27/12/24 - Millers Arms, Pershore

Missing out big time for the sake of a 6X

The last of the Christmas guests needs a lift to a railway station on the day after Boxing Day. You've got to admire the little one's optimism. How to get the most out of a 40 mile round trip? Well there is a railway station (nearly) in Pershore. And there is 50% of the necessary Good Beer Guide Ticks to render Worcestershire green again.

The weather - Pea Souper. The experts, heading for broken spectres, fog bows and a spectacular cloud inversion on the Malvern Hills. The hills that we should have been able to see from our Pershore lowlands.

Third day of fog meeting strong temperature inversion on the Malverns.

A truly memorable spectacle, particularly on the Malvern Hills where you get fantastic 360° views. pic.twitter.com/Rn4Y1ky5DQ

— Dave Throup (@DaveThroup) December 27, 2024

Have I ever cocked up so spectacularly? 

Just to keep the blog positive, the train was on time.

Back to the misery - our walk was a sloppy mud-fest, with zero views until we get inside the Abbey. Mrs M quite quickly asking the questions "Why do we do this exactly?"

Pershore Old Bridge

They tried to take my horse to rehab, it said "Neigh, Neigh, Neigh"

Pershore Abbey deserted, apart from a guide keen to engage. I'm out my depth with ecumenical conversations, but he thrusts a leaflet in my hand. At least I know the back story to the tombs and carved stone roof bosses.

Originally painted colourfully, until those miserable Victorians cleaned them

The Hazelwood Family Tomb

Slightly too early for the midday opening, so time to ponder on when exactly a small Americano in a back street cafe costs £3.15.

The Millers Arms is the latest pub to grace the Good Beer Guide. You cannot accuse CAMRA of not being fair and inclusive. Each year a different pub in town gets the award.

2025 - The Year for the Millers Arms

The outside signage is unpromising. A "No Guinness Available" hand written not on the door recorded for posterity of the great marketing hoax of 2024. The A Frame board more worryingly saying "Bar Closed".

Yet the door is ajar, so we enter to find zero punters and a bar person on their phone. Her ruse for a quiet afternoon thwarted.

A Frame removed and a quick sconce at a tardis like interior that has a lot going for it. Partitioned into cosy little alcoves with the pick of the seats the voluminous red Chesterfields in front of what would have been a roaring real fire. If phone lady had bothered to light it.

Wadworths 6X in fine condition.

Enjoyed in silence, as the first social media posts of what is happening on top of Malvern filter through to Mrs Ms phone. 

My single seater Chesterfield now known as the Dog House

Walk Details

Distance - 5.25 Miles

Geocaches - 0

Walk Inspiration - Adventurous Pub Walks in Worcestershire, Walk 5

22/12/24 - Harvington Hall

Priest Holes and a Perfect Pint

A last minute walk and the Ramblers Web Site used for inspiration. I need a local walk. I need a local walk that I haven't done for a while. I need to be out for a couple of hours.

A 7.5 Miler from Harvington Hall. Last walked in 2016. Will it pass a pub?  Only one way to find out.

First Harvington Hall - a moated manor house, with a little Catholic church attached. Stunning from all angles.

Moated Harvington Hall

Harvington Hall is an Elizabethan manor house located in Worcestershire, known for its remarkable preservation and rich history. Built in the 1580s by Humphrey Pakington, a Catholic during the Protestant Reformation, the hall is a testament to the turbulent religious tensions of the time. The house is particularly famous for its numerous and ingeniously concealed priest holes, secret spaces designed to hide Catholic priests during periods of persecution. These priest holes, some of the best examples in England, were believed to have been designed by Nicholas Owen, a master carpenter who dedicated his life to creating safe havens for priests.

An the historical references don't end there, as I head out on the Monarchs Way to Hillpool. Waterside walking along the Belne Brook, fields and then a woodland section past Mount Segg to Stone. Maybe its the rare blue skies. Maybe its escaping for some peace and quiet before the Christmas madness begins in earnest. Whatever it is, I am in a delightful mood.

Sheep huddling together for warmth like penguins

A weir on Belne Brook

Worcestershire Fields

Harvington Hall is closed for winter, but the adjacent Catholic Church is doors open. Although there is an ominous sign warning an alarm will be triggered if you get to close to the wooden carvings.

Zoom on a Pixel 8

The walk did pass a pub - but a two meals for the price of one but twice the price chain pub (The Dog) wasn't going to cut the mustard.

A short journey to the Plough, Shenstone.

I know that Camra say that a seasoned drinker should only award 5 stars to a beer very occassionally.

So I will allocate a 6 to this perfect Bathams Bitter..... as it always is.

Quiet at 12:30 but soon filled up with haggard last minute Xmas Shoppers.

Walk Details

Distance - 7.5 Miles

Geocaches - 0

Walk Inspiration - The Ramblers Website

17/12/24 - The Old Swan, Minster Lovell

Myths and Ruins

Why walk along the River Windrush, when you can walk in it? The aftermath of Storm Darragh in full evidence on this short walk that packs plenty.

I'm here for two reasons;

Reason 1: A mercy mission to fetch a student in the final throes of his PHD for a permanent(?) return to Worcestershire. I am sure he will find another course to do before long.

Reason 2: Episode 5 of the Loremen Podcast is about the mystery of Minster Lovell. Surprisingly, a part of the Cotswolds previously unvisited. I love a good ruin.

Bonus Adventure Lab Cache at Minster Lovell Hall

The legend that made the Podcast;

Francis Lovell's story is intertwined with the Wars of the Roses, a series of dynastic conflicts in 15th-century England between the Houses of York (white rose) and Lancaster (red rose) vying for the throne. Lovell was a staunch supporter of the Yorkist King Richard III. After Richard's defeat and death at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, the Lancastrian Henry Tudor became King Henry VII. Two years later, Lovell participated in a Yorkist uprising that culminated in the Battle of Stoke Field. Following the Yorkist defeat there, Lovell vanished. Legend has it he returned to his estate, Minster Lovell Hall, and hid in a secret room, relying on a single servant for sustenance. When the servant died unexpectedly, Lovell was trapped and starved to death. Centuries later, during renovations, a vault was supposedly discovered containing a skeleton seated at a table with a dog's skeleton, believed to be the remains of the ill-fated Lord Lovell, forever linked to the turmoil of the Wars of the Roses.

A "doors open" Church requiring investigation.

Baron Lovell Effigy

Onward, for the walk.  An easy out and back along (and in) the River Windrush to Crawley.

River Windrush - not meat to be this wide.

Refreshment at the wonderfully evocative Old Swan. C15th, Grade I listed. I still find it an honour that for a tad over a fiver, I can sit in a Chesterfield armchair with a pint of North Cotswold Windrush Ale, completing their Times Sudoku Super Fiendish for as long as I like. Stone flagged floors and a huge fireplace. Gripes? Would have been nice to have the fire lit.

River lapping at the door

Even the rucksack gets a comfy chair

All set to pack the car to the rafters. What on earth does a student do with a string of industrial grade fairy lights? And when did he take up tennis?

Walk Details 

Distance - 4 Miles

Geocaches - 7 and an ALC

Walk Inspiration - Loremen Podcast and Jarrold Cotswold Walks, Walk 1

Previous Loremen Walks - Churchill, Burford, Long Compton, Swinbrook

16/12/24 - Sandwell Valley Country Park

Psycho-geography through Adventure Lab Caching

Mappiman taxi service in full swing this week. A mother that needs delivering to Digbeth Coach Station for a journey that will a) hopefully reach Plymouth, in the opposite direction and b) arrive by Christmas Day.

Where to walk? A couple of ALCs in Sandwell Valley Country Park and the adjoining Dartmouth Park.

Sandwell Valley Country Park is a 660 acre green space nestled between Birmingham and West Bromwich. It's a haven for nature lovers, offering a variety of activities like cycling, walking, and birdwatching. The park's rich history is intertwined with the ruins of Sandwell Priory, a 12th-century Benedictine monastery. This historic site, once a place of religious devotion, now stands as a reminder of the area's past.

Dartmouth Park, while not directly connected to Sandwell Valley, is another significant green space in the region. It's known for its beautiful gardens, playgrounds, and sports facilities. The park offers a peaceful escape from the bustling city, providing opportunities for relaxation and recreation.

The route between the various stages, rather meandering.

Information

Low Sun over Swan Pool

Remains of Sandwell Priory

Could have been a Desi Pub Lunch. But I have a Turkey Crown to collect. I kid you not, the BBE date is 22/12/24. 

With a price tag that has me agreeing with the Daily Mail article suggesting it is now acceptable to charge your Christmas day guests.

Walk Details

Distance - 5 Miles

Geocaches - 10 ALCs