Sue and I had decided to go to The Griffin for lunch (instead of the more usual late afternoon / evening session). I needed to get a walk in so we agreed that I would walk there and we’d meet up around half one (they stop serving food at two).
I had to drop a package off at the Post Office so that I wouldn’t be back-tracking, I decided to go via the footpaths near to Coleshill Manor.
Approaching the Manor (once home to the Lunatic Asylum – that’s what it was called) the footpath was rather overgrown so I had to divert through the nearby field before negotiating a ford resulting in a wet left foot.
A the main road into the site, the original footpath had long since been swallowed up by HS2 and the alternative road similarly assimilated meaning that I had an extra quarter mile or so to walk before getting to the Birmingham Road which passed under a few bridges which would, eventually, carry HS2 trains.
At Coleshill, I passed the church and headed along a footpath towards the river and the path to Maxstoke. I had heard tell that this path, where it crossed the river by a small footbridge, was closed but that was ages ago so, surely, it would now be open?
No such luck. There was a substantial barrier which looked fairly easy to climb around until I spotted the anti-climb paint. Damn.
I had to backtrack to the church before taking a downhill path to the main road which I followed until I reached another bridge. Luckily, this one was open although it is frequently, partly, closed to allow for repairs after someone has hit it. At least it keeps the local stone mason in a job.
A well hidden public footpath leads from the other side of the bridge running along a private track for a few metres before branching off. As I passed through the gate at the start of the drive, an alarm sounded and I noticed a CCTV camera atop a post. I waved.
The footpath winds around a bit before emerging into the corner of a large field. The path cuts across this field but, as usual, no path is evident so I had to rely on the OS map and strike out.
At the opposite corner, the path runs along a hedge, past a couple of cottages, coming out on Maxstoke Lane opposite the interestingly named Hollyland.
Presumably, Gary lives in one of the cottages as he has his own bus shelter.
The final bit of the walk was along the outskirts of Shustoke and through a wood before re-emerging on the road that I left back at the bridge.
A short walk up a newly ploughed field and I was in the corner of the Griffin’s car park just as Sue phoned me to check on my progress.
We had a very nice lunch which I accompanied with a few excellent pints. Sue was driving (her choice) but luckily, we’d had the foresight to bring a jug so Sue took home a couple of pints of Thistly Cross cider for consumption later.
Whilst at the bar, Sue also spotted the Lemon Haze. I suggested that if she’d drink the Thistly Cross that night, we could refill with The Broadoak the following day during the Griffin Cycling Club meet.
“I won’t drink two pints tonight!” she exclaimed.
She did.
