A quiet location and a firm mattress delivered a good night’s sleep, we can cope with mediocre food but sleep is essential. Last night’s dinner at the Pear Tree was pretty poor and the breakfast no better. No muesli, no fresh fruit and small portions, and you had to help yourself to coffee on the bar from a conference style container.
We followed NCN45 through Droitwich but the main roads were quiet early on Sunday and would have been quicker than the convoluted route. A tour of the industrial estate at Hartlebury was followed by a short run along the canal at Stourport and on to Bewdley where we heard a steam whistle on the Severn Valley Railway but the schedule didn’t allow time to investigate. We paused for ice cream then endured an uncomfortable few miles on a hilly B road with impatient motorists and numerous potholes.
We stopped for our picnic at Stottesdon, wraps and falafels from the Tesco Metro in Bewdley. Four cats prowled, a ginger, a tortoiseshell, a black and a grey, all ignoring each other. An old man waited at the bus stop for the 12:32 and wandered off disconsolately at 12:45 when it failed to show up.
The rest of the route was very hilly so we were pleased to arrive at the Mytton and Mermaid at 17:00. It was a lively scene with a wedding party in the courtyard. In contrast with the Pear Tree, dinner was excellent. In the evening we looked at the nearby St Eata’s Church, the only one dedicated to the saint. Eata (died 26 October 686) was bishop of Hexham and then Lindisfarne, strange to see him honoured so far from his domain.
Today’s distance: 50.9 miles (81.9 km)
Today’s ascent: 1054 metres
Cumulative: 403.7 miles (649.9 km), 8083 metres