Planes, trains and automobiles

Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 May – Henley-in-Arden to Meriden – Days 28 & 29

After eight days walking, since Bath, we were definitely ready for another rest day.  There is an almost guilty pleasure in arriving at your destination and knowing that you can stay there for two nights rather than the usual one.

Having dawdled over breakfast and then skyped family, we decided to take up our hostess’ suggestion of catching the mid morning bus into Stratford-on-Avon.  Another sunny day, it was a great day for ambling around the city taking in the history, pausing at the canal to watch a boat passing through the lock.  We spent a decent length of time in “Tudor World” – a fascinating insight in to the life and times of the Tudors, including many interesting facts about Stratford too. Being the birthplace of Shakespeare, there is a thriving tourism industry!

Back into the real work today, we powered through the 27km, arriving in Meriden early enough to enjoy some quiet time reading in the sunshine of the late afternoon.  Rejoining the Heart of England Way, our route today took us initially up behind Henley-in-Arden and across pastures and crop fields before we joined the towpath of the Stratford Canal.  You will no doubt remember that we love canal walking, so we were happy campers.

Today we were again aware of the changing nature of transport in Britain over the past two centuries. At one point we had the canal, the railway line and then a motorway within 200m – and going under the flight path to Birmingham airport. Definitely ‘planes, trains and automobiles’ – plus walking for us, the oldest form of transport of them all!

At the Kingswood Junction we switched across to the Grand Union Canal and continued on up to Heronfield where we (by accident, honest!) found a canal side pub serving coffee and cold drinks.  Being about midday we felt compelled to partake, as you do.  From here on it was a mix of the Heart of England Way, Millenium Way and Coventry Way to take us into Meriden.  After a cloudy start, the sun broke through making yet another very pleasant day’s walking.

We have to say that at approximately one third of our way through our Grand Adventure it seems to be going very well.  A lady we were chatting to recently asked if our trip was living up to expectations – and we had to say that in fact it had surpassed them so far.  We are coping with the walking probably better than anticipated – physically, apart form the odd niggle and errant blister we are doing well.  So far we’ve covered 640km.

The weather has been spectacular so far – aside from a couple of rainy starts in the first week it has been sun, sun, sun, and in the last two weeks it’s also been pleasantly warm. And the British countryside has really excelled – with spring arriving a little late this year we have been able to enjoy the full impact of the glorious displays of bluebells and wild flowers, flowering hawthorn and chestnut, as well as all the cultivated garden trees and flowers. Our accommodation – largely booked online – has been fabulous.  The past poor reputation of British cuisine has been well and truly put to bed by any number of delicious meals, and the pubs have been just as Peter wanted!  Yes, overall we consider ourselves to be very lucky – and even if the wheels fall off now we have had four fabulous weeks already.

Distance:  27km, Total so far: 646km