LEJOG day 22: Worcester to Bewdley
Today Emma and I walked 17 miles under a blanket of grey cloud, but didn't get rained on very much. Unfortunately most of the Severn Way consisted of grassy paths between trees and stinging nettles with occasional glimpses of river and a surprisingly large number of mobile home parks. Not many of these mobile homes looked like they move, ever. Oh, and a business park, that was a highlight.
We had a nice day in Worcester yesterday- warm and dry- but many of the museums and even the in-town National Trust property, Greyfriars, were closed because it was a Sunday. Instead we bought new hiking socks and drank coffee and tea in between a tour of the cathedral and a frustrating run-in with the Commandery.
The Commandery is a museum in a house which has stood by the side of the river in Worcester since mediaeval times. It has had many uses- a mediaeval hospital, and merchant's home, a school for the blind, a print works- but I know basically nothing about most of its history because instead of using information boards, the Museum is entirely audio-guide-based. It takes an hour to go around listening to one "level" (i.e. time period) and there are six levels. So you emerge, angry with the patronising narrator and the tedious "let me help you imagine what it would have been like" nature of the guide, still clueless at least 5/6ths of the history of the place. And because there are no information boards, a lot of the rooms are oddly empty. But the tea and cake in their café was good.
As I said, today's walk wasn't pretty or exciting, unfortunately, but it was lovely to have company- especially on a day with so little to look at!- and although I may have broken Emma and she may never forgive me I'll miss her tomorrow.
The B&B we've arrived in is right by a viaduct carrying the railway along which run steam trains, so we've had a couple of whistles but they stop early so won't keep us awake, unlike yesterday's caffeine-fest which prevented me from sleeping until 1am, a fact of which I was made painfully aware by the church bells chiming the hours.
Distance walked: 16.9 miles
Time taken: 5h16
Percentage complete: 31%
Miles per £1 of boot: 3.4
Lunch: hoi sin duck triple (yessssss) wotsits and a pepperami
Last night's B&B: The Shrubbery, Worcester: very friendly helpful hostess and a good breakfast- both the French toast and the full English- and an excellent shower
Holt castle
The church
Someone's house by the river
We had a nice day in Worcester yesterday- warm and dry- but many of the museums and even the in-town National Trust property, Greyfriars, were closed because it was a Sunday. Instead we bought new hiking socks and drank coffee and tea in between a tour of the cathedral and a frustrating run-in with the Commandery.
The Commandery is a museum in a house which has stood by the side of the river in Worcester since mediaeval times. It has had many uses- a mediaeval hospital, and merchant's home, a school for the blind, a print works- but I know basically nothing about most of its history because instead of using information boards, the Museum is entirely audio-guide-based. It takes an hour to go around listening to one "level" (i.e. time period) and there are six levels. So you emerge, angry with the patronising narrator and the tedious "let me help you imagine what it would have been like" nature of the guide, still clueless at least 5/6ths of the history of the place. And because there are no information boards, a lot of the rooms are oddly empty. But the tea and cake in their café was good.
As I said, today's walk wasn't pretty or exciting, unfortunately, but it was lovely to have company- especially on a day with so little to look at!- and although I may have broken Emma and she may never forgive me I'll miss her tomorrow.
The B&B we've arrived in is right by a viaduct carrying the railway along which run steam trains, so we've had a couple of whistles but they stop early so won't keep us awake, unlike yesterday's caffeine-fest which prevented me from sleeping until 1am, a fact of which I was made painfully aware by the church bells chiming the hours.
Distance walked: 16.9 miles
Time taken: 5h16
Percentage complete: 31%
Miles per £1 of boot: 3.4
Lunch: hoi sin duck triple (yessssss) wotsits and a pepperami
Last night's B&B: The Shrubbery, Worcester: very friendly helpful hostess and a good breakfast- both the French toast and the full English- and an excellent shower
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ReplyDeleteNearly one third of your way acomplished Louise. Well done. Compliments from Whitchurch. We are completely worn out today. Besides we were lucky with the weather. Only drizzling the whole day. Foot hurts. Tomorrow we will hit the Sandstone Trail.
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