This was the shortest day yet, but took an inordinate amount of time! A fact potentially explained by the elevation profile 🏔️ We started the day with a bit of fun, playing hide and seek in Thirlwall Castle, not hugely successfully with enormous bags on🙂 Thirlwall Castle was beloved of 19th Century Romantics, both poets… Continue reading Hadrians Wall Path – Day 4
Hadrians Wall Path – Day 3
This morning we woke to find that we were faced with a normal Cumbria Summer’s Day – it was raining🌧️🌧️. However, fortified by an amazing breakfast courtesy of Deborah, we donned the waterproofs (there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear!) and cheerfully strode out for a 1.5km uphill trudge to rejoin… Continue reading Hadrians Wall Path – Day 3
Hadrians Wall Path – Day 2
So, this morning, we abandoned my battered but beloved car at Carlisle train station for the week, and set off on our adventure with all our belongings in the ‘big bags’! We fortified ourselves with a very nice Eggs benedict at Bartons Yard Cafe in Carlisle first though😊 Today was very much a game of… Continue reading Hadrians Wall Path – Day 2
Hadrians Wall Path – Day 1
So three years after our Ridgeway adventure, our collective pain amnesia kicked in and we thought “why don’t we do another 8 day long distance walk” 😂 Fortunately, some vestiges of memory remained and so we settled for the ‘only’ 84 miles of the Hadrians Wall Path from ‘Wallsend’ to the actual Wallsend NE28. Our… Continue reading Hadrians Wall Path – Day 1
Worcester Mini Break – Day 3
Start – Great Malvern Finish – Great Malvern Distance – 16km Time Taken – 5.5 Hours Today was a game of two halves. In the morning after a hasty coffee and pastry at Coffee #1 we drove to Great Malvern. The reason for the rush was because we imagined that like every other spa town… Continue reading Worcester Mini Break – Day 3
Worcester Mini Break – Day 2
Start – Worcester Finish – Upton on Severn Distance – 21.5km Time Taken – 6 Hours The plan today was to walk one stage of the Severn Way. This 210 mile long distance walking route starts on Plynlimon in Powys and follows the Severn (or Afon Hafren in Welsh) all the way to Severn Beach… Continue reading Worcester Mini Break – Day 2
Worcester Mini Break – Day 1
Start – Worcester Guildhall Finish – Worcester Guildhall Distance – 6.75 Km Time Taken – 2 hours 20 mins We are going to Worcester for a three day mini-break. We should have been going to the Alps, but Covid made that too stressful, so we decided to continue our plan to investigate places we might… Continue reading Worcester Mini Break – Day 1
Ridgeway: Summary
Travelling back to Hampshire on possibly the slowest train in existence gives us the chance to reflect on the last week and what we have achieved. According to the guide book, the Ridgeway is an 86.5 miles (139km) National Trail going from Avebury in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. We are told: “Walking the… Continue reading Ridgeway: Summary
Ridgeway: Day 8
Start: Penbury Manor, Tring Finish: Astor Court Hotel, Fitzrovia Walking Distance: 10.75km Total Time: 6 hours Drugs taken: Ibuprofen 6 tablets, Paracetamol 2 tablets Our final day has arrived. After a rather ‘meh’ corporate hotel breakfast, we set off on our final adventure – the Ivinghoe Beacon! We left in good spirits from the hotel… Continue reading Ridgeway: Day 8
Ridgeway: Day 7
Start: The Red Lion, Longwich Finish: Penbury Manor, Tring Distance Walked: 27.5km Total Time: 9.5 hours Drugs Taken: Ibuprofen 12 tablets, Paracetamol 6 tablets. We knew we had a lot to do today and as the Red Lion didn’t really offer breakfast, we left as soon as we were packed up and got a pastry… Continue reading Ridgeway: Day 7