Along the Severn Way on the 10.09 to Highley

On a lovely sunny morning, we drove to Bewdley, an ancient port on the banks of the river Severn, where once, wine, lace, tobacco, brandy, port and countless other items were unloaded from ships and barges plying their trade.   We crossed the river to the Severn Valley Railway Station and took the 10.09 to Highley.

 

Bewdley Station.

 

Our train ready to leave Highley station.

We started our walk from the historic Ship Inn, right on the banks of the river, built in 1770 for a local bargeman, it’s a lovely spot and one of the railway staff told us the food is excellent so we’ll get back to try it before long.

Wildflowers were in abundance as we followed the Severn Way along the river. 

Mayflowers

wild garlic

and masses and masses of delicately scented bluebells.

A couple of miles into our walk we came to the picturesque village of Arley, which has a tea room right on the river, DB, his friends & Meg the dog, usually stop here for coffee when they walk this way.   However on a sunny Sunday afternoon it was absolutely packed, so we found a comfy a bench, drank our flask of coffee and ate the snacks we’d brought with us.

This was our view.

Leaving Arley we continued along the river passing under the elegant iron Victoria Bridge, cast and erected by the Coalbrookdale company in 1861.

Further along we came across the remains of an old railway bridge that once served a now defunct branch line.

And just after that we came to what is probably the most quintessential (and probably very well photographed) English cottage you ever saw, isn't it absolutely gorgeous?  

By this time we were almost back in Bewdley, needless to say on such a beautiful afternoon the pubs along the riverfront were packed with people, so we had absolutely no chance of finding a table for lunch.   It’s a good job I took a photograph of the riverfront in the morning otherwise all you’d be able to see is a mass people!

Luckily for us a sign on the car park pointed the way to the 15th century Little Pack Horse Inn, so after we’d changed out of our walking boots we followed the signs and this is where we ended up.

What a find!   It’s a lovely pub, set back from the river in the town, with a small terrace at the back, the beer was from a local brewery which DB said was very good and the food was excellent.   DB had Desperate Dan Cow Pie, which was Herefordshire beef & mushrooms braised in real ale and covered with puff pastry, it even had little pastry horns!   He had a choice of small, medium and large, he chose medium and look at the size of it!!!   I think he wished he’d gone for small!

I had a lovely chunky piece of fresh cod covered in fluffy beer batter, with homemade mushy peas and real chips, scrumptious!

All in all we had a fabulous day.

Have fun, we are!