Amazingly this would be our first 'Heart of England' walk of the year. December 2022 was the last time we ventured out this way. Starting point today is the finishing point from last time 'Mickleton'. I might have mentioned last time that the village of Mickleton is the northernmost settlement in Gloucestershire. We are now in the Northerly part of the Cotswolds.
Bright skies and sunshine make for a perfect Autumn day.Hardly need a coat today and I'm looking forward to some cracking Autumn colour. We set off n the direction of the imposing 'Meon Hill'. Meon Hill is said to have inspired Tolkien's 'Weathertop' from 'Lord of the Rings'. According to legend, Meon Hill was formed by the Devil. He intended to throw a clod of earth at Evesham Abbey and missed, thus forming the hill we see today. It is also the scene of the so called 'witchcraft' murder of 'Charles Walton' in 1945. The case is currently the oldest unsolved murder in the Warwickshire Constabulary records.
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| Meon Hill |
The chief suspect for the murder was the manager of The Firs, Alfred
John Potter, for whom Walton was working on the day he died. However,
there was insufficient evidence to convict Potter. Local folklore held that phantom black dogs roamed the area and were a harbinger of death. It was claimed that, soon after Walton's murder, a black dog was found hanging from a tree close to the murder scene. I shall keep my eyes peeled for any such strange goings on today. Of more concern at the moment though is the amount of standing water on the ground . It is a real quagmire and walking is quite difficult and hard work.
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As we approach Lower Clopton Farm there is a lot of activity. Through my binoculars I can see that there are Turkeys in the field. There is also a field still full of Pumpkins that have survived the Halloween frenzy. I fear the Turkeys will not be quite so fortunate. You can also pick your own strawberries, raspberries and cherries during the Summer months.
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| Very Friendly Turkeys |
We pass through the very pretty village of Upper Quinton. We quickly move into Lower Quinton as the Hear of England Way joins the Monarch's Way. We are in very open countryside now and the sun continues to shine down on us. We cross the busy Stratford Road where a poor Old Roe Deer is dead on the path. Looks like a few birds and other creatures have had a bit of a meal off of it too. Such a shame as a beautiful creature. Lots of assorted Funghi in the fields to , some good eating mushrooms to be found as well.
Our next port of call is Long Marston, we are about 5 miles southwest of Stratford Upon Avon. Long Marston is known as one of the 'Shakespeare villages'. He is said to have joined a drinking group and whose sole intention was to out drink a similar group at Bidford on Avon. It was also the home of Long Marston Airfield built in 1940 and decommissioned in 1958. It is now the home of the infamous 'Bulldog Bash' motorcycle festival.
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We walk along the edge of the cycle track , once part of the railway line. I always like to see the Autumn carpet of leaves. As we get out into the countryside it gets very boggy underfoot once again. The light is absolutely fantastic though, especially as it shines down on the golden Oak trees. Eventually out luck runs out ... The recent heavy rains have created a marsh area that is impassable without soaking our feet. It takes a bit of thinking about. We find an old abandoned iron gate that we reconvene into a makeshift bridge. With a bit of care and attention we navigate the watery depths and achieve safe passage.
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No sooner are we over the makeshift bridge than there is a very nice footbridge. Looks fairly new too, pity it wasn't a bit earlier. My nerves were tested even more as went progressed. Not one but two fields of horses. The second lot were particularly inquisitive. They did get spooked at one stage and got a bit frisky. I couldn't run anyway as I was bogged down in the mud. Moving away from the horses the next field was full of Sheep. As well as the Sheep there was a very protective Ram. Who took it upon himself to see us off 'his manor' so to speak.
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It has been a really good walk, helped by the weather. A bit different in that there were no buildings or points of interest as such.The light is just starting to fade as we cross another stile and head back towards our starting point at Mickleton. Throughout the walk 'Meon Hill has loomed ominously as a backdrop. We cross one more stile across the railway line and then we are almost back. The total distance walked today was 10.43 miles
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