Cock Bevington

Christine had the idea that David Jonathan would have taken the short cut from Goom’s Hill (SP 022546) to the Avon via Cock Bevington (045526) past Morton Hill Farm.  So off we went to walk it.

We had been under the (mistaken) impression that the “Cock” was an old (Drovers’, obviously) inn.  Naah, not at all.  It’s Cock as in cock of the roost, top of the hill, and all that remains of it is a farm and a couple of cottages (#1).

We started near Goom’s (= man in Old German, (disappointingly) Hill, and the walk was disappointing too.  The hedge was single all the way, the farmer was chary of horses going into his carefully sown fields – hence the tape – and the ground was so squelchy that we frequently sank up to the ankles.  Walk follows in #2-4. 

(We discovered the saltway coming south from Droitwich to Evesham; it crossed our path at C.B.  I took a photo of it on its way to Wood Bev., and we walked it a few days later.  I'm afraid the rest isn't nearly as tempting as this bit (#5).  Another disappointment.

But we made up for the lack of excitement brilliantly by getting lost in Slade Wood on the way back.  Why the Slade Wood route, which was way off-piste?  Because Chris had the idea that it would make the day more interesting...

Well, she was right, it did; because we veered off the drovers’ track at 033532, took a right, eventually entered Slade Wood despite much incorrect to-ing and fro-ing, slipped & fell, got lost and went for help.  The couple at Morton Wood (Farm no longer) gave us a cuppa and said they could often actually hear the water flowing downhill underground from the hill above!  The farm had never flooded, we were glad to hear.

Another good thing: the folk of Abbots Morton & Goom’s H. were having a coffee morning when we arrived to park at A.M. before the walk, and what a smashing crowd they were.  Now that’s a village I wouldn’t mind living in at all.  Apparently, it was where the Abbots of Evesham went to have R & R.

Rest & recuperation from what, exactly?