Southern Upland Way (Part 3) & Berwickshire Coast Path

Galashiels – Berwick-upon-Tweed,   9^th – 13^th May 2022

Introduction

 

At last, the big moment: the opportunity to complete my last national trail. I had hope to finish the nineteen LDWA-designated trails by last year but everything was put back because of the pandemic and its restrictions on travel and accommodation. Last year Mike & I finished our second section of the Southern Upland Way (SUW) on the banks of the River Tweed opposite Abbotsford House near Galashiels. To complete the trail, we needed to return to Tweedbank and walk to the North Sea coast, a three-day trip. So we had the opportunity, in our week-long expedition, to wander down the 30-mile Berwickshire Coast path, one of Scotland’s Great Trails that links in with the SUW at its trailhead in Cockburnspath.

 

All we had to do was get back to Galashiels, in principle a straightforward affair of taking a train to Carlisle and jumping on a bus. But it did not work out to be that simple. Our various train connections worked well but we just missed the bus in Carlisle and had to wait for two hours for the next. I had not twigged that, since the pandemic, the hourly bus service had been reduced. Then a set of road works delayed us by another half hour. Sheep on the road and Hawick diversions added to the nightmare so we final dismounted at Kingsknowle roundabout at 3pm, some 2½ hours behind schedule, still with 13 miles to walk to our overnight accommodation.

 

 

Monday 9^th May 2022                       Galashiels – Lauder

Crossing the Tweed

 

From the bus stop, we walked back along the A7 and down to the river passed a couple who were grooming a huge black dog in their garden. We quickly reached the car park where we had abandoned our trip last year and at last were on our way. Down the road and over a footbridge alongside the railway, the route was well waymarked passed Tweedbank railway station and along the river to Gattonside suspension footbridge . After crossing the Tweed, the route ran westward along the north bank until we reached a road. A took us uphill on what appeared to be an old drovers’ route heading northwards for more than six miles. In places it was stony, sometimes tarmacked and some sections crossed grassy fields but its line was straight and true.

A light shower of rain came through. It was getting late and I was increasingly concerned that we would not get to the pub before they finished cooking. I rang our b&b and asked if they could contact the pub and tell them we might be late. It was nearly 7.30pn, the time the kitchen was due to close, when we pulled over a grassy ridge and saw the village of Lauder below. Running down the finally grassy slopes, we decided to forego a check-in at the b&b and go straight to the pub. Apologising for our late arrival, we were told that they were so busy and short of kitchen staff that we would have to wait 15 minutes before ordering. So we had plenty of time to quench our thirst whilst studying the menu.

 

 Kingsknowle, Galashiels dep. 15.05, Lauder arr. 19.35

GPS 13.39 miles in 4hrs 28mins 06secs walking time, plus a 10-minute stop.

We went straight to the Black Bull and downed a couple of pints of Black Sheep Best Bitter (3.8%) from the Masham brewery. Chicken Balmoral was on the specials board. This came with haggis and mash with whisky sauce. We finally checked into our b&b, Lornebank Homestay, at 9.30pm. It was far too late to have a shower and I went straight to bed.

 

 

Tuesday 10^th May 2022                Lauder – Ellemford

The Operatic Hills

 

Before setting off, we went up to the general store and bought some sandwiches and cakes for our lunch. Then we picked up from where last night’s finish and set out on a bright morning towards the Lammermoor Hills. Pertinent since the opera Lucia di Lammermoor is being streamed from the Met in two-week’s time. Crossing the cattle-filled fields, Thirlestane Castle loomed austerely over us. A friendly farmer told us a story about how one of the pubs in town was called the Dipper by the locals. Allegedly the beer used to taste like sheep dip. Up on the hills w found much forestry damage. Storm Arwen last November caused much havoc in the area. On Scoured Rig an entire strip of pine plantation had blown down across the SUW path. A deviation across a field took us round and then through the devastation and down to the farm at Braidshawrig.

 

As we climbed towards the day’s high point, a sharp shower came through, blown on a cold north-westerly wind. By the time we crested Twin Law the sun was out but it was far too exposed to stop to eat our butties. So we strode out downhill towards Watch Water reservoir. Eventually we found a sheltered spot for our lunch stop near Scarlaw in an undamaged woodland of deciduous trees. Our native trees seemed to have avoided the storm damage. As we circumnavigated the reservoir, the fields leading down to the water were full of bird-life, in particular families of Greylags and their goslings. Amongst all this activity stood one solitary Barnacle Goose looking lonely and lost.

 

A road section took us along to the hamlet of Longformacus where we stood for a few minutes watching a young shepherdess training her sheep dog. As we climbed over our final moorland section of the day, the rain and wind came in again . At least it was at our backs and blowing us towards our haven for the night. A steep grassy descent brought us to a road and the end of today’s stage. But we still had over 1½ miles of tarmac to reach our accommodation. It was a glorious moment when we finally looked down onto the house at Green Hope in its idyllic forest and valley setting.

 

Lauder dep. 09.03,  Ellemford arr. 17.15

GPS 21.11 miles in 7hrs 57mins 17secs walking plus 15 mins lunch break near Scarlaw.

We stayed at Green Hope, a lovely house in an idyllic settling a mile from Ellemford Bridge. Alison and Bill looked after us like royalty and catered for all our logistical needs for the next two days.

 

 

Wednesday 11^th May 2022               Ellemford – Cockburnspath

And What Did We See, We Saw the Sea valley

 

After a leisurely breakfast with much chat, there was always so much to talk about with Alison and Bill, we set off up the valley to retrace last night’s diversion from the SUW. Today, we travelled light because Alison was coming out to collect us and bring us back for a second night in paradise. The trail started with a steep climb along the edge of a wood, over a grassy field where I nearly stepped on a hare and across a deep defile to reach a woodland track that took us all the way to Abbey St Bathans. Here we crossed a footbridge over Whiteadder Water and turned to follow its north bank until the route turned north again and started to go uphill. Gaining higher ground we passed a magnificent cairn with a weathervane on top, which commemorated a now non-existent airfield. By-passing another storm-devastated plantation, we came out at a farm specialising in quad bike activities. Then over more fields to Blackburn Mill Farm where the official route was diverted into the most appalling rutted field imaginable. In wet weather this would have been a nightmare. 

Soon we were out onto smoother tracks to Blackburn and along their newly tarmacked drive to the A1. After dicing with the fast-moving traffic, we entered a roadside area of scrub and emerged onto a bridge over the railway. Initially the track through Penmanshiel Wood runs parallel to the road and railway through a steep-sided valley but then begins to climb into the forest. Bill had urged us to consider a low-level short cut but I was adamant that we would take the zig-zags to the higher traverse. It was beginning to rain as we searched amongst the dark and dismal trees for a dry and flat place for lunch. Eventually we just sat down on a bank beside the track and ate our sandwiches. The rain had passed through as we descended to the Pease Bridge, a narrow viaduct over an impressive drop to the railway. Then it was down all the way to the sea, down step after step and through the verdant gorge of the Pease River. We broke out onto the road opposite the Pease Bay Leisure Park. Our next two miles were to be shared with the Coast Path. Ascending a steep road, the path turned onto the headland above Cove harbour and then turned inland just before the car park to pass back beneath the railway and the A! and into the village of Cockburnspath. 

There was a SUW notice board at the entrance to the village but we thought that the official end of the trail was further into the centre. So we passed the village cross, a memorial to Queen Margaret, and continued to the community shop near the village hall. It was only then that I was happy with another national trail completion, this my nineteen and last trail. After a cup of coffee from the shop, we returned to the cross and sat waiting for Alison and our lift back to Green Hope and another wonderful meal.

Ellemford dep. 09.10, Cockburnspath arr.15.30

GPS 15.81 miles in 5hrs 58mins 54secs walking time plus a 20mins butty break in Penmanshiel Wood.

 

Thursday 12^th May 2022                  Pease Bay – Eyemouth

Berwickshire Coast Path

 

It seemed pointless to repeat the 2-mile section of the coast path that we had walked yesterday so, when Bill offered to take us back to the start of today’s walk, we asked him to drop us in Pease Bay. At 9.45am we were off on a new trail, the Berwickshire Coast Path. The well-signed route was initially onto the cliff tops but soon retreated inland up to a high lane and farm track. We climbed even higher to a grassy plateau and then walked on a trod parallel to the lane to Dowlaw. Just before the farm, the coast path joined the road. We could not use the farm bypass due to tree wind-blow in the adjoining plantation. We apologised to the lady farmer and passed onwards down a grass track to a delightful old bridge that is now no longer in use.

 Up the other side of the burn the coastal views opened up as we crested the next grassy field. Then it was a sheer delight to stride out over sheep-grazed cliff tops with St Abbs head dominating the view ahead. One huge drop took us almost down to sea-level, crossing a damp valley full of orchids, primroses and cow-slips. Lunch break was declared at the top of the next climb before another grassy descent took us down to St Abbs Head and its dramatic lighthouse.

 

The next section of clifftop paths was not near so exciting but it led to St Abbs village and the great Old School Café. After a scrumptious slice of Eyemouth tart, we walked down to the  lovely harbour, then back onto the cliff-tops via a devious path up a grass bank and along a cottage-lined street. Eyemouth was now visible a few miles ahead but the panorama was spoilt by a huge holiday park of static caravans. Weaving round the edge of this, we eventually reached the old French fort and had a view of the beach and harbour of Eyemouth. Over the end of the beach, we continued along the promenade and round the corner into the inner harbour to find our accommodation above the Ship Bar & Restaurant.

 

Pease Bay dep. 09.45, Eyemouth arr.17.15

GPS 13.98 miles in 6hrs 35mins 39secs walking time plus 15mins butty stop above St Abb’s Head and 30mins in the Old School Café in St. Abb’s village.

 

We stayed in the Ships Quarters on the harbour in Eyemouth. We ate next door, at the Ship Restaurant, steak & ale pie, chips and stramash of vegetables, with a dessert of apple tart with vanilla tablet ice cream. Two Scottish words here that are new to me. A new beer as well:  Pagan Queen (4.1%) from Firebrick Brewery, Blaydon.

 

Friday 13^th May 2022                       Eyemouth – Berwick on Twee

Crossing the Border

 

No breakfast include, said the booking. So we were out into the town at 8am looking for an early café. There was a queue outside Loughs bakery and here we bought bacon and sausage baps which we devoured seated above the beach. Then we walked round the harbour looking at all the fishing boats and up over the golf course onto the cliff path. A roller coaster route ran round the edge of the verdant fields, some growing oil-seed rape that was not helpful to my hayfever. We emerged onto a road that took us steeply down to Burnmouth. The climb out was quite strenuous, first up some wooden steps and then zig-zagging up the grassy cliff-face and final up a steep meadow to join a track running parallel to the railway. We followed the railway for miles, on a so-called nature trail passed signs to peregrine nesting sites. A wire fence eventually blocked our progress and as we headed towards a kissing gate, we saw that it was the English border. What this tiny gate might be like in a few years’ time, I dread to think. A national crossing point and immigration control? 

Industrial units filled the land over the other side of the railway line. The character of the landscape was changing rapidly as we approached Berwick. Then the perennial golf courses and holiday parks pushed us back to the cliff edge. We paused briefly near Brotherstone’s Hole to eat our butties and then walked on and on, bypassing the town centre and across sandy beaches and dunes until, there in front of us was the sea wall. Here was the mouth of the River Tweed and the end of the Berwickshire Coast Path. Turning back along the wall and into the wind, we struggled up river to the bastioned town walls which led us round to the beautiful old Berwick Bridge, the end of our trip. We quickly retreated into a coffee shop to await our train home.

 

Eyemouth dep. 08.25, Berwick upon Tweed arr. 13.45

GPS 12.63 miles in 5hrs 03mins 10secs walking time with a 15min lunch break near Brotherstone’s Hole.

 

Conclusion

 

We started beside the Tweed and finished at its mouth, from Tweedbank to Tweedmouth in five days. We walked 80 miles and had a hell of a lot of fun. And somewhere in between, I achieved my quest of completing all nineteen of the LDWA-designated national trails. We have put ourselves in the perfect position to start the English Coast Path, itself now categorised as a national trail. The trains worked perfectly and we had the joy of standing briefly on York Station and the interest of looping round Manchester on the link between Victoria and Piccadilly Stations. Wives were awaiting us in Macclesfield and another adventure was over.

 

 

 

Viking Way (Part 2)

Fiskerton - Oakham  28^th – 31^st March 2022

Introduction

 

Spring was in the air; the clocks had gone forward and another winter of restrictions was behind us. It was time to learn to live with Covid and complete some unfinished business. Autumn last year left me halfway through the Viking Way (VW). I did not quite get to Lincoln. My trip was abandoned at Fiskerton, 5 miles and a short bus ride from the Cathedral. So I started this year’s campaign by reversing my homeward journey with an early morning train to Stockport and Sheffield, to reach Lincoln at 11am. The 11.15 bus dropped me in Fiskerton village at 11.45 and I set off directly from the bus stop on a beautiful sunny morning, much warmer than forecast.

 

 

Monday 28^th March 2022                 Fiskerton - Harmston

Lincoln Cathedral

 

Knowing the route out of Fiskerton was a great advantage. The narrow passage between two cottages must only be known by locals but I was quickly out into the flood meadows and heading for the wooden footbridge where I had called it a day last year. Amazingly the only two people in the entire landscape were sitting on the raised bank of the River Witham and they willingly took my photograph and recorded the start of VW Part 2. I was soon sweating profusely under my winter walking clothes. Stopping to take off two layers, I was mesmerised by a Little Egret rising majestically from the river’s edge and flapping slowly up-stream. More white birds, swans this time, glided on the slow flowing water. A couple of volunteer footpath conservationist put me on the right route to the Saxon church at Greetwell Hall. Only an industrial estate stood between me and the centre of Lincoln.

 

Passing the County Hospital and a small park, the route headed uphill passed the Minster School to emerge opposite the east window of the Cathedral. A quick look into the great nave (there was not enough time in my schedule for a tour), and then it was through the west gate and into the old town and its steep cobbled streets. Jenny’s café in Saltergate provided a quick lunch. High Street seemed endless but eventually I found another ginnel out onto South Common, passing my accommodation for the night. But there were still five miles to be walked so I pressed on across the common and over Grantham Road onto a rising field path. A young girl offered me some nettles for my compost heap but I could only thank her profusely and walk on.

Views opened out to the west as the path kept to the escarpment edge around Waddington. At Harmston, it was time to head to the bus stop and take the 5pm bus back to Lincoln and my guest house. This was unstaffed. I has received an e-mail with the code to the key box and access to my room. The southern end of High Street had no eating houses. I popped into the Golden Eagle for a swift pint and was recommended the Ritz, a Wetherspoons further up High Street, for the nearest food so it was another tramp up and down this boring thoroughfare.

 

Fiskerton dep. 11.50, Harmston arr. 16.50

GPS 12.35 miles in 4hr 22mins 23secs walking time with a 40-minute break in Lincoln

Stayed at the Tennyson Guest House, South Park, an unmanned house a mile south of the city centre. A pint of Lush (4%) from Tiny Rebel Brewing in the Golden Eagle was followed by  Summa This (4.2%) from Branscomb Vale Brewery and a chicken tikka masala in the Ritz.

 

 

Tuesday 29^th March 2022             Harmston – Marston

Street of Ermine

 

With an unstaffed hotel, breakfast comprised of a porridge pot and a slice of toast. A bus from round the corner took me back to Harmston crossroads where I re-joined the VW and a half mile section of roadside footpath. It was a damp and cold, foggy morning with dew on the grass. As the trailed headed back to the edge of the high ground, all yesterday’s views had disappeared. The lovely church at Coleby appeared out of the mist, Navenby was completely bypassed and the path did not emerge onto a road again until Wellingore. I was hoping to find a café or shop in the village but, stopping a postman on his round, I was told there was nothing in Wellingore. So, rather forlornly, I had to press on.

 

My phone beeped. My daughter was seeking a chat which I suggested might be delayed until I reached a boring section of the route. I then had to navigate carefully over a series of ploughed fields before arriving at Ermine Street, an old Roman road and one of the straightest tracks in England. The first few miles passed quickly as I chatted on the phone but then I had to concentrate on keeping up the pace on this undulating six miles of grass track. After almost two hours, I saw some vehicle movement ahead and realised I was approaching the major junction at Byard’s Leap. I stopped to talk to a lady in a van parked on the grass. She must have appreciated the conversation because I found it hard to get away. The café near the junction was closed on Tuesdays, the only café directly on route and I had chosen the wrong day. So I walked a further mile, turned into a field and sat beside the path eating a banana that I had taken from breakfast.   

 

After clinging to high ground since leaving Lincoln, the VW finally descended into the lower world of Carlton Scoop. There were signs of life at the golf club but nothing anywhere else. After a brief look into the church, a rising farm track led me to a quiet lane near Carlton Ashes. A mile of downhill brought me to a farm track heading west towards tonight’s destination. But this promising line was soon thwarted by a southward excursion into the headwaters of the River Witham, which I had not seen since Lincoln. A very busy railway dominated the view ahead as high-speed trains flew across the landscape. The VW passed under the line and around a sewerage works and waste disposal site before emerging into Marston. Near the church, I left the trail and headed down Tollbar Road to find my hotel.

 

Harmston dep. 09.37, Marston  arr. 17.00 

GPS 20.91 miles in 7hrs 9mins 42secs walking with a 10 min break. (20.37 miles on route).

The Old Barn Hotel was a low series of buildings just outside the village. I felt disincline to use the spa facilities but headed instead for the bar and a very expensive pint of Goose Island IPA (5.9%). I chose chicken breast with tarragon cream for main course and a stick toffee pudding as a dessert.

 

 

Wednesday 30^th March 2022           Marston – Buckminster

Got My Drift?

 

In an attempt to beat the rush, I was in the breakfast buffet before 8am and eating a full English. Settling my bill before queues began at reception, I was out onto the busy road before 9am heading back into the village to re-join the VW. The temperature had dropped even lower and the gloves were on to counter the cold, damp air. The route over to Long Bennington was in the main on flat and firm field paths. I met several dog walkers, one gentleman in particular was up for a good long chat. The small hamlet of Westborough had a beautiful church looking a picture with its foreground of daffodils. The VW hardly touches Long Bennington. Soon after the footbridge across the River Witham, the path emerges into a built-up-area and the VW turns southwards towards the A1. On the bridge over the Great North Road, a vehicle pulled up beside me and the chatty dog-walker, now in a white van, wished me a good day’s journey. Then I turned into a dead straight road, Sewstern Lane, which I was to follow in its various guises for the rest of the day. 

 

This lane follows the line of an old drove road once used by, amongst others, Scottish drovers taking their cattle to the London markets. Whilst some parts are wide dry tracks, other sections have been churned up by off road vehicles, mostly grass track motorbikes. Deep ruts over water-filled channels made fast progress impossible. After an unmanned level crossing and a major road there was a four-mile trek to where the route joined a canal. A short walk through a narrow woodland brought up the spectra of a pub and all thoughts of a fast time and early finish disappeared. I crossed the canal on the old humped-backed Woolsthorpe Bridge and ventured into the Dirty Duck for some sustenance. This included a brie and bacon baguette and two beers from Batemans Brewery, Gold (3.9%) and XB (3.7%).

 

I certainly went well in the afternoon. Along the tow path of the Grantham Canal and over the first bridge, then uphill onto the Wolds where the route passes Brewer’s Grave. I saw no dead beer producers. One of the most pleasant sections of drove road, known as ‘The Drift’, is a wide grass-way now designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. A jay flew along in front of me and red kites circled overhead. A war-time airfield (Salty was the base of the Douglas C-47’s flown to France to support the D-day landings) was crossed, the route running along the runway around the hangers to the gliding club. A steep-sided wooded valley was crossed, a horribly mudded section being negotiated with care at the lowest point. Then it was up to civilisation and a long road toward Sewstern. At Stainby Road I turned right towards Buckminster and stepped into Leicestershire.

 

Marston dep. 08.56, Buckminster arr.16.55

GPS 20.46 miles in 6hrs 59mins 49secs walking time plus an hour in the Dirty Duck at lunchtime. (19.50 miles on the VW)

The Tollemache Arms in Buckminster had reserved a lovely room on a room only basis. From the bar, I ordered several pints of JHB (3.9%) from Oakham Brewery in Peterborough. I ate a large plateful of fish & chips. I enjoyed good company with a fellow VW walker, Simon Butterick from Darlington. So, instead of a dessert, I had another Oakham beer, Bishops Farewell (4.6%), and continued our conversation a little longer.

 

Thursday 31^st March 2022               Buckminster – Oakham

Early Start in a Blizzard

 

What a shock to look out of the window at dawn. Snow was falling and the roads were covered in an inch of the white stuff. As there was no breakfast on offer, I decided to don my full winter gear, thermals and over-trousers, and step out into a blizzard. To be fair to the hotel, the kitchen had produced a sandwich for me to eat on route. And they had refused any offer of a payment. Soon after 7.30am  I was outside the hotel and playing in the snow. Some kids waiting for their school bus took my photo to record the rather unseasonal weather. It was unnerving walking down the busy road in these dangerous conditions with heavy traffic struggling to keep on the straight and narrow. There was a brief break in the snowstorm when the sun came out but, as I struggled with the mud and ruts in the tracks south of Sewstern, the blizzard returned.

 

Nearly two miles of busy roads made for faster progress on the approach to Thistleton. Then some firmer paths across snow-covered fields led round the end of the runway of Cottesmore Airfield looking sinister behind its ‘Official Secrets Acts’ signs. At the entrance to Great Lane, now a cycle path to Greetham, a bench provided a suitable place to eat my sandwich. South of Greetham, the track broadened into a wide gravel lane that wound its way round Exton Park. In Exton itself, I momentarily made a navigation error and had to backtrack onto the correct road out of the village. Pleasant field paths led across a low ridge of high ground and descended gently into Whitwell and its busy road. A sheet of hail came down once again as I braved the traffic and made my way down to  the car park on the side of Rutland Water. I ignored an open coffee kiosk and walked on westwards along the north shore of the reservoir.

 

It was a good three miles into Oakham, much of it on tarmac beside the main road. Signs were being put out for the half-marathon race scheduled for the following weekend. The weather was improving and there was no snow lying here, no indication of the awful conditions I had come through that morning. At the by-pass, the VW heads straight into the town centre, along Stamford Road and into the Market Place. A dark alley led to the spectacular parish church which looked a picture in the sunshine. The maps indicate that the trail continues along Northgate to its terminus. I followed but could see no sign of an official end point. But I was next to the station so I bought a ticket for the next train and asked where the nearest café was. Look no further that the Grainstore, the brewery next door, said the station master. And I didn’t.

 

Buckminster dep. 07.37, Oakham  arr.13.34

17.72 miles in 5hrs 56mins 26secs .

 

 

Conclusion

 

I sat waiting for my train, eating a very welcome lunch, my first proper meal of the day. It was too early to start on the wonderful array of Grainstore beers lined up at the counter. A cappuccino was more suitable for this time of the day. I sorted through my notes and just had time to summarise the last four days, my second and final visit to the Viking Way, I had covered 71 miles in completing the trail, all but a couple of miles being on route. The accommodation was close to the route and had worked out well except for one missing   breakfast. Even this had been turned to an advantage and it had enabled me to get an earlier train than planned. I was soon travelling through the East Midlands countryside, heading towards the pleasures of Birmingham New Street. As I got home so early, there was no one to meet me at the station and I got in another 1.5 miles of walking as an encore. I felt really good as I walked home and my feet were still in good condition. I am finally getting the hang of this long-distance walking.

Viking Way (Part 1)

Barton upon Humber – Fiskerton   25^th – 29^th October 2021

Introduction

 

My post-retirement objective of the completion of the national trails has almost been achieved and it was time to broaden my horizons and explore different parts of Britain. In the weeks before the clocks went back, I had the opportunity of one more walk before the winter darkness descended. So why not try somewhere low-lying, somewhere not so exposed to the vagaries of autumn weather. The Viking Way was top of my list as an early or late in the season low-level route. Lincolnshire was supposedly flat. Little did I know how wrong I could be.

 

At 147 miles in length, the Viking Way fell perfectly into the category of two trips, each of four or five days. And with the transport hub of Lincoln halfway along, the obvious plan was to make Lincoln the target for my late October trek. This would give me a walk from the banks of the Humber, to one of England’s greatest cathedrals. Next spring, God and Covid willing, I hope to return to Lincoln and completed the trail to its southern terminus at Oakham.

 

 

Monday 25^th October 2021 Barton-upon-Humber -South Ferriby

The Chef’s Day Off

 

It was on a Monday morning, the last Monday before the clocks change, that Jill took me down to the station to catch a local train to Stockport where I had time for a bacon bap in the station buffet before boarding a Transpennine Express across to Sheffield and Doncaster and the remote halt at Habrough. In the dry and bright conditions, I did not mind the hour-long wait. The connection to Barton upon Humber, the end of the line in more ways than one, took me to the start of the Viking Way (VW). A café near the station was just closing and had no cakes left but kindly provided me with a dish of rhubarb crumble and custard before I set off. Heading north out of Barton, I soon reached the Humber, a huge tidal estuary with the factories of Hull just visible on the far bank. There was a car park, almost empty, the Viking Way Café under construction, and a few people walking on the sea wall. I asked one of these good souls to take my photo as I stood under the Humber Bridge at the start of the trail.

 

I turned westwards along the sea wall, passing Far Ings Nature Reserve and its aluminium box of a visitors’ centre. A wide track followed the river bank and briefly made an excursion inland to bypass South Cliff Farm. The afternoon sun was low in the sky and glaring in my eyes: I had not brought along any sunglasses. The Yorkshire Wolds on the north bank, a national trail I walked some seven years ago, looked lovely in the late afternoon sunshine. Soon, the track emerged onto a lane passing a hall and I was in the outskirts of South Ferriby. At the main road I continued across into an ascending lane which bypasses the village. At the graveyard, a steep track led down to the church and the pub which was to provide my first night’s accommodation. I was on my way.

 

 

Barton-upon-Humber Station dep. 14.15, South Ferriby arr. 16.00

GPS 4.76 miles in 1hr 42mins 42secs walking time (about 4 miles on route).

Stayed in the Nelthorpe Arms, South Ferriby. It was the chef’s night off so the pub rang through for an Indian delivery from Barton, butter chicken, rice and naan. The pub provided some best bitter {3.7%) from Lincolnshire Craft Beers, brewed on a farm near Barnetby.

 

 

Tuesday 26^th October 2021          South Ferriby – Nettleton

All the By’s

 

My breakfast was a porridge pot left outside my room. Just add boiling water and retire immediately. At least there were no delays: I was packed and out of the pub well before 9am. Within a couple of minutes, I was shuffling up the steep and slippery cobbled track onto the VW and out along a bare plateau, The route weaved its way along tracks and lanes until the traffic noise intensified as I neared the A15, a busy dual carriage way coming from the Humber Bridge. The crossing of this arterial road proved the biggest navigation challenge of the day. All VW signs disappeared, a half mile of tarmac led to a road bridge over the A15 leaving the walker with the only option of walking down the slip road onto the southern  carriageway. Just when all hope of seeing home again had evaporated, a tiny gap in a hedge opened into a field. A well-walked trod ran beside the busy carriageway and the traffic noise was such that ear protectors should be recommended. After a mile or so the path bent away from the road and the noise levels subsided.

 

A drizzle came in but not enough to warrant waterproof covers for the rucksack. The level field-paths led briefly out onto a lane and then turned towards a motorway junction where the A15 meets the M180. Emerging onto a busy motorway junction was unnerving but, with care and patience, I was able to negotiate the traffic and proceed to second roundabout and the entrance into the village of Barnetby-le-Wold. I was hoping for a nice tea shop but had to make do with a bacon bap from a takeaway sandwich shop. This I ate in a bus shelter before tramping onwards. The afternoon section was a sheer delight. Field paths passed through a green valley with gentle hills to the east, passing the monument near Somerby Hall and then village after village ending in ‘by’, the Viking term for a farm or settlement. Eventually I was faced with a sharp climb up onto a ridge where Caistor came into view. Crossing a shallow valley, the route climbed into the lovely old town, originally Roman but now predominantly  Georgian. As the pub had no room for me, I continued south to the next village, Nettleton, a small hamlet clustered to one side of a main road.  

 

The Salutation was closed on Tuesdays but my host, Jo, gave me a coffee at her roadside café and led me round the side of the pub to a beautifully furbished luxury cabin. After a shower and rest, I was suitably recovered to walk back up the main road for a meal in Caistor.

 

South Ferriby dep. 08.49, Nettleton arr. 16.00 

GPS 20.33 miles in 7hrs 1min 42secs walking with a 20min lunch stop in Barnetby-le-Wold. I had failed to find accommodation in Caistor but was rescued by Jo at the Salutation in Nettleton who, even though shut for the evening, offered me a luxury cabin beside her pub. I had to walk a mile back into Caistor for a meal at the White Hart where I ate fish, chips and mushy peas. The beer was New World Pale Ale (3.9%) from Milestone Brewery, Cromwell, Nottinghamshire.

 

 

Wednesday 27^th October 2021   Nettleton – Donington on Bain

Into the Wolds

 

Jo opened up her café especially early for me so I could have a bacon bap and be on my way into the long day ahead. The route started up a steep-sided valley, climbing all the time to emerge onto a country lane at Acre House. The long straight strip of tarmac was not at all boring as the views to the west opened out and the sun came out in celebration. After a high-level few miles, the road gradually dropped into Normanby-le-Wold and its lovely old church. Another section along the top of the Wolds, this time on grass, led to a steep drop into Walesby and up the other side to another impressive church. At Rigby, a notice pointed towards a flock of sheep, Leicester Longwools. And then came the piece de resistance, the lovely village of Tealby. The route passed right by the village shop where I had a fabulous piece of chocolate cake with my cappuccino.

 

The next few miles were a big disappointment. Low-level tracks emerged onto High Street, an arrow-straight Roman road with fast moving traffic. Then over farmland to Ludford and three miles of tarmac, the first mile of which was alongside an A-road. The lane out to Girsby was a drag and I was relieved to turn east and onto a farm-track to Wykeham Hall. Here I called in to see Lizzie and Richard and chatted for the best part of an hour. Then it was east across a valley, before turning south along a high-level ridge passed Grim’s Mound. Straight on down a lane brought me to the estate at Biscathorpe and then along the river and its reservoirs into Donington. The pub was at the far end of the village and it provided me with a nice room up some metal fire escapes of an adjoining block.

 

Nettleton dep. 09.18, Donington on Bain arr.16.50

GPS 18.92 mls in 6hrs 28mins 14secs walking time plus 15mins at the village shop in Tealby and 50 mins at Wykeham Hall.

The Black Horse in Donington provided a lovely meal. Belly pork & mash followed by treacle tart & custard. I tried two ales, Piston Broke (4.5%) from Box Steam Brewery in Holt, Wiltshire and an old friend Silver King (4.3%) from Ossett Brewery, West Yorkshire.

 

Thursday 28^th October 2021 Donington on Bain – Woodhall Spa

Down into the Flatlands

 

A light breakfast was perfect on this lovely morning. No wind and clear blue skies overhead as I weaved my way out of the village and over a dismantled railway. Skirting a plantation or two and climbing over Colley Hill, the route descended into Goulceby. The village was eerily quiet: lots of lovely property but no people or cars. Following a stream across flat meadows, I came thence to Scamblesby, which looked marginally more alive. An endlessly long lane gradually morphed into a field track before climbing another section of high ground. The next target was the delightfully named Belchford which was soon bypassed for more grassy hills. Poor signage (or navigation) resulted in me missing the path into Fulletby and I found myself with an extra bit of tarmac to traverse. All of a sudden, the Wolds came to an end. With fabulous views ahead, I started down three miles of field-paths and lanes into the town of Horncastle. The morning ended in Myer’s café eating cheese toasties.

 

The Viking Way leaves the town via the sports centre, seeking a canalised River Bain to the west. The Bain is followed for several miles until the route transfers onto an old railway line, now the well walked and cycled Woodhall Spa Trail. Interesting metal sculptures line the path adding a bit of interest to a rather dull section of walking. Things brightened up considerably over the golf course and some lovely woodland paths linked the various fairways and greens. Passing a museum and a hotel, the lane brought me right into the town centre. The guest house was within yards of the busy cross roads and I was soon showered and ready for a pint.

 

 

Donington dep. 08.30, Woodhall Spa arr.16.20

20 mls in 6hrs 45mins 24secs walking time with a 35min lunch break in Myers Café, Horncastle. .

I stayed in the Claremont Guest House and ate at the Inn at Woodhall Spa. I enjoyed an interesting dish, butternut & courgette curry followed by apple strudel & ice cream. The only real ale was Batemans XB (3.7%).

 

 

Friday 29^th October 2021                 Woodhall Spa – Fiskerton

A Cathedral on the Horizon

 

At dawn it was drizzling. Had my good luck with the weather finally run out? Another light breakfast and I was glad to see that the rain had ceased and the skies still  looked threatening but a lot brighter. I had time for a quick visit to the shops before I set off along Whitham Road looking for the way out of town. This turned out to be a hedged path between the houses that emerged into huge flat fields all the way to Stixwould. The easy walking on quiet lanes enabled me to get an average pace of more than 3mph for the first time this week. Beyond the hamlet, all signs and stickers for the Viking Way disappeared. There seemed little interest in the long-distance route in this area. At Abbey Warren Farm, the path disappeared altogether with an apology of a section around the farm through nettles and mud.

The route was better signed beyond Southrey and the perimeter track around Southrey Wood was easy to find. The huge sugar factory dominated the landscape as I approached Bardney, another village where little seemed to happen. And I could have killed a cup of coffee. North of here, the map showed Kings Hill but this mound was even less impressive than Grim’s. The lanes around Stainfield were rather busy and I was glad to reach a signed short-cut across a loop in the road. But the field crossing had been recently ploughed and no attempt had been made to reinstate the path. So I went the long way on tarmac and left the lane at the path to Stainfield Hall. There was a strange old chapel next the hall. A welcome woodland path circled Foxhall Wood and here I stopped for a short rest and a bite of my emergency supplies.

 

A shower of rain came in as I crossed a huge ploughed field. This crossing could have been difficult in wetter weather. Eventually I reached the northernmost point of the day. I turned west onto a lane and for the first time today was heading towards Lincoln. First though, I had to cross three miles of rich but rather featureless farmland. The one memorable moment was  passing the ruined abbey of which just one wall and tower remaining, looking rather incongruous in the middle of a field. A hedged path then took me round to the solar farm at Fiskerton. Two ladies out for a walk gave me the information I need on buses into Lincoln. I had time to walk down to the River Whitham and ¾ mile along the river wall to a wooden footbridge back into Fiskerton village. And as I walked along the river, there on the horizon was the cathedral, still 5-miles distant, starkly outlined against the grey sky. I was just in time for a bus into Lincoln and my walk for the week was over.

 

Woodhall Spa dep. 08.50, Fiskerton bus stop arr. 15.15

GPS 19.03 miles in 6hrs 24mins 43secs. (18.33 miles on route).

 

Conclusion

 

The train journey home involved changing at Sheffield and Stockport and, despite a missed connection at the latter, I was home in time for a meal with Jill and the swapping of a week’s news. It was only when I saw the news items of floods in Cumbria and SW Scotland that I realised how lucky I had been with the weather for my week in Lincolnshire. Maybe I should do all my walking in the east of the country.

 

The Lincolnshire Wolds were a joy to walk through and the picturesque villages lacked only cafes and teashops. The flatter part of this walk is still to come. I had walked 83 miles in five days of which at least 80 miles were on route. This leaves me less than 70 miles to complete the Viking Way. This must wait for another winter. I plan to return in the early spring, with a four-day schedule for Part 2, Fiskerton – Oakham.

North Downs Way (Part 2)

Hollingbourne – Dover – Canterbury - Wye

13^th – 17^th September 2021

Introduction

 

Walking to Canterbury Cathedral has been my long-term objective for several years. Reaching it by my  75^th birthday and as my last of the 19 LDWA National Trails was my idealised target. The Covid pandemic put pay to that plan but when an autumnal opportunity arose to complete the North Downs Way (NDW), a trail I had started just before last autumn’s lockdown, I put together a five-day programme to not just reach the cathedral but also to include the Wye – Dover – Canterbury – Wye loop. A great excuse to explore the beautiful county of Kent.

 

Of the options that I considered, I chose one that I had never tried before: operating from a single base, using public transport each day and carrying only a day pack rather than my normal 40 litre rucksack. The thought of living out of a city hotel for a week was not very attractive. Then I came across details of an Airbnb in a small village near Canterbury, close to rail and bus links to east Kent. I was destined to spend five nights with Nicole and Alex in Chartham, travelling out each morning to the route of the NDW. On a quiet Sunday afternoon I drove down the M40 and round the M25 to arrive in Kent in the early evening. There was just time to have a pint of Master Brew at the village pub, the Artichoke, and then pack a small sack ready for a Monday morning start.

 

 

Monday 13^th September 2021                      Hollingbourne  - Wye

Pilgrim’s Progress Continued

 

My kind hosts, who lead very busy lives, left a table of cereals, bread and homemade jams for my breakfast. I walked down to the station and caught the 09.08 train to Hollingbourne, back to where last year’s expedition had terminated. I took a slightly different path to the one I had used last year, passing Allington Farm to attain the top of the downs. A short excursion took me the ‘wrong way’ along the NDW back to Broad Street Hill, the point where I had left the route last year. Here I turned around and retraced my steps and beyond to recommence my pilgrimage. I was soon down in Hollingbourne although I saw little of the village except for the Dirty Habit pub. The walking was easy and rapid, on lanes and wooded tracks along the foot of the downs. In no time I was passing Lenham and its light industry. A monk sat in a very wooden manner on a road-side bench, and a white cross was carved into the chalk hillside overlooking another bench and spring. A milestone informed the pilgrims of the miles they had come and still had to go. On and on went the trail until it was time for a break and some food. A gap in a hedge led out into a field with views over the A20 as it approached the roundabout at Charing. I lay on the grass for half an hour and dozed in the sunshine.

 

The path crossed the A252 half way up Charing Hill. The continuation was on a long section of tarmac that eventually led to another wooded trackway. After passing the hamlet of Dunn Street, I descended a grassy field beside a strip of woodland, then crossed open land to Eastwell Park. The lake was visible to the south but I could see no sign of the hotel at the centre of the estate. Boughton Lees has a large triangular green at its core with a busy road up on side and an enticing pub, the Flying Horse, at the far end. This looked closed so I passed on up a lane which led to a rather innocuous looking signpost, but one that was key to the whole week. If I headed north, it was 34 miles to Dover via Canterbury. I chose the other alternative, 27 miles east to Dover via Folkestone. Wye Station was only two miles along this path and a train to Chartham brought me to the end of my first day.

 

Hollinbourne Station dep. 09.48, Wye Station arr. 16.25

GPS 18.25 miles in 5hrs 58mins 27secs walking time plus a 35-minute break near Charing. It was 1.7 miles and 36 minutes from the station to the start at Broad Street Hill.

Neither pub in Chartham did food on Mondays or Tuesdays. Thankfully I had the car to drive to Chilham, where I ordered ham & leek pie in the White Horse followed by syrup sponge and custard. The Mad Goose (4.2%) from Purity was nearing the end of the barrel so my second pint was Landlord (4.3%) from Timothy Taylor’s.

 

Tuesday 14^th September 2021         Wye – Folkestone (A260)

The Crown of Wye Down

 

Yesterday’s sunshine had disappeared. It was a grey and damp morning and rain was in the air as I walked to the station and caught a train for the short journey back to Wye. As I walked into the village, the rain was getting heavier. A lovely coffee shop provided tuna and mayo butties for my lunch together with the obligatory carrot cake. The church was a sight to behold as it dominated the view down Church Street with its lovely door and yew tree. The route slanted through the graveyard and out passed the agricultural college buildings, some no longer in use. It was too warm and humid for my raingear so I chose to get wet instead as I followed a track under an avenue of trees and across a field to the base of the downs. A steep climb up the wooded slopes gained the crest and then the path emerged onto a open grassy edge with fine views of the town below. I rested momentarily at the low concrete monument, the Wye Crown. Then it was off and away over the glorious Wye Downs, a national nature reserve, with the sea in the grey and murky distance.

 

The rain had started again as the trail dropped down the road into Stowting, passing the Tiger pub. Too early for a pint. The start of the climb up Cobb’s Hill was hard to find. A lovely lady with umbrella showed me the gap in the thorn hedge. The climb was steep and led to a large field that gently dropped down to a very busy road. The signed path ran on the field-side of the hedge parallel to the road so the lives of walkers were not threatened until the road  had to be crossed to regain the edge of the downs. The next roller-coaster section was hard to follow and poorly signed. I ended up dropping into Posting village and had a half mile of tarmac to regain the official line. Another big climb was to follow but I broke this up by choosing a lunch spot half way up and enjoying my delicious butties and great views to the north.

 

I lost all this height again descending into Etchinghill by-passing the village to reach a field path leading back up to the top of the downs. From this vantage point, the huge complex of the Channel tunnel opened up. Keeping to the edge of the plateau, the route broke out onto narrow lanes. A path ran on the other side of the hedge but was so overgrown that I took my chances with the odd vehicle and stayed on the tarmac. The NDW is taken around the earthworks and ramparts of Folkestone Castle and it was here that I met Gyan, a retired Gurkha soldier, out for his daily run. A sharp pull over Sugarloaf Hill brought me to the A260, a bus stop and the end of the day’s walk. A no.16 bus took me back to Canterbury where I jumped onto a bus to Chartham, my home for the week.

 

Wye Station dep. 09.20, Folkestone arr. 16.00 

GPS 17.07 miles in 6hrs 18mins 29secs walking with a 25min lunch stop above Etchinghill.

That evening I return to the White Horse in Chilham where I ate Hunters chicken and chips. I retried the syrup sponge for dessert, just to check it was as good as last night. The Mad Goose  (4.2%) was in good form tonight and it seemed rude to stick to just one pint.

 

Wednesday 15^th September 2021       Folkestone A260 – Shepherdswell Station

White Cliffs of Dover

 

The weather had improved overnight. The sun was threatening to break through a thin layer of cloud as I once more started the walk to the station. An earlier start was needed as I was heading the opposite way today, north to Canterbury. By 9am I was walking through the Westgate and along High Street trying to find the optimum route to the bus station. Time for a coffee and onto a 16 bus for the return journey to Folkestone. Alighting at the Alkham Valley stop just beyond Hawkinge, I was soon en-route from the A260 along Creteway Down Road towards the Valiant Sailor at Capel-le-Ferne. Across the main road, a narrow path ran between high hedges onto the clifftops of Folkestone Warren. Within minutes, the footpath opened out onto the beautifully manicured lawns at the Battle of Britain Memorial.

 

A brief look at the silver painted spitfire and the wall of names, and it was back to hedged walkways with fabulous views ahead of the white cliffs. A familiar figure was walking towards me. It was Gyan, this time out for a walk with his wife. The trail was now on grassy tracks running parallel to the busy road heading for Dover. Passing the listening ear, a first world war structure to detect enemy aircraft, I gradually descended into a roller-coaster section of white cliffs which eventually led to the outskirts of Dover. A complex section over the Western Heights proved difficult to follow. All paths seemed to bear the acorn logo whichever way they were heading. After getting lost among more wartime forts, I abandoned acorn-following and marched down North Military Way into the town centre. A community café in a small shopping centre was perfect for a bacon bap and a cappuccino.

 

I have always maintained that the most challenging navigation issues on long-distance footpaths are to be found in the towns and their suburbs. For the only time in the trip, out came the compass and the roads heading north were inspected. The map showed a church with a spire but, when I found the church, the spire was so small that the I had my doubts about my route choice. But then I saw Connaught Park ahead and the worries disappeared. A long lane of tarmac led up onto the downs and NDW signs began to reappear. A long diversion to cross the A2 was a very noisy drag, but eventually the traffic din was behind me and I was back on quiet fields on a dry and flat plateau. At Ashley, I estimated that I might miss my intended train so I broke into a gentle jog along the downhill sections. In the heat of the afternoon, I arrived at Shepherdswell Station in a muck sweat and was relieved that few people on the train were sitting close to me. I need not have bothered pushing the pace as, on crossing Canterbury between stations, I missed the connection at Canterbury West and had the best part of an hour to wait for the train to Chartham.

Folkestone A260 dep. 10.07, Shepherdswell Station arr.16.15

GPS 17.49mls in 5hrs 49mins 53secs walking time plus 35mins in a community café in Dover.

My host Nichole had been whetting my appetite all week with stories of curries at the Local Pub. I was therefore disappointed to find that it was fish night so I made do with fish and chips and tartar source washed down by a couple of pints of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.

Thursday 16^th September 2021      Shepherdswell – Chartham Station

End of the Pilgrimage

 

Another early start. Another sunny morning. I drove down to the station and left the car in Station Road just near the A28. This would be the perfect place to finish if the day went according to plan. The morning train to Canterbury was on time so I was able to amble through the streets of the city, noting the entrance to the Cathedral which is hidden behind the rows of old buildings. I was beginning to acquaint myself with the geography of the city and I found Canterbury East Station in good time for my train back to Shepherdswell. This train was a few minutes late so it was gone 10am when I emerged from the station and into the local coop store. Clutching chicken and bacon butties, I walked up Church Hill to the point where I had left the NDW yesterday afternoon.

 

After crossing the East Kent Line, the route ran along a delightful length of strip woodland then bypassed Woolage Village before arriving at the peaceful old church at Womenswold. The next four miles were not quite so tranquil. Over dry open fields in increasing heat, the path ran parallel with the A2, carrying as it does thunderous amounts of heavy traffic. The road got closer and closer until I was walking along the edge of the embankment. Just when the noise was unbearable, the way turned sharp right and across the lush grassy slopes of a shallow valley heading for the village of Patrixbourne. But first, time for a quick break and those welcome butties.

 

Patrixbourne village, its church and old cottages, looked a picture in the midday sun. But the last three miles in Canterbury were a drag. A shade-less tarmac lane ran dead straight towards the city with farm and industrial buildings on either side. It was a relief to reach the suburbs, especially the school playing fields busy with afternoon activities. Stopping briefly to look around St Martins, supposedly the oldest church in England, I then proceeded toward the city entering the walled centre via Northgate and the famous school. I entered the shop at the entrance to the cathedral, was welcomed as a pilgrim, given a stamped pilgrim’s pass and ushered into the cathedral close. A security man, dressed in police uniform, took charge of me, taking me around the nave and then left me to contemplate at the spot where Beckett was murdered. My pilgrimage, my walk along the North Downs Way, was over. As the finish of my 18^th National Trail, as the target of 5 years of long-distance walking since my retirement, I had arrived.

 

A quick look round the crypt and the treasury, a visit to the tombs of Henry IV and the Black Prince and it was time to move on. A cappuccino and Victoria sponge in a High Street café was the prelude to my last phase of this trip, walking back to Wye and the completion of the loop. The usual problems of finding the route out of the city were solved when a charming gentleman, pushing a bike, showed me the correct exit path. In no time I was back in the countryside, this time on wooded hills heading for the downs. In Bigbury Wood, I met a lady whose birthday it was this very day. She had been looking out for the wild goats that roam these woods. All I saw were apple trees, which I believe are community owned. It did not take long to reach Chartham Hatch where I left the official route for the day and dropped down Hatch Lane to my car in pole position by the main road. I was walking on air after a day of wonderful experiences.

 

Shepherdswell Station dep. 10.04, Chartham Station arr.17.15

GPS 16.30mls in 5hrs 34mins 09secs walking time with a 15min break in a field near Patrixbourne, 1 hr in Canterbury Cathedral and 15 mins in a café in High Street.

For my last night, I walked to the Artichoke down near the station. The steak and ale pie came with chips. Apple pie and custard completed a filling meal. Not having the car, I was able to indulge myself on Main Brew from the Shepherd Neame Brewery

 

 

Friday 17^th September 2021                         Chartham Station – Wye Station

Completing the Loop

 

This was the last day. The aim was to walk the last section in the morning and catch a lunchtime train back to Chartham before starting the long and thankless task of getting the car back to the North West. The earlier I could start, the easier should be the drive home. I checked out of the Airbnb at 8am, drove down to the parking spot beyond the station and rapidly marched up Hatch Lane to Chartham Hatch to rejoin the NDW. I carrying nothing but a map and wore a pair of trail shoes instead of boots. On getting round the first house, the route followed wide tracks through orchards and farm buildings. Diving under a railway line and through more apple fields, the path dropped from the downs and into the charmingly named village of Old Wives Lees. Two miles of road took me back into the Stour Valley and the lovely square in Chilham, passing the pub that fed me for two evenings earlier in the week.

 

More tarmac was to come on the steady climb up Mountain Street. At last the path turned to the right and onto a strenuous climb back to the top of the downs. A two-mile stretch along the edge of the high ground provided few views as the trees of King’s Wood hid much of the panorama. A sharp descent to Soakham Farm heralded the end of the high ground and the coda to my expedition. I spent a brief time in the peaceful graveyard surrounding Boughton Aluph church before moving on to the signpost where the NWD loop had started. I had covered every step of the North Downs Way in all its diversity. All that remained was to return to Wye Station on the paths I had used on the first day of my trip. I even had time to revisit the coffee shop in Church Street before my train whisked me two stops back to Chartham and my car and the long drive home.

 

Chartham Station dep. 08.16, Wye Station arr. 11.30

GPS 11.05 miles in 3hrs 15mins 20secs.

 

Conclusion

 

So ended my 18^th of the LDWA National Trails, finishing my pilgrimage at one of the oldest cathedrals in England, the alleged birthplace of Christianity in Britain. It should have been my last national trail but I now only have to complete the Southern Upland Way and I shall have met my retirement plan. Next year, God willing.

 

I recorded 80 miles of daily walks en-route, but if one adds the various trips to the station and back and between the Canterbury transport hubs, it was probably closer to 90 miles in total. The extra miles were the price paid for using a central base and public transport. But the advantages and pleasures gained were manifold. The joy of carrying just a day sack and returning each night to my own room and welcoming hosts, far outweighed the burden of a few extra miles. I shall try this again.

 

The drive home was the pain that I dreaded, with delays on the M25 round London and the M42 round Birmingham. But patience is a virtue and it was rewarded by a safe arrival home and the pleasure of an evening meal with my wife.