Cateran Trail

1^st – 5^th July 2025

Introduction

 

Scotland was calling. It had been some time since I attempted a serious walk north of the border. I had got hung up on various sections of the England Coast Path and had neglected all those Scottish ‘Great Walks’ I liked the look of the Cateran Trail in Perthshire but the logistics of finding accommodation in such a remote area seemed unsurmountable, Then I came across the concept of the specialist travel company who could arrange baggage transfer on a daily basis, book my accommodation and coordinate with local taxi firms for remote pick-ups. Being the old-fashioned walker who has always carried his own heavy rucksack, this was a radical move. I contacted Absolute Escapes with some caution. I instantly got a positive reply and was soon discussing the logistics with increasing enthusiasm. The outcome was that, on Monday 30^th June, I drove up the M6 towards a hotel in Blairgowrie, the starting point of this trail. Unloading the bags at the Angus Hotel and then dropping the car off at a pre-paid parking slot at Tesco’s, I was able to enjoy a couple of pints of Ossian Stout (4.1%) from Inveralmond Brewery, and a meal of seabass before getting an early night.

 

 Tuesday 1^st July 2025                       Blairgowrie – Kirkmichael

A Start in the Rain

 

How frustration it was to find that, after weeks of heat and drought, it was starting to rain as I walked out of the hotel, The trail head was just across the road so I was quickly on my way up the riverside path towards Lornty Bridge. Here I faced my first climb of the day, up a steep lane to Knockie. A long flat road contoured above the valley and then descended down to East Gormack. Just before the farm, the signed route took an unexpected diversion from the map and guidebook. A gate on the right led into a field and a mown grass strip ran straight down to the valley bottom. Then followed a long plod around the overgrown field boundaries alongside Lornty Burn which eventually emerged onto a lane that crossed the burn and climbed up to Middleton Farm. A steep climb onto the moor became a long straight grassy track that ran for 2 ½ miles before dropping down into the forest near Bridge of Cally. I had no inclination to visit the pub so I turned left at the junction and climbed back up into Blackcraig Forest.

 

By the time I had reached the top of the plantation near the Croft of Blackcraig, I had completed 9 miles and it was time for some lunch. I sat on a log for 25 minutes to eat the butty and pastry I had bought in a supermarket back in Blairgowrie. The afternoon session was a long and devious contour above Strathardle, a mixture of stoney paths, farm tracks and hilly excursions which eventually brought me out on a gentle descent to the valley bottom and the quiet village of Kirkmichael. The entrance to the village was via the old church which looked very austere and neglected. Emerging opposite the pub, I spurned the chance of a drink and turned south down the main road to Strathardle Lodge, my lodgings for the night. In the bar I met Rita and Johan, a Dutch pair , and we chatted away whilst they supped whisky and I indulged myself in Ossian Golden Ale (4.1%). The three of us then retired into the dining room to micro-wave our meals for the evening. I had been warned that the restaurant was not operating on a Tuesday and I had slipped a Thai curry ready meal into my bag. We talked the daylight hours away and then it was time for some well-earned sleep.

 

Blairgowrie dep. 09.12,  Kirkmichael arr. 16.59

GPS 16.01 miles in 7hr 20mins 00secs, plus 25 min butty break at Croft of Blackcraig.

Stayed at Strathardle Lodge and microwaved my own meal.

 

 

Wednesday 2^nd July 2025          Kirkmichael – Spittal of GlensheeonisterH

Lunch with Queen Victoria

 

A ‘full Strathy’ was a good start to the day but I still took the precaution of buying a butty made fresh for me at the village community shop. The day’s route began on the west side of the river where a track led away from the riverbank and into an area of clear-felled forest with brashings still covering the ground. The path was hard to follow through the dead wood and it was a relief to find myself still on the official line as I spotted a gate at the end of this section. Grassy field paths led back to the riverside and the hamlet on Enochdhu where I recrossed the River Ardle and the main road. Here began the five mile climb to the Lairig Gate. The track was steep at first up to the farmsteads at Dirnanear but then eased off for a delightful section of open forest, Calaminach Wood. Emerging from the top end of the wood, two things happened at once; Mike Laurence phoned and it started to rain. Due to a weak signal, the first was readily dealt with but the second involved donning full waterproofs and battening down against a bout of winter.

 

I was soaked and cold by the time I got to the Upper Lunch Hut and I was thankful to have somewhere to shelter and eat my butty. The visitors’ book was a fascinating read, beginning with a copy of a thank you card Queen Victoria had sent following her visit in 1863. I humbly added my own name to this auspicious list of signatories. After half an hour the rain began to easy and I put on my wet gear and ventured out onto the upper slopes of the mountain. I staggered up to the top of the pass at the Lairig Gate and was disappointed to find the clag down over the ridge and the views into Glen Shee were hidden. A good steep path led quickly down below cloud-level and the houses at the Spittal came into view. It was soon time to phone James, my taxi man, and give him the 30-minute warning. Then it was full speed down the mountainside to make the rendezvous time. It worked perfectly. As I opened the bottom gate onto the road, James pulled up in his Skoda and we immediately set off down Glen Shee and over into Glen Isla to deliver me to my over-night accommodation.

Kirkmichael 09.15, Spittal of Glenshee arr.14.20

GPS 8.87 miles in 4hrs 20mins 27secs walking time plus 30 mins in the New Lunch Hut. 

I was picked up by taxi at Spittal of Glenshee and taken to the Glenisla Hotel. Ate haddock and chips and managed two pints of Ossian Stout (4.1%). Then retired to my room to watch Emma Raducanu play her best ever match on grass.

 

 

Thursday 3^rd July 2025        Spittal of Glenshee – Kirkton of Glenisla

Two Castles and Two Glens

 

The hotel appeared unstaffed the following morning when I dragged myself into the breakfast room. Just a couple of guests who showed me where and how to make my own breakfast. I made do with a bowl of muesli and some toast and a cafetiere of coffee. Every cloud has a silver lining and this set-up allowed me to make my own jam butties for lunch and slip these into my daysack. I was thus prepared for a good day’s walk as I stood outside the hotel at 9.30am waiting for my taxi ride back up the glen. I was dropped at Spittal of Glenshee at exactly the same place as the previous day’s pick-up. By just before 10 o’clock I was striding down a wide grassy track which wound its way along the side of the glen to an old farm building. The route became more complex beneath the steep-sided slopes and then climbed on an unsigned diversion around Glenshee Lodge. Crossing some farm land, the glen widened out and I could see the historic Finegand farmhouse on the other side of the river. Then it was flat and fast walking over grass fields before the route climbed up a stony track into a forest, passing the white castle of Dalnaglar. A mile beyond, I emerged onto the road over to Glen Isla. I was now faced with the prospect of walking 2½ miles of tarmac.

 

The road was amazingly quiet and it was quite a pleasant climb walk. As the road began its decent, the hamlet of Forter came into view with its small and compact castle more like a tall square tower. Here, just as I was searching for a lunch-spot, it began to rain and I sat in full waterproof gear munching my home-made sandwiches. Then came the cruellest climb of the day, a wide forest road heading north east directly away from the hotel. After what seemed an age, I reached the highest point which offered fantastic views south over Auchintable Loch. The path descended almost down to the loch-side and then went on through a partially felled plantation. One more rise took me up to another viewpoint where the whole of the glen opened out before me and I could see the distant Loch Shandra. It was a long plod down the valley, especially through the boggy areas. but I eventually gained the good quality track beside the loch. It was a peaceful setting with two fishing boats adding to the charm of the place. One more unexpected climb was to follow. The track turned away from the loch and up and over a very steep-sided ridge before gently dropping down into Kirkton of Glenisla. My hotel was half a mile along the road.

 

Spittal of Glenshee dep. 10.13, Kirkton of Glenisla arr.16.52

GPS 15.14 miles in 6 hrs 46 mins 54 secs walking with 10 mins stop near Forter.

I stayed for the second night at the Glenisla Hotel where, this time, I ordered the lasagna and garlic bread. The Ossian beers had now become de rigueur, so I had pints of both the golden and the stout. There was none of the promised sticky toffee pudding so I finished with coffee and cake.

 

 

Friday 4^th July 2025             Kirkton of Glenisla – Alyth

Shadowed by an Osprey

 

The same arrangements for breakfast, this time totally on my own in an empty hotel. Knowing the ropes, I soon had an adequate breakfast of toast and coffee and had also an ample supply of jam butties for lunch. I was in no hurry to make an early start as my check in time in Alyth was not until 4pm. But I still needed to have my bag ready for the transfer service collection at 9.30am. The forecast was poor, with flood warning being issued for this part of Scotland. But it was a dry breezy morning for my start along the road, passing the village hall and over the wobbly wooden suspension footbridge of the River Isla. Pushing through the thorny scrub, the path started to rise and contour above the glen giving great views back over my hotel. A trod then led down through an area of open woodland on the side of Cairn Hill. I was suddenly aware of a bird call that I did not know, not dissimilar to the calls of raptors back home. The sound was persistent as I slowly picked my way through the trees so I switched on my Merlin app and was stunned to realise that the bird circling overhead was in fact an Osprey. I stood for several minutes watching this predominantly white-chested bird, not particularly big and quite similar to an owl in its flight pattern, fly around me. It was obviously not happy with my presence and I must assume was nesting in the wood and probably had young nearby. But it was a magical moment.

 

The remainder of the morning was quite dull in comparison. Three miles of flattish farm tracks that wove between the various farms. Half way along I was stunned to meet an asphalt lorry crawling along the track on its way to making a delivery. A short section of tarmac passed Wester Derry and a steep field path led up to a delightful contour path above Easter Derry. Here I found a suitable spot for a rest and bite to eat. Further steep fields then slowed my progress and the wind was now up gale force has I crawled my way round the hillside on a section entirely devoid of way-signs. It was a relief to arrive at Ardormie Farm and turn away from the wind and onto their mile-long drive. A ¼-mile section of main road needed to be negotiated before a grass track led uphill along a line of trees and strip woodland. This became overgrown as it passed through a narrow valley between two hills and emerged on the crest of a ridge where the panorama over the town of Alyth opened out. A very steep track dropped down into town, passing on its way the rather splendid looking Lands of Loyal Hotel. The centre of Alyth, its river and market square, was an absolutely picture in the afternoon sunshine as I made my way to my guest house.

 

Kirkton of Glenisla dep. 10.13,  Alyth arr.16.07

GPS 11.20 miles in 5 hrs 27 mins 11 secs walking time plus a 25 min stop near Easter Derry to eat my sandwich.

I stayed at Tigh Na Leith Guest House and ate at the Alyth Hotel where a beautiful chicken tikka masala was accompanied by Schiehallion lager (4.8%) from Harviestoun Brewery. I could not resist a sticky toffee pudding to finish.

  

Saturday 5^th July 2025          Alyth  – Blairgowrie   

Return to Sender

 

I was first down for breakfast, having a long day in front of me. Fortified by a lovely plate of French toast and bacon and with my bag safely stowed for an afternoon pick-up, I set off via the Co-op to join the prawn butty brigade. The river was crossed and the steep road was climbed out of this lovely village on a pleasant warm morning. Ever since the met office weather warnings the conditions have been perfect for walking. Taking a north westerly direction, the lane and track got steeper and steeper never letting up until I was out on a high heath of gorse and thorn bushes. A wren chattered away as I traversed the plateaux and descended into flatter farmland and around the periphery of the Bamff estate. Eventually I reached a road and the start of 2½ miles of tarmac. The quiet line ran westward and undulated up and down across valleys and moorland and passing herds of sheep and cattle. At Heatheryhaugh, the farmer was driving a large flock of sheep along the road towards me and I had to hurry through to avoid the bleating masses. The walkers route continued in a straight line on a narrow, overgrown and seemingly un-walked trod over a ridge and through woodland down into Netherton. As I approached Bridge of Cally, I was looking forward to a drink and rest at the hotel but just like everything else in this part of the world, when I got there I found it was closed. I had to plod on into the forest where I quickly came across a picnic table, the perfect substitute for a lunchtime break.

 

From hence I was reversing the route of day 1. The afternoon began with a long climb up and over the moor. The sun was now defying the met office warnings and it was warming up significantly. It was far easier striding down to Middleton Farm than the strenuous effort in the opposite direction some four days before. At West Gormack, I was fully versed in the need to turn left over the farmland along the bottom of the valley. What I missed was the unmarked turn back up the hill at East Gormack, the recent route-change that differed from the maps and the guidebook. I overshot the righthand turn and spend the best part of half an hour contouring back onto route. This put me behind schedule for the final three miles along the lanes to Lornty Bridge and along the River Ericht into Blairgowrie. It was after 5pm when I retrieved my car from Tesco’s car park and began the drive back to Alyth to collect my bag. The journey back to Ayrshire was incident-free and even the traffic through Glasgow’s motorway system was quite light. By 7.45pm, I was enjoying being reunited with family and enjoying the food they had saved me. A happy end to an interesting trip.

Alyth dep. 08.57, Blairgowrie arr. 17.07

GPS 17.72 miles in 7 hrs 44 mins 23 secs plus 20 mins lunch break near Bridge of Cally.

 

 Conclusion

 With the extra miles that the East Gormack route-change had cost me, I clocked 68 miles for the week instead than the advertised 65 miles. I was surprised by how few people walked this trail and this showed in the overgrown state of some of the paths. In general, the trail was well signed, but careful navigation was still needed on some sections. The mileages given on the signposts provided much entertainment, 25% errors in designated distances being not unusual. At the time I considered that I had been unlucky with the weather, seeing rain for the first three days after weeks of drought back home. But in retrospect I preferred this to the prospect of walking in the blistering heat that the south of England was experiencing. I had to smile when the Perthshire weather improved dramatically as soon as the met office weather warnings came into force. I thoroughly enjoyed the outsourcing of the walk logistics. Absolute Escapes made an impeccable job of all the bookings and baggage transfer arrangements and James, whose taxi firm was responsible for all these arrangements in the field, was a great support throughout. I only hope that all goes well for the family that run the wonderful guest house in Alyth. I arrived at the very crux of their family crisis and I wish them well for the future. In the mean-time I have now completed my tenth ‘Scottish Great Walk’ and  I look forward to attempting some more in my remaining walking years.

Peak District Boundary Walk (Part 3)

6^th- 9^th May 2025

 

Introduction

 

It has been over two years since I last visited this long-distance trail. I had intended to complete the third and final stage of this walk around the boundary of the Peak District National Park last year. But it slipped down the priority list for several reasons. I had much better offers from walking companions, I was concentrating of the England Coast Path and I was not that impressed with this rather concocted route on long neglected paths. But it still hung over me as unfinished business so, with the unexpected continuation of the dry, sunny spring, I squeezed 4 days into a busy schedule and planned my return to the 2023 finish point, the Robin Hood Inn near Baslow. Two options were available, a long and convoluted series of buses from the west or the East Midlands train that circumnavigates the Peak District round to Chesterfield where I could bus in from the east. Once again my noble wife offered to take me down for the early morning train and I found myself searching for the correct bus stop in Chesterfield with no time for a coffee. All became clear in time for the short bus ride back to the Robin Hood.

 

 

Tuesday 6^th May 2025                      Robin Hood - Winster

Nine Ladies on Top of the Moor

 

The sky was clear, the day was sunny with a cold wind blowing over the moors. The bus dropped my in this remote spot on the A619 opposite the Robin Hood Inn, the exact point of my finish of Part II of this trail over two years previously. I soon located the stile and steps that led down a steep bank to a footbridge over Heathy Lea Brook. A tricky section up the valley though some marshy and muddy ground, led up onto the moor and a wide gravel farm track. This ran for two miles or so over flat upland heath to the ruins of Hob Hurst House. Here the path descended down Harland Edge to Hell Bank Plantation. I heard my first cuckoo of the year as I approached the trees. Down through the woods towards Beeley, there was an opportunity to miss out the village and head back over the ridge to Rowley where I had my first stop of the day, a quick pint of Hobgoblin Gold (4.2%) in the Grouse & Claret Hotel.

 

It was getting really warm now in the sheltered and shadowless two miles of tarmac up to Stanton Woodhouse. A long and convoluted route through fields and woodland, quarries and industrial ruins, eventually emerged onto Stanton Moor and another rest was taken whilst perched on one of the sacred stones of Nine Ladies Stone Circle. A homemade flapjack and all my water were quickly consumed before I set out across the moor on a gradually descending path that led towards Birchover. My route continued south through Barn Farm and across the fields to Winster, the only memorable feature being a sharp drop down a wooded escarpment half way along. What goes down must come back up and I was faced with an uphill finish to the day which got steeper and steeper as I climbed to the top of the village. A short deviation to the west brought me to the Miners Standard, my resting place at the end of day one.

 

Robin Hood dep. 10.55, Winster arr. 17.20

GPS 11.42 miles in 6hr 46mins 23secs walking time with a 30-minute break in the pub in Rowsley and 10 minutes at the stone circle.

Stayed at the Miners Standard above Winster and a large plate of fish and chips washed down by a couple of pints of Aldwark Pale IPA (4.8%).

 

 

Wednesday 7^th May 2025             Winster – Thorpe

 

I was up and packed early (for me) as there was no breakfast on offer in the pub but the café next door, owned by the same people, cooked me a full English. I set off on a bright but chilly morning to contour around the top of Winster and back onto route for the 3-mile moorland crossing to Bonsall. A view of the village opened out as the path entered its dramatic descent down the German steps, built by prisoners of war in the 1940’s. The road through the village was quiet but the café at the water fountain monument was doing a good trade. Even though it was early, I popped in for a scone and coffee. After all this would be the only café I would pass today. This prepared me for the big pull up the steps and back up to the limestone moors. The path ran through a series of small fields and endless dry-stone walls before crossing an area of disused mining, now returning to heath. A stretch of farmland then bought me to a quiet lane at Ible.

 

Following the lane towards Grangemill, I was tempted by the short cut down a steep limestone edge. Here a party of girls on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition were in a face-off with some highland cattle. But all was in order as I picked my way down the steep ground through thorn trees. It would probably have been as quick to go round by road. At the bottom was a four-way traffic system which did nothing to help the walker get across the busy road junction at the Hollybush Inn. On the bridleway up south side of the main road, I met first the teacher overseeing the DOE students, then a series of small groups of boys from the same school as the girls so far ahead. The indistinct trod up to the High Peak Trail, over cattle-grazed grassland, seeing to go on for ever and I was most relieved to climb the wall stile onto the old railway line and into the shade of some overhanging trees. This called for ten minutes on a bench rehydrating and snacking on flapjacks.

 

Two miles on the trail were as much as I could bear and I was glad to reach the turn off to Roystone Grange. A pleasant grassy descent led to a farm track and a 1½ descent to the quarries at Ballidon. At its main entrance, a security man guided me onto a hidden path that climbed a very steep field up to the top end of Monsdale Lane. I was quickly down into Parwich and a route through the village that seem to avoid any signs of life and refreshments. Without seeing any pub, I was out the other side on a track between hedges which gradually led  onto an overgrown path to Sitterlow Farm. If I had not carefully read the route instructions, I would never have found the unmarked stile or the correct line up the steep fields to the top of the wood. Somehow, I came out right opposite the entrance to Lea Hall. There was still a sting in the tail of today’s route. A comfortable track led over the next few fields but the right of way did not keep to this. To get over to Woodeaves Farm the correct route dives down a field of cut grass, crosses  a small stream and then drops through a wooded dell before scrambling on unwalked and ungrazed fields to the farm yard. It was straight forward from here round to Lees Farm where the farmer pointed out the field path and stile system to Fenny Bentley. The scariest part of the day was crossing the A515 where quarry lorries crashed through the village at high speeds. Equilibrium was restored in the church yard before, to my horror, I realised the short section over to the Tissington Trail was up the steepest climb of the day. My b&b was only a short distance down the old railway.

 

Winster dep. 08.47,  Thorpe arr. 18.15 

GPS 17.93 miles in 8hrs 50mins 41secs walking with 30 mins in the Fountain Café in Bonsall and 10 mins rest on the High Peak Trail.

I stayed at the Station House b&b in Thorpe and walked up the lane to eat at the Old Dog. A magnificent (if expensive) meal of pork belly, new potatoes and beautifully done carrots. The beers were Hartington IPA (4.5%) from Whim Ales and Lord Marples (4.0%) from Thornbridge.

 

 

Thursday 8^th May 2025        Thorpe – Upper Hulme

A Mile too Far

 

A small cooked breakfast prepared me for the big day, the longest day of the trip. An early start got me quickly through Thorpe village to the parish church where a descending track led down to the River Dove and Coldwall Bridge. On the far side the route headed right along the river, initially through thorn-covered scrub and then into grass meadows to the road bridge at Ilam. Passing the large monument, the grounds of Ilam Hall were entered. I kept to the outside path that led to the chapel, where a path through the graveyard came out facing the magnificent façade of the old hall. Rounding the huge bend in the river, I ended up travelling north until I reached the footbridge into the meadows on the other side. I was now face with a brutal climb up a steep wooded escarpment to a high ridge above the river valley. Continuing more gently uphill, the path passed the ruins at Upper Musden and then contoured around Musden Low to Upper Green House and the village of Carlton. The drop into the Manifold Valley was a delight on a zig-zagging grassy path that led down to the old railway, now the Manifold Trail. An easy mile into Waterhouses and the busy main road and, glory be, there was a café in the old station car park. I sat in the sun and enjoyed a toastie and coffee, a welcome surprise.

 

The path out of Waterhouse was a devil to find. With careful navigation across unwalked and uncut fields, I was eventually able to find Rocester Lane and followed this into Waterfall village. Another tricky section led over to Back o’ th’ Brook where a woman was watering her lawn. That is a first for Staffordshire in early May. The track towards Ford started clearly enough but soon disintegrated into an overgrown path along the outside of a field. A series of field paths, some stepping stones over a stream and a steep pull up to the farm at Felthouse was relatively straight forward but then the pointless thrashing around the overgrown paths and the broken stiles behind the cottage and the disappearance of all signage really began to annoy me. I was getting fed up with trying to follow this awful route and my mood did not improve until I reached the lanes at Ford. A mile of tarmac was a blessed relief but this eventually led to more overgrown trods into Onecote. It was getting late in the day so I decided to miss out a stop at the Jervis Arms. This proved a big mistake which came back to haunt me later in the day.

 

In the heat of an oppressive afternoon, I set off up a quiet lane and into the yard of Onecote Grange. Here the route rose up several pathless fields before joining a farm track that continued to climb gently up a ridge. At one point I found myself on the wrong side of a wall and had to climb back onto route to pick up the path to Mixon Grange. A track out of the top end of the farm was fenced off from the hill above but a water or communications facility had an access road that dropped steeply down to Old Mixon Hay and the road beyond. It was whilst walking the two-mile road section that things started to go wrong. I began to develop a lean, indicating excessive tiredness or dehydration. Maybe I should have popped in for a pint in Onecote. By the time I reached the Mermaid and the turn off the road, I was definitely wobbly on my legs and by the time I slipped and fell down the hillside to Hurdlow Farm, I wondered how I was going to manage the last mile down the road to my hotel. The farmer was feeding her cattle as I explained that I had walked myself to a stand-still. She kindly offered to run me down to the hotel and I climbed into her vehicle, grateful for the kindness of this lady and all mankind. She pulled into the car park and dropped me at Reception so I only had yards to stagger up to my room and collapse on the bed. Copious amounts of water and a shower started my recovery but I was dubious about being able to continue tomorrow.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Thorpe dep. 08.37,  Upper Hulme arr.19.25

GPS 19.00 miles in 10hrs 03mins 36secs walking time plus 20 mins on a bench at the café in Waterhouse old station.

I stayed in the Three Horseshoes Inn, near Leek. The meal was chicken coconut curry and lemon sponge and custard. The beer was Heart and Soul (4.4%) from Vocation Brewery. This played a vital role in my rehydration programme.

 

 

 

Friday 9^th May 2025             Three Horseshoes – Rushden Spencer  

Gun Ends It All       

 

So near to total exhaustion had I been last night that I was all for pulling out of my plan to walk on for a fourth day. I had the choice of walking 3 miles down the main road into Leek to catch the bus home or I could stagger on for a few more miles on route and aim to catch the bus from Rushden Spencer. The latter gave me the opportunity of finishing the walk in one go later in the month so I strolled into the beautiful morning light and enjoyed views of the Roaches and Tittesworth Reservoir. Keeping off the pace I was fine walking through Meerbrook village and out onto the field paths beyond. A broken and overgrown stile at Lower Wetwood Farm gave me more problems, scratches and cuts. The ascent of Gun Hill started in earnest as I slowly plodded up grassy pathless fields passed Oldhay Top and on up the farm track to the crest of the ridge. A section of tarmac led to a lovely grassy descending track to Gun End. 

At Hawksley Farm, I said my goodbyes to the boundary path for the time being. It was a struggle to find the side path to Heaton as a rickety old farm truck had been parked across the access point. The normally muddy walled path was bone dry and very overgrown but I took my time pushing my way through and eventually emerged onto the road towards Heaton. Approaching the hamlet a Chelsea tractor pulled up beside me and a kind gentleman offered me a lift down to the pub in Rushden. He was most insistent that I chose the Royal Oak as it seems that he owned it as part of the community scheme to buy and ensure the future of their pub. I was soon ensconced on a luxurious sofa drinking Wincle Waller from the local brewery. I had time for a large piece of chocolate cake before catching the bus from outside the pub into Macclesfield bus station. We missed the connection with my local bus up the hill and, as I was too tired to the walk the 1½ miles home, I waited half an hour for the next bus. Home at last after some of the roughest and hottest walking I have done for a very long time.  

 

Three Horseshoes dep. 09.44, Heaton arr.13.00

GPS 5. 64 miles in 3hrs 08mins 27secs

Had refreshments (Wincle Waller 3.8%) at the Royal Oak, Rushden Spencer whilst waiting for the bus home..

 

 

Conclusion

I did not quite make it to the finish line. Being so close to home after what was a very warm and tiring week, was too much of a temptation and I jumped on a bus after four days and went home for a rest and recovery period. But I only have 15 miles to go so a good long day later this month should put this route to bed, and good riddance to it.

 

 

^th May 2025                Gun End – Bollington                       

Gun End Revisited

 

Gun End dep. , Bollington arr.

GPS  miles in hrs mins secs walking time with 30 mins somewhere.       

 

 

Lincolnshire (North, North East & East Lindsey) Coast Path

17^th – 21^st March 2025

Hull – Sutton on Sea

 

Introduction

 

Spring has finally arrived and the forecast for late March was unbelievably good so I booked some accommodation and set off back to Hull where last year’s episode of walking the England Coast Path had terminated. Having had some bad experiences with train travel across the north of England, especially on Sundays, I left my travel until the Monday morning rush-hour. All went well with my connections and, right on schedule, I walked out of Hull Station and into a bright Yorkshire morning.  

 

Monday 17^th March  2025                Hull – Barrow Haven

Crossing the Humber

 I left the station along Carr Lane and, at the City Hall, rejoined the route that I had finished on last November along Princes Quay and over the footbridge into the Marina. Fancying a bite to eat before leaving civilisation behind, I grabbed a cheese toasty in Thieving Harry’s before weaving my way around docks, locks and riverside housing. A traverse of some old and well used lock-gates took me out passed some industrial sites and onto a good walkway, Riverside Quay, passing Albert Dock. This ran in a straight line for nearly two miles before a righthand dogleg brought the route up beside the busy A63. A further lock-gate led round the back of derelict warehouses and onwards towards the Humber Bridge, a magnificent sight opening out ahead. Leaving the river briefly to get through a business park, I rounded a corner to reach the official start to the Yorkshire Wolds Way. Three long-distance trails follow the next mile of riverside path up to and under the bridge, where my route headed through a kiddies play area, under some road tunnels and into a quiet area of woodland. A set of steps headed upwards to pick up the walkway across the stunning Humber Bridge.

 

The sun was shining brightly over the broad river flowing far below and Lincolnshire looked green and welcoming on the far shore. The long descent to treetop level brought me to some steps down to a road passing back under the A15 and into Barton on Humber. A footbridge over a canalised stream took the coast path to the Waters’ Edge Visitors Centre and its café, the Humber Hideaway. I just had time for a coffee and a cake before they closed for the day. So, I was quickly back of the coastal embankment which skirted a wetland reserve and its ponds and pools. Two miles along here and the next inlet was Barrow Haven. This was my day done and I turned inland at the railway station and headed for my pre-booked accommodation, the Haven Inn. As I walked through the door of the conservatory, the owner looked up and said ‘Ah! The Walker’. It was nice to be expected.

 

Hull dep. 11.18,  Barrow Haven arr. 16.48

GPS 11.87 miles in 4hr 39mins 25secs, plus 30 min at the café in Hull Marina (11.30-12.00) and 20 mins in the Humber Hideaway Café (15.25-15.45) near Barton on Humber.

Stayed at the Haven Inn, Barrow Haven eating fish (haddock) & chips followed by jam sponge and custard. The beer was Landlord (4.1%) from Timothy Taylor.

 

 

Tuesday 18^th March 2025          Barrow Haven – ImminghamonisterH

Docks and Trucks

 

There was no hurry today, or so I thought. A lie in and full English breakfast and I was letting myself out of the conservatory and striding down the lane to the railway station. There was not a cloud in the sky. I was in shorts and wearing a sunhat and dark glasses. Not bad for March. Back on the coast path, the first point of interest was at New Holland where the route turns inland to gain the railway line and to avoid the docks. Passing round the dockland site, I was directed by a security lady to follow the marked white lines against the fence but this led to some confusion and twice more I had to seek advice from the workforce to find my way out the other side. A dog walked admitted that local knowledge is a great help. A long remote section along the sea embankment gave splendid views over the river estuary to Hull and the P&O ferry. At Goxhill Haven and Skitter Ness, a corner is turned and the coast  turns gradually towards the south. At East Halton Skitter, I stopped for a rest, a bite to eat and a cool drink. It was warming up nicely.

 

Further progress was along a concrete track on top of the sea wall. Heavy industry appeared ahead. The first  encounter was at North Killingholme Haven where a line of ships was being loaded by a continual flow of large trucks. As I reached the entrance road, I came to a gate and a buzzer. This sound the loudest klaxon I had heard in a long time and a security guard scurried over to stop the stream of traffic and usher me across the traffic and out the other side. He looked relieved when I told him I was not coming back. The right of way returned to the coast at another wetland nature reserve, a pleasant oasis of calm after the dockland chaos. There was a short diversion round a building site and then a series of old lighthouses, Eventually the coast path came to an end at a huge set of silos and another industrial site. I turned inland down Marsh Lane, crossing a railway line via a dome-shaped road bridge. The main road was busy with heavy vehicles but there was a wide pavement/cycle way alongside. This led to a large roundabout which had trucks coming in from all directions. It was an amazing site with no private cars to be seen.

 

I was still two mile outside Immingham and my shortest option was west along a frantically busy dual-carriage way. But there was no walkway, in fact no way of getting out of the traffic lanes. It looked a frightening prospect so I took the only sensible alternative, a wide cycleway running north up the A160. This added two miles to my planned route for the day but it had several advantages. It kept me safe and sane; it passed a petrol station where I grabbed a coffee and cake, and took me into Immingham through a quite delightful area of heath and woodland. There is not much to see of the ancient site of the medieval settlement but Immingham church looked lovely in the late afternoon sun. A mile of housing estates and suburbia brought me eventually to my hotel, the County, an imposing building just outside the town centre. It had been a rather longer and more stressful day than I had expected. Maybe I should have got up earlier.

Barrow Haven 09.54, Immingham arr.16.48

GPS 16.73 miles in 6hrs 23mins 05secs walking time plus 15 mins rest at East Halton Skitter and a 20 min coffee stop at the petrol station..

Stayed at the County Hotel in Pelham Road, Immingham. Ate chicken curry, rice & chips and drank two very welcome pints of Atlantic Pale Ale (4.5%) from Sharps Brewery.

 

 

Wednesday 19^th March 2025            Immingham – Cleethorpes

Back to the Seaside

 

The hotel was not providing breakfast but a knock on the back door of the neighbouring café got me a bacon bap. I sat in the morning sunshine and icy wind to eat my food before slipping round the hotel and starting the day’s walk along Waterworks Street. A vague trod across open land passed through a wood and out into a bare flat field. A way marker on Kings Road was my target, then it was across a roundabout and along Queens Road back towards the seafront. Just after the entrance to the ferry port, a narrow path beside a wood headed straight towards the sea wall which I followed southwards along a straight and lonely 5-mile stretch. I met a cyclist who warned me that the coast path was closed up ahead. I began to pick up notices on the Environment Agency’s boards indicating closures of the right of way, reminiscent of last year’s experiences in Yorkshire. And sure enough, when I reached the industrial complexes at Pyewipe, I was met with the ‘footpath closed’ signs. Inland I went once again, passing a weird wooden sculpture, towards another line of trucks and heavy vehicles. A long and seemly endless length of pavement led passed the entrance to Grimsby Docks and up to a major road intersection. I was rewarded with a petrol station and a Co-op shop which sold almond croissants. I was rapidly becoming an expert in Costa do-it-yourself coffee machines.

 

A wide cycle & footway followed the main carriageway, a super-cycle way, which skirted Grimsby Yacht Club and Marina. The road continued over the railway line with no pavements on either side. The pedestrian route weaved its way down some back streets and across the train tracks at road level before passing the fish docks along a road of fish warehouses and wholesale outlets. At Clee Station, I joined a very long (nearly 2 miles) dead straight road that ran beside the trainline. Close to its southern end, a footbridge led over the line and gave access to the sea wall and a concrete walkway round to Cleethorpes promenade. It was rather disappointing to walk past the shops, cafes and stalls all shuttered and closed whilst many holiday makers enjoyed the sunshine. At the pier my days walking was over and I turned into Sea Road and the town centre. I could not access my hotel until 3pm so I spent 40 minutes in a very pleasant café, the Riverhead in St Peters Avenue, until it was time to find Clee Road and my hotel. An easy day’s walking with a nice seaside resort to welcome me. Mine host at the hotel recommended some real ale pubs and eating house and showed me to a very spacious and comfortable room.

 

 Immingham dep. 09.36, Cleethorpes arr.15.07

GPS 11.28 miles in 4 hrs 26 mins 57 secs walking with 10 mins stop at the Co-op near Grimsby Docks and 40 mins in the Riverhead Cafe in Cleethorpes.

I started in the No. 1 Pub at the station with a pint of Zest in a Glass (3.7%) from Rudgate Brewery. Then on to the Nottingham House for a pint of Wainwright Gold (4.1%) and a large plate of Haddock, chips & mushy peas

 

 

Thursday 20^th March 2025             Cleethorpes – North Somercotes

Coast Path Signposts At Last

 

Breakfast was a help-yourself affair, warming crumpets and pancakes in a revolving toaster whilst drinking a gallon of coffee. I got underway before 10am but immediately popped into a local supermarket to sign up for the prawn butty brigade. Then, pocketing my lunch, I returned to the pier and the matter in hand. The promenade was long and straight and all the shops and stalls were still closed and shuttered. The weather might be spring-like but it had not persuaded the town-folk that the holiday season had arrived. After passing the leisure centre, I cut seawards onto a cycle route through some parkland and into the dunes and marshes. I stayed with the marshland track for too long, finding myself on the wrong side of a drainage channel. Turning inland to pick up the coast path, I slipped onto my back in trying to jump across the slimy water courses. Not particularly shaken, but coated in mud down my rucksack and shorts, I continued south through the holiday park at Humberston Fitties and out into the marshland beyond.

 

Round some birding ponds, the route rejoined the raise embankment of the sea defences and continued for a couple of miles on a grassy track to Tetney Sluice, a crossing point of the drainage system from the flat agricultural land to my right. Gun shots could be heard ahead. It was either a Russian invasion or some crow-scarers in the surrounding fields. But there was definitely a firing range out towards Northcoates Point on land that was an war-time airfield.  I suddenly came to a finger post, obviously newly installed, indicating the King Charles III England Coast Path. I had not seen one of these for a year or so, somewhere up in North Yorkshire, I recall. Puzzled at first, I then saw from the map that I had now passed into East Lindsey and maybe this was a local authority that had grasped the nettle and taken up the governmental policy of demarking a path around our coast. Another long section of embankment led to a car park at Horse Shoe Point and a long chat with a cyclist who was travelling north up the coast path back to Cleethorpes. I took a break and ate my prawn butty whilst enjoying the sunshine over the endless flatland.

 

The final stretch of today’s walk headed out to Donna Nook on newly laid paths through a nature reserve, all beautifully signed with coast path fingerposts and, glory be!! national trail acorns. A short section through dunes and gorse had not yet been completed but, except for a field where it did not quite join up, guided me through the dunes and back onto the sea embankment. I was not long on this before I had to turn inland and head for my overnight accommodation, a farm on the outskirts of North Somercotes. A wonderful day’s walking at last.

 

 Cleethorpes dep. 09.50, North Somercotes arr.16.29

GPS 15.08 miles in 6 hrs 05 mins 14 secs walking time plus a 20 min stop to eat my sandwich at Horse Shoe Point.

I stayed at Meals Farm in a lovely room in their courtyard. It was a mile walk to the Axe & Cleaver where I enjoyed steak & ale pie & mash with a dessert of bread & butter pudding and custard. The beer was Triple Hop IPA (5.3%) from Batemans Brewery just down the coast in Wainfleet. It seemed a long way home in the dark.

 

 

 Friday 21^st March 2025        North Somercotes – Sutton on Sea        

 

No breakfast was on offer so I slipped away from the farm quietly and early and walked briskly down to the village. Here a local store was warming up bacon & sausage baps and the usual machine sprouted out a coffee. Just down the road was a bench and I had ten minutes eating my breakfast whilst watching village life go by. A pavement ran beside the main road for the first mile out of town but, after passing the school, I had to take to the grass verge passed a holiday camp. The verge gradually disappeared and I was cowering along the gutter of a very busy road with dangerously fast traffic. Passing Locksley Hall and Saltbox Farm, a  track towards the coast offered some relief and I was able to enjoy a quiet stroll on deserted farm roads running parallel to the sea embankment and into the pleasant village of Saltfleet. A right of way through a holiday park deposited me back on the main road near a couple of pubs, a petrol station and an old windmill. The road bridge crossing the river acted as a sluice against water ingress from the sea.

 

The continuation of the coast path, now fully signed, was down a farm track to the left and then onto a delightful few miles of grass and woodland that ran behind the dunes. A series of carparks broke the solitude and then, at a tiny hamlet of cottages, a left-right chicane led out onto a narrow trod beside a fence line though some agricultural land. At Theddlethorpe St Helen, the path got even narrower before turning though heath and scrubland before emerging onto a wide track between trees. The map was indicating a righthand turn beyond the next car park on a long detour inland. But the new signage said otherwise. A new coast path fingerpost pointed left into the dunes and up onto a high ridge of grazed heath. I was now off the map and depending on further signs that did not materialise I was soon floundering about in a maze of sandy through thick scrub, gorse and thorn. I was glad to finally get a view of the roofs of a holiday park of static homes and I turned steeply down towards it.

 

I was glad to get out of this sandy jungle nightmare. I squeezed between two caravans and onto the main track through the site. Out onto a road at last I quickly came to the pub at North End and turned onto the straightest road I at seen for a good while, a long semi-suburban street that seemed to continue to the horizon behind the dunes at Mablethorpe. Much to my relief, the official route of the coast path left this featureless carriageway and went up a ramp into the dunes where it became a walk/cycle way that ran into the promenade along the seafront. I saw nothing of Mablethorpe. This was hidden behind the crest of the high dunes. It was as if nothing existed along the coast except the walkway and the sea. As per the findings of the last few days, all cafes and businesses along the promenade were closed, even the toilets. I continued south passing I know not what on my right, entrusting my map to measure my progress. A bus, my timetable informed me, should have just left Mablethorpe, and I was able to judge that I could get pass Trusthorpe and reach Sutton on Sea before it reached me. I got as far as High Street and a bus stop outside the Baccus Hotel when panic struck. The no. 59 bus to Skegness did not stop here and I had to sprint round the corner into Station Road to find the correct bus stop. I could now relax, my journey for the week was over.

 North Somercotes dep. 08.32, Sutton on Sea arr. 13.45

GPS 13.09 miles in 5 hrs 03 mins 20 secs.

 

 

Conclusion

 

My early start and goodly pace had got me onto a bus earlier than planned. I had not booked an advanced ticket for the train from Skegness. I had become wise to the uncertainties of public transport in this country. And sure enough, the bus ran into a grid-locked Skegness where road works near the travel interchange was causing half hour delays, So I missed my connection, walked back to a local café for a coffee and cake and caught the next train.  Connections at Nottingham and Stockport worked well so I was home before 9pm and was able to join the dinner date that my wife was hosting at home.

 

I had added another 68 miles to my total for the England Cost Path and had enjoyed extraordinarily good weather in the process. The Humber had been crossed and the vast estuary was now behind me. The industry and docklands had been successfully negotiated, only the truck infested roads around Immingham had been a problem. The flatlands of rural Lincolnshire had their own charm, if not a lot of drama. I would have preferred to have reached Skegness on this trip but the shorter days had suited me well for a first walk of the year. And the one great joy was the return, after a huge gap, to the coast path signposts and acorns for the long overdue national trail. East Lindsey local authority has, I hope, set an example for other counties to deliver the promised land.