkey a day early on the 23rd.  I have now been doing this job that long that Mr Snape, the Butcher, not only doesn't refer to me as "Sonia's Husband" but engages me in some Albion related chat.  I feel positively loved up by the local shopkeeper.

The 24th promises to be a glorious, weather wise.  So I plan a very early walk to celebrate 6 years to the day that I found my first Geocache.  Not saying I'm an addict now, but there has to be a reason for getting dressed in the dark at 6:15am.

Sonia, worrying about the amount of prep work that's required for XMAS day, has beaten me to it and has been slaving away at it since 4am.  The detritus of 100 root vegetables is scattered around the kitchen and the aforementioned bird has pride of pace on the breakfast bar.

I am greeted with a worried "That Turkey you got has no Giblets".

Now, I am no Gordon Ramsey, so I cannot appreciate the severity of this complaint.  I busy myself by seeing if the dog wants to come for a walk.

She doesn't.

So a dark drive to Pershore, parking at the ancient bridge.  Last time I was here was the kick off of the Millennium Way, 18 months ago.

There are two caches to find by torchlight.  It's all very well remembering to bring a headtorch, but I really should have checked the batteries.  A weak glow illuminates my hunt and I retrieve them both more by cacher's instinct than the ability to see.

The walk can start properly now.  Head South West towards Pensham.

First Light on the Way to Pensham

Pensham is a collection of ancient farm houses.  I manage to enter and exit without setting off any farm dogs.  I am all in black with a black hat and would be probably shot as a thief if I was spotted.

The route takes me for around a mile along the River Avon, providing fine walking.  Sheep investigate, expressing an interest in a first light rambler.  As the sun comes up, I get the views over the my favourite place in the Midlands - Bredon Hill.

Plenty of Walking Options Along the Avon

Scatter my ashes on Bredon Hill, Please Sonia

The fields deliver me to the edge of Great Comberton and then into Little Comberton

Sunrise Behind Little Comberton Church

There is one last cache to find, so I deviate from the route slightly to lane walk back into Pershore.  It was worth it for a classic hide.

Arrive back at the bridge at 8:50am, feeling rather pleased at having completed a little micro adventure that started pre-dawn.

Obligatory Shot of Pershore Bridge

Check in for the Boxing Day Blog to find out the impact of going gibletless.

Merry Xmas all.

21/12/14 - Shortest Day, Highest Numbers

Distance - 11.2 Miles
Geocaches - 53 Found - 4 DNF - 1 Guarded by Muggles
Time Caching - 5 Hours 15 Minutes.


It's coming to the end of the year - and a review of 2014 goals is in order. I set off with the target of 1000 caches for the year and with 10 days left, I am on 874. I'm not going to reach my goal - but a round like this could enable me to get my highest ever total for a year. That's some consolation.

Head off in darkness, and park up at the first suggested parking co-ords.  Always nice when the CO details where to park.

Walk down to Allscot Mill, grabbing a bonus one that's not on the trail before getting cache number 1.

Allscot Mill

The swan's keep me company.  Those two on the water, one I am walking behind and 1 that is in the field with the sheep.

With a round of such high numbers, I would bore you to death by talking about them all.  So, I'll mention my first DNF.  At Number 2.  Always nice to get that out the way nice and early so I don't have to worry about getting a clear round.

Whilst I am hunting, I see something I never thought I would see.  The swan in the field has been chased off by two sheep.

The early part of the walk is on the Shropshire Way and is on suitably excellent paths for a county Long Distance Path.  Nice views of the Wrekin and the Briedden Hills are always possible across this flat landscape.

Shropshire Way

Sun Rise over the Wrekin

Work my way on lanes to number 15, where I meet my first muggle of the day.  An old gent points out the Moat and explains that when he was a lad, there were the remains of an old fortified farmhouse in the middle.  He watched as the farmer used the building remains to construct new pig styes.  Not sure the National Trust would allow that now.

By number 26, I am at Rodington, where the batteries on the GPS need to be changed.  The single bell in the Church tower is ringing an underwhelming call to church.  The doors are wide open, but I don't see any punters.  Check out the pub and wish that it wasn't 11am.

Rodington

The Way out of Rodington

Party Time at the Bull's Head

Back on Lanes where I record a couple more DNF on the Road to Isombridge.  I could nip back to the car at this point, but I need the numbers so do the interior loop.  This is where I meet the cache of the round.

Somewhere on the Bulldozer is a cache

I spent the longest time on this - going round it with a fine toothcomb.  Delighted to have found it and more delighted to have put it back before the horse muggles trotted along.  They would have thought I was a bit old to be playing on old farm machinery.

Fail with one more on the round and head back for the last few on the road to Sugdon.

The last of the best caching day in 2014.

It a repeat of the path back to the car.  The swans have gone.  The hard sheep are still there.

Thanks to the nozi parkerz for a great caching day.  The caches are in superb condition - it must take a huge effort to lay and maintain a trail of this size.

Tonight I am going to dream of camouflaged socks.

13/12/14 - Wonderstuff

Distance - 6 Miles
Geocaches - 0 (ironic, as the only other time here was on a massive Cache trail)
Walk Inspiration - Les Lumsdon's Best Shropshire Walks

Walking Inspiration comes from many places. Next Thursday, we are heading off to see the Wonderstuff play in Birmingham, so how about completing a walk from the lead singer's local?  I've read about it in interviews - the Crown Inn in the Wentnor, deep in the Shropshire wilds.

It also ticks Sonia's box of "not going walking in woods, I want a view".  And on a beautiful Winter's day, we are rewarded with plenty.

Having established where to walk, the next question is whether to take the dog.  Distance is doable for an 11 year old Labradoodle.  Stiles are unknown.  According to TripAdvisor - the pub is "dog friendly".

Pooch, you are coming.

Head off for the 1hr drive.  We would have done it in 50 minutes if it wasn't for getting stuck by BT engineers blocking the road to remove a wonky telecom post.  Still, rather entertaining, taking bets on whether they were going to pull down the new telephone line.  Disappointingly, they were experts.

Park at the pub for the 2nd disappointment.

Nice Cask Marque Sign.  Nice Wreath.  No Dogs at the Inn.

Sonia sparks up the iPhone in indignation, but alas, we are far away from 3G in these parts.

Head off down some slippery roads.  The Labradoodle might not get to warm herself by a roaring fire but she does get a new friend to share her woes with.

Honestly, I should report them for Dogism.

Continue on lanes for rather too long.  This leads us through Norbury.  The OS Map indicates that there is a pub here to challenge the Crown but its now a B&B.

Norbury Church.  There is a Light.

After a steep climb up to Norbury Hill, we leave the lanes behind and get some wonderful tracks.  We take in a small part of the Shropshire Way and have stunning views over Long Mynd.  From this angle, we understand the "Long" bit and debate what the "Mynd" bit means.

Not much to say, apart from stunning views.  The only people we see are on some sort of strange Shropshire Safari.  The animals are mainly sheep.  Pictures can do the talking.

Sonia with a Festive Bush

Views like this are what I live for

When will that Doodle learn to Pose?

Shropshire Safari - "When do we get to see the Lions?"

After dropping down off the hill, informing the farmer that one of his sheep is entangled with barbed wire and walking through a caravan park, we arrive at our ultimate destination.

I'm checking out the Pie, even if I have to sit outside

Deboot and Degaiter and head in through the back entrance.  Guess what the first thing I see is.  A Dog.  Its the house dog, asleep in his bed.

Have a chat with the landlord and the "No Dog" sign has been there for years.  They are happy to accommodate weary canine loving hikers.  But, to be fair, she is too dirty to inflict on their carpeted lounge.

So we drink and eat outside.  The car's heated seats prove their worth on the way home.

50 Shades of Three Tuns