07/12/22 - Crown and Trumpet for a Broadway Tower Full Moon Night Walk

Distance - 6 miles

Walk Inspiration - MeetUp Group Walk

I've been lurking in the MeetUp shadows for some time. Being too busy on weekends, is one of the lame excuses I tell myself for having previously not joined in with an organised walk. There is no excuse here, as the suitably named "Hike and Get Merry" group have arranged a mid week ramble. Tentatively, I ask Mrs M if she is interested in walking 6 miles to see a full moon in the middle of winter and I'm most surprised when she bites my hand off.

So we find ourselves nervously sitting in a Broadway short stay car park, looking for evidence of other ramblers. Do you flash your headlights to show arrival?  What sort of people might that attract?

Putting my boots on is enough to flush the others out. In no time, 25 of us are booted and suited in chunky knitwear hats and scarves. Rucksacks full of chocolate and mince pies. Hip flasks full of sherry (Mrs M, at least). We're off and running for the pretty town centre festive lights.

Broadway Pretties

The conditions are perfect. Sub zero temperatures, freezing most of the mud. A completely clear sky. Up the flanks of Fish Hill, with the expected tricky navigation that night walking brings. Through a woodland copse and across the crunchy frost laden grass onto the approaches for Broadway Tower. Other walk members to teach me astronomy. We only said "Betelgeuse" twice, out of fear of what may be summonsed.

Approaching Broadway Tower

Broadway Tower at night

The tower provides an obvious place for a picnic break. Until it got too cold to hang around. The return to town through more woodland and down Cowneygree Lane. Exotic local wildlife startled, statically.

 

They did not bolt

The home straight delivers us to Broadway's finest pub - the Good Beer Guide regular, the Crown and Trumpet.  I use my skills to take over the from the walk leader and am sent as an advance party to see if they are open.

Crown and Trumpet - a Good Beer Guide Regular

Surprisingly, when you hear about all the troubles facing the hospitality industry, it takes all my powers of negotiation to convince them to stay open after 9:30pm. After some cajoling, they agree to serve me one drink. I have to inform them I have friends outside and I wonder how to reply to the query "how many friends". Will saying 25 convince them it's worth their effort in staying open?  I'm unsure, so hedge my bets with a more conservative 10. 

There is another indication of customer service not seen this side of Royston Vassey. How anyone can put a sign on a table that says "For Locals Only" with a straight face must have had a sense of humour by-pass in the early 2000s.

Ultimately, it was worth the sweet talking. A super interior, with low oak beams, a superb fire place and plenty of pubby nick-nack memorabilia.  A fine space to get better acquainted with our new rambling friends and my estimate of 10 post walkers was far more accurate.  Great to meet every one and a special shout out to Steve for organising and Rebecca, who is able to take night photos much better than me. 

Timothy Taylor Landlord and Stowford Press

And a smile from landlady, when I returned our empties. Everyone leaves on good terms.  Especially when they have been brought up to follow the unwritten rules of pubbing.

06/08/18 - Snowshill Geocaching and the Crown and Trumpet, Broadway

Distance - 3 Miles
Geocaches - 11
First Geocache


A 3 mile, 11 cache trail called "Summer Nights", starting in one of the most picturesque villages in the UK?   Don't mind if I do....  Almost seems purpose designed for a warm August monday evening.

I think its good for the soul to have an annual visit to Snowshill.  There's superb walking in the area - the usual classic route taking in Stanton and Stanway.   Today's walk starts from the free car park and completes a small up and down circuit of the valley - leaving you back in the village for post walk refreshments at the Snowshill Arms - provided you are there after 6pm during the midweek.

The caches are gloriously easy - especially when the Dutch muggles at cache 1 have finished taking photos of sheep.   They don't have those in Holland, you know.

Here's the photo story...

Start of the walk on the way down the valley

Snowhill View from the opposite side

King of the Cache Containers

Donnigton Brewery's Snowshill Arms - Not open till 6pm

Vale of Evesham from a Multi Cache GZ

Classic View - Church, Pub, Cottage and Red Phone Box

Shame about the Snowshill Arms - even with the time delay of finding a couple of multi-caches, we still had 15 minutes to wait till it opened.

No hardship - the Good Beer Guide Crown and Trumpet in Broadway is just 10 minutes away.

It's been blogged before but what a classic pub.... timeless beauty.

Proudly in the bible for at least 31 years

Cotswold Elegance

One of 3 LocALEs on - Goff's Cheltenham Gold

Perfect evening - thanks for the caches again, Mike.

05/06/14 - Perfect Evening

Distance - 3.25 Miles
Geocaches - 6

Broadway to Buckland at EveryTrail

I have had my eye on the weather all week.  Looks like a washout for this weekend's London Loop.  Oh well, too late, the rail tickets have been bought.

Saturday might be thunderstorms but Thursday has been showing as glorious.

It can only be time to knock off another of the Top 10 County pubs - this time, the furthest away from us.

Will the 40 minute drive for a pint, a bimble and some caches be worth it?

It could be our day, as we get one of the remaining spaces in the small car park at the front.  That makes us a couple of quid up on the day already.

Head off for familiar paths on the Cotswold Way.  How I love this path.  Obviously haven't been on this section for sometime as there are a number of caches to collect.  Cache 1 evades us on the way out.  To make matters worse, I very nearly fall into the stream, as the bank gives way.  Sonia was poised with camera ready and disappointed in my recovery.

Continue on the Cotswold Way and huff and puff up a small hill to be rewarded with views.

Anywhere finer than the Cotswolds on a nice day?

At least we start to find the caches as we continue on the route.

Following the Cotswold Way

Unusually, I am not following a prepared route.  I just know that I want to follow the caches and circle around to Buckland.  This proved to be a great idea, as I find previously unexplored paths a little of the beaten track.

They may be a little more overgrown than the main Cotswold Way but they did provide some great views.

Horse Reflections

The best of the views were when we turned right to Buckland and had a descent through long grass with superb views over the vale of Evesham.  Buckland Church, hidden in the trees, chimed its bells to announce our arrival.

Photobombed by a happy Labradoodle

Views into the west

We skirt our way around Broadway Coppice and find a cache that has its very own Zip wire.  In the interests of Internet Based amusement, Sonia insists I have a go.  Fortunately for me, I was too generously proportioned to make it go.  Twice she had the potential for Jeremy Beadle style amusement and twice I let her down.

The Coppice is a mudpit, which is a shame as we had kept clean all the way around.  Not long before we are through a field of hard sheep who want to get a closer look at the dog and repeating the short stretch back towards Broadway.

On the Way Back

The dog cleans off in the stream and I have another look for the elusive cache 1 and grab a find.  Great not to leave one on the map unfound.

All that remains is the reason why we are here.

Crown and Trumpet

I have noticed this pub on several previous walks but never made it in.  It looks the perfect English Boozer. Thursday night is live music night and we have Jazz tonight, with a band setting up as we arrive.

Worth staying the night in the village and making a night of it.

They have at least five real ales on.  I have to ask for descriptions and go for the Old Codger.  A fine choice.

Old Codger.  Not Shakie - the Beer

A perfect end to a perfect evening.  Totally worth the effort.

22/5/11 - Christmas in the Cotswolds

Distance - 5 miles
Number of Caches - 7
First Cache
Disgusting thing done by Molly - Eating Sheep poo

Broadway

Drop Ellie off at work.  Two days running, there is little doubt that she will be coming home today having told them where to stuff their cafe.  I needed to go out walking today to road test my new hat.  Original plans were for going over to Long Mynd but wanted to get back for the fascinating conclusion to the premier league, so decided on a more local walk over Broadway.

Go there too early to park at the Tower, but found some on road parking in a layby.  They say you can see 13 counties from here... and the drive up Fish Hill always brings back memories of going to the Reading festival before the M40 was completed.

Broadway Tower

View from the Top

On the way down

Pick up the Cotswold way from the tower back towards Fish Hill and then on new paths for me that drop me down to the town, going under the bypass and then onto the old road.  This has been a fine wooded track gently dropping down.  First potential cache of the day was a nano with a clue at bottom of a tree.  Didn't really help in woodland, so I gave it a wide berth.

Broadway is a tourist trap for Americans that have no concept of the calendar.  Check out who I bumped into....

The retail equivalent of that fella on the walshes who doesnt take down his xmas decorations

Broadway is a fantastic town.  There are some great pubs.  I really, really want Sonia to surprise me and say that she will drive me to a blues night at the Crown and Trumpet.  It sounds exactly like my cup of tea.  I will add it to my bucket list and if she obliges, I'll let her pick one from hers.

Go past the Crown and Trimpet and know that I will have a stiff climb back up to the Tower.  First, I get to play with some puppies.  This isn't on my bucket list.

Cute

And I even get to sneak up on a cow.

I'm not getting up for anyone

For a walk, there has been a high number of caches on the route, which has been a nice bonus.  Soon back on the top of the hill, and I know there is a dog friendly cafe there for a cup of tea and a teacake.

Cheers!

And my new hat was great... didn't blow off in the high winds and I looked rather cool. 

Back home for two and my predications are that Wigan, Blues and Blackpool will all lose and it will depend on who loses the worst!

09/02/19 - Chipping Campden to Broadway

Distance - 9.5 Miles
Geocaches - 9
Good Beer Guide Pub Tick #362 - The Eight Bells, Chipping Campden, Old Hooky
Walk Inspiration - Cicerone Walking in the Costwolds, Walk 1



Here's an absolute belter of a ramble and a great introduction into walking in the Cotswolds.

That said, I never really got on with Chipping Campden, where we start activities.   It's got a lot to offer walkers - free parking along the high street, the start of the Cotswold Way and the classic honey coloured stone buildings wearing their history beautifully.   My problem has always been the quality of the pubs.   For me, they've never quite matched the grandeur of the surrounding.  I needed to look slightly harder than the three along the high street and the Good Beer Guide is pointing me to the town's only recommendation - slightly off piste, along Church Street.

We'll come back to the Eight Bells after the walk.

The Cotswold Way starts at the C17th Market Hall and look closely and you can find a little plague marking the start / end.

Cotswold Way Beginnings and Endings

The Market Hall

I'd recommend that the walk is completed in a clockwise direction - tackling Mile Drive to Broadway first.   This minimises the impact of the two hills that need to be tackled.... Fish Hill to Broadway Tower is definitely steeper than Dover's Hill.

Mile Drive is always a joy to walk - a one mile broad avenue of easy walking.   A new multi cache has been placed since my last visit, so this kept me further entertained.

Mile Drive

Mile drive leads to the picnic area at the top of Fish Hill.   Broadway tower is next up and it doesn't matter how many times I've seen it, it still takes the breath away.  Not just the monument, but the views over 16 counties and 60 odd miles.

The best approach to Broadway Tower is from Fish Hill Picnic Area

The endless views

All downhill into Broadway.  If you're feeling like mid walk refreshment, then the Good Beer Guide recommends the Crown and Trumpet.   Its only been six months since my last visit, so I decided to keep on marching.

It must have been the views.

Views from the Valley Floor

Broadway

More new Geocaches to find on the exit from Broadway, taking great paths through Foxhill Manor to the isolated but utterly delightful Saintbury Church.

Saintbury Church 

The big climb of the day is back to the top of Dover's Hill, stopping for endless photos when a breather is required.

Plenty more of this kind of thing on my memory stick

The top of Dover's Hill - nearly time for the pub.

The Cotswold Way will return you to Chipping Campden and I can tell you all about the Eight Bells.

The 8 Bells

Originally, it was built in the C14th for the stone masons working on the town's church.  It was then used to store the Church's bells.

The current building was developed using the original material in the C17th.

A Classic Example of a Cotswold Pub

Inside, it's all low ceilings (a rather nice warning sign on the front door) and just what's needed after a lengthy walk - good beer, extensive sandwich menu and a roaring fire.   A choice of four ales on, with the Old Hooky being in exceptional condition.

With a Chicken Ciabatta on the way and getting the last table, handily positioned in front of the coal fire, I may well have been the happiest man on the planet at the time of this photo.

Chipping Campden is saved.

Fitting End to a Great Walk

19/08/21 - Donnington Way - Day 4 - Kineton to Chipping Campden

Distance - 16 Miles

Geocaches - 2 and a Lab Cache

Pubs - 4

Previous Days - Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Judging by the amount of photos taken, Day 4 provides the best walking.  Unsurprising, as the villages passed reel off a greatest hits of Cotswold delights... Snowshill, Stanton, Broadway and finishing at one end of the Cotswold Way in Chipping Campden.

Its North from Kineton and the proximity of Ford means that I have to walk past another Donnington Pub - The Plough Inn.  Colin Handy, the guide book writer, waxes lyrical about "vast fireplaces, with hand made hinges" and slightly more bizarrely, asparagus.  

I will be back to check on the veracity of his claim that it is "one of England's Oldest Inns".

The Plough Inn at Ford

Refreshment is not too far onwards - and Snowshill is a quintessential Cotswold Town.  So nice that people in Ferrari's come to visit.  A collection of honey stone cottages around a central church/pub combo.

Snowshill

Snowshill Arms

My visit sums up the Donnington Pub experience in a nutshell.  It's gorgeous inside and out.  Its open at 11am and is starting to get busy.  I cannot help but overhear the bar-staff talk to one another about "keeping an eye on the SBA, we had complaints yesterday".

Just when I was enjoying myself, relaxing on the green leather bench seating.  Half way down my SBA.

.

Alan Winfield (from yesterday's blog) gave it 10/10

A drop down to the Worcestershire Plain is needed.  I know the area well and aware that I'm also going to have climb back up the flanks of Fish Hill.  I can worry about that later.  Another classic Donnington Pub, the Mount, provides a barely justified second refreshment stop.

I've only walked about a mile, downhill.

The Mount Inn

Rather annoyingly, they've kept to their covid policies, possibly trying to get some return on their investment.  You cannot sit inside.  You need to order via a QR Code.

The system is monumentally flawed, when the staff have to lean all over the pensioner punters to show them how to do this.  

The Stroud Cycling Club are also in.  One's not happy with the amount of olives.  His mate is more unhappy as he ordered first on the app and he is the only one without his meal.  Have you ever heard cyclists bicker?  It's not pleasant.

Thought I had said Goodbye to QR Codes

A plethora of choices in Broadway and it was hard to walk on past the Crown and Trumpet - a Good Beer Guide regular and easily the best in town.  I will make it to their Thursday Jazz Nights one day.

Instead, I save myself for my only new Good Beer Guide Tick along the entire route.  The Broadway Hotel sounds exactly what it is.  An expensive, food led tourist hot spot. The Old Hooky was just what my palate demanded.

C16th Hotel, overlooking the village green

Can they have a W please Bob

The penultimate Donnington Pub of the way is at the Willersey, the next village.  Ordinarily, I would have walked past, expecting little entertainment at 3pm on a Thursday afternoon but it was quite amusing seeing how many tradesmen do their admin from a beer garden.

Alas, I could take no more boring brown bitters, so I had a San Miguel.  You cannot hate me more than I hate myself.  Untappd reminded me its owned by Carlsberg.

Tradesmen's Office

Back to the walking - its all uphill to meet the Cotswold Way at Dover's Hill.  Saintbury Church providing a place for a breather.  The views just about making up for the exertion.

Saintbury Church

All of Worcestershire....

... Can be seen from Dover's Hill

Familiar walking into Chipping Campden and I've picked my accommodation well.

The Volunteer Inn is the first pub you meet on arrival.  

And it has an in-house Indian.

View from a Room