Nick Turpin does it by halves!

The May Day Bank Holiday weekend has become firmly established in our highwayman's calendar as the date for the Long Itchington Beer Festival. This year the event is being promoted as a 'half festival', health and safety restrictions meaning that only three out of the usual six pubs could participate. Nonetheless we set out on the Stagecoach once more and prepared for a day plundering pubs, chasing chimneys and ransacking old railway lines...

- Jephson Gardens -

The day is off to a brisk start when we hail ourselves a Chiltern carriage somewhat ahead of schedule, Nick Turpin boarding at Warwick Parkway already armed with some CAMRA bounty for his highwayman apprentice. Our early arrival in Leamington Spa allowed for some green-fingered gallivanting with the floral displays in the Jephson Gardens being very colourful indeed.

- Stockton Locks -

The 64 Stagecoach has become a familiar ride now, settling back for sightings of Radford Semele, Ufton and Southam while the final approach to Long Itchington is punctuated by views of the cement works chimney standing tall on the horizon for miles around. We leave our steed just after the Two Boats pub and make our way by foot along the Grand Union Canal, determined to levy what we could from the Stockton Locks. 

- Top Lock -

The flight was busy with several boats in attendance and small armies of cabin crew doing the manual work of opening and closing the successive lock gates. Making good time, we soon reach Stockton Top Lock (No. 4) where a service hut provides a handy photo opportunity. Just around the corner, Stockton Top Marina is home to moorings and hire boat companies - Nick Turpin seems particularly taken with a barge named Sally Slapcabbage, one of the best boat titles we've ever come across.

- The Boat Inn, Birdingbury Wharf -

Our canal walk concludes at Birdingbury Wharf where the Boat Inn is perfectly placed for a breakfast bite. The pub has something of a delicatessen on the go in its foyer entrance, while above the bar is an excellent mural depicting the route of the Grand Union between Birmingham and Braunston. The menu is imaginatively waterways-themed and the 'Narrow Boat' sounded just about right for hungry highwaymen in need of sustenance (there was a 'Long Boat' option for those with added appetites). 

- Nick Turpin Navigates -

A hearty breakfast later and we were primed for the return ramble to Long Itchington. Nick Turpin was on navigation duties, coming armed with an Ordnance Survey map so as to pinpoint the railway remains we were very keen to explore. The London & North Western Railway between Leamington and Weedon came through the area, serving the cement works and having a Southam & Long Itchington station (this closed to passengers in 1958 and to goods in 1965). Although disused for many years, sections of the line can be traced as a public footpath albeit our initial investigations involve a bridleway back to Stockton Locks.

- One for the chimney collection -

We pick up the trail proper on Stockton Road just after the Blue Lias, scrambling down into the cutting and ultimately continuing through to Stonebridge Lane. The walk is certainly interesting if rather muddy in places; we pass some gates into the old cement works, seeing Nick's favourite chimney up close and then enjoying various subsequent views of it as it recedes on the skyline once more. Wormhole tunnels accompany texted football updates as our Heath Town correspondent keeps me up to date with the news from Molineux.

- Earlsdon Morris -

Time then for the beer festival itself, with Church Road bringing us neatly to the Green Man just in time to see St George being resuscitated by the kiss of a virgin. Some Great Oakley Wagtail here is swiftly followed by the Dark Star Porter (from the newly formed Stratford upon Avon Brewery) courtesy of the Harvester. The third participating pub in the truncated festival this year is the Buck & Bell - we don't actually have a drink here as the place was full to bursting already, but we can enjoy the dancing outside as expertly performed by the Earlsdon Morris from Coventry complete with sashes, knee breeches and garlanded bowler hats.

- Southam Church -

Our final Long Itchington tipple this year comes instead at the Two Boats, not officially participating but still very popular. Wood Farm's Scrum trades with Wells' New World DNA before our return 64 Stagecoach is summoned. Nick Turpin is positively partial to some further pub pilfering, hence some Southam sightseeing with St James' Church being a fine landmark even with chip shop fragrances wafting across the churchyard.

- Holy Well -

Being a Warwickshire highwayman of considerable repute, Nick Turpin has accumulated much local knowledge and deems a visit to Southam's Holy Well is very much in order. The well is an ancient water course recognised in Saxon times if not even earlier; we admire the gargoyle faces from which the spring currently pours forth, the wider well site guarded by wooden stakes. The water historically was said to provide treatment for some eye conditions although we don't put it to the test today, preferring instead to sample some Kingmaker in the rustically-painted surroundings of the Market Tavern. 

- Millwright Moments -

We avail ourselves of the 65 Stagecoach for an alternative route back to Leamington, Deppers Bridge and Bishops Itchington featuring before we negotiate Harbury and recall festival frolicking memories from last August. At Leamington Parish Church there is an instant interchange onto the X17, meaning Warwick now loomed large in our quest for ale adventure. The Millwright Arms dutifully delivers some Tribute and Town Crier, while the evening ends at the Wild Boar over some Shardlow Dark Extra.
Once again it had been an exhilarating and eventful day exploring Warwickshire, so its cheers to Nick Turpin and to Long Itchington!