Getting Wonderfully Lost in the Summertime

Date: 30 June 2012 20:56:40

Today we went for a walk - intending to end our wander in Stony Stratford. That would have been great if we had not ended up taking a wrong turning near the Safety Centre. Turns out to be one of the most beneficial wrong turnings of my life.

TOH took a few photos which he has said I can upload:

[caption id="attachment_5622" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sikh Temple"][/caption]

Our first discovery was the Sikh Temple, this was round the corner from the Dental Spa.

We thought these were interesting. By the time we turned the corner and saw the sign to the Pirate Golf we wondered whether we had entered some kind of alternative dimension. But then we remembered this is MK - land of the concrete cow.

[caption id="attachment_5624" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pirate Golf Course Sign"][/caption]

We then turned another corner and saw a sign for horses with carts - turned out to be a sign linked to the local travellers site.

[caption id="attachment_5625" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Horse and Cart"][/caption]

We then carried on, under the misapprehension there must be a pub nearby because we kept seeing signs (not photographed) indicating this.

As we carried on walking we entered Upper Weald first, a tiny hamlet which looked rather "nice". We then carried on down the road. At Middle Weald we found a minuscule hamlet with a boarded up house looking a bit like a haunted house in its isolated location.

By this point we were wondering if we would ever find one of these mythical pubs we'd seen signposted.But then we entered Lower Weald; a small village rather than a hamlet.

[caption id="attachment_5631" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="wandering into Lower Weald"][/caption]

It was quite literally a chocolate box picture conurbation. There were thatched cottages with roses up the wall and an interesting little church. It was clearly quite a posh village and we thought it was therefore quite apt that the village phone box proclaimed it didn't take coins.

[caption id="attachment_5628" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="'Coins Not Accepted'"][/caption]

Having found a local to ask we were assured yes this village did have a pub in it and so we would be able to stop for refreshment. However before we were able to reach it we had to pass by warnings proclaiming 'danger of death'!

[caption id="attachment_5629" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Danger of Death in Lower Weald"][/caption]

Finally after a long walk we found the pub....and it was well worth the journey. The Shoulder of Mutton was a wonderful pub which was what I would call a "proper English village pub". They had the selection of drinks which included a wonderful selection of soft and alcohol drinks. For the southern ale drinker there was Adnams available and for the northerner there was Thwaites. For the discerning cider drinker (like TOH who decided to relive the taste of his undergrad life in the South West) there was strong Westons and for those who like it oldie worldly there was alcohol ginger beer. Amongst the wide and quality selection of soft delights was root beer.The food was excellent and reasonably priced and unlike a lot of places the portion sizes were exactly right - not too big and not too small. One of the things we really liked was the fact that unlike some pubs in really small villages that are - intentionally or not - unwelcoming to strangers this one wasn't. It did contain a bunch of locals including one poor lad who was bemoaning the fact all his mates now had girlfriends and didn't come out so often but was really friendly and welcoming to us too. I ended up feeling contented and really enjoying what life is like beyond the world of Wetherspoons :)

[caption id="attachment_5630" align="aligncenter" width="268" caption="Contented in the Shoulder of Mutton"][/caption]