Isle of Wight Coast Path

18^th -  22^nd September 2023

 

Introduction

 

The England Coast Path project is far from complete. The government website shows that access and signage exist for less than half the route so I have been choosing bits of the coast that have already had a county-based coastal trail in place. This year the Northumberland and Kent Coast paths have provided a start for walking the entire English coast. The Kent path in August proved quite a challenge as a storm came through on an exposed section of the Channel coast. I then waited for the quiet month of September, possibly the Indian summer we have been waiting for, to tackle a trip around the Isle of Wight. In the post-monsoon season, surely a pleasant few days could be spent on this quaint island, a time warp in the Solent. Little did I know what was coming.

 

I booked the trains late, hoping to squeeze a journey in between rail strikes. At the last minute, the accommodation was rather problematic but eventually all arrangements were in place and I was on a Monday morning train to Euston. Crossing London to Waterloo, I was in good time for my pre-booked train to Portsmouth. Then came the dreaded announcement, one that has shadowed me all summer. No crew to take the train. So, the best laid plans of mice and ferries went out of the window. The hovercraft had left Southsea by the time I arrived and a later crossing got me to Ryde just before 4pm. Unfortunately, I still had half a day’s walking to do.

 

 

Monday 18^th September 2023                      Ryde - Cowes

A Ticket to Ryde

 

With no time for any refreshments, I set off straight from the hoverport, over the railway and along the promenade. The signed route went inland, climbing out of the town on suburban roads that led to a wooded track across a golf course. This emerged in a small hamlet with a stunningly beautiful church, Holy Cross at Binstead. Some lovely old stone houses lined the lane, remnants of a ruined Cistercian Abbey. The new abbey, Quarr, is a monstrous-looking building, looking entirely out of place in this gentle wooded countryside. Suddenly there was traffic everywhere and I had reached the car ferry terminal at Fishbourne. A side passage leading to a quiet lane provided a moment of peace before the inevitable main road down to Wootton Bridge and over the creek.

 

The rest of the day was on tarmac, initially through housing and then a country lane across a shallow wooded valley. The road got busier and busier until it emerged onto the main trunk road into Cowes. Passing a large school and its playing fields and then the entrance to Osbourne House, one of Queen Victoria’s favourite residences, the road gradually descended  through East Cowes down to the river. At the Floating Bridge, the ferry across the river, I fell into conversation with a Manxman who was overseeing the maintenance of his racing yacht. The ferry only took card payments and, as the card reader was not working, we crossed for free. My companion walked me up into West Cowes and pointed out the route to my accommodation for the night, a pub in High Street, a narrow pedestrianised street in the oldest part of town. The fast pace and easy going had enabled me to arrive before dusk.

 

Ryde dep. 15.52, Cowes arr. 18.47

GPS 8.16 miles in 2hr 44mins 30secs.

Stayed in the Anchor Inn, a pleasant pub in High Street, West Cowes. The pub provided a meal of roast pork, sausage meat and apple sauce on crusty bread followed by treacle tart and ice cream. The beer was from Siren Craft Brew in Finchampstead, near Wokingham, Lumina (4.2%).

 

 

Tuesday 19^th September 2023                  Cowes – Yarmouth

A Storm is Brewing

 

Breakfast was not on offer at the Anchor so I slipped out of the deserted pub before 9am and went over to the Eegons Café where a bacon and sausage sandwich was most welcome. The coast path continued through the shopping centre and along the esplanade round Egypt Point. The wind was beginning to pick up and I had donned waterproof over trousers against the forecast rain showers. Through Gurnard the route was on roads which cut inland at one point to get round Gurnard Bay. A path led uphill onto a cliff- top trail above some jungle-filled landslip. I felt that I was at last on a true coastal route with a spectacular view opening up in front of me. The definite path came out onto a wide stoney beach where the line had to be guessed at from dog walkers ahead. A car park was reached and a vehicle access track led away from the sea into a holiday park where a gate was swinging in the strong wind. The exit path from the top of the site was not obvious but, once found, was easy to follow through fields down to a narrow lane. A long section of road was to follow.

 

Too early for the pub in Porchfield! Two miles of busy roads and lanes led to Newtown and a path across fields to reach to old town hall building standing high and alone outside the village. Here the first rain shower blew in and waterproofs were zipped up in protest. Another mile of road brought me to a track round a farm and over a stream and onto a lane into Shalfleet and its pub and busy main road. St Michael the Archangel Church held me for a few minutes before I was forced onto the frighteningly busy A-road which had no pavement or verge of any kind until an estate of houses appeared. I was relieved to turn off this highway and onto the fields towards Nunneys Wood. After crossing a few creeks, a wide track was reached which gave vehicle access to Pigeon Coo and beyond. Taking the Hamstead Trail, I as now heading east back from whence I had come. The turning point was at a private jetty near Lower Hamstead Farm. Here I paused for a bite of my emergency rations and a welcome rest.

 

The boardwalk around the next creek was underwater and my feet were wet for the first time on the trip. Then it was northwards back to the coast, down some steps and onto the pebbly beach. The high tide and storm surge had left little room to walk so the trod that opened up through the vegetation was very welcome. This climbed steadily up to Hamstead Farm and out onto high cliffs again, this time above Bouldnor Cliff. Down into a boggy area of gorse and thorns, the route became more indiscernible as it clung to a slippery line over tree roots above the muddy shore. Suddenly, this section was at an end at a private drive and into civilisation and Bouldnor village. The pier at Yarmouth was now in view but it took a long time to reach along the pavement of the main road into a stiff breeze. Some steps led to the waterfront and along a concrete wall sea defence into the old town. The café/restaurant where I booked in was right in the centre of the village, in St James’ Square next to the church. Good progress had been made along the north coast of the island. I had time to enjoy the offerings of the café, in this case apple cake, before preparing myself for the fleshpots of Yarmouth.

 

Cowes dep. 08.50, Yarmouth arr.15.30

GPS 16.73 miles in 6hrs 01mins 32secs walking time plus 30 mins Eegons Café for breakfast and 10 mins at Hamstead Jetty for more emergency rations.

Stayed in Jireh House in Yarmouth, had a quick pint in the Wheatsheaf, Romsey Gold (4.5%), from Flack Manor Brewery in Romsey and ate in the Bugle Coaching Inn. Here I reverted to fish and chips and a pint of Coachmans (3.6%), brewed for the pub by Yates’ Brewery on the IOW.

 

 

Wednesday 20^th September 2023    Yarmouth – Brighstone

Looking for a Needle in a Hurricane

 

The forecast was horrendous, one person referred to it as ‘biblical’. Although a 9am breakfast was offered to me, I declined and sent my apologies. By 8.30am the rucksack was packed and waterproofed. It just seemed a bright and breezy morning as I crossed the river and set off along the seafront and then uphill into the woods. Leaving the coast for a short while, the route wound around lanes and though built-up areas round to Colwell where it turned seawards again into a large holiday park. Huge seas were pounding the seawall and I had to time my passage to keep dry. When the walkway came to an end, a set of steep steps led up the cliff and continued up a road and through woodland onto the top of Headon Hill, an area of open moorland. The view ahead was magnificent, over Alum Bay to the Needles. A steep and devious descent dropped into the bus terminal at Alum Bay and all the tacky tourist development behind. Then began the steady climb into the hurricane.

 

At the New Battery, it was almost impossible to stand upright. The wind was reportedly over 75mph and I felt that it was too dangerous to seek out the exposed viewpoint overlooking the Needles. A guy offered to take my photo but got blown over as I posed for the shot. The wind down at the Old Battery was no less and I still could not get a good view of the lighthouse below. So, I turned with the gale now coming from behind and got blown over West High Down and over to Tennyson’s Monument. Too dangerous to pause and take in the view. I was picked off my feet at one point on the grassy descent to Freshwater Bay. Huge seas were crashing over the rocks in the bay as I set out up the narrow path towards Freshwater Cliff. I could no longer keep my feet so I took to the Military Road for a couple of miles. This was probably just as dangerous because drivers on the IOW are not renowned for their curtesy and consideration for pedestrians. Rejoining the clifftop path at Shippards Chine car park, a wide and level grassy path proved easier going. At least I was being blown inland away from the edge of the cliffs.

 

The rain had now set in. A weather warning for heavy rain had been issued but it was only showers at the moment. A straightforward tramp down the cliffs was interrupted by another chine at Brook leading on an excursion back to the main road, The next chine was at Chilton where the road diversion led passed the IOW Pearl, a large hotel complex. The return path to the coast was closed and the route was diverted inland. This was not for me. I had a b&b just ahead and the rain was getting heavier. So, it was along the military road again to the next crossroads then left into Brighstone village. Margaret, my host for the night, had text me to say that she was working and would not be home to give me access to my room until 4.30pm.. So I searched out the Tandem Café and ordered a coffee and panini. The lady who ran the café allowed me to change out of my wet clothes and I was delighted that Margaret joined me an hour earlier than planned. I was shown to a lovely room upstairs, delightfully furnished and decorated, by far my best room of the week. I  texted my wife to inform her that I had survived the day. All I had to do now was crawl 50 metres in the rain along the road for my evening meal.

 

Yarmouth dep. 08.34, Brighstone arr.14.35

GPS 16.28 miles in 5hrs 59mins 56secs walking time plus 15mins rest near Freshwater Bay..

Food was to be had at the Three Bishops pub where I chose chicken and ham pie and mash and the most wonderful stick toffee pudding. The beer was Landlord (4.1%) from Timothy Taylor.

 

 

Thursday 21^st September 2023                   Brighstone – Shanklin         

Diversions, Diversions, Diversions

           

The ladies downstairs in the Tandem Café cooked me a fried breakfast as soon as they opened. This got me a prompt getaway just before 9.30am. I was in shorts for the first time this week. The sun was out and the wind had died down somewhat and it was much improved  weather for the 0.75ml road walk back to the coast. The first task was to cross Grange Chine on a narrow wooden footbridge and to shin up a zig-zagging set of steps onto the cliff top. A lovely few miles of level grassy walking was interrupted by a twin chine system involving two trips inland. At Chale the route curved up to the main road to pass through the village, then into a farm lane that led back to the busy main road which was followed to the entrance of Blackgang Chine. The route continued to climb, on the road at first and then on a field path parallel to the road to emerge at a fabulous viewpoint looking back along the coast. A high-level path, way above the sea, took me into the outskirts of Niton. I had rounded the southernmost point on the island and was now on the home run.

 

It was too early to go searching for a café so I continued on the marked route that by-passed Niton village and climbed onto high clifftops. A strategically placed bench provided a superb view and an opportunity for a rest and a nibble of the last of my rations. An American couple from Seattle stopped for a brief chat and to compare notes on coastal walking. A glorious high-level path contoured across the clifftops until a set of steps dropped me into the outskirts of St Lawrence and on down a steep path to the water’s edge at Steephill Cove. Here a lovely café, the Beach Shack, clung to the shore above a turbulent sea. It was a dramatic spot and an opportunity for a coffee and much needed carrot cake. From here of course the only way was up, first into Ventnor and a series of path closures. It started pleasantly with an ascend to the botanical gardens and then steeper paths through Salisbury Gardens. But then I reached the first of the ‘footpath closed’ signs with no diversion indicated. I climbed up into the upper gardens, walked round in circles trying to find an exit, then ventured out onto the streets of Ventnor and down a long street back to the seafront. Now I was faced with an ‘esplanade closed’ sign. Was I ever going to find my way out of Ventnor.

A slog up endless steps took me back to a suburban street where I had to enquire of some walkers the route back to the coast. They indicated a flight of steps and I was on my way again, along the esplanade to the hamlet at Horseshoe Bay. Here a rising path left the seafront yet again and wound its way up to a very old church, St Boniface’s at Bonchurch. Then came an amazing section through a temperate rainforest in a section of landslip, reminiscent of the undercliff at Lyme Regis, The wet, muddy, narrow path climbed over rocks and tree roots for more than a mile, eventually emerging high up near Luccombe Village. Just as I thought the problems were over, another big diversion was signed, this time up the hill away from the coast. A series of field paths looped back to the village, passing through more wet woodland before reaching a lane descending into Shanklin. As the route dropped into town, one more diversion had to be negotiated, back to the main road and through the centre of the village. This had the bonus of taking me passed the end of Queens Road, where my hotel awaited. The diversions had put a good mile extra on my day’s total and it turned out to be the toughest test of the trip, even without any wind.

 

Brighstone dep. 09.26, Shanklin arr.17.25

GPS 18.32 miles in 7hrs 17mins 24secs walking time plus 15min on a bench near Niton and 25 mins in the Beach Shack in Steephill Cove.

Stayed in the Queensmead Hotel on Queens Rd, Shanklin. The nearest real ale was down on the waterfront but the path down the cliffs was closed. The diversion was via the lift where a discounted fare of £1 return was operating. The pubs on the seafront were very busy and in the first one, people were queuing for a beer. The Waterfront Inn next door squeezed me onto an outside table and provided me with some locally brewed Fuggle Dee Dum (4.8%) from Goddards. A plate of fish and chips was wolfed down, the lift was ascended and an early night was had.

 

 

 

Friday 22^nd September 2023                        Shanklin – Ryde

 

The breakfast room at the hotel opened at 8am and I was first in, ordering my full English. By 8.45am the room had been vacated and I was struggling to get my boots on. It was a beautiful morning. The wind had dropped and the sea looked like a millpond as I started down to the clifftop and along the roads and paths that led over the hill to Sandown. The seafront was quite busy, the liveliest place I had seen all week. Fast progress was made until, at the car park at the north end of the bay, the coast path climbed relentlessly up a huge grass slope. A monument stood on the summit of Culver Down and the view was 360 degrees over the Channel and the east part of the island. The buildings of Portsmouth glittered on the other side of the Solent. The way plunged down into Bembridge, which hardly registered as the path ran between two thick high hedges until it emerged onto a road of smart houses. Following the map, I turned down to the beach where progress could only be made over pebbles and sand. A sign pointing inland took me back onto the waymarked route which had run parallel to the beach but 300 metres inland. I now religiously followed the signs towards Bembridge Harbour where the Harbour View Café provided me with a coffee and cake and a well-earned rest.

 

A dreary road section brought me to St Helens where the route turned sharp right round the north side of the harbour and took to a narrow causeway built across the tidal marshland. A lane led to a holiday camp which was bypassed on the landward side by field paths that headed towards Seaview and the north easterly corner of the island. The weather was turning dreary as well. A clap in thunder induced me to don my waterproof jacket as I came across another ‘path closed’ sign. With no alternative, I walked on through the roadworks and no one batted an eyelid. The centre of Seaview appeared rather pleasant but I was not tempted by the cafes. The end was in sight and, from the coast road, the pier at Ryde was in view. It was still some way away but easy walking through Puckpool Park brought me out at a glorious beach, Ryde East Sands, the best beach I had come across on the entire coast. Entering the outskirts of Ryde past a circular tower, I watched the hovercraft leaving from the tourist complex up ahead. I had an hour to wait for the next crossing so I popped into the café at the Superbowl and had a hot sandwich and chips. I was in good time for the 3.15pm hovercraft which was in Southsea in less than 10 minute. My trip round the Isle of Wight had been successfully completed and I was more than ready to head for home.

 

Shanklin dep. 08.49, Ryde arr. 14.30

GPS 14.60 miles in 5hrs 17mins 33secs walking time with 30 mins in the Harbour View Café at Bembridge.      

 

 

Conclusion

 

The Hoverbus was waiting to take passengers from the hovercraft into the centre of Portsmouth. I had a wander through the pedestrianised shopping centre without being tempted by cafes or pubs. The train to Waterloo was on time and this arrived pretty punctually despite threatened diversions due to points failures. I even had enough time to sneak into the Euston Tap where I celebrated a walk well done with a pint of AM:PM (4.5%) from Thornbridge Brewery. The Avanti train was 20mins late leaving Euston so it was 10pm before I was picked up from Macclesfield Station. A long day indeed but I was more than happy with my week despite the two-day storm.  

 

I had managed 74 miles in the week, more than the prescheduled 70 miles of the official guides due to excursions off route to find my accommodation and of course the annoying diversions around Ventnor and Shanklin. The hurricane conditions were survived with a mixture of common sense, judicious use of the roads and of course a touch of luck. Parts of the walk were as good a coast walk as I have had all year, and I have spent much of my walking year on the coast. Maybe it is time to head inland to the hills. The England Coast Path is not as alluring as it’s cracked up to be.

 

Kent Coast Path (Part 1)

Margate - Camber

30^th July – 3^rd August 2023

 

Introduction

 

Last year, in the middle of the hottest spell of weather on record, David and I ventured onto a newly opened section of the England Coast path, from Woolwich to Grain. This took us over the county border into Kent and got us started on the Kent Coast Path. The section beyond Grain has not been officially opened and, from various progress reports, access to some sections is not even close to being agreed with landowners. Targets dates for completion are well passed and I am getting the impression that the wonderful concept of a signed and marked national trail around the entire coast will become yet another governmental fiasco. For the time being, I am limiting myself to bits of the coast path that have been successfully launched. The obvious section of the Kent coast path that meets that criterion is the Ramsgate to Camber stretch so beautifully covered in the guidebook published by Kent Ramblers. A start from Margate would add a few miles on and would provide a worthy addition to my project of the England Coast Path. Train strikes don’t help with travel arrangements. Getting to Kent in late July was fraught with risk, so we made hotel bookings for the first days of August. A Sunday start and Thursday finish avoided the problem for battling home through London on a Friday evening.

 

 

Sunday 30^th July 2023                      Margate - Ramsgate

The Viking Coastal Trail

 

It was a Sunday morning train immediately following a strike day that took us to London, taking a devious route through the Midlands to avoid engineering works on the main line. Time for a coffee and cake at St Pancras and then the Southeastern fast train to Margate at nearly 140mph. The station toilets introduced us to another verse of ‘The Waste Land’ and the fact that an anagram of T S Eliot’s name is ‘toilets’. We emerged from the station into a gloomy afternoon, with Margate looking strangely quiet in what should have been the height of the holiday season. Perhaps it really is a waste land. Pausing briefly for photographs at the Standing Stones on the station approach, we quickly moved along the sea front and left the town via the bleak-looking Turner Gallery which is on a low rise overlooking the harbour.

 

An Anthony Gormley sculpture emerging from the sea continued the artistic theme before we strode off along the Thanet Coast Path into merk and drizzle, passing Botany Bay and rounding North Foreland, the eastern tip of Kent. We
entered Broadstairs via Bleak House, Charles Dickens’ holiday home where he is said to have written a couple of his novels. A detour inland through the olde-worlde streets and alleyways to Viking Bay were the highlight of the day’s walk. The rain settled in as we continued on to Ramsgate with views of the harbour and marina opening up before us. Turning onto the sea front, the vista opened up of magnificent old houses around the steep hillside overlooking the old harbour. There in the centre of all this, on a raised terrace above the harbour road stood the yacht club, our accommodation for the night. The staff were just closing up as we arrived, but showed us to a super room overlooking the marina where we were left to our own devices.

 

 

Margate dep. 15.16, Ramsgate arr. 18.10

GPS 8.63 miles in 2hr 50mins 52secs.

Stayed at the Royal Temple Yacht Club, Ramsgate.  Found a fabulous ale house, the Hovelling Boat Inn, where I indulged in a couple of pints of Citra (4.5%) from Kent Brewery, Birling, near West Malling, gravity fed from the barrel. Paradise.

Il Tricolere is a lovely Italian restaurant where I ordered Murluzzo Stufato (cod) and a Black Forest Gateaux. A bottle of Agriverde Piane di Maggio, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, completed a long and enjoyable day.

 

 

Monday 31^st July 2023                 Ramsgate – Deal

A Sandwich for Lunch

 

Letting ourselves out of a deserted building, we went into Ramsgate town centre in search of a breakfast. The Modern Boulangerie was open and welcoming so I started the day with a stack of pancakes and maple syrup. Then rucksacks were packed and we climbed up onto West Cliff above the now disuses ferry port. The Hands and Molecule sculpture provided an unmissable pause for photographs. The Viking ship was our next feature and then along the road to Pegwell Bay country park and nature reserve. Two birdwatchers pointed out some Roseate Terns. The official route then ran beside a busy main road passing the now defunct Richborough Power Station and onwards for three miles into the old town of Sandwich. Not the most pleasant walking of the day. Entering the walled town through an old gate, we turned off route for a brie and bacon toastie in the Pit Stop Café.

Leaving Sandwich in the sunshine on a riverside path with boats moored in parkland, the route turned north into the marshes and went all the way back to the estuary opposite Pegwell Bay country park. It was five miles and two hard hours of walking before we were back on the coast opposite Ramsgate where we had started the day. In deteriorating weather, the path ran for five miles south between the dunes and the various golf courses. As we approached Deal, it was raining quite hard. From the first of the houses, it was almost two miles to the dilapidated pier. Deal is one of those towns that is spreading in a ribbon development up the coast. We found our hotel just where its name suggests, on the waterfront. It wasn’t providing food; Monday is the chef’s day off. Neither did they know of anywhere else that was cooking. Deal seems to be closed on Monday’s.

 

Ramsgate dep. 10.09, Deal arr.16.50

GPS 17.39 miles in 6hrs 08mins 02secs walking time plus 40 mins in the Pit Stop Café in Sandwich.

Stayed in the Waterfront Hotel, Deal, had a quick pint of Spitfire (4.2%), Shepherd Neame, at the Kings Head before searching out an Indian restaurant in a car park, Dine India. Here I ate a spicy sea bass dish and assisted in the emptying of a bottle of Klippenkop Pinotage.

 

 

Tuesday 1^st August 2023      Deal – Folkestone

The White Cliffs of Dover

 

With a full English breakfast inside, we ventured out into morning sunshine. The cottages on the seafront looked a picture with the flower baskets arranged on brightly painted walls. A long suburban section took us past Deal and Walmer Castles on a long promenade until further progress was over a pebble beach. To avoid this, we turned inland and walked up a quite lane parallel to the shore. As this lane turned sharply uphill, the coast path was indicated up some steps and out onto a glorious high level grassy clifftop. Wild flowers were everywhere and we spent a few minutes photographing some sweet pea-like plants. This section terminated at a huge war memorial, the Dover Patrol Memorial. We found ourselves on a road of houses and had to cut left back onto the coast path which then descended down hundreds of steps into St Margaret’ Bay. What goes down has a tendency to go back up, as did our path out of the bay and up to the lighthouse. Rounding the National Trust Estate, we came onto a made-up path of the highest quality which ran for a couple of miles over the white cliffs with views of the port of Dover gradually opening up. After passing another National Trust property, complete with car parks and café, the route descended  a long and straight stepped path under the A2 and into Dover. Hundreds of vehicles were queuing for ferries below us but we passed down a quite back street and out onto the sea front with its white coloured Regency terraces. At the end of this we turned into a modern shopping mall and found a Costa Coffee for lunch.

 

Road works made for difficulties in finding the correct exit road but a coast path sign was finally spotted leading us up to and round the old military forts overlooking the port. I had failed to find this when I walked the North Downs Way two years before. But we got it spot on this time and were soon on the Western Heights and in the tunnel under the A20. The good weather held as we climbed  the steep and muddy path bypassing the eroding cliffs and out onto an open ridge and onto more white cliffs. Air condition units for the Channel Tunnel could be seen below. Then onto Abbots Cliff and downloading poetry at the sound mirrors. After a long high-level afternoon, just as a heavy shower of rain came through, we emerged from a thicket onto the manicured lawns of the Battle of Britain Memorial. Then it was down into the outskirts of Folkestone, passing several Martello Towers, two of which had been converted into residences. In brilliant sunshine we came round to the magnificent beach and paused at the little mermaid. Today’s sojourn on the coast path was at an end (17.66 miles). Now for the uphill slog 

through the town centre to find our bed & breakfast.

 

Deal dep. 09.10, Folkestone arr.15.40

GPS 18.27 miles in 7hrs 31mins 25secs walking time plus 40 mins in Costa Coffee in Dover. We stayed in Kentmere Guest House, Cheriton Road, Folkestone. There was a nearby ale house, the Firkin, where I sampled Tropic Ale (4.9%) from Kent Brewery and Citra Bliss (4.7%) from Twisted Oak Brewery near Wrington, Somerset. Found a lovely Nepalese Restaurant, Annapurna, eating pork belly chilli for starters and a main of lamb thali. The wine was a 2021 bottle of Don Aparo Malbec.      

 

 

Wednesday 2^nd August 2023                       Folkestone – New Romney  

The Teeth of the Storm       

 

A good breakfast and a poor weather forecast, a breezy but dry morning and everything look reasonably for the walk back down the hill to the harbour. It was not until we turned onto the seafront that we realised how strong was the wind. The exit from the town was along a  straight promenade passing a line of beach huts stretching into the distance. The prom was deserted, the huts were all unused and locked; it was just like a winter visit to the seaside. And as for the weather, it could well have been winter. The wind was getting stronger by the minute and we were walking into the teeth of it. Sandgate castle is the only memorable feature before the urban sprawl of Hythe. Such was the intensity of the storm that we were glad to turn inland and follow the diversion around the shooting ranges. It was more sheltered on the tow path of the Royal Military Canal, a defence line constructed to block a possible invasion by Napoleon. The Vintage Tea Room at the Hythe terminus of the narrow guage railway was perfectly placed for a morning coffee and toasted tea cakes. The activities with steam engines were an antidote to the struggles with the stormy weather.

 

The second part of the day started calmly enough with a delightful walk along the canal pausing only so say hello to a dog called Bentley. As the route turned away from the canal  into a housing estate, the rain came in. Little did we know that it was set in for the day. A dreary section along a main road led us back to the sea-front and here the fun really started. Rain was driving into our faces and the wing was threatening to blow us off our feet. Progress was so difficult that we came off the promenade and dropped down to the coast road below. The land, part of Romney Marsh, was below sea level and this gave us some protection from the storm above our heads. David searched for his childhood holiday home as we traipsed through St Mary’s Bay. A return to the war zone was unavoidable for the last two miles to Littlestone-on-Sea, I staggered on virtually blind with the rain lashing against the glasses I had to wear to protect my eyes. What a relief to turn off just after the water tower and go in search of our hotel. As we fell through the door, the owner said that we looked like two drowned rats. Drying our kit would be one of our problems, another being that the hotel was not providing food. So, after a shower and change of clothes, we had to venture out once more in search of a meal. That had been quite a day.

 

Folkestone dep. 09.39, New Romney arr.15.45

GPS 15.36 miles in 5hrs 28mins 37 secs walking time plus 40 mins in the Vintage Tea Room at Hythe Station.

Stayed in the Captain Howey Hotel, opposite the railway station in New Romney. Before we went out, I sunk pints of Marsh Mellow (3.6%) and Best Bitter (4.0%) from Romney Marsh Brewery, neither of which was impressive. Just down the road was the Cardamom Indian Restaurant, where I had a lovely Cardamom Special Bhuna. Not being licenced, David had to pop into the shop next door to fetch a bottle of Malbec.

 

  

Thursday 3^rd August 2023               New Romney – Camber

A Power Station at Last

 

The rain had stopped, it was still breezy so not really August weather. A full English saw us on our way before we put on wet boots and returned to the sea-front at Littleton. The promenade, so long our companion on this walking holiday, came abruptly to an end and we were cast out onto shingle and pebbles. Fortunately, the tide was out revealing a beautiful firm sand beach stretching as far as the eye could see (or at least to the nuclear power station). Tucked down below the bank of shingle, we could only judge our progress along the beach from our digital maps. At a point that we estimated was beyond Lydd on Sea, we scrambled back up the bank of steep shingle and onto the coast road. At the Pilot Inn, the coast path is signed inland over the level crossing and along a series of roads leading into the Dungeness Estate. Here we fell into step with a local rambling group out for their weekly walk. We asked them to point out Derek Jarman’s house and we paused for photographs. Then it was a race for the café to get our order in before a queue formed. The End of the Line Café was a pretty little building set next to the other terminus of the narrow-gauge railway. A quick coffee and Eccles cake and we were moving again on the very last stage of our journey, this stage featuring one of my beloved power stations.

 

Leaving the café, we circumnavigated the nuclear site on a concrete walkway right up against the security fence. This continued onto an access track heading towards the electrical substation. The coast path suddenly disappeared and we were faced with a traverse over shingle towards a gravel road full of construction work. There was no alternative but to take to the vegetated shingle of the nature reserve, picking up a right of way emanating from the substation. Beyond the construction site, the wide track went inland towards Lydd, around the fence of an army shooting range. The route back to the sea followed a cycle way running beside the busy road. At Jury’s Gap, the sea wall was regained and the last two miles into Camber were on a busy promenade. This finished at the village and the last few yards of our journey were over pebbles above Camber Beach. I expected some indication of the end of the trail but no such thing, just a sandy track off the beach up to some public toilets. Totally underwhelmed, we wandered through a car park to the road and the bus stop.  The Kent Coast Path was behind us; we were now in Sussex.

New Romney dep. 09.03, Camber arr. 15.05

GPS 16.34 miles in 5hrs 48mins 19secs walking time with 30 mins in the End of the Line Café at Dungeness.        

 

 

Conclusion

 

A bus finally trundled up the road and took us to Rye. A café opposite the station provided sandwiches for a late lunch. Our train was running a few minutes late and our connection at Ashford pulled away as we ran towards it. Such is our integrated transport system. Luckily a later train got us into St. Pancras in time to make a swift walk to Euston and our train north. A faithful and generous wife was at the station to meet us and take us home.

 

76 miles of walking in five days, almost 74 miles on the England Coast Path. There is still a missing gap before we can claim a complete traverse of the Kent section. A walk from Grain to Margate awaits us when the authorities get round creating an official route.

 

What does the future hold for walking the England Coast Path. Do I wait and hope that someday an official and fully accessible route will be finalised? Should I just pick off the bits that have been finished? Or should I just make it up as I go, taking to roads for sections where access has not been negotiated? Meanwhile there are many more long-distance footpaths away from the coast in far more attractive parts of the world.

Northumberland Coast Path

15^th- 19^th May 2023

 

Introduction

 

The completion of my nineteenth and last national trail involved Mike and me finishing last year’s walking week at Berwick upon Tweed. With the certificate from the LDWA National Trail Register came the news that the entire England Coast Path had now been added to the list. So, it was back to Berwick for this year’s episode, to attempt to complete the Northumberland section of this 2,700-mile odyssey. Little did we know what difficulties would be encountered in returning to Berwick by train.

 

Our Northern train to Manchester was cancelled and we were fortunate that the following Avanti express was on time. The TransPennine train to York was cancelled and again we had to make do with a later service whose three coaches made overcrowding on cattle trucks seem humane. In getting so many people on board, the train was late arriving in York and we had to run through a tunnel between platforms to catch our LNER connection (which was held for us, thank goodness). So, more by good luck than judgement, we arrived at Berwick at the prescribed hour. No time for a cafe, we had a full-day’s walking in front of us and it was well after mid-day.

 

 

Monday 15^th May 2023                     Berwick upon Tweed - Fenwick

Cancelled Trains

 

We set off immediately from the station, descending a set of steps through a wooded dingle to the riverside path below the Royal Border Bridge. Within minutes we were standing on the Old Bridge where last year’s trek had ended. Crossing the river, we saw our first way markers for the England Coast Path. Along Dock Road and through the quiet suburb of Spittal, we were soon up on the low cliffs on a grassy path squeezed between the railway and the sea. The route joined a narrow lane leading to a car park containing a feature that stopped us in our tracks, an ice cream van. The tarmac eventually gave way to a track into the dunes. Here I got off line slightly walking nearer the sea than intended but we were rewarded by a wonderful spread of cowslips stretching as far as we could see. At Cheswick Shiel, we corrected our misalignment, crossing a golf course to the club house and back onto route.

A long lane took us passed Beachcomber House and onto a grass path behind the dunes. Encountering the first of many estuaries, the route turned inland to cross the stream at Beal Sluice. A boggy section of path ran round the high-water line of the tidal marshes to reach the causeway road heading for Lindisfarne. Weaving between the concrete blocks that were intended to stop people from parking, we continued up a series of field paths to the railway line. Being the East Coast main line, the trains pass at high speed and the signalman has to be contacted by phone to ensure that it is safe to cross the track. After waiting for one train, we leapt across and up the next field. Within a minute two more trains thundered across behind us, illustrating the need for caution. A few minutes later, we were crossing the A1, just as dangerous as the railway, and searching for our accommodation in Fenwick. Because the pub providing the only food in the area wanted us there early, we had very quick showers before    setting off walking again, 

 

Berwick dep. 12.41, Fenwick arr. 17.25

GPS 12.60 miles in 4hr 44mins 26secs walking time, plus another 2.5 miles to and from the pub. Stayed at Fenwick b&b, Aidanfield, Fenwick and ate at the Lindisfarne Inn, over a mile away by quiet country lanes. I had game cottage pie followed by rhubarb crumble and custard all washed down with Secret Kingdom (4.3%) from Hadrian Border Brewery.

 

 

Tuesday 16^th May 2023                Fenwick – Seahouses

Gorse in Full Bloom

 

On a bright and breezy morning, we left our lovely b&b after an excellent breakfast. I lost Mike in the village store. He popped in to buy a sandwich for lunch and then got talking. I eventually returned to the village to search for him and found him still in the shop. At last, we were on our way, up a long straight lane leading into wooded hills. The turn-off was onto a contouring field path giving good views over Lindisfarne and the coast. In the forest, the path became muddy with evidence of windblow from recent storms. Eventually we emerged onto open moorland and the flowering gorse made a blazing yellow spectacle in the morning sunshine. Fabulous views of distant Bamburgh Castle were all too soon interrupted by a turn downhill through forestation down to Swinhoe Farm. The descent to Belford was through grassy pastureland, passed a fortified farm with a castle on one end. Belford looked a pleasant town and it provided me with a Co-op for a sandwich and a small coffee shop, Well House, for a welcome coffee and cake,

 

The exit from the town was passed a huge industrial complex consisting of many silos, all identical. Could this be grain? Without an answer, we crossed the main railway line for a second time, complete with the usual phone-call to the signalman. More high pasture was to follow, this time grazed by young cattle, with fields of oil-seed rape below. At the next lane, I was aware that all was not as per the maps or previous experience. The advent of the new England Coast Path project had resulted in a complete re-route. The newly signed trail ran closer to the sea, circumnavigating Waren Mill via a campsite and footpaths not on any of our maps. We gained the shore of Budle Bay on a busy road running along the shore-line where a pair of eider ducks was swimming. Another new coast path fingerpost took us from this road down to Kiln Point. Here we sat by the shore and ate our butties.

 

Re-joining the original path systems, the afternoon section traversed the golf course with Bamburgh Castle getting intimidatingly closer. So was poor weather. As we stood on a sandy path beneath the great ramparts, a drizzle came in from the sea. Donning our rain gear we traipsed on, getting wetter from the long grass and shrubs than from the rain. Beyond the castle, we took to the waymarked path into the dunes. This ran parallel with the coast road but gave soft, sometimes very soft, off-road walking. This two-mile part of the walk emerged from the dunes in the outskirts of Seahouses. A dreary seafront led into town and its bustling little centre. Our accommodation was just inland but was easy to find from the instructions. T could not access the e-mail with the access code to the room but we were able to get help from reception and were soon showering and changing from our wet clothes.

 

Fenwick dep. 09.00, Seahouses arr.16.55

GPS 16.66 miles in 6hrs 57mins 37secs walking time plus 30 mins at Well House Cafe in Belford and 20 mins eating our sandwiches at Kiln Point.

Stayed at Links Lets, Seahouses, and ate at the Olde Ship Inn. I ordered fish and chips and mushy peas. The golden syrup sponge was served in an old Tate & Lyle syrup tin and we just added custard. The beer was Farne Island (4.0%) and Grainger Ale (4.6%) from Hadrian Border Brewery.

 

 

Wednesday 17^th March 2023           Seahouses – Alnmouth

Breakfast at Beadnell

 

Our accommodation did not provide breakfast, in fact it provided nothing but a small rather stuffy room. We had been provided with a list of breakfast providers. Unfortunately, none of the local ones opened before 10am but an early opening café was recommended in the next village. So, we packed our sacks and set off, with our usual butty purchase at the Co-op, passed the harbour and out over the golf course. The day was bright and clear, much better than the previous dreich afternoon. We met a lady on her morning walk who enquired about our early start. When she heard about our quest for some breakfast, she offered to take us home and provide. We thanked her for her kind offer but continued on our coastal journey with the village of Beadnell as our immediate target. The Courtyard Coffee Shop was advertised on a handwritten board at the end of The Haven, a road to Farne Hall and the Craster Arms. Soon we were tucking into a huge breakfast, me with a stack of pancakes. Not a bad start to the day.

 

We left Beadnell along the beach which provided easy walking until we encountered the Long Nanny River where we were diverted upstream around an area cordoned off for nesting birds. Crossing Long Nanny Bridge, we were back on a grassy path in meadows full of buttercups. It was back into civilisation at Lower Newton where the beach and pub were full of visitors. In the dunes beyond, the path weaved between a encampment of wooden cabins before emerging onto a series of golf courses. We met the lady who had earlier in the day offered to give us breakfast, She was now out walking with friends, Signs took us round the edge of the golf courses heading for Dunstanburgh Castle which appeared as a flat -topped ancient hillfort. The castle looked more impressive looking back from the south side. Cropped grassland, one huge lawn, stretched out before us most of the way to Craster. This was another busy village bustling with holiday-makers, again focussed on and around the pub. We found a quiet spot on the edge of the village with a table in a kiddies play area. Time to eat our butties.

 

The last section of the day was a pleasant stroll along clifftops with nesting seabirds swirling over the sea. The small village of Boulter was soon behind us and the complex of buildings including the clubhouse at Foxton Hall dominated the view. The official route of the coast path goes through the clubhouse grounds before crossing more fairways and greens. The walk ended with a climb up to a spectacular viewpoint over Alnmouth, then a steep descent into the town, passing the pub where we were staying. So, we abandoned our trek, had showers and refreshments in our room and completed the last mile round the town after dinner.

Seahouses dep. 08.20, Alnmouth arr.16.30

GPS 18.24 miles in 7hrs 07mins 28secs walking time plus 40 mins in Courtyard Coffee Shop in Beadnell and 15 mins lunch-stop in Craster. We stayed in the Hope & Anchor in Alnmouth. For dinner I had fish and chips for the second evening running. There was no proper pudding. I drank Anchor Ale (3.8%) from Cullercoats Brewery and Alnwick IPA (4.5%) from Alnwick Brewery. And then we walked the extra mile bringing our total for the day to over 19 miles.

 

 

Thursday 18^th March 2023  Alnmouth – Newbiggin by the Sea

Annoying a Twitcher           

                                   

Having completed the circuit of the town the previous night, we were straight out on route in the morning, over the river bridge and along the cycle routes which kept us away from the main road. Back down to the sea, the coast path was signed along grassy and sandy paths that ran behind the dunes. These led to the inevitable golf course, whose entrance road was used as access to Warkworth town centre. A lovely old bridge over the Coquet River led through the town walls at a medieval gateway which took us straight into the village shop. Clutching sandwiches for our lunch and licking refreshing ice creams, we sat briefly on the steps of the market cross. Then we climbed slowly up to the castle and left on the main road out of town towards Amble. The trail entered Amble via the marina, then crossed some playing fields into the shopping area where we found a quiet café, the Coquet Tea Rooms, for coffee and cake.

 

We left Amble via the South Jetty before taking once more to a sandypath through the dunes, parallel to the coast road. The next 5 miles or so were on hard surfaced cycleways which ran for almost the full length of Druridge Bay. It passed through nature reserves, fresh water lakes and vast areas of reed beds. Bird life was prolific with this mix of sea, woodland and marsh. Half way along this section we sat of a bench listening to reed warblers and ate our precious food supplies. Then we plodded on, dispirited by the endless tarmac and cyclists until we reached a car park where a twitcher, complete with cameras and tripod, had just spotted a rare Grasshopper Warbler. We waltzed right through the middle of this, scaring the bird into flight, He will probably never be the same again. Before he could curse us, we turned off the road and into the dunes. Dry sandy paths and poorly signed fields led us to Cresswell and its tower, the official terminus of the Northumberland Coast Path. An interpretive board told us that we had walked 62 miles from Berwick. But our path did not stop here. We had the whole of the England Coast in front of us.

 

Ahead was our first power station, a 420MW plant fuelled by biomass. It was originally the power supply to a local aluminium works but now feeds the national grid. Two colourful gypsy caravans were parked on the rough grassland leading up to Lynemouth and the horses were grazing nearby. The coast path ran round the seaward side on a made-up path that looked pretty flat but obviously had a trip hazard, a piece of protruding slate, which I fell over. Mike helped me to my feet and we continued on to the golf course and the last headland before Newbiggin. The coast path signs directed us onto the promenade and we were surprised to find our accommodation, the Old Ship, on this pedestrian way and not in the main street. We had a lovely room with two large beds. The pub did not  do food, especially on quiz night, so we showered, changed and wander into town to find an Italian restaurant that had been recommended.

Alnmouth dep. 09.13, Newbiggin arr.17.42

GPS 20.78 miles in 7hrs 31mins 58 secs walking time plus 25 mins at the Coquet Tea Rooms in Amble and 15 mins eating our sandwiches near Druridge Bay Nature Reserve.

Stayed at the Old Ship in Newbiggin, managed a quick pint of West Highland Way (3.7%) from Loch Lomond Brewery and ate at Due Fratelli, an Italian restaurant on Front Street. The meal was lasagne and garlic bread followed by stick toffee pudding and ice cream. A bottle of Merlot made a change from all that beer.

 

Friday 19^th May 2023                       Newbiggin by the Sea – Blyth South Beach

Blyth Spirit

 

A huge breakfast awaited us on a warm but dull morning. Armed with a sandwich from the local Co-op, we set off along the promenade and out onto the coast path beyond Spital Point. The cliff tops were dominated by static caravan parks which restricted us to a narrow strip of grass along the edge. This eventually became unwalkable and an acorn sign directed us into the caravan park. Enquiries of residents did not reveal a designated route so we returned to the beach and walked on the wet sand round to the estuary of the Wansbeck and then followed the river inland to cross over the weir under the bridge carrying the main coast road. Back on the south bank, there was a lovely section of riverside path round to the car park near Cambois Farm. Along the dunes heading for the old power station, a line of cottages came into view, each house painted a different bright colour. Just beyond this terrace, the route turned inland on roads through an area of industry connected, it seemed, to energy production.

 

The skies had cleared and we were getting rather hot as we trudged along pavements. As the roads got busier, we were relieved to turn into a lane through some new housing and then through a woodland leading to farmland on the banks of the River Blyth. A mile along the overgrown riverbank we came to a complex of roads and cycleways which led up and over a high-level bridge carrying a dual carriageway of fast-moving traffic. The path  on the south side back to the sea was dominated by light industry but we moved quickly on cycleways along the riverbank towards Blyth town centre. A fisherman recommended a café which we set out to find whilst keeping to the signed route through new housing estates. In town, walkers share the pavements with cyclists on Sustrans Route 1, this at first seeming rather alarming. Eventually we felt we were close enough to the centre to turn inland and soon came  to the Frameworks, a smart arts café, perhaps too smart for two hot and sweaty walkers.

 

After a coffee and cake, we returned to the dockside roads and stopped for a moment at Williams II. a gaff rigged ketch, the ship that led the expedition that discovered Antarctica. The route cut inland to pass through Ridley Park before taking to the pavement of Links    Road. After a mile or so, South Beach appeared on the left and we walked down the promenade to a bench overlooking the bay. A short stop for sandwiches and we concluded our weeklong walk and headed for home. The first bus to arrive was a 309 Cobalt & Coast service to Newcastle which took us to Haymarket in the city centre. A guy on the bus showed us the way to Central Station only to find that the next two services to Manchester were cancelled by our wonderful train service provider TransPennine. But the 18.04 train took us to Manchester Victoria and, after a walk across Manchester, a delayed Avanti train was soon in Macclesfield. It had been a long day.

 

Newbiggin dep. 09.21, Blyth South Beach arr. 14.50

GPS 12.65 miles in 4hrs 38mins 25secs walking time with 30 mins in the Frameworks Art Café in Blyth and 10 min break at South Beach.            

 

 

Conclusion

 

Another great walk with Mike, spoilt only by the train companies’ inability to provide a service to this corner of the country. The England Coast Path project is underway with the 82-mile completion of the Northumberland section. It was amazingly well signed with several improvements from the original Northumberland Coast Path. Old maps are now out of date as the new route, clinging as it does to the dunes and coast, takes precedence. The next section through suburban North and South Shields and Sunderland and Hartlepool will in no way match the glorious coastline of the north. And Mike and I, for our annual forays, will be looking to better things in our dotage. So, I may come back alone to walk the industrial legacy of Tyne and Wear. Perhaps a winter project. Then we can continue with high quality walking on the Yorkshire Coast in future years.

 

 

Stanza Stones Trail

19^th October 2022, 26^th-27^thApril 2023

 

Introduction

 

In the planning discussions for next year’s walks for the South Manchester Group of the LDWA, Bridget came up with the concept of walking the Stanza Stones Trail. This is a 47-mile route from Marsden, the birthplace of Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, to his present home town of Ilkley. Six of his poems have been carved onto gritstone outcrops along the trail, each reflecting on a different aspect of water. As part of the reconnaissance programme, David and I offered to accompany Bridget across the moors on the first of her journeys. The logistics were an interesting exercise with the favoured option being to let the train take the strain. So, in between strikes and crew shortages, we booked our e-tickets and met on Piccadilly Station early one Wednesday morning for the first stage of the walk.

 

 

Wednesday 19^th October 2022                     Marsden – Hebden Bridge

Snow and Rain

 

An early train to Piccadilly enabled David and me to enjoy a cup of coffee before rendezvousing with Bridget for the 08.30 TransPennine train to Marsden. The weather was fine with a minimal risk of rain. Only the wind would become an issue. Just after 9am the three of us were climbing the steps from the platform at Marsden station, gravitating downhill to find the Huddersfield Narrow canal. A pleasant amble along the towpath brought us to the visitors’ centre at the basin comprising the end of the Standedge Tunnel which, at 3 miles in length, is the longest deepest and highest tunnel in Britain. Crossing the canal and zig-zagging up to the main road, we found the route up a farm track and then onto the open moor. A steep grass trod ascended straight up Pule Hill where the views from the memorial cross were spectacular. A narrow path took us across the moor to the western edge overlooking Redbrook Clough. A wide grassy track descended into an old quarry where a careful search revealed our first Stanza Stone, consisting of four lines of the poem ‘Snow’ carved into a gritstone boulder.

 

The quarry workings were exited down a long straight incline, the original track of a winch railway. Following the Standedge Trail to the Carriage House, no longer a pub or hotel, we crossed the A62 and set out across more disused quarry workings to join the Pennine Way. Much of the path over White Hill is paved with old industrial flagstones. It came as a pleasant surprise to find a café in a shipping container sited beside the A672 near Windy Gap transmission station. A quick bacon butty enabled us to keep our sandwiches for later on this long day’s walk. Outside the wind was really letting this place live up to its name, blowing us across the M62 footbridge and along Blackstone Edge. Picking our own route through the overgrown quarries below the Edge, we emerged onto the waterworks path near the White House. Resisting the urge for a second refreshment break, we staggered onto into the gale towards the Rain Stone, the second Stanza Stone, comprising the entire poem ‘Rain’ carved into a long low gritstone edge on the far bank of a steep-sided leat crossed via an old stone clapper bridge.

 

The wind was really strong alongside the reservoirs, making progress in a straight line rather difficult. Round the end of the reservoir, the wind blew us out onto open moors at the end of which stood the tower on Stoodley Pike. It seemed to take an age to reach it but when we final did, we crouched against the leeward wall to eat our butties. The descent into Hebden Bridge was fast and furious, interrupted only by a panic over a misplaced pair of gloves and a careful check on the correct path. The long straight road into the valley brought us out at the canal bridge and we finished how we had started, on a towpath. We enquired of some locals the best way through the park and we were soon on the station approach. A train was due and I had very little time to buy a ticket before we were whisked away towards Manchester and the end of a long and invigorating day. One last mile across the city centre and we went our separate ways at Piccadilly Station. When shall we three meet again!

 

Marsden dep. 09.05, Hebden Bridge arr. 16.50

GPS 18.68 miles in 7hr 01mins 39secs walking time with a 25-minute break in the café at Windy Gap and a 15-min halt sheltering behind Stoodley Pike for a final refuelling.

 

 

 

Wednesday 26^th April 2023        Hebden Bridge - Bingley

Mist

 

Well, it took six months before the three musketeers could reconvene to finish what began last autumn. Poor weather, train strikes and other commitments delayed our return but now we regathered at Piccadilly Station again for the march across the city. Catching a train from Victoria Station just before 10am, we were in Hebden Bridge by 10.25am. Our start involved a mile of road walking up Keighley Road before we left behind the traffic and noise of a busy town and climbed through woods and fields into another world, the Pennine Moors. By carefully following the text in the guidebook, it was a lot easier finding the intended route than we had anticipated.  Soon Chiserley was behind us in the bright morning sunshine as we climbed the farm-track to the equestrian centre and Midgley Moor. We hesitated on the descent to Catherine House as text and map did not quite match. But we finally were sure we were on the right lines when we entered the walled track and turned through the arch and up the valley road.

 

On the steep climb up to the crenellated house, we passed a lone woman backpacker who had not found the optimum route into the valley and had had a difficult descent. We passed strongly onwards via another arched farm entrance and over Warley Moor heading towards the wind farms. Cold Edge Road was memorable for its fly tipping and a very depressed guy pacing slowly up and down. In the middle of all this, we grabbed a bite to eat, spoilt somewhat by Bridget’s jaw clicking out of joint. It was not the place to hang around so we continued passed reservoir and quarry to find a gate leading towards our first Stanza Stone. The Mist Stone proved difficult to find, set as it is on an inclined slab below a large cairn, facing away from the path. The crossing of the moor was less taxing and we eventually turned onto Hambledon Lane and descended towards a paddock and large tent. Here a Yorkshire Shepherdess was watching her sheep, Derbyshire Gritstones, through a pair of binoculars. She was overseeing the lambing of her flock and was using the tent as a daytime shelter. Then followed two miles of tarmac.

 

Carefully picking our way through the traffic on the A629, it was a relief to be off-road and heading for our overnight destination. An enclosed path brought us to Hellas Lane, a semi-suburban road leading past a farm and down to a bridge over Harden Beck. The guidebook warned of rocky scrambles down the beck-side path but the fingerpost announced this to be the ‘Senior Way’ so it couldn’t be that bad. Passing a waterfall, the hazards came as much from tree roots as from slippery rocks and we were soon down and on easier ground only to find ourselves facing a steep climb up the wooded side of the valley. The continuation along the edge of the gorge was generally flat or downhill but, after crossing a road and footbridge, another uphill slog was the sting in the tail. A short way down Lee Lane, a field path led into a woodland. Here a forest track descended back to beck-level and across Shipley Golf Course to a substantial footbridge over the River Aire. Myrtle Park is the gateway to Bingley but we had a further mile to walk. Passing the station, we trudged up Park Road taking the ginnel shortcut to Lady Lane. This was officially closed and we had to scramble over a trench make further progress. It had been a long hard day right to its conclusion.

 

Hebden Bridge dep. 10.28, Bingley Hotel arr. 18.20

GPS  16.14 miles in 7hr 28mins 49secs walking plus 20 lunch stop on the ‘Waste Road’.

Stayed at the Oakwood Hall Hotel, Lady Lane, Bingley. Shared a brie & cranberry sauce starter then had a chicken Rogan Josh and finished with chocolate sponge and custard (with extra custard). The beer was Saltaire Blonde (4.0%) from the brewery down the valley.

 

 

Thursday 27^th April 2023                 Bingley - Ilkley

Dew, Puddle and Beck

 

Wandering down to breakfast, I found Bridget already tucking into her eggs and toast. I soon caught up with my full English and jug of sludge-like cona coffee. Rucksacks were soon packed and the party gathered at the hotel entrance for a 9am departure. In spite of a poor forecast, the good weather stayed with us as we descended through suburban roads to Five Rise Locks. A three-mile stroll down the canal towpath gave us a good start to a day when we had a specific train to catch. Leaving the Leeds & Liverpool canal at Leche’s Bridge, the route took us upwards through a wood-covered hillside on paths and lanes leading to the open moors. Passing a friendly tup near a communications tower, the guidebook talked us over a grassy field path, through a gate into a newly planted woodland and along a made-up walkway/cycle track to the Dew Stone, our first Stanza Stone of the day.

 

After our mandatory poetry recital, the track took us through a damp and dark pine forest which was part of the original plantation. Emerging into sheep grazing moorland, a level farm track led us passed Black Potts Farm round to Doubler Stone Farm. Here a faint trod ascended close by the Doubler Stones and up onto the highest level of the moor, Black Hill, a spectacular viewpoint over the Aire Valley and the village of Addingham. A mother-daughter pairing of fell runners passed us on their morning training round, the 12-year-old taking full advantage of her teacher’s strike to pursue her ‘physical training’ part of the curriculum. A glorious path ran along the northern edge of Ilkley Moor. All we needed was some shelter from the cold breeze and the Noon Stone provided the perfect siting for a lunch stop. Just after and just behind noon, we sat for a short break.

 

The afternoon session was dominated by stones. And we had the task of finding, them. Firstly, we turned away from the plateau edge, climbing through rough moorland on an indistinct trod that led over a ridge and across to a now mostly felled and logged plantation. Keeping to the outside of the forest wall, we scrambled up to yet another level, pausing to make sure we had the right line for the traverse of the boggy high-level plateau. A marshy wall-side plod brought us to the wireless station and the Thimble Stones which acted as an attack point for the next Stanza Stone, the Puddle Stone. A flagged path lead over the moor to the Twelve Apostles stone circle and then descended  towards Ilkley and the finish of our expedition. But the designated route turned aside from the direct path to follow the Backstone Beck down passed the Poets Seat to a junction of footpaths emerging from both sides of the stream crossing. Desperate not to fail with our last Stanza Stone search, we hesitantly crossed the beck and heading downhill studying text, route sketches and ordnance survey maps. We had two clues: it was near the next footbridge and almost in the stream. To our great relief, a Stanza Stone direction post stood next to the main path and we scrambled up through some gorse and along to a delightful clearing beside the beck. Here it was, the Beck Stone. No time to sit and enjoy the moment of triumph, it was back to the footbridge and onwards via tarn, lane and road to Ilkley station. Just time for a tray of coffees as we sat awaiting our train home.

 

Bingley dep. 08.54, Ilkley arr. 15.20

GPS  14.41 miles in 6hrs 04min 00 secs plus a 20 min stop (12.15-12.35) at the Noon Stone

 

 

Conclusion

A series of trains and city walks took us home. The Ilkley train dropped us at Bradford Forster Square, then probably the trickiest navigation of the day got us across the city to Interchange Station where a very crowded commuter train crossed the Pennines via our starting point of Hebden Bridge and on to Manchester Victoria. Another foot slog across Manchester with Piccadilly station as our destination. Here the three tired combatants sat on a seat awaiting their various trains and saying our thanks and farewells . Such had been our enjoyment of the Stanza Stones Trail that we were already discussing options for next year’s walking project.