TK Adventures

Tag: #jogle #endtoendtrail #thruhike #hiking

  • The End

    The End

    Day 79: Perranporth to Sandy Acres

    ? 35km

    ?1131m

    After a fabulous sleep in the lovely quiet campsite and slightly later alarm, we had a slowish start, the drizzle arriving before we left so we packed up in the rain.

    Darker nights, torch out

    Becky and George kindly dropped us back at Perranporth Beach and we set off in the rain, up a steady climb above the beach. It was still pretty warm so we immediately started to sweat on the inside. The drizzle did then start to ease and the sun tried to shine. This was the game of the day, judging how long to leave waterproofs on for, as it had to be long enough that they dried a bit, not too long that we roasted, but in enough time to actually enjoy them being off before the rain started up again.

    We cruised around to St Agnes Head and dipped down to Chapel Porth just before the rain came again. We enjoyed a Croque Monsieur and coffee from the café there talking with a lady called Pixie who was doing the SWCP. We then headed up the path reminiscing on some family fun we had had 18 months before at that beach. We walked over to Porthtowen, a shorter distance than we remembered, and passed the Unicorn pub. We headed back up to skirt the disused air field, back down to Portreath and then a final big climb where we realised we had only covered half the distance for the day and it was already 15:00. Luckily this final section was quite flat and we joined the Carvannel Downs and the rainy day hikers.

    I was tired by this point and the view of the headland jutting out that I knew we had to yet cover was getting me down, but on the positive side, the sun was out for good so we de-layered for the final time and pushed on through the crowds that had finally left their cars in the car park.

    The final hurdle was the sand dunes of Gwithian Beach, following stone markers with dubious arrows. We met an elderly gentlemen also having the same issue as us, he had some very old kit on and a Blue Peter badge on his jungle hat.

    Stone markers in the dunes

    We finally made it to Sandy Acres, pitched up, showered and ate. The kindness of strangers who hear our story is one of the best things that we have experienced this trip as generally British people unlike other cultures around the world keep themselves to themselves. The evening was completed with a gentlemen meeting Tom at the water tap, listening to our story and then coming over with his son to give us Bananas and offer anything he could including Sudocream as he had spotted my tape and was very concerned about the state of my feet. It’s just 2 more sleeps until the end and we confirmed arrangements to be collected at Lands End by Tom’s brother.

    Day 80: Sandy Acres to Porthmeor

    ? 29km

    ?981m

    We were waved out of Sandy Acres by our new biggest fan and headed back out on the dunes. I found it quite frustrating both navigating and following the very wiggly path. We popped out by the estuary near Hayle and picked our way through a new housing/flat development on the quay, reaching Asda where we did our final stock up on food and used the toilet. From here we headed out of town on the road and then along the railway line that took us back out on the opposite side of the estuary towards Carbis Bay and St Ives.

    We made our way through quite a few houses and then got to see the fabulous beach and famous hotel at Carbis Bay. From here we followed the crowds on the tarmac path to St Ives, where it started to rain briefly, and we dashed to the toilets before meeting Jim and Enys coming towards us. Jim picked up some pasties whilst we found a bench. Gully and Jess joined us and we spent a bit of time together getting big hugs and smiles from everyone before heading out of town, picking up water as we went. 

    We then joined a notorious bit of coast path that is slow and rocky underfoot. The wind was high and the waves dramatic, which made for great scenery. A few hours in and the drugs had worn off, my right foot was already quite sore and things were getting tough.

    Gusty

    We met a local couple with a dog who asked lots of technical questions about kit etc so were obviously keen hikers themselves and we later met a Russian man ‘everyone calls me Jeff’ who was doing Newquay to Lands End and then maybe onto Penzance if he had time.

    Finally some drone-worthy conditions on the SWCP

    We had scouted out our last camp spot on trail months before when we lived in Cornwall at the beginning of the year, and luckily no one had found it before us. It was a beautiful evening, and we even got half a sunset. The cloud did come in at the last minute but we sat watching it go down anyway, seal spotting and appreciating how lucky were are.

    Last Night

    Day 81: Porthmeor to Lands End

    ? 24km

    ?964m

    The night was perfect; quiet, dry and the wind was relatively low. About 04:30 the weather turned and by 05:30 it was heaving it down and the wind was strong again. It felt like it would be a shower, so we packed up our stuff in the hope it would all be over by the time we were done. No such luck, we put a time on it and when the time was up and the rain had not eased, there was no option but to just go for it.

    We got drenched within seconds, the wind was so strong and as we pulled the outer off the frame the poles bent in a very worrying direction but by some miracle didn’t buckle.

    We climbed out the cove and continued along the tricky rocky path which was now flooded with water and we were being blown sideways from the right. The brambles we had been fighting through the last couple of weeks had damaged my waterproof and within half and hour my right side was soaked through 2 layers to the skin.

    Grateful to leave the rain behind

    The trail had certainly decided to challenge us right until the end and on reflection it was probably one of the worst bits of weather we had encountered all trip. I was sulking big time as this had not been how I had imagined we would finish the hike and I was starting to panic about getting cold.

    We reached the National Trust at Levant Mine and Beam Engine and the toilets were not even open never mind the café, so we carried on. Soon after that the rain started to ease and I started to look up and appreciate the tin mine, it’s beautiful buildings and the wonderful chimneys.

    We marched along some saturated but easier paths to Cape Cornwall meeting the morning crowds and enjoyed a toilet break and our last coffee on trail in wonderful Charles and Diana wedding mugs. By this point the sun was trying to shine and I took my waterproof trousers off, by the time Sennen Beach came into view, we were down to one layer and sun cream was on!

    Last coffee on trail

    We walked along the beach, a small section of the water had been given red and yellow flags by the life guards for swimming and body boarding. We walked passed the café’s of Sennen Cove and up to Mayon Cliff’s coast guard look out before following the path towards Lands End.

    So close

    Ahead we could see a small crowd of people, the Cornish flags flying and realised it was for us. Friends and family had come to greet us and thankfully the sun was shining and they were all smiling. It was just the best thing to have familiar faces to hug and share the end of our journey with. We enjoyed photos, a pint of Rattler and an ice cream to celebrate.

    Welcome Party ???
    Lands End! ☺️

    Neither of us think that the reality of our achievement has sunk in yet, when you embark on an adventure where your every day is changed for such a long period of time the last day feels like any other. I think reflection on the highs and lows will bring to the surface the emotion that maybe we were expecting.

    But that’s one of the many things that we have learnt on this journey, live everyday without expectation and you are free to experience life for what it is, rather than for what you think it should be.

  • Say “No” to ferries and “Yes” to more friendly faces

    Say “No” to ferries and “Yes” to more friendly faces

    Day 76: Threwethett Farm Campsite (in between Boscastle and Tintagel) to Padstow (Dennis Cove campsite)

    ? 38.01 km

    ?1142m

    Today was due to be another big day to get to just outside Padstow.  We warmed up with a couple of smaller valleys and some cliff tops to take us past Tintagel and could already see Port Isaac in the distance, which was where we were headed before leaving the coast path for the rest of the day.

    Soon things got a bit bigger and steeper.  We passed through the little village of Trebarwith Strand and then followed the coastal path on a series of big ups and downs and some cliff top walking alongside fields.

    Bigger
    Steeper

    We reached Port Isaac and stopped for lunch on a bench just on the edge of town before venturing in and collecting an ice cream and a coffee on the way though.  We left the coastal path here to head inland to Wadebridge since the coast path takes the Rock to Padstow ferry and we are walking from JOG to LE so that’s a no no! ☺️

    The route used footpaths and roads, mostly decent and quiet but one stretch on the B3314 was pretty horrendous, probably the worst so far on the trip due to fast moving holiday traffic and no verges.  Once all that was over we arrived in Wadebridge, crossed the River Camel, and popped to Co-Op for supplies.

    To get to Padstow we joined the throngs of cyclists on the Camel Trail, which, like the Tarka Trail from a few days ago, tarmac.  The only upside to that was speed!  We motored along the 8km at 5km per hour so it wasn’t too long before we arrived at Dennis Cove campsite.  The guys running the show were amazing and brought us a couple of chairs to chill in.  Thats trail magic, in the form of camp chairs, two nights on the trot! 

    We ate and did a few bits of organising for the last few days, finding a cafe to aim for in the morning in Padstow.  Looking forward to a short one tomorrow and some beach time at Mawgan Porth! ?

    Day 77: Padstow (Dennis Cove campsite) to Mawgan Porth (Higher Pendeen Camping) 

    ? 22.31 km

    ?412m

    With an easier day ahead we had a lazy 0630 alarm and were on the move about 0745, arriving at Ben’s Crib Box Cafe just after it opened at 0800.  Katie had a BLT, I had a breakfast burrito.  We both had a coffee to kick start our progress through Padstow and onwards along the end to end route, leaving the SWCP to skip Stepper Point headland, rejoining at Trevone.

    The estuary near Padstow

    Soon our second shortcut of the day. This time skipping the Trevose headland.  It was a lovely calm morning and the early starters were making the most of the beautiful sandy beaches we passed as we rejoined the SWCP at Harlyn for the rest of the day.

    Crystal clear coves never get boring

    Katie seems to have strained the front of her right ankle/shin, and downhills in particular are an issue, so we both enjoyed a much easier day in distance and ascent.  In addition the ascents and descents were mostly a pretty gentle gradient which helped.

    After passing through Porthcothan, we had lunch on a bench with a great view of blue seas.  It still seemed relatively quiet on the beaches, at least compared to our expectations.  Today was definitely the busiest on the SWCP, not surprising given we are much closer to populated areas and beaches are sandy and more accessible.

    One of the best lunch bench’s so far!

    The route continued to wibble wobble around the coastline and we overlooked cliffs into the crystal clear waters.  When we headed over Trenance Point, Mawgan Porth beach came into view, and it was rammed!  The route took us right across the beach so we stopped and I had a swim whilst Katie cooled her feet in the shallows.  We continued across the beach picking our way through the masses and found a Rattler/Tea in a pub by the beach.

    On the way to the campsite I grabbed an ice cream and we wandered up the road to find our spot, pitched up and caught up on some blogging so that our fans would be happy.

    Day 78: Mawgan Porth (Higher Pendeen Camping) to Perranporth

    ? 30.87 km

    ?697m

    It was a lovely morning and we set off heading towards the wonderful sight of a sprawling Newquay, knowing that the end of today would have us staying with friends who happened to be at a campsite just off the coastal path near St Agnes.  We enjoyed some nice cliff top walking, spotted some dolphins, and had super views across Watergate Bay with some early morning surfers definitely choosing the best time of the day before it got busy.

    Watergate Bay

    We arrived at the outskirts of Newquay and trudged through the concrete jungle, in search of the caffeine which the excellent Pavilion Bakery provided.  Great coffee, cinnamon bun and cardamon bun.  We checked our intended distance for the day and realised we hadn’t checked some of the distances after the recent days re-jigs, so we were due to do 40km, a bit more than expected.  So we re-jigged again and instead of continuing past Perranporth to St Agnes, Pete and the gang would meet us there and drive us back to the campsite, then drop us back tomorrow morning.

    That sorted, we zoomed round Sainsbury’s and escaped the clutches of Newquay.  The day then consisted of sandy beach after sandy beach.  And being sandy, they attracted people, lots of people.  It was easily the busiest day on trail so far on the SWCP in terms of crossing paths with others.

    Think I’ll skip the beach thanks…

    We stopped for lunch overlooking Porth Joke and had a lovely sourdough baguette from Pavillion Bakery with some prosciutto from Sainsbury’s. Ooo-la-la!

    Deluxe trail lunch

    We eventually popped over Ligger Point and saw the huge expanse of Perran Beach, almost 4km long.  This far end of it was pretty much deserted and looked amazing.  At the far end we could see the hordes had descended on the beach by Perranporth.  We dropped down to the beach and walked along it before the tide required us to climb up and over Cottys Point.

    The nice quiet end of Perran Beach

    On Perranporth, we then had to try and find Pete and the gang amongst the masses. Like an impossible game of Where’s Wally.  We had just given up after about 10 minutes of looking (Pete had shared his location but to no avail) and sat down to text them our location, when Becky and Freddie appeared before us.  We spent the afternoon catching up, and eating ice cream, then headed back to the campsite.

    (Note: We later heard that Cornwall Live had reported that there were 12000 people on Perranporth today! ?‍?)

    Where’s Wally?

    We setup, showered and did a final clothes wash.  Becky nipped to St Agnes to get fish and chips, Pete had the beers on ice and we had a lovely evening with the gang.

  • Long days & sticking to the plan

    Long days & sticking to the plan

    Day 73: Yelland to Mouth Mill

    ? 35km

    ?1309m

    As predicted the storm came in during the night, the rain was heavy and the wind strong and gusting. We pre-empted it would happen and used our trekking pole trick but in the middle of the night the one on Tom’s side came down and the poles of the tent felt like they were under serious strain. 

    Somehow the tent survived and we woke with our 05:30 alarm surrounded by a grave yard of other tents and people taking shelter in their cars. One family had already started packing away and were driving out by the time we had packed up our things.

    It had stopped raining but was still very windy so we packed up quickly, when I lifted one side on the inner up to fold it over as usual, Tom panicked and dove on top of the tent as he thought it was going to blow away. It was a bit of an unnecessary reaction (editor: we agree to disagree on that) and made us giggle for the rest of the day. The plus side of the wind was that it had dried the tent and so was much better to pack away.

    We joined the Tarka trail, still cycle path to Bideford, and headed for Costa, but the cafe on the opposite corner looked nice, we paused for a look and a local persuaded us it was the one to go for so we had a well recommended coffee which was lovely.

    Moody Tarka Trail

    It’s worth noting at this point that Tom had been doing some reading ahead in the guide books for the End to End and SWCP.  There is a difference in that one is all about walking the length of the country and another is about walking a defined trail.  We joined the SWCP at Minehead with the intention of walking the costal path as far as Lands End.  The problem with that is that the SWCP uses a ferry to get from Rock to Padstow, but that would invalidate our claim to have walked the length of the country.  So the End to End route leaves the SWCP before Rock and walks inland to Wadebridge and then back out along the Camel Trail to Padstow.  So we could follow the coastal path to Rock and then walk inland to Wadebridge, however this would add distance to what we had planned for, requiring a revision to our current schedule to arrive at Lands End on Saturday 7th August, and there are no footpaths from Rock to Wadebridge so it would all be road walking.  So we decided to stick to plan A – walk the length of the country.  As this meant we were going to skip part of the Coastal Path, Tom could stop being so particular about walking every inch of it and we could follow the End to End guide route when it deviated from the SWCP.

    This is important to note now because from Bideford we avoided 8km of walking on the SWCP around the headland and towns of Appledore  and Westword Ho! by taking a cross country route to meet the SWCP just south of Westward Ho!.  The day turned out to be longer in distance and time than we thought so it was a good move!

    When we re-joined the coastal path it was extremely windy and gusty and the next 10km were hard work. Narrow paths, being blown off balance, lots of steep up and down sometimes with steps, along with a fair amount of bush whacking. However it didn’t really rain and the scenery was rather dramatic and beautiful.

    Getting the shot
    The shot

    When we got to the end of the stretch we met a couple of National Trust rangers clearing the fern at the start of the trail.

    We then joined a stretch through a forest which was much more clear and under cover so sheltered from the wind, we hit Buck’s Mills which had more people than expected and then the up through more forest and field to meet an old road winding to Clovelly. Clovelly was lovely from what we saw, a chocolate box village nestled in a cove, with a steep access road and no cars, so we made a note that we must go back to explore further.

    We had a drink tea & Coke, a wee and water top up at The New Inn and then headed off to find our wild camp spot at Mouth Mill, passing the Angel Wings shelter on our way.

    Angel Wings Shelter

    It was our first spot by the sea and a bit more like how we imagined wild camping on the coast path.

    Mouth Mill Camp Spot

    Day 74: Mouth Mill to Bude

    ? 40km

    ?1796m

    We had some human visitors at 02:00 in our quiet idylic camp spot, we have no idea where they came from or why they turned up in the middle of the night but they put up 2 tents on the other side of the mouth and stayed up chatting for the rest of the night. It was a funny moment when we first heard them as we were not quite sure what to think or do, but we were soon reassured and tried to get back to sleep, I don’t think I got much.

    Today was the “big day” in the guide book and it didn’t disappoint. I would say the first 80% was enjoyable. There were steep ups and down, big fields, great weather, incredible rock formations, a few seals, and on the most part few other people since this section was quite remote with the exception of one small car park at Welcombe Mouth.

    Amazing scenery, steep trails

    At Marsland Mouth we entered Cornwall, our final county on the trip!  As the beaches near Bude came into view we started to see more people, first at Duckpool, then Sandymouth. The ups and downs got a little overwhelming by the end and so luckily an ice cream at Coombe saved the day and mentally reset us for the last few kilometres into Bude.

    Kernow!

    I had been really disappointed not to get a coffee earlier in the day as we had arrived at the Heartland Hotel before they started serving, so the ice cream made up for this. It’s a different challenge now that we are passing through National Trust Cafés and towns most days, you get your hopes up and look forward to a treat but as we start early most days they are very rarely open, sometimes I wish we were back in Scotland where it would not even be an option to miss out on.

    Nearing the end of a big day

    When we got to Bude we went to Sainsbury’s to stock up and then found a bench seat outside a pub that partners with the Pizza place next door. So we enjoyed a great pizza and a pint.

    As the sun went down, the temperature dropped quite a bit and so we walked not too far to our campsite. As we arrived we were treated to some open mic style music from the village hall next door, which carried on throughout the evening . The site was basic but we were so tired we just zonked out.

    Day 75: Bude to Trewethett Farm

    ? 30km

    ?1497m

    We set alarm for 06:00 as we had had a long day the previous day. Within minutes of us stirring it started to rain, lightly first and then a heavy shower. Our hearts sank as it had not rained all night we packed up stuff inside and luckily it did stop raining by the time it was time to pack tent away but it was of course wet.

    We were a bit hobbily and slow and didn’t get going until 07:30, Tom had a niggle in his right knee and the ligament twinge in my right foot had come back as well.

    The first few km to Widemouth were relatively easy along wide grassy paths and I had high hopes for a coffee. But I should have known better as it was still early and a Sunday. We passed several closed cafés and coffee huts. The first half of the day involved lots of up and down with dramatic scenery. We were both sulking a bit and tired and so it was a little tough. Our feet were wet from the long grasses, and my leggings were wet which had previously been giving me a nappy rash type rash on my legs so I was grumpy.

    Crackington Haven saved the day at lunchtime, our first beach lunch break with sunshine, ice cream and wonderful coffee. It was a great little place and we enjoyed people watching. We left in a better mood and even with quite a bit to go, and a shower of rain, the second half of the day was much more enjoyable.

    We arrived in Boscastle, which was busy but beautiful, another place we noted as one to come back to, ice creamed up and pushed on the last few kilometres to the campsite.

    Boscastle

    It was not cheap for what we normally pay but the showers were ace, we did some laundry and there was a pizza van on site for the evening. We couldn’t resist, despite it being our second pizza in a row. We relaxed on a picnic bench in clean clothes with pizza and the F1 highlights.

    The sunset was incredible and our tent was perfectly positioned. A couple over the way from us had seen us walk in and kindly lent us some chairs so we could sit and watch the sunset in comfort.

    Perfect sunset camp spot
  • Exmoor NP Anniversary

    Exmoor NP Anniversary

    Day 70: Half way between Porlock and Lynton (Wild Camp) to Combe Martin 

    ? 34.35 km

    ?1425m

    We had a pretty poor night’s sleep with the sloped spot. It had rained through the night and was still raining when we woke.  Just after we ‘got up’ (sat up is more appropriate in a tent!) it stopped and by the time we packed up the tent it was almost completely dry.

    The SWCP continued along the coastal path through woodland and in the end we didn’t really see a camp spot for another couple of hours so our sloped pitch didn’t seem as bad an option.  We passed a couple of quite remote houses around Gurney Wood, one with fun wild boar heads on pillars at what I presume was an old driveway entrance.

    By the time we got to Lynmouth about 1030, the weather had brightened up, enough for a morning ice cream stop, although dark clouds loomed.

    The route out of Lynmouth was steep, zig zagging up the same steep slope as the Cliff Railway, which we crossed a few times on the way.  At the top we continued on tarmac and gravel paths to the popular Valley of Rocks.  At this point we decided to apply some suncream which of course meant it rained a few minutes later as we followed the Lee Abbey toll road, but only a short shower.

    Moody looking Valley of Rocks

    This part of the coast path through the Exmoor National Park is really beautiful in a dramatic way, the cliffs are steep and high, the woods seem tropical (especially when it’s humid) and when the woods give way to views, they are incredible.  The coastal path has some long ascents and descents which took us past Woody Bay, then Hunters Valley which I know parts of from one of my favourite trail races, the CTS Exmoor Marathon.

    Lunch views just before a downpour

    We eventually caught a glimpse of Combe Martin, climbed Great Hangman, passed Little Hangman, and started our decent.  It was busy and we walked half a mile in to the town to our accomodation, The Pack o’ Cards pub.  Our last night of luxury before the end of our journey walking the length of the UK.  It was our second wedding anniversary after all!

    Squinty McSquinterson

    We showered and washed a few things then had dinner.  It was decent pub grub, a bit over priced but they were kind enough to make us a packed lunch instead of the included breakfast that we didn’t have time to wait for as they didn’t start serving it until 0830.

    More great views from a great day

    Day 71: Combe Martin to Croyde

    ? 34.68 km

    ?1255m

    We got up at 0600, aiming to be out for 0700.  We were just about to leave a bit later than planned at 0715, when it started to heave it down outside so we paused and waited for the shower to pass, about 10 minutes.

    Showers were to be the order of the day but we did get about 30 minutes into today’s walk before it rained and we had to get waterproofed up.  This was fine when it was raining as a combination of the cool winds that accompanied the rain and the rain itself on jackets helped keep temperatures down.  When the rain stopped things soon got pretty hot and sticky inside waterproofs.  As a result we spent a lot of the day taking waterproofs on and off.  On the plus side we could see the clouds and rain heading towards us from out at sea so were always ready when it came, although some over eagerness might have meant we put waterproofs on but the rain missed us on a couple of occasions.

    The paths were a lot busier today as we were passing through more busy towns.  First, Ilfracombe, where we stopped off for food at Lidl and then on to Woolacombe.  In between we went up and down, up and down, lots of short steep ascents and descents compared to the previous day’s longer ascents.  In between showers, the sun shone and there were more amazing views, some cool rock formations along the coast, and some seals hanging out between Bull Point and Morte Point.

    We walked a nice path in a valley of sorts between sand dunes, covered in ferns, behind Woolacombe Sand.  After passing Putsborough Sands we walked around Baggy Point headland and headed in to Croyde which was heaving .  The lifeguards had just finished for the day so there was a max exodus of swimmers, surfers and body boarders leaving the beach as we walked on to it, and then half way across turned inland alongside a stream to find our campsite for the evening.

    It was 1830 so we got the tent up whilst boiling some water for our noodles.  A short shower caused a panic as we piled our belongings into the tent, but we did eat outside with the sun shining on us which was nice.

    Day 72: Croyde to Yelland (8km past Barnstaple)

    ? 32.85 km

    ?174m

    Neither of us had the best nights sleep due to heavy rain showers accompanied by gusting winds.  Apparently there were also some party goes making a lot of noise around midnight but I didn’t really register them I was so whacked.

    It was the coldest start to a day we’ve had for a while as we walked back on to Croyde Beach and headed back on to the coastal path towards Saunton Sands, passing the mid-construction Grand Designs building on the way.  After using the facilities at Saunton Sands we followed a path  behind the huge sand dunes and through Braunton Nature Reserve before turning inland to continue along the estuary to Braunton.

    After Braunton things took a rather tarmac turn for the worst.  The views weren’t great either and we shared the path with a lot of cyclists.  This continued for around 8km to Barnstaple.  The only highlight was meeting another end to ender, Danielle, who was 2 weeks into her adventure headed north.  We chatted for a while before wishing each other luck and continuing on our way.

    At Barnstaple we made a trip to Boots, then M&S since it was next to Boots, and then Asda for a couple of things that M&S couldn’t provide us with (instant noodle dinners!).

    Unfortunately the drudgery of a tarmac path and zillions of cyclists continued out of Barnstaple for another 8km which would take us to our campsite for the night.  On the plus side, Katie’s friend Em had parked up at our campsite and endured the walk almost as far as Barnstaple to meet us and walked back with us to Yelland.

    We just got the tent pitched before the first big shower of the day and grabbed a shower before Em drove us in search of some pub grub in Fremington just down the road.  It was nice to have another friend meet us and hang out.

  • Can you see the sea yet?

    Can you see the sea yet?

    Day 67: Cheddar to Bridgewater

    ? 34km

    ?213m

    We were expecting it to rain all day, so packed everything up in full waterproofs which worked a treat because it then stayed nice and dry.

    The campsite had a camping hut with fridge, so we treated ourselves to a different breakfast of fruit and yoghurt which was lovely.

    The days walking started off with a straight forward path along the river, we then joined lots of quiet dead straight roads which ran along the ditches and field boundaries, first dug out around 1500 years ago by the monks of Glastonbury to drain the salt marsh land that frequently flooded. We had lunch by one of the pumping stations, perching on a ledge.

    Long tarmac roads

    The second half of the day was spent fustratingly bush whacking through rarely trodden paths, we were scratched and stung all over. We finished the day by crossing the M5 for the final time to navigate the outskirts of Bridgwater which was not what I was expecting.

    Our accomodation for the night was also pretty basic with some right characters around. We stocked up in Sainsburies and Tom introduced me to Taco Bell, which was average. The highlight of the evening was access to a TV where we got to catch up on day 1 of the Olympics.

    Taco Bell

    Day 68: Bridgewater to Washford Inn

    ? 37km

    ?774m

    It was a difficult night, foreign party goers meant a distruptive sleep, I guess that’s what you get for £30.
    We got going about 07:00, passing through the centre of Bridgwater town which was marginally nicer than the outskirts we had seen the day before.
    We passed through some playing fields followed by farm fields which got socks and shoes soaked due to the overnight rain.

    We then had some unexpected rain, so covered up in a corn field, before descending into a muddy farm where the farmer told us to go a better, clearer route. Here we met a very chatty man with a Terry Pratchett t-shirt on who knew the area well.

    When he finally let us carry on, Tom triple checked the route and realised we had gone wrong so had to back track towards the farmer and follow ‘Terry Pratchett’. He had stopped at the top of the hill and we had no choice to approach and admit our mistake.
    He then insisted walking with us to show us how to get to Lydeard Hill. We walked together for a while but he was so much faster with a light pack and lunch to get home for so he left us to it. We climbed the rest up to Wills Neck on our own, joining very light Sunday crowds enjoying the Quantock Hills, had lunch, and put the tent up to dry.

    The Quantocks

    We decended into the village of Bicknoller which was very sweet, we regrouped at the village shop before continuing towards Washford via the MacMillan way which was nice and nettle free, plus the sun started to shine. We got to the Washford Inn by 17:45 and were showered and ordering dinner by 18:15. Recently taken over the owners were keen to hear more about our story and we enjoyed a fun home from home experience.

    Tom’s Washford Ultimate Burger

    Day 69: Washford Inn to Slopey Wild Camp

    ? 35km

    ?803m

    We had decided to have our included breakfast which didn’t start until 0800, so we enjoyed a small lie in until about 06:30, got ready watching Tom Daly win Olympic Gold, did some extra stretching and drying off socks with the hair dryer.

    Tom had the small English breakfast and I had avocado on brown with tomatoes, it didn’t arrive quite as advertised but was really lovely all the same and such a treat to have something different.

    We were on the road by 09:00 and had planned a route to get to the English Coast Path however this route had been diverted via Washford anyway so it was easy navigation to the sea. 

    It was then a straight forward path along the coast to Minehead, where we stocked up at Morrisons and got an ice-cream.

    This was now the start of the South West Coast Path which was very exciting and something we had been looking forward to for days. A tough steep climb to start with but, once high, a lovely wide grassy national trust path over the fern and heather moors to Portlock then over some boggy marsh and luckily only a short section of it’s stoney beach to Portlock Weir.

    Start of the SWCP

    We then ascended again into the forest passing the toll gate and the church, the lovely forest felt quite tropical at times. It was however getting late and due to rain the forest was not ideal for wild camping as there had been plenty of rock fall and tree damage, so we climbed back on ourselves above the tree line.

    The Beautiful Toll Gate

    We settled on what turned out to be a very slopey pitch next to the path, next to the gate of a sheep field. The farmer came to move the sheep but didn’t say anything.

    I had done something to the top of my ankle on my right foot so got a compression bandage on and took some ibuprofen, just hope all is ok in morning. It rained heavily most of the night with a small narrow stream running through the centre of the tent thanks to our angular pitch

  • Friendly faces and the dentist

    Friendly faces and the dentist

    Day 64: Chepstow to Bristol

    ? 22.10 km

    ?215m

    After a sweltering sweaty night in the hostel we did what we needed to in the room and then finished getting ready outside where it was cooler.  We had an exciting day today, the first of which was our friend Frankie joining us for today’s walk to Bristol.

    The 3 amigos set off walking through Chepstow and crossed the M48 Severn Bridge as we walked back into England for the final time on the trip.  The rest of the morning passed quickly as we walked through farmland and caught up with Frankie who we hadn’t seen for well over a year.  Before we knew it we were at The Fox in Easter Compton, our intended lunch stop, and sat outside for an hour until they opened at 1200!

    Trail buddy Frankie!

    We had lunch (a cider and ham, egg and chips for me) and then continued the farmland walking until the outskirts of Bristol near Blaise Castle where we found another pub and awaited our lift…

    Not much else to photo that day so here are some trail markers

    The next excitement for the day was staying with friends of Katie’s in Bristol and not only that, Megan picked us up from the pub which saved us a slow bus journey.  Back at Megan and Deano’s, we caught up, had an ice cream, showered and put a wash on.  Megan cooked up a storm and we had a lovely chilled evening.

    Day 65: Bristol to Yatton

    ? 30.77 km

    ?507m

    After breakfast, Megan drove us back to where we left off yesterday and she and Deano joined us for the first part of the day up to Blaise Castle through the estate grounds and along  Kingsweston Hill.  Where we re-entered suburbia near the M5 bridge that we needed to cross, Megan turned back but Deano loves walking over the M5 bridge so much that she stayed with us for the experience and then peeled off to walk along the riverbank back to Bristol.

    Things improved a bit after we had crossed the bridge and left Easton-in-Gordano but still not the best of the walking we’ve done.  We mostly followed footpaths through farmers fields along some of the Gordano Circuit route.  Unfortunately we had to walk pretty close to the M5 later, first beneath it, at what presumably was a pretty village of Clapton in Gordano before the arrival of the M5, then later over it again.

    Idyllic M5

    Around lunchtime we took a slight detour to Tickenham Village Hall and met up with Simon, a family friend I hadn’t seen for around 10 years.  It was great to catch-up, albeit briefly, and from here we walked through Tickenham to rejoin the route.  Upon rejoining the route we found the footpath to be extremely overgrown with brambles and nettles so we opted to continue a little further on the road and take an alternative route for about half a km. 

    Lunch with Simon

    The rest of the afternoon’s walking continued through fields alongside an irrigation ditch and through fields of sweetcorn, eventually popping out on the road into Yatton where we were just in time for the cancelled 1520 train to Bristol so had to have a pint at the Railway Pub next door.  Even better, they had Beavertown Neck Oil, one of my favourites for a hot day!

    Wooly trail friends

    We got back to Bristol and showered, did a quick wash of the clothes we had been profusely sweating in all day with temperatures up at 33⁰C, and then headed out to dinner at The Olive Shed.  Jack and Alex also joined and we had a fun evening.

    Day 66: Yatton to Cheddar

    ? 25.24 km

    ?552m

    We got the 0723 to Yatton and set off on the Strawberry Line trail, which was an old railway line so it was pretty straight and flat.  It was a nice morning, still pretty warm but due to be a few degrees cooler than yesterday and there was more of a breeze too.  We didn’t see any strawberry’s but there were some early blackberry’s and we passed some of the Thatcher’s orchards.

    Blackberry delights

    Leaving the Strawberry Line at Sandford, we headed up on to the hills of Sandford, Limcombe and Dolebury, before going up and over Beacon Batch where we stopped for lunch.  We descended and passed through a nature reserve at Swallow Whole and Long Wood.

    After Black Rock we climbed to the top of Cheddar Gorge where things got much busier with lots of people having hiked up from town.  We savoured the views and then headed down the steep trail to Cheddar.

    Cheddar Gorge

    I’d been having some toothache so I phoned a dentist in town and much to my surprise they had a slot in the afternoon.  We just had time to check in at our campsite and I grabbed a shower before heading to the dentist.  Good news, no treatment required, possible sensitive gum due to teeth grinding.  Will take some painkillers for a day or two and should settle down.

    Katie had found a dinner option, the Cheddar Brewery Tap Room, which sounded right up my street so after getting some supplies at Sainsbury’s we headed there and had pizza, beers/cider and did some planning for the next week’s walking.

    Beers! ☺️
  • Making hay whilst the sun shines

    Making hay whilst the sun shines

    Day 61: Baskerville to The Rising Sun

    ? 31km

    ?791m

    I didn’t sleep well as it was hot, damp, my left shoulder was playing up and my feet were feeling particularly sore. We woke up earlier than normal so we could pad my feet out with Compeed.

    After packing up a very wet tent from from the dew, we walked down the main road back to Hay, it being a Sunday the Co-op was not open until 10:00 so we popped into the Spa for a few supplies, despite it’s limited options, and then started the climb up towards Hay Bluff. On the way up we saw an ice cream van go past so did a bit of an alternative route via the car park so we could pick up a Calipo on the way.

    The ridge was well marked, covered with fern and heather and had spectacular views of Wales to one side and England the other. We made decent progress with fabulous views in the hot sun. We passed wild horses, got the drone out and enjoyed the occasional breeze.

    Welsh Trig Point

    We descended down into Pandy to The Rising Sun pub, camping in the field behind the pub. We enjoyed a shower and a cold drink but the pub was not doing its usual food as it was having a new kitchen fitted so they let us get a local Chinese delivered and eat it in the pub. It was lovely food, I had veggie egg fried rice and we shared a chilli beef.

    Drone Fun

    Day 62: The Rising Sun to Monmouth

    ? 27km

    ?542m

    There was a bit of loud Welsh drama in the campsite so had to put ear phones in to sleep, again not the best night with the heat.

    05:30 alarm, feet taped and soggy tent was put away. I struggled psychologically today, it was a shortish day but the heat was high and I kept looking at the tracker for the first half of the day. Some days you are just not in the mood for hiking. The highlight of the morning was the short visit to the ruins of White Castle but my feet were sore by lunchtime.

    White Castle

    We stopped in an empty meadow field in the shade and had a nice lunch squeezing the melted chocolate from my cornflake Ritter bar onto scones.

    Chocolate Melting Fast

    The second half of the day was much better and we arrived into Monmouth in good time, the camp site was right in town and although we had low expectations it was a very sweet place with many static caravans and couple of campers and us. It was quiet, clean and very convenient.

    We went to boots for supplies; bite cream, KT tape and alcohol gel. Then to M&S, the first on route and it was day 62. We picked up some old favourites and sat on the available picnic benches on the high street to nibble our luxury snacks. We then sat at a café for a cider but they closed on us mid drink so we had to take our drinks back to our picnic bench.

    We chose a local Italian place for dinner, it had air con, fabulous pizza and fizzy water which was lush on the hot day. The only bad thing was I left my water bottle there and when Tom went back to get it I think they had thrown it away.

    Back at the tent we watched the highlights of the weekend’s F1 at the campsite, it was quiet and I was zonked, so slept well.

    Day 63: Monmouth to Chepstow

    ? 31km

    ?875m

    Today was a really nice day through the fields, forest and along the river. We climbed up to the top of Klymin and enjoyed great views back across Monmouth, before descending through fields and then ascending back up through the woods. It was another warm day so were grateful for much more woodland coverage than yesterday throughout the day, it definitely takes a few degrees off.

    Top Views

    At Bigsweir, the route left the ridges above the Wye and followed the river for a few km as far as Brockweir.  It was a hot section of walking through fields but the river was a bit on the muddy side and didn’t really tempt us in.

    From Brockweir we returned to higher ground and on the climb up towards Caldwell Woods we stopped for lunch, putting the tent up to dry out as we would be in a bed for the next 3 days and didn’t want it smelling too bad. We also met Callum, a young lad who had started the Offa’s Dyke that day, he was pristine with all his new gear on, hope to follow his progress.

    The last few km into Chepstow was a little frustrating, winding back on ourselves, made more interesting by helping a guy who had managed to get himself on the wrong side of a barbed wire fence.

    We had a bunk room in a hostel in Chepstow which was lovely but so so warm. We picked up some snacks from our second M&S in 2 days and had a pie and chips at the pub around the corner. Back to England over the Severn Bridge first thing.

    End of Offa’s Dyke Path
  • “I have faith in you”

    “I have faith in you”

    Day 58: Questionable caravan site just past Ironbridge to Flounders Folly, Callows Hill wild camp

    ?  34.31 km

    ?777m

    We woke at 0530 and neither of us wanted to spend any longer than necessary at the caravan site so we were heading back up the hill behind the site to rejoin our route just after 0630.  As a bonus, the site warden who had shown us to our camp spot yesterday evening, and said he would be back to collect our payment, never turned up to do so, so we got a free camp spot which marginally improved the whole experience.

    A few km later, after passing though some woodland and navigating our way across some fields, we arrived at the pretty village of Much Wenlock and dropped by the Spar shop to grab a few things.  Katie had a good chat with an old chap at the till who remarked on the size of her bag and was thrilled to hear of our adventure. Outside, we readied ourselves and checked the map to make sure we knew where we were going out of the village.  A vicar was passing, walking his dog, and asked if we were ok and knew where we were going.  I replied that yes were were ok, thanks, to which he replied “I have faith in you” ?.

    It was a much cooler morning than we had expected, the starry night sky I had seen when I had a pee in the middle of the night had been replaced by clouds.  We spent the rest of the day, about 30km, walking along Wenlock Edge in a South Westerly direction, with sadly less views than we had perhaps expected and hoped for since there was a woodland all along the edge, and we were in it much of the day.  The walking itself was pleasant enough and the going not too difficult on good footpaths and bridleways.

    Woodland

    The route we followed was part of a few long distance routes including the Shropshire Way, the Cross Britain Way and a bridleway, the Jack Mytton Way.  The only real views were to the South East on the occasions we were walking along field boundaries, and when we stopped for lunch by a field.  Despite the many trails sharing the footpaths we saw very few people all day, a solo horse rider and a couple on bikes who had seen us in Much Wenlock whilst they were having breakfast and were heading to Craven Arms.  They were similarly disappointed with the lack of views and had the same excited and interested reaction to hearing about our trip as many people do.  The most common questions from people are “How long will it take you?”, “How far do you walk each day?” and “Are you doing it for charity?”. The answers are about 2.5 months, average is about 26km, and no, we are doing it for fun!

    The only views

    We found a possible camp spot for the night about 8km from the end of the route bit it was a bit too far from Craven Arms, so we continued and headed up Callow Hill where we found a spot by Flounders’ Folly.  It was a bit early to setup camp so we relaxed in the sun which had taken most of the afternoon to make an appearance but was now unobscured as there wasn’t a cloud in sight.  We made some shopping plans for the next day or two (don’t want to get caught out hungry in the middle of a days walking!) and wrote journals before getting dinner on the go.

    Flounders Folly Camp Spot

    We setup the tent around 2000 and enjoyed a glorious evening and amazing sunset.

    Sunset at Callows Hill

    Day 59: Flounders Folly, Callows Hill wild camp to Rockbridge Holiday Park

    ? 41.42 km

    ?1069m

    We knew we had a big one ahead of us today and had come a bit off trail to camp so rather than return and follow the route from the guide book, we improvised to rejoin the route just outside Craven Arms.  It required a bit of road to begin with but was very quiet and not bad walking.

    Craven Arms wasn’t the nice little town with a pub in the middle I had envisioned (based on nothing other than the name), it was in fact rather run down and miserable looking.  The One-Stop shop wasn’t what we had been hoping for and the lunch options were poor so we grabbed water and decided to snack until we reached Knighton for a late lunch.

    Blue Sky Days

    We left Craven Arms following the Shropshire Way as far as Stokesay Castle and left it to head through Stoke Wood, then followed the road for a little through Clungunford before passing Hopton Castle and heading through the woods at Hopton to Titterhill.  Somewhere along the way we started following way markers for the Heart of Wales Trail and followed this most of the way to Knighton.

    Hopton Castle

    It had been a glorious sunny day from the beginning and the heat had slowed our progress a little so it wasn’t until around 1500 that we made it to Knighton, around 30km.  We headed to the Co-Op to stock up and get some lunch.  As we were queuing for the checkout the lady in front of us asked if we were doing the Offa’s Dyke Trail and we got chatting.  It turned out that she and her husband were also walking JOGLE. She lived just outside Knighton and was currently having a few days off! Unbelievable!  She offered us the option of camping in her garden and we did consider it as it had already been a long and hot day, but if we did it would have meant a 45km day tomorrow so we stuck to the plan, chatted a bit more and thanked her for her offer.

    We sat on a bench in town and sorted food out whilst eating lunch and guzzling cold drinks.  Then it was time to get going again at about 1600 and from here we were joining the Offas Dyke Way which we discovered was well way marked and well trodden so it was easy to follow.  The scenery was incredible this afternoon, walking through farmland mostly with great views of the valleys and rolling hills.  Along the way we met another LEJOG hiker and chatted for a few minutes, unfortunately didn’t catch the young lads name.  That’s 2 other end to end hikers in one day taking our total tally to four!  We met another hiker, Tom, who had been going 2.5 months and started with the South West Coast Path, since then has been just winging it day by day.  It was nice to chat with other hikers again and an enjoyable walk so it didn’t seem to take that long to reach our campsite a couple of km off route.

    Offas Dyke Trail

    We arrived about 1900 and had dinner before setting up the tent.  It was still very warm and the cold drinks I had stashed in my down jacket to keep them cool were soooo good!  By the time we were showered it was pretty much bedtime, we looked after feet and rubbed cream into today’s stinging nettle rashes.

    Day 60: Rockbridge Holiday Park to Baskerville Hall Hotel

    ? 40.73 km

    ?1163m

    We tried to avoid the road we had walked to camp the previous evening and follow a marked right of way which first took us across a field of sweetcorn with no obvious path and then no apparent way through a barbed wire fence.  We back-tracked and sucked up the road, not the best start to the day and it was going to be another long, hot one.

    We rejoined the trail and followed the visible dyke for quite a few kms, passing through farmland, mostly sheep and some crops.  Again the path was easily navigated and pretty good underfoot.  It was a blue sky day and the views continued to be fantastic all day.

    Morning views on the Offas Dyke Way

    Around 1100 we reached Kington and had a quick stop to top up on more water, grab a cold fizzy drink and an ice cream from the Spar.  Actually I had two ice creams, the Spar brand magnums were only 75p each!

    The farmers had been busy with the hay – a good sign for the weather forecast!

    From here we still had around 24km to go to Hay-on-Wye and there were some really nice trails, all clearly marked and free of overgrown nasty plants that attack you.  The horse flies on the other hand…. damn things!

    Offas Dyke Way

    It was hotter than yesterday and there was less coverage from woods so the afternoon was pretty tough despite good trails.  Don’t get me wrong I’ll take this weather over rain any day.  It was lovely walking and gorgeous views.

    Ferns smell great!

    Often, particularly when walking through hilly country, you can see your final destination, if it’s a village or town, for some time but Hay-on-Wye didn’t show itself right until the last moment!  I resisted the urge to wallow in the Wye river to cool down and we made it to the village about 1800.  We still had about 40 minutes to walk along the road to our campsite for the evening at the Baskerville Hall Hotel and fancied a cool drink so nipped to the Spar.  We had both been thinking it and decided to see if there was a taxi around that we could get to Baskerville Hall.  As luck would have it, when I phoned the taxi chap, he was sitting just down the road from Spar in the centre of town.  It was the best £5 spent, and we had the tent pitched by 1830. 

    The Baskerville Hall has charm by the bucket loads.  It’s a bit jaded I guess and it appears to be run mostly by an old chap and his wife (I presume).  More of a hostel with camping than a hotel per se, it’s a fantastic place.   There was even a swimming pool here and by 1845 we were in the pool, had it all to ourselves.

    The pub grub was perfect and very reasonable, we had a couple of drinks and both had lasagne and chips.  I had a STP to follow and we wrote journals etc before returning to the tent to pass out.

  • Scuba Steve the lamb

    Scuba Steve the lamb

    Day 48: The Fox House Pub to Bakewell (The Manners Inn Pub)

    ?  17.94km

    ?275m

    Once we were filled up on breakfast, our hosts Mary and Paul dropped us back at the pub, and we resumed where we left off yesterday, walking through the National Trust estate of Longshaw Lodge.  The trail was made for NT visitors, and flat, so we zoomed along and soon started a short climb up to Froggatt Edge, then Curbar Edge, and finally Baslow Edge .  The views across the valley were great and we stopped a few times for pics on the way.  Otherwise we continued to make good progress on a clear, but rocky, path.

    Along the edges

    We passed through Baslow, and entered the Chatsworth House estate finding groomed flat trails once again.  We had made better progress than we thought, and having planned to lunch at Chatsworth, did so at around 1100.  A cracking lunch too – Mary’s honey roast ham in homemade bread.  As we were eating lunch there was a splash in the river followed by some baa’ing.  A lamb had decided to go for a swim and we watched as it did some pretty good sheep paddle and tried to find a spot to get out.  In the end it was clear it needed some help.  Every now and again, it’s ‘baa’ sound gurgled, imagine baa’ing whilst blowing bubbles in water.  We made our way over to the bank and the little lamb was just hanging on to the side, clearly exhausted from its efforts so far.  I clambered down the bank and managed to grab a front leg and the scruff of its neck and haul it half way out the water.  Katie grabbed it’s front legs and we heaved it out on to flat ground.  The lamb didn’t make an effort to help during this, just lay arms and legs out on its belly! It lay still for a couple of minutes before springing up and running off to join it’s buddies and shaking the water from its wool.  Katie gave it a 20m swimming badge and some words of wisdom “use the bridge next time mate” and off we went, onwards to Bakewell.

    Chatsworth House

    We followed a path up the hill opposite Chatsworth House, with good views back to it, the route then took us through a wood to descend down a steep rocky path, passing over the Monsail Trail, past a sheep auction, and in to Bakewell.  It was busy with a capital B so we grabbed what we needed in Co-Op, a pastie and Bakewell pudding from a deli shop and then sat down with a decent coffee.  It had been a much easier day in terms of distance, time and ascent, so we couldn’t check in at the pub we had a room booked in, but we made our way there anyway, booked a table for dinner, and grabbed a drink whilst we did some catching up on journals.

    We checked in and cleaned up then returned for dinner.  Katie’s hanging kebab was great as was my beef pie.  A Laguanitas Session IPA and a Little Creatures Pale Ale washed it down well and a white chocolate pannacotta with rhubarb compote finished me off. What a tough day! ?

    Hanging Kebab!

    Day 49: Bakewell (The Manners Inn Pub) to Common End Farm, Swinscoe (a few km past Thorpe)

    ?  36.25km

    ?775m

    The pub breakfast wasn’t until 0830 so we missed out on a cooked breakfast as we had a big day and wanted to get going early.  Thankfully, the pub were really good and put some cereal, fruit, yoghurt and pastries in a fridge for us so we had that just before we left at 0730.  As Bakewell wasn’t on the end to end route, we followed footpaths to find our way back to the main route at Youlgreave and it was only a few minutes out of Bakewell before we had to put full waterproofs on, which stayed on almost all day.

    From Youlgreave we followed the River Bradford, then through pasture fields and Gratton Dale.  In general it was muddy and shitty, literally, particularly through a couple of farm yards.  It rained on an off, but more on than off.  The best part of the first half of our day was our first crop field, a waving sea of barley, and we also saw a little stoat playing around in the crops.  We reached the village of Biggin and sheltered from a heavier shower whilst eating our lunch in a bus shelter.

    Barley field

    The scenery and underfoot conditions improved after leaving Biggin and following footpaths through National Trust areas of Biggin Dale and Dove Dale.  We had been tipped off that we may pass some other northbound end to end hikers today and it was great to meet Tony & Julia who have just re-located to the UK from Hong Kong, and the first thing they are doing here is walking from Lands End to John O’Groats!  Kudos!

    Much to our relief the weather also finally started to improve as we got close to Thorpe, leaving Dove Dale to climb up through Lin Dale and pass through the pretty village.  We still had a few km to go to our campsite at Common End Farm, initially following a good track down into a valley and back up a hill on the other side, then the same down and up, this time across pasture fields, reaching the busy A52.  Relieved to nearly be at camp, and find a pavement, we were soon checked in and pitched in the dry.  I grabbed a shower and as I did there was another rain shower.

    Day 50: Common End Farm, Swinscoe (a few km past Thorpe) to Uttoxeter Services

    ?  20km

    ?149m

    We got an early start because we needed to get to Uttoxeter services by 1300 to be picked up by our chauffeur Bob (Katie’s Dad).  We set off about 0610 and retraced our steps, continued along the road for a little bit and re-joined the Limestone Way.  We crossed a few fields of long grass and meadow flowers and the grass was so wet it was like wading through water.  And it took a similar amount of effort!  It wasn’t the most fun walking we’ve had so far, but it wasn’t the worst either and we plodded on through the fields and past farms.

    The Limestone Way

    Midway through the days walking we left the Limestone Way for the Staffordshire Way.  Occasionally, wheat and barley fields mixed things up a bit and provided some nice photo opportunities in the gloomy conditions.  The rain was holding off thankfully but we still had full waterproofs on the whole day because of the long, wet grass, which at one point along a river did reach above the waist!  The sun did make a bit of an appearance mid morning but just as Uttoxeter Services were in sight, and we were trying to navigate our way across a field of knee high grass, the skies darkened and the heavens opened, drenching us in the few minutes it lasted.

    Hellooo!

    We reached the services at Uttoxeter and headed to Starbucks in the hope of a seat, but they were drive-thru only.  Plan B was Burger King as we could sit in.  We were over an hour early so I ordered some things, which were as unsatisfying as I hoped they wouldn’t be, and of course our chauffeur then turned up (Jackie had been watching on the tracker and dispatched Bob earlier than planned).

    Our chauffeur whisked us back to our country retreat (Katie’s parents house) where we washed all of our gear first, washed clothes, had an epsom salts bath, then later that evening, collected an Indian takeaway, which I’d been looking forward to, and watched the England Vs Denmark semi-final.

    We are taking a few days out here to get vaccines (my second, Katie’s first) and just sort a few things out.  We’ll be back on the trail soon and expect to reach Lands End around mid-August.

  • Teacakes, Thunderstorms and Trail Angels

    Teacakes, Thunderstorms and Trail Angels

    Day 45: Hebden Bridge to Marsden

    ? 24km

    ?756m

    Our camp spot was beautiful, with amazing views of Hebden Bridge and the valley but I didn’t sleep well, the tents next to us and behind were noisy and the pitch was not entirely flat so I kept rolling into Tom. We woke early thinking we would get to Marsden and the pub where we had booked a room with lots of time to enjoy.

    The day however was a bit frustrating, an up hill, down dale day, crossing busy roads with not great scenery and required some navigational focus. As we were not following a particular trail but linking lots of footpaths together we had to keep checking that we were going in the correct direction. It was also another hot day which I am reluctant to complain about but the heat does make going under the motorway (M62) feel particularly disgusting.

    Zoom in to see the poor farm house that is straddled by the M62 ?
    A short, steep climb to leave the M62 behind ?

    A highlight of the day was as we were navigating the over grown footpaths out the back of the residential streets of Marsden we got chatting to a gentlemen tending to his garden and had a good old chat that included the old teacake, bap debate between Yorkshire and Lancashire which made me smile. In West Yorkshire, a large plain white or brown bread roll is called a teacake and is used to make very large sandwiches, something the rest of the country call a bap.

    Nearing Marsden

    We arrived about 15:00 to Marsden and were both shattered. We had to stop ourselves from taking a nap and instead showered, then hit Boots and Co-op, our go to stores at the moment. I needed some more antiseptic wipes for the feet and then we needed food supplies for a few days from the supermarket. We went to the local tap house for a pint before hitting kids tea time at the Italian across the road for pasta and pizza. We were back in our room and practically in bed by 19:30.

    Day 46: Marsden to Langsett

    ? 31km

    ?791m

    We woke about 06:00 after a warm, as we always find sleeping indoors these days, but much better sleep. Heels taped and bags packed up, we ate breakfast in the room and headed out into the drizzle by 07:30. The day started with a steep climb out the back of town passing some derelict mills but then onto a fabulous national trail, Kirklees Way, which was popular with some early dog runners. It was drizzling on and off but really was not that bad. We then turned off the wider track onto a smaller path down into a valley and joined a beautifully straight path which reminded us of the Roman road. It was at this point the heavens really opened and the rain was pouring.

    Leaving Marsden

    We descended into Holme and undressed in the door way of the Fleece Inn. We started with a coffee and then decided on a breakfast tea cake (we were just still in Yorkshire) as the rain was due to continue all day and night, so there would not exactly be a picnic spot for lunch. As we left the pub it actually had cleared up a bit and we enjoyed about half an hour of rain free walking along Brownhill reservoir. The rain then came down again as we joined a quiet tarmac road at White Gate. The birds by the road in the moor made me smile, so many different breeds almost playing in the rain, different sizes and colours, it was lovely.

    The final stretch of the day was along the Trans Pennine way which was just a tarmac cycle path, along a disused railway, which was quick but a bit hard going on the feet. By some miracle the rain had also stopped and we reached camp about 16:30 with a bit of blue sky and some sunshine to put the tent up along with an opportunity to dry off waterproofs at least.

    The Don

    Tom went to get a couple of pints and a pie from the Waggon & Horses down the road and I chilled in the sun, mourning the loss of my little toe nail.

    Lost toenail campsite

    We had a fabulous thunderstorm during the second half of England’s 4-0 victory over Ukraine, it was quite scary as we were up on a hill and there was a lot of rain in a short period of time but we survived ?

    Day 47: Langsett to The Fox House

    ? 34km

    ?1025m

    We knew it was going to be at least a 30km day today and we had a time target for a change, a treat at the end of the day was a shower, a bed & laundry along with an evening with my Mum’s best friend from school Mary and her husband Paul.

    We set off down the road and joined a forestry path towards Ladybower & Derwant reservoir noting down that the car park allows overnight stays. We took the main path up and over Mid Hope Moor, meeting a lady who was delighted about our trip, along with a few mountain bikers. I was impressed how many people were up and out so early after a Saturday night England win.

    Enjoying some dry weather

    We descended from the moor to the river and the main walk and cycle path around the reservoir where there were plenty of cyclists and lots of running club runners smashing out fast times, undoubtedly on Strava segments. We hung a left off the main path up the very steep National Trust Abbey Bank to get back up high and followed one of the many paths across Derwent Edge which had all its quirky stones. We ate our lunch at The Wheel Stone before cutting cross country towards Stanage Edge.

    Derwent Edge, looking across to the Edale Valley

    As we joined the main path from the road the weather started to turn moody and the views back towards Mam Tor and down to Hathersage were incredible.
    The thunder rolled and rumbled and Tom was loving life, but I was a bit nervous. The heavens did eventually open and we waterproofed up for the final section at the top before descending down for our cross country route towards the pub.

    Watching Castleton being consumed by the storm
    Glad to be watching the worst of it from a distance!

    We got chatting to three young lads as we were going down who asked where we were walking to, and I think I shocked them with our story as they ascended up onto the edge in thier pristine white JD gear. Our cross country route was a bit slower than expected and we just made it to the pub in time for our 16:00 meet up with Mary & Paul.

    We had a dreamy evening at their beautiful cottage down the road in Eyam, showered, washed our clothes and had a stunning lasagne with am incredible salad, coleslaw and garlic bread, then a beautiful summer pud and Mackie’s ice cream.
    It was a fabulous evening and we even got to make up some sandwiches with home made bread, best packed lunch on trail yet.