I should, according to “The Plan” be walking twenty miles over the weekend. However, I am going to the Harry Potter Tour tomorrow so a little re-shuffling is required.
This afternoon, after work, I decided to walk to my favourite watering hole following a route that would give me around ten to eleven miles.
To get out of the urban sprawl, I crossed under the A452 (Collector Road) then over the M6 and M6/M42 link road heading for Water Orton.
I passed the ever-expanding HS2 works on Attleboro Lane and out towards Coleshill, passing a field containing, amongst others, a tiny pony. I would have liked to use the alliterative Dinky Donkey but it wouldn’t be quite true.
Leaving the petite pony behind, I crossed the bust A446 and made my way to the railway station, crossing over the lines and leaving the roads behind to skirt around Hams Hall Distribution Park.
It was starting to get dark, so it was on with the head-torch as I took to footpath around the other side of the distribution park along the River Tame emerging near
the church of John the Baptist in Lea Marston.
By following, the aptly named, Church Lane I came to the village of Lea Marston proper before branching right towards Whitacre Heath.
I was making the route up as I went along to some extent and checking the time, I decided that I could get down to Shustoke then along to Shawbury Lane and arrive at the pub a little before half six when Sue would arrive to drive me home.
On the outskirts of Whitacre Heath, I cut the corner by walking down Cottage Lane.
This little lane is rather pot-marked with speed humps and other impediments to make driving along it difficult. There’s even a warning sign for pedestrians !
Emerging from the lane, I took a right for a mile or so before Watery Lane (not sure where the water is) and the main road to Shustoke.
In the village, I followed a just noticable path across a field to pop out on Hollyland then onto Moat House Lane.
A little way along this lane are the kennels where we board our dogs when we go away and also a very smelly cattle farm from which the lane gets it’s name (not shitty cow poo lane).
The up a slight incline to Shawbury Lane before a final few hundred metres to The Griffin.
As planned, I arrive a while before the other half so went inside, order a couple of pints (water and beer) before managing to grab a table in a rather busy pub.
As Sue arrived, a couple we know at an adjacent (and better) table were preparing to leave and bequeathed their table to us. Another couple that we know came and joined us for an enjoyable evening.
Total walked for the week is now up to a bit over twenty eight miles leaving around eight to do over the weekend.
