Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 030 - Marsden to Hebden Bridge

 

Day:	030
Date:	Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Start:	Marsden
Finish:	Hebden Bridge
Daily Kilometres:	27.1
Total Kilometres:	942.0
Weather:	Overcast and drizzling or raining all day
Accommodation:	Hotel B&B (£69 for two)
Nutrition:	Sausage roll and orange juice for breakfast; no lunch; chicken, chips and salad and chocolate cake and ice-cream for dinner
Aches:	Right shoulder and right knee sore
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	After a late night catching up on email and other internet stuff, I slept in a bit and didn't leave the hotel until 8:30am.  Given the high price of breakfast at the hotel, I had opted not to pay for it and, instead, headed for a bakery I had seen the previous evening.  They didn't have much range ("still baking, mate"), so I chose a sausage roll and a bottle of orange juice and began the steep climb out of town.  As I did, I crossed the Huddersfield Narrow Canal as a longboat went through the lock.  The canals seem a bit incongruous on the sides of these steep-sided valleys.  Quite an engineering feat. The guide book had warned that the day would be a series of climbs to moorland and then descents to intervening valleys, and it was right.  Not long after I started walking, the forecast rain began and it pretty much drizzled for the remainder of the day.  Despite a few particularly steep climbs, the day was mostly easy walking and it wasn't cold or windy.  I enjoyed crossing the fog-shrouded moors and, with my good wet weather gear, wasn't bothered by the rain. When I stopped for my morning break around 11am, I was passed by a girl hiking on her own and appearing to be following the same route.  We said a brief hello, and she continued on.  I followed after my break and caught up with her about 90 minutes later when she stopped for a break.  We chatted for a while and I learned that Karen was also walking from Lands End to John O'Groats, raising money for charity en route.  She had been on the trail six weeks and was travelling at a more relaxed pace than me.  She was also heading for Hebden Bridge for the night, and there's a chance Keith and I may see her early on the trail again tomorrow. I aimed to get to a pub at Cragg Vale for lunch, but the climbs and descents were slowing my pace and I didn't get there until 2:10pm, by which time lunch was over.  However, it looked a bit expensive anyway and I was running later than intended, so I had a Mars Bar instead and kept going.  Just as well that I did, because crossing the last hill moorland to reach Hebden Bridge took me a lot longer than anticipated.  It was foggy and raining and the path was non-existent for a section at the top.  I couldn't work out exactly where I was after about 30 minutes trying to find something recognisable, so I went to Plan B and forgot about trying to find the guide-book route and, instead, concentrated on finding my way off the hill and down to Hebden Bridge.  I eventually did this, but an hour later than I had hoped. I found the Post Office and mailed off my old maps and asked for my package.  After a lot of searching, the guy said there was nothing there for me.  I was insistent that it would be there and, after consultation with one of his colleagues, my package was found.  By this time it was 4:30pm and I was hoping to meet my friend Keith's train at 5:00pm.  I wandered around the town area and eventually found a hotel with a twin room available, though not ready for another 30 minutes.  They offered to look after my rucksack and then I walked down to the station just in time to meet Keith, who will be hiking with me for the next five days.  Lucky for him, the rain is supposed to clear overnight and not return until some time next week.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 029 - Flouch to Marsden

 

Day:	029
Date:	Monday, 31 May 2010
Start:	Flouch
Finish:	Marsden
Daily Kilometres:	29.2
Total Kilometres:	914.9
Weather:	Overcast and hazy all day, cool in the morning and mild in the afternoon.
Accommodation:	Hotel (£49)
Nutrition:	English breakfast; ham and cheese sandwich and salad for lunch; fish and chips and creamed rice for dinner.
Aches:	Right shoulder still sore, right knee a bit sore and left little toe very tender.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	It turned out I was the only person staying at the hotel and, I suspect, there was no-one else there at all last night.  The same surly cook from last night, even more surly for having to get in to cook breakfast for a lone resident at 8am, got me some breakfast and I left at 9am with the idea of reaching Marsden for the night, without knowing exactly how far it was.  I was guessing 30km, leaving me about 20km tomorrow to get to Hebden Bridge to early enough to pick up my mailed maps, find somewhere to stay, and meet Keith at the station. The early walking was easy on a cool overcast morning, firstly across some low moors (sheep and lambs everywhere as usual) and then along a rail trail which was also the Trans-Pennine Way.  It was a Bank Holiday Monday and there were a few walkers and cyclists about.  The scenery was pleasant, without being spectacular, but I could tell I was heading towards some big hills. I passed Dunford Bridge around 10:30am and then climbed to cross the wall of the Winscar Reservoir which had numerous warnings about hypothermia (no chance of me going for a swim), before gradually climbing into the Pennines.  The grades weren't too onerous and, as I got higher, had views in many directions of stone-walled hill farms rising steeply from valley floors up the sides of huge hills with moorland on top.  Here and there a village could be seen as well as some larger towns in the distance. I enjoyed the pretty scenery and relatively easy walking, reaching the village of Holme about 12:30pm and finding the pub for lunch.  As often happens, several people came up to me in the pub and asked me where I was walking to and were pleasantly inquisitive.  The pub was doing a roaring trade with lots of tourists including quite a number of walkers. From there, my route climbed even higher into the Pennines along some really nice tracks, giving good views all round.  I think there must have been some kind of event on because a number of small groups of walkers, some unfit, some with kids who'd obviously had enough, were coming in the opposite direction. At the crest of yet another big hill, my route joined the Pennine Way for a short distance.  I'm going to be seeing a lot of it in the next two weeks.  A couple of kilometres later, my route diverged to follow and old aqueduct high along the side of a reservoir for an hour.  It was spectacular, if a little narrow and steep-sided in places.  Near the end, I met a mountain-biker coming the other way.  I commented that he was more daring than me, and he replied that he would be taking it easy and had done it before (my heart would have been in my mouth for some parts).  Anyway, when I arrived down in Marsden an hour later looking for a hotel, he rode towards me up the street and gave me a thumbs up. The descent from the aqueduct to Marsden was long and fairly steep and my left little toe and right knee were complaining by the time I reached the bottom of this medium-sized industrial town (I passed a big derelict mill on the way in).  I passed a hotel which looked a bit pricey but couldn't find anything else in the town centre, so checked in and confirmed it was pricey. The room is nice and, for a change, my internet bandwidth seems to be good so I took the opportunity to add my daily walking GPS maps to all of my previous days' hiking.  You can see them for the individual days here, and I hope to add a map to this journal page each day for the balance of the trip.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 028 - Hathersage to Flouch

 

Day:	028
Date:	Sunday, 30 May 2010
Start:	Hathersage
Finish:	Flouch
Daily Kilometres:	31.0
Total Kilometres:	885.7
Weather:	Mostly sunny with strong cold winds
Accommodation:	Hotel B&B (£30)
Nutrition:	English breakfast; fruit cake and Mars Bar for lunch; Sunday roast for dinner
Aches:	Right shoulder sore, right knee a bit sore on descents
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here  (missed first hour)
Journal:	Spectacular scenery, all day. I slept in and didn't have breakfast until after 9am and didn't leave the hotel until just after 10am on a dry and sunny day. My walk began with a stiff climb across sheep pastures and past some beautiful historic houses up to Stanage Edge and the moors.  There was a very strong cold wind blowing, which soon had me stopping to put my Goretex top on to stay warm.  The scenery down into the valley and along the limestone bluffs of Stanage Edge was superb. My early walking was interrupted by a scary accident.  I was walking fairly closely behind a couple about my age, when I caught up to them as they negotiated a very high stile.  It was very much like a steep step ladder straddling a wire fence and was going to be a challenge.  Anyway the woman cautiously made her way over, then the guy was descending the other side when a rung broke away and he fell quite some distance on the side where the cliff was, and landed heavily on his arm and shoulder.  He was wearing a pack and had the wind knocked out of him.  His partner and I both rushed to his aid and, after some careful examination and a few minutes, he recovered his equilibrium and seemed not to have broken anything.  If the fall had happened on the side we came from, the cliff fell away quite steeply and he would have rolled down and who knows what would have happened.  They continued their day hike and seemed OK. There were lots of other walkers out and also some climbers on the rocky bluffs.  The path followed the very edge of Stanage Edge for the next hour or so with fine views all the way, before descending, fording a few boggy streams and then climbing onto the Derwent Moors.  There were grouse butts (hides for shooting grouse from) in several places on the moors and I saw a number of grouse and some very young chicks several times during the day.  At the top of the climb on to the moors, the path swung northwards to follow Derwent Edge.  The scenery was even more spectacular with remote moors on one side and a steep fall on the other down into the Derwent Valley.  I suspect it was a photo from around here that adorned all those metal Derwent pencil boxes I remember from my childhood.  Also below was the Derwent Reservoir, which was used to train the Dam Busters during World War 2 and then later in the movie about them. Above the Derwent Reservoir was the beautiful Howden Reservoir. Along Derwent Edge were high points usually crowned by weird limestone rock formations adding to the scenic splendour.  There were a lot of people out walking despite the gale force colds winds that made walking in a straight line very difficult.  Many times during the day I was literally blown sideways off the path, with my pack acting like a sail, despite its weight. From Derwent Edge, the path descended through high sheep pastures and old falling down stone walls to the forest-bordered Howden Reservoir.  I found a nice spot beside the road there at 3:30pm and had a late lunch of fruit cake and a Mars Bar.  Although the guidebook said there was no accommodation and no food available for this day, I had noticed a pub referred to as no longer offering accommodation and now converted into an Indian restaurant, where I thought I may be able to get some dinner before carrying on and finding somewhere to camp. Before getting there, though, I still had some way to walk, starting with a very pleasant path along the side of Howden Reservoir where there were many walkers and mountain bikers, before turning to another stiff climb, this time on to the remote Howden Edge.  There were no rocky bluffs, just windswept moorland.  I saw two (more accomplished) mountain bikers on this trail but, otherwise, had it to myself.  As it clouded over around 6pm and became very dark with the howling cold wind continuing to blow, it felt very remote indeed.  Nevertheless, it was enjoyable walking and I pressed on towards my hoped-for restaurant.  After a long descent and some walking through a conifer forest I reached the "restaurant" at 7:20pm and found it was a combo pub/Indian restaurant that was serving a Sunday buffet carvery until 8pm.  It also said it offered B&B, but didn't really look like it.  I went in and bought a drink and got ready to eat when I asked about the B&B.  A manager appeared and said they only had a double room that was normally priced at £50.  I said that was out of my price range and she said I could have it for £30.  I agreed and then had my dinner before getting the room.  It was huge and modern with a large flat screen TV.  A good deal.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 027 - Gratton to Hathersage

 

Day:	027
Date:	Saturday, 29 May 2010
Start:	Gratton
Finish:	Hathersage
Daily Kilometres:	43.4
Total Kilometres:	854.7
Weather:	Overcast, misty and drizzling most of the day
Accommodation:	Hotel B&B (£45)
Nutrition:	Pastie for breakfast; beef & ale pie, peas and chips for lunch; shepherds pie and vegetables and Bakewell (since I visited Bakewell today) tart and custard for dinner
Aches:	Sore right shoulder, right knee a bit sore and wrinkled peeling feet from being wet all day.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	It turned out to be a rollercoaster day.  I woke at 3:30am to hear light rain on the tent which gradually became heavier.  When I woke again soon after 6am it had stopped and, despite a tiring day and late night yesterday, I forced myself to get up and pack up before it began raining again. It was a very grey day, with low cloud and misty patches, but still clear enough to see the rolling hills, farms and stone fences stretching out before me.  I realised last night, after reading the guidebook and briefly getting online (poor reception) with my laptop, that I was facing a number of problems for the day.  Firstly, I was running out of cash (should have topped up in Uttoxeter) and my credit card is virtually useless in shops over here because you require your credit card PIN, which I do not have (signatures not accepted).  My debit card works in ATMs, but not for purchases.  According the guidebook, I won't see an ATM until Hathersage, 40km away, meaning I won't have enough money to pay for a B&B until I get there.  That, of course, assumes that I can find a vacant B&B room given that it is a long weekend and I'm in the heart of tourist country.  I tried the Youth Hostel in Hathersage and it is fully-booked.  Another problem is that my wireless provider sent me a message last night saying I only had one day left.  Of course, they won't let me renew online with an Australian credit card, so I'll have to find an agency where I can renew it with cash I don't have.  Finally, the guidebook tells me that after Hathersage, I may not be able to buy any food for a day or more anywhere along the route, or find accommodation.  Ideally, having camped out last night and given the weather expected today, I would find a B&B tonight and camp again tomorrow night, carrying enough food to see me through a day or more. Despite all this stuff going through my head, I knew I was in for a day travelling through some special countryside and was determined to enjoy it and work out a way to solve the problems.  I was walking by soon after 7am across sodden pastureland and before long had an amusing little incident where my path took me down a fenced farm track leading to a farmyard at the same time as all of the dairy cows were returning to the fields in the opposite direction.  The lead cows began backing up and soon there was a major traffic jam.  I could see that they would all spill back into the dairy with the farmer wondering what the hell was going on!  In the end, I climbed over the fourstrand barbed wire fence into the adjacent field and then reclimbed it when I got the the farmyard.  Problem solved.  My route then took me along a rail-trail before descending through Gratton Dale and emerging on the banks of the beautiful River Bradford in a picture postcard scene of smooth water, a few ducks and swans, tree-covered valley walls and a well-maintained path along the edge. I followed it downstream, meeting some early morning walkers until I reached a bridge and ascended steeply to the seemingly austere village of Youlgreave in steady light rain.  The old stone buildings, grey skies, wet pavements and raingear-clad stoic English holiday-makers made for a pretty miserable scene.  There wasn't many options for a cash-poor walker, so I bought a fruitcake and half a dozen Snickers/Mars Bars as supplies for tomorrow (in case I didn't get another chance) and found a bakery where they micro-waved a pastie for my breakfast.  There was nowhere dry to sit down so I ended up eating it standing up on the footpath in front of a house sheltering under an overhanging tree, pondering my next move. Another problem was that I had not had a chance to mark up my maps with highlighter for the day's route, which always helps me orient myself.  I set off again, in steady rain, and travelled a few kilometres before again looking at the map and realising that, without adding distance, or missing anything significant, I could detour via the small town of Bakewell and solve some of my problems.  This I did, arriving soon after 11am, and found it to be a very busy little tourist town, even in the rain.  I found an ATM, tried two outdoors shops to see if I could buy a second pair of Thorlo inner socks (unsuccessfully), and landed at a pub just before noon where I ordered some lunch and tried by phone to add time to my wireless plan (unsuccessfully...no non-British credit cards).  After lunch I found a newsagent who would top-up my wireless plan for cash and solved that problem. I then climbed steeply out of town to cross one of the limestone ridges then descended to the beautiful village of Edensor and the huge Chatsworth House set in magnificent parklands at the base of a treed hill.  Even in the rain it was impressive and, from afar, I could see lots of tourists walking the grounds.  My route travelled through the adjacent lush green Chatsworth Park for some distance to reach the village of Baslow, where I arrived at 3pm.  Unintentionally, I was now quite some distance ahead of schedule and, knowing that accommodation would be hard to find, decided to start looking.  No luck at the two hotels there. The route then ascended quite steeply to the moors at the top of Baslow Edge.  On the right was misty moorland and to the left a steep drop-off down limestone cliffs to the green valley below and hills beyond.  It was quite spectacular and a lot of people were out enjoying it, despite the conditions, many of them on mountain bikes and some running.  I was a bit envious because I was sure they would be going home to hot showers and a comfy bed, while I was most likely going to be camping in the rain again.  The route for the rest of the afternoon followed the edge of several more "Edges", dipping down to shallow valleys between.  I passed two more Inns, neither of which offered accommodation. To get to Hathersage, I would have to drop down to the valley and then climb back up again tomorrow.  Or I could just camp up high, if I could find somewhere, and then give Hathersage a miss and just continue on tomorrow.  But that probably meant three nights camping and three days and nights wearing the same clothes.  I was already pretty rank.  I began the long descent into Hathersage about 5pm and, to cut a long story short, tried three hotels, the youth hostel and a B&B, without success.  There was one more hotel on the way out of town back up to the ridge, so I bought some more supplies for tomorrow and headed out of town.  The pub had "No Vacancies" in its window, so I resigned myself to camping but went inside to get a quick dinner before climbing the ridge.  After ordering a drink and whilst looking at the menu, I asked the barman whether it was true they were booked out.  He went away to confirm and then returned to say they had one double room left, due to a late cancellation, that would normally be £75 but he would let me have it for £45.  I could not believe my luck, and the day ended on a good note, although still quite a late night.  I'm now a full day ahead of where I need to be to meet friend, Keith, in three days time, but that will give me an easy couple of days after some long ones, and let me have a sleep in tonight.  Almost certainly I will be camping tomorrow night, but at least the rain is forecast to stop.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 026 - Uttoxeter to Gratton

 

Day:	026
Date:	Friday, 28 May 2010
Start:	Uttoxeter
Finish:	Gratton
Daily Kilometres:	41.0
Total Kilometres:	811.3
Weather:	Mostly sunny and mild
Accommodation:	Free camping
Nutrition:	English breakfast; soup, cheese sandwich and chips for lunch; bangers, mash and cauliflower cheese and treacle pudding and custard for dinner
Aches:	Left achilles a bit sore
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here  (missed first two hours)
Journal:	After a 7am breakfast, I slipped across the the 24-hour supermarket I had noticed a couple of hundred metres from the guesthouse and picked up a couple of things before hitting the trail around 8:20am.  For the first time, I forgot to put my GPS on until I had been walking for a couple of hours so today's distance contains an element of estimation. The early pathfinding was a chore and more than once I found myself thigh deep in stinging nettles trying to decipher the guide-book instructions and identify anything looking remotely like a trail.  However, as the day wore on, things improved as the route gradually climbed into the hills.  There were some long sections along beautiful woodland trails following the River Dove through steep-sided valleys.  Gradually I got higher and occasionally had some sweeping views across the rural countryside on a beautiful day.  I stopped for a late lunch in the village of Swinscoe and then was pleasantly surprised as the route descended through the bare hills of Lin Dale and emerged at the classically beautiful Dovedale where the River Dove flowed through a limstone gorge with steep grassy sides and craggy limestone bluffs contrasting with the gently flowing river amidst overhanging trees.  It was a popular spot and there were many people out walking. I followed the River Dove and my route upstream to the little historic stone cottages of Milldale, where I detoured 2km to the Youth Hostel I planned to stay at, only to find that it had been entirely booked out by some families for the long weekend.  I had feared this might be the case and had tried three times to ring and check but never managed to get past the recordings.  Curses.  I reevaluated and decided to return to my route and walk to the village of Biggin where I knew there was a pub, but didn't know if it had accommodation.  Camping was always an option, but the forecast is for rain to set in overnight.  The walk to Biggin continued along the bottom of some beautiful steep-sided valleys and I enjoyed the late afternoon sun.  As feared, the pub didn't offer accommodation, so I bought a meal and left around 8pm to look for somewhere along the way to camp.  I eventually found a quiet corner of a field where I don't think I can be seen.  Strictly speaking I'm supposed to ask the landholder for permission to camp. After setting up the tent, I tried to book a hostel online for tomorrow night, but it is fully-booked.  I fear I could be in for a few days of wet camping out on this holiday weekend when I'm, unfortunately, passing through one of the most popular tourist areas.  Oh well, I'll just have to keep moving and camp if necessary.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 025 - Penkridge to Uttoxeter

 

Day:	025
Date:	Thursday, 27 May 2010
Start:	Penkridge
Finish:	Uttoxeter
Daily Kilometres:	37.4
Total Kilometres:	770.3
Weather:	Mix of sun and cloud and breezy.  Warm when sunny and cool when cloudy.
Accommodation:	Guesthouse B&B (£35)
Nutrition:	English breakfast; cheese and chutney baguette for lunch; chicken vindaloo and sticky toffee pudding for dinner.
Aches:	Left ankle sore occasionally.  Feet tired but improving.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	I woke up to find, happily, that the rain had cleared overnight and it was clear and sunny outside.  I left the hotel at 7:45am after breakfast and, after spending 15 minutes in the small supermarket in town getting some supplies, started walking seriously at 8am, with the goal of maintaining a good pace (without racing!).  Penkridge was just waking up as I walked through the high street on my way to the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal which passed through the eastern fringes of the town.  I was now predominantly following another long-distance footpath, the Staffordshire Way which, like the Shropshire Way, wasn't heavily used and spent a lot of time following the overgrown edges of fields. The guidebook wasn't too positive about the day's walking to Abbotts Bromley, but it turned out better than I expected.  The initial kilometres along the Canal were very pleasant and there was a lot to look at.  A mix of long barges ranging from those looking very lived in, to the sparkling well-equipped ones which were hired out to holiday-makers.  The locks, lock-keepers cottages and bridges were all very historic and well-kept and, on the side opposite to the towpath where I walked, houses with immaculate gardens and barge landing docks were also interesting. All too soon, the route left the Canal and I spent an hour slogging across sodden grass fields and nettle patches where the footing was difficult and the walking hard.  However, that soon passed and the route crossed Cannock Chase, a large area of undulating forests and heathland criss-crossed with many grassy walking paths and bridleways.  It looked like a great place to run a classic English cross-country race, and I'm sure many of my friends will have done so.  I met quite a lot of walkers, riders and mountain-bike riders enjoying a pleasant spring day on the Chase. Then it was back to canal towpath walking, this time along the Trent & Mersey Canal, with the same kinds of barges, locks and bridges.  Nearby was also a main rail-line along which high-speed, aero-dynamic, and flashily-painted Virgin trains seem to pass every fifteen minutes or so.  Around noon, the path left the Canal and headed north-east to the village of Colton, where I found a pub and had lunch.  Checking the map, I could see that I was making good time, and would easily reach the guide-book target, Abbotts Bromley, in the early afternoon.  This put me on track to cover the extra 10km to Uttoxeter, where I had much more chance of getting accommodation for the night.  I left the pub around 1:15pm and, after some more field walking and crossing the long Blithfield Reservoir wall, reached Abbotts Bromley at 2:30pm.  Here I had the choice of following the guide-book (Staffordshire Way) route across 10km of field margin footpaths, or walking the same distance along the main road.  I decided the latter would be faster and no less scenic, although I would have to deal with traffic on a road with narrow verges for a couple of hours. I travelled cautiously, getting off the road into the bordering hedges, for oncoming vehicles, but still made good time and reached the centre of Uttoxeter soon after 4:30pm.  I tried a hotel in the middle of the small historic market town, but the barmaid told me it was £50 just for a room (no breakfast).  I said it was a bit high for my budget and could she suggest anywhere else.  She named one other hotel, but said she thought their rates were the same, and then she thought of a guesthouse a few minutes walk away, which might have lower prices.  I thanked her and said I would come back if they were no better.  She then insisted that she would ring them on my behalf to save me the walk, and did so, telling them I would be right down when she heard the price was £35 B&B and they had a room.  How nice was that! I found the guesthouse and checked in, having noted a cheap and cheerful pub on the way down that would do for dinner.  I texted my 2004 Three Peaks team-mate, Stephen, to tell him I had arrived and the name of the pub, so that he could meet me there for dinner, which he duly did.  The only time Stephen and I have spent together over the years was that Three Peaks event, but our shared near-death seasick experience on the yacht ferry trip down to Barmouth had forged a great bond and we had a very pleasant evening, during which he pretty much sold me on his new sport of para-gliding. To top off a very nice day, my feet were the best they have been for weeks, touch wood!

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 024 - Brockton to Penkridge

 

Day:	024
Date:	Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Start:	Brockton
Finish:	Penkridge
Daily Kilometres:	33.5
Total Kilometres:	732.9
Weather:	Cool and overcast
Accommodation:	Hotel B&B (£45)
Nutrition:	Snickers Bar and flavoured milk for breakfast; shepherds pie and chips for lunch; chilli con carne, rice and sticky toffee pudding for dinner.
Aches:	Sore left heel and ankle
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	Got up at 6:30am and, after some last minute foot treatment, didn't start walking until 7:15am.  Accommodation isn't all that easy to find in these parts (not quite so touristy) and last night I booked an over-priced room in a hotel in Penkridge, where I aimed to be before 5pm so I could collect my next mailed pack of maps from the Post Office. In theory, it should be a relatively comfortable day and I tried to set off at a good pace, although my heel where I had a deep blister last night now felt bruised when I put any weight on it.  I tried to nurse it a bit with a limp whilst walking steadily.  According to the guide-book, the day had few scenic highlights and the paths were sometimes challenging.  Both observations turned out to be correct, with the route almost entirely across flattish farmland via minor roads, bridleways and field footpaths, with just a couple of small woods thrown in.  Having had a fairly big dinner last night, I wasn't famished and didn't bother having anything to eat or drink until reaching a service station where the path crossed a main road around 10am, where I had a Snickers and flavoured milk.  It was cooler and I was wearing my light thermal top for the first time in nearly a week. From the service station it was another couple of hours of mostly country lane walking until I reached the pub in the very small village of Bishop's Wood where I aimed to get some lunch.  I arrived at 11:45am and sat outside at a picnic table until the pub opened at noon.  I went in and ordered some lunch and soon discovered that the chirpy young barmaid had attended the same primary school in Melbourne, Australia, that I attended, Bentleigh West, only about 40 years later!  Her family had returned to the UK, but she planned to emigrate back to Melbourne in the not-too-distant future. I left the pub around 12:45pm, confident that I would reach Penkridge in plenty of time to get my mail, but the quality of the paths deteriorated markedly for long stretches.  Many times it was along the narrow uneven edges of crops and in some places the exits from one field to another were so overgrown, they were easy to miss, and I did a couple of times.  Before long, I began to realise I didn't have as much time up my sleeve as originally thought.  In the end, I reached the Post Office at 4:50pm and discovered it was open to 5:30pm, so no dramas.  I picked up my new maps and mailed off my old ones before retracing my steps a little to the hotel where I had booked a room. Not long after I arrived, it began raining, and hasn't stopped since.  I was aiming for Abbotts Bromley tomorrow, where a team-mate from the 2004 Three Peaks Race was going to meet me for dinner.  However, I haven't been able to get any accommodation there so will try and make it to much larger Uttoxeter (nothing booked yet), which is a further 10km, making it quite a long day.  The guidebook is again quite negative about the quantity and quality of field path walking tomorrow, so I may look for some road alternatives, especially if it's raining.  After tomorrow, the scenery should start getting interesting again, and the paths better, I hope.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 023 - Craven Arms to Brockton

 

Day:	023
Date:	Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Start:	Craven Arms
Finish:	Brockton
Daily Kilometres:	45.1
Total Kilometres:	699.4
Weather:	Cool, overcast and hazy in the morning and some sun in the afternoon.
Accommodation:	Free camping
Nutrition:	English breakfast; soup and bread roll for lunch; beef and ale pie, chips and vegetables for dinner
Aches:	Sore feet including one deep blister on left heel
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	I went down for the early 7am breakfast, joining seven construction workers also staying at the pub. The breakfast was fine except for the coffee which easily took the prize for the worst of the trip so far.  I knew I had a fairly big day to reach the Youth Hostel at Coalport, my target for the day, and also knew that there was nothing available in terms of food or drink until a pub at about 22km.  Accordingly, I stopped at a newsagent on the way out of town and bought a couple of cans of Diet Coke and two small Snickers Bars. From Craven Arms, the first hour or so involved climbing gradually to the top of Wenlock Edge via some little-used country lanes.  I strode out determined to make good time and enjoyed the cooler and overcast conditions after the heat of the last few days. The lane passed farms surrounded by low wooded hills and one tiny village and I felt like I had it all to myself. Wenlock Edge is a 30km long limestone escarpment with a steep drop on on side and a valley and hills to the other. My route joined the Shropshire Way, a lesser-known long distance footpath for its journey along Wenlock Edge and beyond.  There weren't all that many opportunities for views on the steep side because of the trees, but glimpses were had every now and then.  To the right, gentler side, I could see farms and more wooded hills.  Generally, the path was easy to follow and easy walking as well, on soft leaf-covered ground.  Mostly it stayed in the pretty woods but sometimes went the other side of the fence to skirt the farmland. I made good time to the Wenlock Edge Inn, where I intended to have lunch, arriving at 1pm to find that there was a power outage from the apologetic innkeeper.  I sadly retired to a grassy patch across the road and drank my remaining can of Diet Coke and my mini Snickers Bar while if reviewed the afternoon's plans on the map. As I packed up to move on the innkeeper came out to tell me power had been restored, but I decided to keep moving with the idea of getting a substantial afternoon tea in the town of Much Wenlock, a further 7km on.  I arrived there soon after 3pm and found a very well preserved historic market town with many fascinating old buildings. I found a cafe in the main street and ordered soup and a roll for lunch.  While eating I read the flyer about the upcoming festival week and saw that one of their guest speakers was to be Dave Moorcroft, a phenomenal runner from my day (who I think I met once), who incredibly still holds the British National records for 5000m and 3000m. After my break I passed through some more of Much Wenlock including the very old Guildhall and the even older ruined Wenlock Priory, although I could only take pictures of the latter over the fence without paying admission.  The Shropshire way then crossed more farmland and traversed another escarpment, Benthall Edge, as it approached the historic and still active industrial area around Ironbridge.  This area was really the centre of the Industrial Revolution and had a real sense of history, including the first cast iron bridge and lots of old preserved mill buildings. As I passed Ironbridge, the last town I would pass for the day, I called ahead to the Youth Hostel, 3km ahead, to make sure they had room.  No answer, but I knew it was a big Hostel, so carried on, sure they would have a bed.  When I got there at 6:30pm it was fully-booked for school groups!  Curses!  I went to a nearby pub, but they were also full, so I ordered dinner and bought a few drinks and candy bars to take with me on the assumption I would probably be camping.  I continued on trying one more pub which did have a room, but was too expensive, and eventually found myself a spot to camp in a small wood near a busy road.  It seems to be mosquito heaven.  I called ahead and booked myself a room in a pub at Penkridge for tomorrow night and will aim to be there before 5pm to collect my mail and my next set of maps.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 022 - Evenjobb to Craven Arms

 

Day:	022
Date:	Monday, 24 May 2010
Start:	Near Evenjobb
Finish:	Craven Arms
Daily Kilometres:	34.4
Total Kilometres:	654.3
Weather:	Sunny and warm
Accommodation:	Hotel B&B (£35)
Nutrition:	Pie and pastie and ice-cream for brunch; toad-in-the-hole with mash, gravy and veges and sticky toffee pudding and custard for dinner
Aches:	Tired feet.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	Got up at 7am after a warm and sticky night, interrupted by some inquisitive cows munching right up to the tent on several occasions.  I was already pretty sweaty and grimy when I went to bed in the clothes I had worn all day, and was thankful I had bought a sleeping bag inner for this trip that can be washed quite easily.  Otherwise, my sleeping bag would become pretty gross pretty quick. Anyway, I was walking by 8am on another already warm and sunny day.  I followed more Offa's Dyke earthworks for part of the way and enjoyed the pleasant path which again climbed to semi-moorland and then descended to valley floors, farms and tiny villages on several occasions.  The climbing and descending made for slow progress, especially in warm conditions, but I didn't push it.  I was entertained throughout the day by low flying military aircraft, the first being a jet fighter that passed so low I could easily see the crew in the cockpit.  Later I saw a number of low-flying Hercules transports. After a final descent through an attractive and unoccupied golf course, I arrived in the busy little town of Knighton around 11:30am, ready for some breakfast and fluids.  I found a bakery, and followed that with a visit to a tiny supermarket where I bought some supplies to see me through the rest of the day.  I had 21km still to go to my target of Craven Arms, but figured I could do that comfortably during the afternoon.  Knighton was a significant point in the trip because it marked the point at which I left the Offa's Dyke Path and headed north-east across the English midlands towards the Peak District and the Pennine Way, my route north to Scotland.  I was sorry to leave Offa's Dyke Path because it had been well-marked, generally easy underfoot and spectacularly scenic.  Thoroughly recommended. I'm back now following the less-travelled paths suggested by my guide-book.  The way out of Knighton began with a long and arduous climb in very warm conditions to the top of Stow Hill (~400m).  Near the top, on a very steep and gravelly path, I met an un-helmeted mountain-biker weighing many kilograms, coming down the path.  I consoled myself with the thought that there was no way he had ridden up.  He was having some trouble getting traction and holding his line on the descent.  A big fall seemed imminent, but I didn't hang around to watch. I travelled much slower than I hoped during the afternoon, with more ascents and descents, some rough fields to cross and considerable heat.  Yet I wasn't too bothered as the views made up for it and I passed through some very old villages with interesting old buildings.  With about 7km to go, my route began following a lane which followed the line of an old Roman road, virtually straight for kilometre after kilometre.  I spent some time pondering those who had built it, and passed along it, 2000 years ago.  What did the countryside look like then?  I was supposed to leave the road and walk the last 4km along some footpaths but, when I got to the track junction, and saw waist-high nettles, I decided to sticvk with my Roman road which was also heading in the right direction. I reached the small town of Craven Arms at around 6:30pm and, after wandering around a little, found the only establishment that seemed to offer any accommodation and was lucky to get a room.  I had to wait half an hour in the bar until they could get their last free room ready.  As usual, I washed out the days gear while I showered, putting the plug in the bath and doing some "grape-mashing" with my feet before rinsing each item out.  You would not believe the black scum mark left in the bath when I emptied it.  I had to do some vigorous washing down. I had dinner in the bar watching the England vs Mexico "friendly" on their large screen, but went back to my room at half-time.  Hard to get too enthusiastic about a game that really didn't mean much to either team.  Less hills tomorrow, but a longish day.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 021 - Hay-on-Wye to Evenjobb

 

Day:	021
Date:	Sunday, 23 May 2010
Start:	Hay-on-Wye
Finish:	Near Evenjobb
Daily Kilometres:	36.0
Total Kilometres:	619.9
Weather:	Sunny and warm
Accommodation:	Free camping
Nutrition:	English breakfast; roast dinner for lunch; ice-cream and flavoured milk for afternoon tea; can of creamed rice and can of peaches for dinner
Aches:	Feet sore and generally tired
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	The guesthouse landlady came across the the annexe where I was staying at 8am to tell me breakfast was early so I could make an early start.  I hadn't requested this and was packed ready to go, so I really think she just wanted to get breakfast out of the way (there was only one other couple as guests) so she could enjoy more of her Sunday, which was fine, but better if she told me the night before.  However, I'm not complaining.  She really looked after me and I would recommend her guesthouse to anyone visiting Hay-on-Wye. As I walked out of town in the already very warm morning sun at 9am, a motorist coming out of his driveway smiled at me and said "I hope you've got plenty of water".  It was going to be a "scorcher".  I was still following the Offa's Dyke Path and the early walking was across farmland next to the River Wye, before it turned inland along some shady forest paths, which were most welcome.  Along this section, I was caught from behind by a big and strong guy, my age, who was also on a multi-day hike and had a pack bigger than mine.  We ended up walking together for a large part of the day.  Rob is a semi-retired nuclear physicist, who spends much of his time these days hiking long-distance trails on the continent.  He told me that he considers his average walking speed to be 6kph, a lot faster than mine, but he slowed to help the conversation.  The Path continued to pass through alternating farmland and woodland, climbing and then descending into lovely rural valleys and passing through tiny villages.  Beautiful country, but sweaty walking.  We stopped for lunch at 1:30pm in the only pub in the little village of Gladestry where I ordered the Sunday roast which, for £7.50, was an incredible feast comprising a main plate piled with roast beef, potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding, and two smaller plates piled high with vegetables of many descriptions.  I made a valiant effort, but couldn't quite manage the last bit of cauliflower cheese, which Rob demolished.  All the time I was downing tin after tin of Diet Coke to rehydrate after the hot morning.  I pretty much waddled out of that pub, and didn't embrace the solid climb up onto the 400m high Hergest Ridge, but the views from this semi-moorland and the many ponies and new foals revived me. We walked on to the town of Kington, where we found a small supermarket and had some afternoon tea and more drinks before parting company, with Rob planning to stay at a nearby campground.  Even though it was 4pm and I was tired, I needed to go further or I would fall behind the schedule I need to keep if I'm to finish and make my flight back home.  There was another solid climb out of Kington and it was still warm, but I made steady progress along the path which actually went along the top of a section of the 1300-year-old Offa's Dyke that was still clearly visible, for quite a while. Around 7pm I began looking for somewhere to camp as the path passed through a small wood near the crest of the hill.  I couldn't find an ideal spot and eventually climbed over a barbed wire fence to a small patch of cleared pasture that seems unlikely to concern anyone and set up camp.  After a quick dinner of canned rice-cream and canned peaches (note to self: get a plastic spoon to carry) I updated my diary and retired.  It really has been a magic day, despite the heat, with extensive views across the lush green Welsh borders countryside and lovely path to follow.  Touch wood, the feet weren't quite as bad today.  Maybe there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 020 - Hay-on-Wye

Day:	020
Date:	Saturday, 22 May 2010
Start:	Hay-on-Wye
Finish:	Hay-on-Wye
Daily Kilometres:	0.0
Total Kilometres:	583.9
Weather:	Sunny and warm
Accommodation:	Guest House B&B (£30)
Nutrition:	English breakfast; soup, bread and chocolate cake for lunch; fish and chips for dinner.
Aches:	Tender feet
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	n.a.
Journal:	A relaxing day off, made even more relaxing by the landlady, who insisted on doing and hanging out my washing for me. The day started pleasantly with breakfast exchanging stories with the other guests in the guesthouse.  After that, I went for a bit of a wander around the beautiful little town of Hay-on-Wye whose unique feature is the preponderance of new and used bookshops.  It seemed like every second shop was a bookseller or trader of some description and even the town castle and cinema had been converted into bookshops.  Some specialised in things like science, sport, travel, gardening, murder and mayhem, etc., and others seemed to have everything.  It would have been easy to spend hours in one shop, let alone visit them all.  There were also a lot of curio and handiworks shops and, being a warm and sunny spring Saturday, there were plenty of visitors who were also patronising the many pubs and cafes, spilling out on to the foot-paths. I returned for another walk around town later in the day, but also spent a lot of time sitting on my bed and catching up on my email, etc. All in all, a lovely way to spend a day off and now I'm looking forward to hitting the trail again tomorrow.  Warm and sunny again, apparently.

 

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 019 - Pandy to Hay-on-Wye

 

Day:	019
Date:	Friday, 21 May 2010
Start:	Pandy
Finish:	Hay-on-Wye
Daily Kilometres:	26.1
Total Kilometres:	583.9
Weather:	Sunny and warm
Accommodation:	Guest House B&B (£30)
Nutrition:	English breakfast; cheese sandwich and snacks for lunch, chille con carne and rice and cheesecake and ice-cream for dinner.
Aches:	Sore feet
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	Old friends from our days living in England in the late 1980s, Jo and Richard, came across to see me for a chat at the pub last night, which was a delight.  They live nearby, but I hadn't given them much notice, and they squeezed in a visit between a number of other commitments, which I really appreciated. I had a sleep in and chatted with the genial inn-keeper, Alan, as I had my breakfast.  He got out his large scale map to show me the quickest route back to Offa's Dyke Path and a critical turn near the end that would save me an unnecessary steep and difficult descent.  He also had the cook put together some cheese sandwiches for my lunch.  It's encounters like this one with Alan, that will make the trip memorable. The weather was perfect for a hike along a mountain-top ridge, warm and sunny, and I have ended up with a bit of sunburn.  The initial climb was solid, but the trail was good underfoot, starting out in the lowland farms, passing through hill farms, and then reaching the heath and grass covered crest of the ridge which was level at about 650m, rising to a high point of 700m.  Once the summit of the ridge was reached, the walking was relatively flat, with a nice light breeze taking the edge off the heat, and expansive views in every direction.  A number of other walkers were also out, but it wasn't crowded, and I enjoyed the quiet solitude.  There were also a number of ponies grazing freely along the way and I encountered one group of horse-riders.  The crest of the ridge (Hatteral Ridge) also marked the border between England and Wales for a large part of the way.  The ridge is part of the Black Mountains, which are part of the Brecon Beacons National Park.  I did travel for a short distance with another hiker travelling in the same direction, who told me about the guest house he was planning to stay at in Hay-on-Wye, and volunteered the details.  Several people have told me I'm lucky I'm not a week later because there is a huge book and literature festival there next weekend. The good walking conditions meant I made good time and I began my descent towards Hay-on-Wye around 4pm and reached the town at 5pm.  As I neared the picturesque and historic town centre, I spotted the guesthouse recommended by my hiker friend and they had a room for two nights, as I plan to have tomorrow off.  Although I won't be walking far around town tomorrow, it's definitely worth a browse.  There are second-hand bookshops and curio shops everywhere. I went out for dinner at a nearby recommended pub but, although the food was good, it was a bit overpriced.  I'll have to find somewhere cheaper tomorrow.  As I left the pub, I encountered the hiker I had met earlier in the day who had recommended the guest house where I was staying.  He had had a very long hard day, including doing the steep and difficult descent I had bypassed, and was very pleased he was on his way home tomorrow.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 018 - Monmouth to Pandy

 

Day:	018
Date:	Thursday, 20 May 2010
Start:	Monmouth
Finish:	Pandy
Daily Kilometres:	30.3
Total Kilometres:	557.8
Weather:	Mostly sunny and warm
Accommodation:	Hotel Bunkhouse B&B (£20)
Nutrition:	English breakfast; some snacks during the day; specialty local sausage pie (very spicy), vegetables and chocolate sponge pudding and custard
Aches:	Still very sore feet and some right knee twinges
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	Had a reasonable night's sleep despite my bedroom being directly over the bar where the Wednesday night live jazz session occurred (actually, it was quite pleasant).  I left the hotel about 8:15am and walked out through Monmouth just as all of the kids were heading to school.  There is a large (private) school right in the middle of town and I passed by several separate campus buildings blended in with the town. After a quick stop at a supermarket to get some snacks, I finally left the outskirts of town nearer 9am and began a gentle ascent away from the Wye River.  It was sunny and warm and it wasn't long before I took my sweater off while hiking, for the first time on the trip!  The path passed across farms and through a forest and was easy and pleasant going, without the spectacular views of yesterday.  I took a break in the shade at 10:30am and then decided to press on to White Castle, where there was supposed to be some kind of shop where I hoped to get something for lunch. Unfortunately, the path across some of the farms was quite rough underfoot and my pace slowed and my feet became sorer.  Still determined not to stop until lunch, I pressed on despite making a navigational error that cost me 30 minutes.  I started to feel like I would never get to the Castle, and then made another navigational error and didn't wake up until a kilometre later.  Curses!  I had to take a break, and just sat down beside the road for 10 minutes before working out how to rejoin the Path.  The way I chose looked good on paper, but ended up having me descend into a deep and steep-sided ditch and then climb up the other side and negotiate a four-strand barbed wire fence, all done without incident.  Maybe I'm not too old for this. Anyway, I reached the quite impressive White Castle soon after 2pm and found the tiny kiosk there only sold a few local candies and bottled water.  I settled for a chocolate bar and two bottles of water and dozed in the shade by the kiosk for 30 minutes.  I had overdone it in the morning and was footsore and exhausted.  I think the lady in the kiosk, who also collected admission fees to the Castle was quite worried about me.  I could see enough of the castle without paying to go in so took some pics and hit the Path again soon after 2:30pm with, supposedly, 5 miles to go to Pandy, my goal for the day.  The Path mostly crossed undulating farm land and continued to be quite rough underfoot making progress slow.  I'm becoming quite despondent about my sore feet (I hiked 20 miles a day for 2,200 miles on the Appalachian Trail with a much heavier pack, with fewer problems).  As I walked, I decided that I would aim to have a day off in Hay-on-Wye on Saturday, the day after tomorrow, and hope that 36 hours off my feet, instead of 12, will do the trick.  The blisters aren't so bad today, it's more that the feet just feel pummelled. Anyway, enough whingeing.   Well, one more.  Because it was the hottest days we have had, I was sweating quite a lot and chafing also became a problem in the afternoon (I had to travel commando for the last 5km!).  I reached Pandy, a small village strung out along a main road, and ended up walking a kilometre up the road to the Pandy Inn where they have a bunkhouse which it looks like I will have to myself.  The very friendly host is looking after me and even offered to drop me off a few kilometres up the Path tomorrow to save me climbing a big hill!  I declined.  The food in the pub is excellent and, as I type this in the bar, I'm waiting for some old friends, Jo and Richard, who live nearby, to join me for a drink. It's not a long day tomorrow, but I will be starting late (breakfast not til 8:30am) and it's supposed to be even warmer.  I hope I can find a room in Hay-on-Wye for two nights on the weekend.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 017 - Chepstow to Monmouth

 

Day:	017
Date:	Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Start:	Chepstow
Finish:	Monmouth
Daily Kilometres:	30.0
Total Kilometres:	527.5
Weather:	Overcast and mild
Accommodation:	Hotel B&B (£35)
Nutrition:	English breakfast; soup and roll for lunch; Steak pie, chips and peas and jam sponge and ice-cream for dinner.
Aches:	Sore feet and one new blister
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	I got up at 7:30am and pottered around doing some stuff online (poor reception) and getting ready to go to the Post Office after breakfast.  At the PO, my fresh set of maps for the next section, and my boots (posted from Bridgwater) awaited me.  I mailed off my old maps and a few other things I had decided I didn't need and then returned to the hotel and changed into the boots, wearing two pairs of thick socks in yet another footwear variation to try and reduce my feet problems. I finally started walking soon after 10am and followed the historic town main street down past the old castle and across the River Wye (back into England).  I was following the Offa's Dyke Path today and expected it to be easy to follow.  Too easy!  I missed a turn and spent nearly an hour negotiating a nature trail loop and some difficult tracks before finding my way back to the path proper.  Although it gave me a good look at the gorge-like cliffs along the Wye River, I didn't need to walk those extra kilometres. Back on the Offa's Dyke Path, I really enjoyed the easy walking.  It more or less followed the crest of the ridge on the east Bank of the Wye River and rose high enough to give some superb views.  It also followed some beautiful woodland paths bordered by carpets of wildflowers.  The path also followed the recognizable earthworks after which the path was named, a defensive mound built around 700AD by Offa.  I met a few other walkers early on, but then had the day pretty much to myself.  Every turn of the path revealed beautiful rural and woodland vistas with wildflowers.  It was an unbeatable walk. I dropped down to the village of Brockweir soon after 1:30pm and had lunch in the pub there.  For the next hour or so after lunch the Path followed the bank of the Wye River through short grass fields...almost like walking on lawns for a good part.  High on both sides could be seen forests cascading down to the river, interspersed with fields and the occasional farm. Then the path climbed high again and more woods, fields and wildflowers.  I finally descended into Monmouth around 7pm and crossed the river back into Wales where I quickly found a pub offering B&B and checked in.  After doing some chores and having a shower, I walked into town to find somewhere to eat and managed to get myself lost on the way back to my B&B.  Only an extra few hundred metres, but my feet are again sore, though perhaps better than yesterday.  It felt more comfortable in the boots after days in the running shoes, but who knows what tomorrow holds. I forgot to mention yesterday that I found a tick embedded in my groin after last night's shower.  That makes the third feeding on me in the last three days.  I have been just pulling them out and hoping the head comes with the body.  Some itchy spots, but so far so good.