Shakespeare's Avon Way: Stratford-Upon-Avon to Worcester; 10th April 2014

Well, what can I say about today? Left early after a delicious breakfast - poached eggs were gorgeous - and explored Stratford by the river Avon for a while, taking in the place where Shakespeare is buried, Holy Trinity Church. At this point, my camera gave up the ghost for the day! So forgive me for the lack of any pictures, as I had to preserve the power on my phone! 

Holy Trinity Church, Stratford upon Avon

Shakespeare's house at the back

Head on down out of Stratford on the Shakespeare's Avon Way, another way marked path. It's a lovely day for a walk and we pass by the racecourse, by fields of golden rape and green shoots of wheat coming through, following the Avon down to Luddington Lock. The route is very muddy underfoot and treacherous in places, although there is some decent pathways too. Motor on through Welford-on-Avon, a picturesque village with a HUGE maypole! 

As this is the third marathon day in a row, I have to keep moving onwards all the time again, and I plod on pass locks, through a small hamlet, Barton, before reaching Bidford-on-Avon. Walk through this village and onto some grassy track with some lovely views, a nice church out at Cleeve Prior, before meandering around to Evesham. I took a short break here to get some replacement trousers and have some lunch at the local Wetherspoons. (I seem to have ticked off a lot of Wetherspoons during this trip!)

Whalebone Arch, Evesham

The bridge at Evesham

Evesham is quite a nice little town in some places! A lovely abbey and bell tower are places to visit. Once freshened up, as always its ever onwards! 

Cross back over the bridge and through the park with its whalebone arch and pass the ferry towards the village of Charlton. Over the Jubilee Bridge and I can see I've joined another Way marked trail, the Wychavon trail, and we follow this all the way to Pershore, passing some stinky waterworks, Wyre Piddle and the Wyre Mill.

Pershore is a pleasant town with a fascinating abbey and a few intriguing Georgian buildings.

fields and path

footprints in the mud! 

Pershore Old Bridge

Now we're going off the Ways as we need to get to Worcester and the Severn Way. The only option to get there directly is to follow the busy B4085. I comment on Facebook and Twitter about my worries of going over the M5 with a busy junction and the route into Worcester during a busy time of the day. Well, after all the predictions of doom and gloom, it turned out not to be as bad as thought! 

There were some very overgrown parts which made it difficult to walk on the verges at some sections and the route over the M5 was a little hairy but with it being rush hour, once past Willingdon, pathway all the way into the city, inhaling all the fumes from the nearly stationary cars! 

8 miles to Worcester on this...

But I got there...

Have to say though, I rather thought Worcester would be more genteel, what with having a large cathedral and a cricket ground! But I got rudely accosted by some oik who wanted £2, and not having any cash on me, told him where to go! I always worry when I have a large pack on my back as it would be difficult to run away... 

(On a footnote to this chapter, I couldn't recommend the Severn View Hotel at all. Cold, draughty, poor shower and a carpet that has definitely seen better days...)