Everdon, Fawsley, Badby, Newnham & Little Everdon Circular Walk

It's a beautiful sunny Good Friday morning and we are at Everdon. No better place to be in the county on this fine run up to Easter. We have a lovely circular route planned to Fawsley, then to Preston Capes and coming back via Snorscombe Mill. Then enjoying a pint or two in the pub garden back at 'The Plough' in Everdon. 

That was the plan at least. Sometimes things don't always go to plan though.  ... Parking up close to the pub, the first thing I noticed was a large for sale sign on the pub. 

I asked a local gentleman if the pub was still open, more in hope than expectation. 'Been closed for two years or more' he replied. Thankfully he was a member of a local rambling  club and  was able to suggest an alternative route. One that would indeed take in a pub! Happy days indeed. 

  

The part of the walk to Everdon we have done a couple of times before. This is the link to one of them if you are interested?

http://peterja-storytellersnight.blogspot.com/2021/05/everdon-fawsley-and-preston-capes.html

One tree in particular looks spectacular on the hill against the bright blue sky. The Spring lambs are growing fast and look healthy. They are obviously used to walkers and are quite curious under the ever watchful eye of Mother

It has really got quite warm and we start the picnic early on arrival at Fawsley.

 It is a steep climb out of Fawsley as we head in the direction of Badby Woods.

Some great views though looking back and as far as Preston Capes in the distance.

We are walking the Knightley Way, which starts in the village of Badby. A beautiful 12 mile walk across fantastic countryside that ends in Greens Norton.I've covered most of it in different walks at various times and must get round to completing soon.

We have now arrived at Badby Woods.

 

A 47.2 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. An ancient semi-natural woodland on acidic soils, and it has been forested for over 700 years. I remember walking here once before and getting a bit lost. So today we will be sticking to the perimeter route avoiding the many trails and paths that branch deeper into the woods. 

The woods are located just to the south of the village of Badby and are famous for carpets of bluebells in the spring months. As you can see the Bluebells are just starting to come into bloom.

We leave the path and come out opposite the church in Badby. We are looking for the Nene Way footpath. After one false start we are on our way again. There is a bit of a clue as we are following the river..... This is actually the starting point for the Nene Way, which finally winds it's way to deepest Lincolnshire.

It is a really lovely stretch of the walk that will take us into the village of Newnham. Where of course I am promised there is a Public House on the Green. There is just time to have my photograph taken on a footbridge, always a pleasure. 

The pub was something of a disappointment, the beer was fine as was the setting. The attitude of the man behind the bar was a not so good, miserable you might say. Hi mood didn't improve when his dog followed me out onto the Green. The aforementioned hound, made a bolt for freedom as I delicately balanced 2 drinks, whilst trying to unlatch a heavy wooden door. The surly individual then made a fuss that someone had let the dog out ....

Perhaps not surprisingly we didn't stop for another. Although the company outside was good with fellow walkers. They were of the same opinion about the attitude of 'mine host'.

We pick up the Nene Way again which goes right through the Churchyard at St Michael and All Angels. We then cross numerous fields and stiles in wide open spaces and hardly anyone else about. We are heading in the direction of Little Everdon. 

 

 

From Little Everdon it is just a short walk back to the Church in Everdon where we started out from.

 

A cracking walk, not quite what we had planned for but always good to go somewhere new. 

In total a length of 7 length of 7.5 miles. 

Heart of England Way (2) Longborough, Stow On The Wold and Donnington (Plus add on).

 

The second leg of the 'Heart of England' Walk is starting in the Cotswold village of 'Longsborough'. In September 2001, Longborough was the winner of the Bledisloe Cup competition for best kept village. It looks pretty good today too.

Taking a bit of a gamble with the weather and a risky three layer approach.If the last couple of days are anything to go by it is going to be a very mixed bag of weather. At least we are starting out in sunshine as we set off in an anti-clockwise direction. I take advantage of one of several 'wells' we will encounter on the walk today. 

The picture on the left might look as though I'm being violently ill. However I am merely sampling the fine Cotswold hills natural spring water. It is only afterwards that I notice the sign that says 'unsuitable for drinking.....As I'm writing this several days later I can safely report that there have been no ill effects. At least none that I am aware of? We very quickly pick up 'The Monarch's Way' path.

'The Monarch's Way' is a 625-mile (1,006 km)long distance footpath hat approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester. It runs from Worcester via Bristol, and Yeovil to Shoreham, West Sussex. 

The logo is a drawing of the ship 'Surprise 'above a Prince of Wales three-point feathered crown on a silhouette of the Royal Oak Tree. The route was established in 1994. 

Rolling Hills

Set amongst the idyllic countryside is the Donnington Brewery. Richard Arkell began brewing on the site of a 13th century watermill in 1865. Today, the mill wheel is still used to drive pumps and machinery to brew the beer the same way 150 years on.The honey-coloured buildings sit quietly in the valley next to the mill pond, with its black swans, the logo of the brewery. Sadly the brewer is not open at weekends....

We re-trace some of the route that we finished with last time just as darkness was setting in.The uphill climb will take us back to 'Stow on The Wold'. The other other side of the wall lies the The Grade II-listed Abbotswood country estate. 24 times bigger than an average house, boasts 10 bedrooms and six bathrooms, while there are 13 “out” buildings in the grounds.In 2015 it was the most expensive country house for sale in the UK.It was thought that the Beckham's were very interested in purchasing. I am just happy to enjoy the views for now , albeit ' over the wall. 

 

 

 

 

Oh dear, just as we reach 'Stow on the Wold' the wind gets up and we get our first snow shower of the day. 
 

It's hard to believe that it was almost twenty degrees last weekend. We are now walking down 'Well Lane' no prizes for guessing how the name came about.Stow was, until recent times, supplied with water from springs below the town. For centuries, women and children had carried water with yoke and bucket from the spring on Well Lane. Water carts plied between Well Lane and the town where the water was sold to the townsfolk at the price of a farthing a bucket. Several systems had been tried to force water up the hill including windmills, horse-mills and water wheels but all had failed. In 1871, Joseph Chamberlayne-Chamberlayne, lord of the manor, donated £2000 to the town for a deep well to be bored and this was a success. Mains water was laid on in 1937. 

As quick as it started the snow has stopped and the sun is back out again. This is going to be a familiar pattern today. We follow the 'Monarch's Way' to the village of Broadwell. The parish church of St Paul was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. Throughout the middle ages the manor, or estate of Broadwell belonged to the Benedictine Monks of Evesham who were responsible for appointing the rector. There seems to have been a here before the Norman Conquest. As early as 1086 the Domesday Book records a priest as an inhabitant. Nothing is known about the Saxon Church, or exactly when the Norman Church was built. 

It's a lovely little village with around 500 inhabitants.The churchyard is looking very pretty with the Spring flowers in bloom.

Between Broadwell and Donnington lies some really stunning scenery. Large wide open spaces and total peace. Or at least that is until a strange looking aircraft comes overhead.

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing and short takeoff and landing capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. They don't come cheap either! an average cost of $110 million per aircraft, including development costs...

From Donnington we make our way back towards our starting point at 'Longsborough'. We now have a choice. Call it a day and go to the pub, very tempting. Or do an extended loop along the Monarch's Way? As it was such a decent day for once we decided to forego the pub. It was worth it too with more great views. Thinking about it we have actually done quite a lot of the Monarch's Way, more than the Heart of England Way I expect. As always a really enjoyable walk and a total of 11.65 miles in distance.

 

Magnum - The Junction Cambridge

Almost to the day, and two years late, it is Magnum time again. The 'Monster Roars' tour is now also the 50th Anniversary tour. It is a very different looking band now of course. One thing for certain though is that with Tony Clarkin and Bob Catley at the helm great musicians will be recruited.   

American Dennis Ward will be making his debut on Bass. Both Lee Morris (Drums) and Rick Benton (Keyboards) have quickly established themselves as part of the Magnum fold.  

A quick visit to the local Wetherspoons in Cambridge 'The Regal' a beautiful old cinema building built in 1937. Then we are off in search of 'The Junction'. Opened to the south of the railway station and on the site of the city's former Cattle Market in 1990.One or two familiar faces are already milling around at the front of the queue. The doors are opening at seven and the queue is growing rapidly. We have two support bands as well to look forward to.  Once inside we easily get down to the barriers, left of stage.

I hadn't really heard of Theia previously.Originating from Burton on Trent, they are brothers Kyle and Ash Lamley. Apparently they also had a Bass player at one time.Somewhere along the line he seems to have gone missing.

It doesn't stop them putting in a powerful and impressive set. Singer/guitarist 'Kyle' is a larger than life character. A great speaker too, really clear and seems a really likeable fella. Didn't resort to all the 'effin' and 'jeffin' you sometimes get and puts me right off. Am I starting to sound old?  Anyway I thought they were great and the highlight being their version of 'Eyes like Fire' A song penned by Tony Clarkin of Magnum. Tony was so impressed when Theia supported them in 2019 he gave them the song. I believe it is the first time that this has ever happened and speaks volumes for the esteem he has for them. 

Nick Workman

 

Next up we have 'Vega' who I'm pretty sure I haven't seen before? Somebody did actually comment that I bore more than a passing resemblance to their Lead Singer 'Nick Workman'. I suspect the resemblance is probably closer to Bob Catley of Magnum though who is some years older!

Vega were very impressive, formed in 1990 they have been around a while,and have currently released seven albums. They put in a really impressive and energetic performance.I would say that they are destined for bigger things based on tonight. Clearly a Def Leppard influence with both the singer and the  Lead guitarist 'Marcus Thurston'(Left). This was further evidenced in the closing song of their set, a rousing rendition of 'Animal' by Def Leppard.

 

We've been spoiled at the last few concerts (Steve Hackett, Marillion and Fairport Convention) with comfortable seating. I had forgotten what it was like to stand in the sticky 'syrup' at the front by the barriers. This is what it is all about for me, and I can't wait for Magnum.  

The stage is cleared and suddenly looks a lot bigger! The intro music starts up and the hairs on the back of my neck start to rise. It's emotional, this is a love affair that started in 1985 with 'Just like an Arrow' 12" version bought in error. One of the best mistakes of my life. The album 'On a Storytellers Night' quickly followed, and I have never looked back.   

It's going to be great, I know it. But what if Bob's voice has deteriorated? What if the new band members don't gel, It's been a big hiatus for a band that is often on the road. 

But this is Magnum, and they never fail to deliver.The crowd has swelled, the atmosphere is buzzing. Everything is set and we are about to find out. 

The band launch straight into 'Days of No Trust' the perfect opening track. Very fitting for all the crazy things that are going on in the world currently. Not to mention the previous couple of years! The band sound great as they move into 'Lost on The Road to Eternity' which sounds equally as epic. The keyboards from Rick Benton really standing out. Both Rick and Lee are both hidden at the back of the stage so don't feature in many photos unfortunately. Dennis on the other hand was right in front of us, so gets the lions share on this occasion.   

The title track from the latest, and 22nd studio album 'The Monster Roars' is next and Bob sounds almost as good as ever. I'm not sure how it works? Maybe the break has allowed the voice to rest, or perhaps it needs regular workouts like an athlete? 

In between 2 tracks from 'The Serpent Rings' album we have the very heavy 'Dance of the Black Tattoo'. Not one of my favourite tracks but really showcases the talent of Lee Morris on the drums.

'Dennis Ward' is a solid replacement for the charismatic 'Al Barrow' on Bass. His backing vocals are a great boost to support Bob. It's great to hear 'The Flood' from the Sleepwalking album given an airing. 

One of my favourite tracks 'Wild Swan' kicks off an all start cast of songs, lifting the crowd to another level. This is followed by the ever loved 'Les Morts Dansant'. My wife was thrilled that her favourite 'Rockin' Chair' was played. The best she has ever seen them do it! Her words not mine. I suppose if I had to opt for one song,(and there are many) I would opt for Vigilante as my number one choice. Closely followed by 'Kingdom of Madness' and ' On a Storytellers Night'. It was pretty cool then that these two songs followed on! It almost feels as though Bob is talking personally to me. Even Mrs A says that he keeps looking at you ... Maybe he thinks I'm the singer from Vega. He wouldn't be the first!

The songs are so easy to sing along to, and the crowd is in equally good form. Bob introduces the band, 'and I'm Robert Adrian Catley, not many people know that'. In true Michael Caine style it has to be said. 

It feels like the band have really made a statement tonight that firmly says 'We're back' and doing what we do best. There is still time for a cracking rendition of 'Sacred Hour.' The night finishes with an 'a cappella' working of 'Days of No Trust' which the audience waste no time in joining in with. It is powerful and emotional.

It has been a special night and any worries were instantly blown away. Sure there was the odd minor continuity blip and Mr C temporarily forgot which album 'The Flood' was on, but it mattered not. This was live music at it's finest from a band that has been a constant companion in my life. 

The Magnum fans are loyal and friendly. It was a real pleasure to meet meet up with friends old and new. A special word for 'The Chompies' who 'keep the nightlight' burning strong. 

 

Set List 

Days of No Trust

Lost on the Road to Eternity

The Monster Roars

The Archway Of Tears

Dance of the Black Tattoo

Where are you Eden

The Flood

The Day after the Night before

Wild Swan

Les Morts Dansant

Rockin' Chair

All England's Eyes 

Vigilante

Kingdom Of Madness

On a Storytellers Night

Sacred Hour