Day 20 Compton Valence to Chesil Beach

Compton Valence to Chesil Beach

8 Miles

Setting Off On The Last Day

Peter Lindfield, Jim Young, Keith Pauling, Peter Jones, Shirley Duff, Peter Duff

It turned out fortuitous that I had knocked off the extra miles during the week to leave only eight for this final day. Otherwise I would probably still be flogging my way along the path.

There were two major reasons for delays today. Firstly the way marking which has been somewhat erratic over much of the way descended to new depths over this last stage. This was augmented by there being several different pathways criss-crossing my own route, each one inviting the unwary to venture along its welcoming carpet and away from the true line. To the cynically minded (who me?) it may have appeared that the way marks were overcrowded where the path was obvious and at every junction that they would have been useful there was a complete absence of them.

The second cause was the assistance I had from the Weyland Mafia from Bicester. Peter and Shirley Duff, Peter Lindfield, Jim Young and Peter Jones all turned up at Weymouth on Saturday night to keep me company over the final leg. Over the course of the walk my body has subconsciously developed an even-paced steady plod to enable me to complete my quest. This meant that the fresh new walkers led by Jim and Peter Jones strode off into the distance. Guess who had the only guide book, OS map and compass?

Eight miles could have been 9, 10, 12 or more as we went up the wrong tracks, over the wrong stiles, through the wrong fields, wrong gates, wrong beds of nettles and in one case down the wrong very long and steep slope. On one occassion they were so far along the wrong track that Shirley had to use her mobile to phone them to get them to come back! The only time that Indiana Jones showed the slightest doubt that he knew the exact route (despite never having been within miles of this place in his life) was when we ended up in somebody’s back garden. It was also one of the very few times that we were exactly where we should have been! It was with some relief that we managed to arrive at Abbotsbury before nightfall.

The last mile of any walk always seems the longest and this was no exception. It was only meant to be a mile from Abbotsbury to Chesil Beach but it felt like much more. Particularly when we reached the shingle and the going became very hard as our boots sank into the stones.

Eventually we were there and at 2.30pm I arrived at the finishing point on Chesil Beach to be greeted by the welcoming party, all four of them.

All that was left was to leap into the car and travel back to Abbotsbury in order to grab a few celebration pints.
To prove that I finished, here are two photos of me at Chesil Beach.

Donations are still being accepted on www.justgiving.com/macway

Day 19 Yetminster to Compton Valence

Yetminster to Compton Valence

16 Miles

As you go through life it never ceases to amaze me how many people turn up several times. If you retain contact you never know when they may come in handy. Thus it was that Norina and I spent a happy evening with Paul and Pauline Chesterman, one-time migrants to North Oxfordshire but now returned back home to their beloved Dorset. Paul is a great ambassador for all things West Country and introduced us to the “best chip shop in Dorset”. This was followed by several excellent ales in his local pub in Nether Compton. Fortunately my good lady was on hand to drive us afterwards.

So Paul joined me this morning and we made good time to Melbury. I had been looking forward to the walk through the Melbury Estate. Afficionados of “Fawlty Towers” will recall that “Lord Melbury” was the upper class confidence trickster who Basil fawned over. The chances that there was a genuine Lord Melbury was a source of delight! Unfortunately my later research showed that there was no genuine Lord Melbury.

The walk through the estate was nonetheless very enjoyable. Melbury is designated as a deer park and the path through the estate was an extensive avenue of mature trees, with others spread across the grassland. Although there were plenty of signs warning us not to feed the deer the creatures themselves were staying out of sight.

Melbury Park

After the managed parkland estate the Macmillan Way reverted to the natural Dorset Hills and it was up hill and down dale until finally reaching the tiny village of Compton Valence. There was nothing to note at Compton Valence. The name is longer than the village!

My plan to get ahead of the game over the last few days has really paid off. Compton Valence is 282 miles from Boston Stump, leaving only eight miles to complete.

There are three large hill climbs to tackle during the final section so that will slow me down anyway. I will also have plenty of company for this last leg of my journey. A group of friends from Bicester are waiting in the hotel bar and it could be a long night.

Day 18 North Cadbury to Yetminster

North Cadbury to Yetminster

16 Miles

I expect that you are waiting for a reference to North and South Cadbury being “chocolate box” villages. That  would be too easy and although attractive in themselves the Cadburys are not of that special a note.  Their main attraction is the 18 acre hill fort that was built at the junction of the several track ways that meet here. The fort is one of the possible locations for Camelot, the legendary Headquarters of King Arthur. Excavations to date have failed to establish any proof, but on the other hand have not been able to disprove anything either. Arthur will always be a legend among the British, so perhaps it is best if things stay a mystery.

The next two miles of the walk was due south along Corton Ridge. This provided excellent views to both east and west before making a gradual descent into Sherborne.

Sherborne Abbey

Sherborne Abbey was founded in AD705 by King Ine of Wessex. The present buildings date back to the church built by Bishop Roger of Caen in 1120 and the rebuilding programme of 1437. The honey coloured stone gives a wonderful mellow tone.

Sherborne has two castles. The first was also the work of Bishop Roger but was largely destroyed during the Civil War. The second castle was built by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1594 and is now a museum.

The walk out of Sherbourne was a mixture of country roads and fields that took me to the very attractive village of Yetminster. Piece of trivia for today. Benjamin Jesty lived in Yetminster. Jesty was the first person to use cowpox as a vaccine. It is amazing what you can learn!

Good progress today. Yetminster is 265 miles from Boston. Only 25 miles left to go before Chesil Beach.

Day 17 Alfred's Tower to North Cadbury

Alfred’s Tower to North Cadbury

17 Miles

Mist hung over this part of Dorset when I set off this morning and this made very good walking conditions. I was able to keep up a good place through the woodlands from Alfred’s Tower. The tower is 160ft high (work out your own metric) and is three-sided. It was erected in 1772 to mark the place where Alfred had apparently raised his standard to repel the Danes in 878. With the trouble I have had with directions in this area I don’t know how they can have been so sure this was the right spot after 900 years.

Once I had left the woodlands above Stourhead it was much the same as yesterday, a succession of farm fields (and no rapeseed again!) There were however two places worthy of note.

First, and I kid you not, I came across the Sexey School! This genuinely exists in the village of Bruton, and to complete the Carry On scenario it is a Church of England Boarding School. You may now be expecting a whole set of cheap jokes about Sexey Schoolgirls but I have my standards to uphold.

The second place of note was Castle Carey. This is a lovely little town full of old buildings and small shops. The town was the home of Douglas Macmillan who founded the Macmillan Cancer Support charity, the very reason for the walk I am undertaking. Don’t forget, all donations to www.justgiving.com/macway

The walk out of Castle Carey followed along a ridge giving me excellent views of the surrounding countryside. The ridge eventually descended to North Cadbury which was the end point for the day.

I am slightly ahead of the game now. 249 miles completed, 41 remaining.

Day 16 Beckington to Alfred's Tower

Beckington to Alfred’s Tower

17 Miles

The weather is really taking the proverbial.

I have suffered sleet, hail, rain, winds and arctic temperatures. Now there is this big orange thing in a clear blue sky and it has been very hot work.

One mile in to the walk today and there were navigation problems again.  My crystal ball was not working. Turn downhill at end of trees I should have obviously realised meant turn downhill after the original line of trees in 2000, not the extra half a mile that the farmer has since grown. Also I should have appreciated that that “descend to clearly visible bridge” required superman vision in order to see through the entire plantation that had sprung up since the book was first compiled. All in all a happy hour of running up, down, up, down etc etc until I was able to cross the River Frome for the last time.

Farmhouse on Bank of River Frome

By the time I got under way again the sweat was pouring off. Never mind, its after 11am and the pub will be open in the next village. Except it had now ceased trading. Damn the recession. The next village, found the pub boarded up. This is getting silly. As I approached the next village 3 miles later and tongue dragging the ground I could clearly see a “Rising Sun” sign displayed from a good distance away. When I finally reached this solar haven I saw that as far as this establishment was concerned the sun had finally set some months ago.  Bloody bankers!

Two miles further on and the village of Nunney provided both a pub and a shop. Two bottles of Orange Lucozade never touched the sides!

The rest of the day was a fairly non-descript succession of fields and it was not until I was waiting for the Dearly Beloved to pick me up that I realised that today had been the first day since Spalding that I had not had to wade through a field of rapeseed. Thank Heaven for small mercies!

Day 15 Box to Beckington

Box to Beckington

14 Miles

Today was very varied. Steep climbs, canal towpaths, town streets and newly ploughed fields all featured strongly.

The day started with a very steep climb out of Box for nearly a mile, followed by a slow descent along a track towards Bradford upon Avon.

Everything was going swimmingly until the track ended and the footpath allegedly crossed a few large fields. The farmer had obviously heard that I was coming and deliberately ploughed all his fields just to cause the most annoyance. The general rule in the countryside is that you must try to follow the path, even if that involves walking through crops, or in this case a recently ploughed field. The trusty map and compass saw me across four fields to the right place, but it was so exhausting treading through the ploughing. My boots sank up to the ankles with every step.

A good while and a good many naughty words later I reached the streets of Bradford on Avon. Bradford is a smaller version of its neighbour, Bath, and a lot quieter. I follow the streets to the Kennet and Avon Canal, which the path follows for the next two miles. I was looking forward to a tranquil walk along the towpath but it was not to be. The reason was that my timing was unfortunate. As I walked westwards, the competitors in the Bradford on Avon triathlon were running eastwards on the same towpath. I spent most of the time playing “dodge the athlete” although most of them looked as though they were at their limits of exhaustion. Huh! Try crossing newly ploughed fields pal!

At the end of the canal section another very steep climb presented itself up to the village of Westwood. This was followed by a more gentle stroll down the lane to Iford where I encountered the River Frome. The stone bridge at Iford has a statue of Britannia on the parapet, facing downstream.

Bridge at Iford

The Macmillan Way then took me up the Frome valley towards Beckington. At Farleigh Hungerford there is the ruin of an old castle, which seemed a strange place for such fortifications. I need to make further investigations at to its history. Close to the small village of Tellisford there is yet another fortification which is even more mysterious. What is a World War II pill box doing here in the middle of nowhere? What on earth was it meant to be defending? More investigations required.

My cunning plan was to get to Beckington early and find a pub showing the Conference Play-off. I found a pub but no footie. Plan B was to get my brother to text the score to my mobile every time the Hatters hit the net, which obviously would be often. Two minutes gone; one – nil! League here we come, COYH! (Which if David Cameron is reading this stands for Come On You Hatters). Twenty minutes later; 1-1. Minor setback, we must believe. Just after half time York scored again making it 1-2. Then a long silence. I checked for a signal but all the lights were on. Where was the text for the equalizer? We must have scored again by now. By the time Norina arrived to take me home there were only a few minutes left and it did not sound good on Five Live. It was not to be. Still, it’s only a game.

216 miles completed and I am now in Somerset. Two rest days now and then on Wednesday the big push through Somerset and Dorset to Chesil Beach.

Day 14 Sherston to Box

Sherston to Box

15 Miles

I take it all back. Breakfast was magnificent. Starting with apple juice mad locally by the Sherston Cider Company I worked my way through locally produced muesli, freshly baked bread and a giant platter of hams, salamis and cheeses (note the intentional plurals). All served in a conservatory with a view across the farm. Carriers Farm; check it on the web and notice the very high scoring from the Tourist Board.

The walk started with a couple of miles of following the River Avon in its very early stages before moving across open country to pick up the By Brook which I will track for the remainder of the day.

When the guidebook says “follow these directions with care” in big red letters it is time to take the compass out. Off the beaten track there are some poor quality patches of land in the Cotswolds with fields full of limestone chippings and poorly drained soil. The resulting terrain is sparse scrubland with a few scraggy trees and bushes. The pathways become virtually indistinguishable and way markers non-existent. The area between Luckington and Littleton Drew is one such place and progress was slow as I navigated my way over the next three miles. Arriving at exactly the right place on the road at Littleton Drew gave me a great feeling of accomplishment. The map and compass always wins in the end.

Onwards to Castle Coombe, which must rank as one of the prettiest villages in England. Well preserved old buildings adorned with baskets of flowers, an old market cross, stone bridges over the By Brook, Castle Coombe has it all. Today is rather gloomy and I only have a snapshot camera with me. I definitely must come back here in a better light with all of the lenses to take some proper pictures.

Castle Combe

 

The rest of the day followed the By Brook all the way to Box. On a couple of occasions this entailed some very boggy pathways. One particular section through Tilley Wood took an absolute age as I had to pick my way extremely carefully along about half a mile of gunge. One false step and I would have been either face-down in the ooze or have been stuck there still.

The small town of Box was eventually reached and to my delight the Bear Inn was on the Macmillan route so I did not have to go looking for it. I am glad to say that the Bear served up another ginormous dinner and even had the football on as well. Drogba managed to stay on his feet all of the time which was a miracle. I wonder if he would have been able to do the same through Tilley Wood?

Day 13 Avening to Sherston

Avening to Sherston

10 Miles

This was the shortest section of the walk and also one of the easiest to navigate. There was also a choice of routes. I could keep to the orthodox Macmillan way or take the longer route through Tetbury. The only possible benefit of the longer route was that it passed through part of the Highgrove Estate and the potential long-shot opportunity of seeing Charlie talking to his plants. As His Royal Highness had not invited me for lunch I took the short route instead which overlooked part of Gatcombe Park which is his sister’s estate

The highlight of today’s walk was the section that passed around the edge and then finally straight through the middle of Westonbirt Arboretum. For

Macmillan Way

walkers there is a special entrance and permissive pathway that took me all along the

Broad Drive

through Silk Wood, the major part of the arboretum. Provided I kept to the path I did not have to pay!

The last time I was at Westonbirt was for the glorious spectacle of the autumn season when the park was ablaze with the reds and yellows of the changing leaves. Then it was packed full of people but today I passed a mere handful who had paid their entrance money.

It took me ages to get through the park. This was mostly because I kept sitting down at the many seats to absorb this wonderful parkland. The trees were not all yet in full leaf but there was still virtually every shade of green on display. Under the canopy of branches the ground was a swathe of bluebells, while alongside the more secluded pathways the tang of wild garlic floated in the air.

Secluded woodland at Westonbirt Arboretum

Eventually I set off out of Westonbirt through the open countryside to the village of Sherston. This was the largest place that I had been through since Oakham which was 130 miles ago. This was me destination for the night. A stop over at Carriers Farm, which is an “organic” farm and B&B. No fry-up on the breakfast menu so I ordered the ham and cheese and went off to find some of my more normal “healthy food”.

In Sherston I found the Raddlebone Inn. Even at 6.30 it was filling up. It was a proper village pub and there were all sorts of people in the bar and restaurant. I sat at a small table in the bar and ordered rump steak and settled with my beer. In very short time half a cow and a mountain of chips and vegetables appeared before me. It took ages to get through but I did it. Marvellous! Who puts their sound-track together? It was every sequence you could want. The Who, Stones, Springstein and Cream to name but a few. You just knew that if you stayed long enough the Kinks and Lynard Skynard would be on. Before I had finished my meal they were.

Day 12 Rendcomb to Avening

Rendcomb to Avening

16 Miles

The scenery changed again today. I started off with the typical up and down of the wolds, but during the later morning this changed to woodland.

The clearly defined woodland paths made navigation somewhat simpler, but the going underfoot became very heavy again in places. Several miles of today’s walk were across Cirencester Park, owned by the 9^th Earl of Bathurst. (No, I hadn’t heard of him either, but one look at this immaculately kept estate tells me that he must be worth a few bob).

I passed the ornate tunnel entrance to the Thames and Severn Canal, and the appropriately named Tunnel House Inn with its huge garden. This is within a mile of the source of the Thames where I started my first long distance walk 4 years ago.

All in all a very good day with the weather keeping good.

An extra Brucie Bonus at the end. For the first time in 12 days the walk ended at a village that still had a pub that was open for business. Somebody has to keep these places supported so I went and did my duty.

This was the last day of the daily commuting from home to the walk. Distances are becoming too great. It is B&B time again until the finish.

The next blog will be on Monday.

Day 11 Stow on the Wold to Rendcomb

Stow on the Wold to Rendcomb

16 Miles

The best weather day so far. It was still cold but at least there was no rain!

The day started with an easy four miles across the fields to the picture postcard village of Lower Slaughter. Not as well known as the neighbouring Bourton on the Water, but as a consequence it is not commercialised and so is much quieter. There were still a few Japanese and American tourists even at  this relatively early time of the day.

After Lower Slaughter the day was a succession of walking out of a river valley, over the top and then down to cross the next river at another Cotswold postcard village. Cold Aston (yes it lived up to its name), Turkdean, Hampnett, Yanworth, Chedworth and finally Rendcomb.

My favourite was Yanworth. It is an estate village, so every house is painted with the same estate green. However the buildings were different shapes and sizes, and included old stone barns and stables. As ever in these places all of the gardens were immaculately kept.

With all of the up and down today was the longest walk in respect of time, nearly eight hours. However perhaps if I had not spent so long absorbing the delights of lower Slaughter, Hampnett and Yanworth it would have taken less.

Overall I am on schedule, so I will hopefully not require any additional “Fergie time” to complete the walk. It does mean that I have not been able to gain any time to go to Wembley on Sunday. The Hatters will have to do without me. There will still be over 25,000 others to turn Wembley into a sea of orange as the Town return!

Day 10 Epwell to Stow on the Wold

Epwell to Stow on the Wold

15 Miles

I have successfully navigated my way through the twilight zone of the Chipping Norton set and come out on the other side unscathed. Hopefully my mobile has not been bugged although I cannot be absolutely sure that any of the horses I passed in the fields were not the previous property of the Metropolitan Police.

It must be admitted that there are some very nice villages around Chipping Norton. All out of my humble price league of course, but very smart nonetheless.

It was a slower walking day. Two large lumps of hill had to be climbed and these took some time. The views from the top ridges though were really striking. While there were still plenty of bright yellow swathes of oilseed rape there were far more green fields on display than on previous days.

Rainbow Just Before Reaching Stow on the Wold

The big reward of the day came at the very end. Arriving at Stow on the Wold means that I am virtually halfway through the walk. 144 miles completed, 146 to go.

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Day 9 Chipping Warden to Epwell

Chipping Warden to Epwell

15 Miles

The landscape changed today. The gentle rises and falls that had made up the terrain through Rutland, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire were going to become more challenging, not to say exhausting.

There is an area to the north of Banbury known as the Dassett Hills. It is a very nice area with splendid views but to get anywhere in this region requires bobbing up and down across the roller-coaster countryside.

As you can imagine it was very tiring. Eventually I emerged at the top of Edge Hill, a steep escarpment overlooking the countryside to the west and was rewarded by the spectacular views across the Avon Valley. On a good day you can see as far as the Malvern Hills from here, but this was not one of those days.

Edge Hill is an historical location, for it was here on 23^rd October 1642 that the English Civil War began. The Royal Standard was raised on Edge Hill and tens of thousands of Parliamentarians and Royalists engaged in battle on the fields below. The result was indecisive and both sides eventually withdrew. The Civil War had begun.

The next three miles provided the most spectacular views yet. The gods looked down and graciously lifted the grey shower clouds to illuminate the vast panorama of fields spread out below.

View from Edge Hill

 

The path eventually turned away from the escarpment and path returned to its switch-back mode again, taking me along the hills through Shennington to the finish at Epwell. Shennington is officially the start of the Coswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The route from here will have more spectacular hills and valleys but be a lot harder walking.

I will also be walking through the area occupied by the Chipping Norton Set. Will David Cameron ask me for dinner without having to pay him £250K? Will I escape without having my phone bugged?

Day 8 Flore to Chipping Warden

Flore to Chipping Warden

15 Miles

Approximately 30 minutes after starting out this morning I reached a significant marker on the walk. Just after crossing the waters of the Grand Union Canal the guidebook informed me that I had completed 100 miles of the Macmillan Way. Only another 190 miles to go.

The route today took me through a succession of pretty villages, each with their own character. Most of the houses and cottages were constructed from the local stone and boasted lovingly tended gardens.

While the villages each had their own characters the countryside between them was very predictable and consistent. Just how much oilseed rape do we need to grow in this country? Field after field, after field, after field. England’s green and pleasant land as described by William Blake has become a vista of bright yellow. After a while it becomes a little monotonous and I looked forward to the occasional break in the pattern when I could walk through meadows containing ewes and their lambs, or the occasional field of grazing cows.

Some of the paths today were marked as Bridleways. For the benefit of anyone who thinks that these are simply wide footpaths with good headroom let me make you aware of the reality. Horses churn up the ground. Not as much as cows do. I will give you that. But a succession of horses will churn up the ground a lot. Bridleways can get very difficult and muddy. One of today’s sections was described as muddy and another as wet and muddy. This roughly translated as “you will lose your wellies and get stuck forever” and “you had better bring a canoe”. Fortunately these sections were finally overcome but not without the use of strong language.

Chipping Warden is the closest the Macmillan Way comes to where I live. It is only around five miles away from my home. This has its advantages. For example anybody requiring a lift home from the dearly beloved wife need only phone up and say “Nearly at Chipping Warden, pick me up at The Griffin” knowing it would take her at least ten minutes to get there. The unscrupulous could easily work this to their advantage by not making the phone call until they were actually at The Griffin so they could grab a quick sherbet before the transport arrives. The very unscrupulous could even have just started to sip their second pint!

Day 7 Maidwell to Flore

Maidwell to Flore

17 Miles

The walking today was a peaceful and relaxing mixture of country lanes, farm tracks and field paths.

There was nothing too strenuous as I worked my way steadily southwards through Northamptonshire. The ubiquitous rapeseed fields are almost never ending, but today the paths through them are well cut and they are not a problem.

I passed through several quiet rural villages, but found little signs of activity going on in them. I have seen very few people on this walk so far.

For some while the spire of Little Brington Church had been a marker on the skyline for me. When I finally reached it I was surprised to find that there was something missing. The rest of the church! All that remains of Little Brington Church is its spire and tower. The nave was demolished in 1947.

The quiet of the day was disturbed close to my day destination of Flore. The rumble of the traffic could be heard quite some way away, and by the time I reached the footbridge it was a thunderous roar. The M1 was in full flow with everyone trying to get to somewhere else. Peace and quiet was restored again when I reached the sleepy village of Flore and the end of the route for today.

Day 6 Brampton Ash to Maidwell

Brampton Ash to Maidwell

12 Miles

When I looked out of the window there was some blue stuff in the sky. It may only have been enough to patch a sailor’s trousers (why do they say that?) but it was a sign of better things. So much better in fact that I spent the day unrestricted by fleeces and weather-resistant (but not Rapeseed resistant) Goretex sporting just a short-sleeved shirt.

I had planned this day to be slightly shorter in case I needed to play catch-up. Having kept to schedule I was able to take a leisurely stroll through the northern part of Northamptonshire and enjoy the spring day.

Anyone who walks regularly in the countryside will know that some farmers are good with their footpaths, some do the bare minimum and others; well you couldn’t make it up. This particular comedian had used an old gate, complete with “

Macmillan Way

” marker to replace another gate leading only to a dead end. This resulted in me having to retrace my steps. I suspect that he must have split his sides every time that he saw an unsuspecting walker lift the latch. There was no other marker in sight. The trusty map and compass was put to good use and I was quickly on my way across the fields and even managed to end up in the correct place.

The correct place was a bridge over a disused railway line. This line is now a part of the

Brampton Valley Way

, a 14 mile conservation trail that connects Market Harborough with Northampton. The

Macmillan Way

shares this track for nearly five miles and provides very easy walking.

There were two interesting interludes during this section of the walk. The old railway passes through two tunnels and they are long and dark. The first is the 450 yard Oxendon Tunnel that starts only a hundred yards or so from where I joined the track. The end of the tunnel is visible but after only a few steps everything else goes black. The sound of my footsteps tells me whether or not I have stepped into one of the many puddles. As my eyes became more accustomed to the dark I was able to make out that the shiny black was puddle and the matt black was tunnel. I must admit that it was a little unnerving.

Two miles later and I encountered the 530 yard Kelmarsh Tunnel where I was able to draw on my vast experience of tunnel walking and sashayed through the blackness towards the beckoning light.

Day 5 Oakham to Brampton Ash

Oakham to Brampton Ash

16 Miles

In my mind it was a joyous morning with the sun shining and the birds singing in the trees. The only cloud on my horizon was could I afford to take a day away from the walk to take part in the inevitable celebrations a week on Sunday. It would be the day of salvation after two years of suffering in the wastelands!

What was giving me such a high this morning? It was the greatest result of the season so far.

Wrexham 2 Luton Town 1

This means that the glorious Hatters won 3 – 2 on aggregate and sailed into the play-off final against York City at Wem-ber-ley. From there it will be but a short step to our rightful place in the Premiership.

You must believe. Come On You Hatters!

It was a good job that there was something to be cheerful about because the rest of the day was miserable and wet and I was glad to get it over with. You will never know how wet you can get until you have waded through seemingly endless paths of knee-high vegetation.  Even that paled into insignificance compared to pushing my way through two fields of shoulder-high soaking wet rapeseed. Even top quality Goretex knows when to throw in the (very wet and soggy) towel and simply take the path of least resistance and let the water in.

So it was a wet and bedraggled hiker that squished and sloshed his way into Brampton Ash on a wet Wednesday afternoon. Thursday will be better.

Another field of shoulder-high rapeseed

Day 4 Easton on the Hill to Oakham

Easton on the Hill to Oakham

14 Miles

I had thought that today’s leg of the walk was going to be a game of two halves. The first seven miles travelling through the gentle undulations of East Rutland, with the second part spent alongside the north shore of Rutland Water.

The Quarry

The first half was going all according to plan when all of a sudden the ground opened up and there was this huge chasm in front of me. This hole was very, very big indeed. I should have realised that the huge cement works just outside of Ketton would require feeding with raw materials, but I had not registered the full extent of what that would entail. Fortunately the cement company have provided a steel bridge across the excavations, otherwise it would have taken ages for me to walk around it.

The second half was a real delight with seven miles of pathway taking me in and out of the inlets and promontories of the north bank of Rutland Water. Birds, insects, squirrels and rabbits could be seen going about their daily activities. A few yacht sails were visible on the water, and there were many boats occupied by anglers trying to tempt the resident trout into mistaking their flies for the genuine article.

I was able to walk at a steady pace along the well-kept path. This meant that I would be well up with my schedule for the day. This enabled me to take advantage of the many seats spread along the path for the benefit of walkers and I spent some time sitting on several of them while contemplating the scenery.

The very mention of Oakham sent me back to my childhood. To a boy during the 1960’s the name Oakham had a mystical significance. It was the name on the signal box of his train set. Hornby and Airfix both used the design of the Oakham signal box for their models. So you can understand that I had to take a slight deviation from the Macmillan Way in order to see the real thing.

There it was carefully preserved and just as I remembered it from all of those years ago. Same shape, same colours and same nameplate, “Oakham”.

Oakham Signal Box

Day 3 Kate's Bridge to Easton on the Hill

Kate’s Bridge to Easton on the Hill

11 Miles

Bank Holiday Monday generally only means one thing.  It will rain. In that respect this was a typical Bank Holiday Monday.

The day started with a new experience for me during for this walk. There was a slight incline. It was only a few feet but that was the most climbing I had done since ascending the staircase in the hotel in Boston. The fens are very, very flat. I would imagine that life is fairly quiet if you are a member of the Spalding Mountain Rescue Team.

The villages I have passed through today are more defined rather than just a handful of dwellings. Many of the villages boast some very nice houses that must cost a bob or two. There is more general woodland starting to appear, with oak trees becoming more prominent instead of the willows of the wet fenland. Noticeably there are some limestone chippings visible on the footpaths, giving a clear indication that the subsoil has changed its character.

The incessant rain has made some of the paths very boggy with the section through Seven Acre Wood being the heaviest going I have so far encountered.  To be more exact it is not a footpath but classified as a bridle way. A horse-racing commentator would probably have described the going as very heavy to squelch! It was hard work.

Stamford was nice. It is a very attractive town having developed from early Georgian architecture. The town centre still retains an individual look with varied shop fronts and independent traders. It looks as though Stamford is managing to avoid the continual onslaught of the multiple outlets whose aim seems to be to force every town to present the same monotonous appearance. Unfortunately for Stamford’s retail industry the weather was keeping the Bank Holiday shoppers at home today and the narrow streets were almost deserted.

From the centre of Stamford the

Macmillan Way

runs alongside the River Welland.  In summer this would be a wonderful stroll across the meadows. Today it is a matter of dodging the worst of the very boggy bits whilst slipping, sliding and squelching my way towards the road bridge where I can pass under the A1. All that remained was to leave the river bank and struggle up a very muddy hillside, seemingly taking two steps upwards then sliding one backwards, before arriving at the attractive village of Easton on the Hill.

Day 2 Surfleet to Kate's Bridge

Surfleet to Kate’s Bridge

15 miles

At first I put it down to an overdose of the cheap Carling in the hotel last night.  The Surfleet church spire appeared to be leaning over at a very jaunty angle, seemingly wanting to topple over any minute. According to the information board it has been the fenland’s answer to Pisa for centuries and is perfectly safe. The foundations on one side of the tower have sunk, leaving the tip of the spire out of alignment by six feet (or nearly two metres if you are under 35 or work for the BBC).

The same information board also revealed that at one time Surfleet was on the coast, now it is twelve miles inland.

River Glen, Surfleet

The section walked today followed the banks of the River Glen. This river is somewhat different to most rivers in that it flows between retaining banks and runs at a height above the surrounding fields.

There was still a cold north easterly wind, but when the sun came out around mid-morning it changed into a fairly pleasant day.

The scenery was better too. I have left the marshes behind me and the fields of the fens stretch out from both banks of the river. Bushes are now a common sight and willow trees become more frequent.

I discover a series of bird boxes at regular intervals all along this stretch. They are perched on poles and were erected by the Hawk and Owl trust to encourage those birds to nest in the area. As is often the case with these things the hawks and owls did not get a look in when it came to acquiring these desirable residences. The local jackdaws appear to have organised a mass squat. They have completely taken over the manor and made it their own.

The fens have their beauty, but over to my left I have noticed in the distance eight of the great eyesores of our time. In the middle of this table-top landscape someone has seen fit to erect eight steel windmills. No doubt some will say that these are essential for our future but nobody has yet convinced ne that they are total uneconomic and a nasty blot on the landscape. If they are so essential why were only two of them turning?

There are two notable features of the River Glen that I noticed as I made my way upstream. Firstly that it becomes markedly narrower, which is not really surprising, but also that the difference in height between the river and the surrounding fields was gradually diminishing. By the time I had arrived at Kate’s Bridge the banking had all but disappeared.

Kate’s Bridge is not dedicated to a fair maiden as you might expect. Allegedly there has been a bridge here since early times and the name takes its origin from a Danish god, known as Kat or Catta depending on scholastic interpretation.

That’s it for today. Thirty miles have been completed, a mere 260 left. Time to sample the delights of Spalding and in the morning I will be off to the Georgian town of Stamford.

Day 1 Boston to Surfleet

Boston to Surfleet

15 Miles

Signpost at Start of Macmillan Way

Every Sunday evening on “Countryfile” there is inevitably a report by John Craven where he bangs on about climate change. I wish he was with me today. It is the merry merry month of May and a biting northeast wind has been with me all day. That is not to mention the icy showers and even some very uncomfortable sleet and hail. A lively discussion on the topic of global warming would have helped the day go by nicely.

The weather apart everything else went rather well.  Boston Stump (a.k.a. St.Botolph’s Parish Church) was easy to find. It sticks up into the air way above everything else in Boston and can be seen for miles.

Ready To Go at Boston Stump

I set off at 9.30am exactly as planned and followed the River Witham until I reached the salt marshes. From there it was a simple matter of walking along the top of the sea wall around the northeastern part of The Wash and up the tidal reaches of the River Welland until I reached the sluice gates at the aptly named Seas End. I then walked along the edge of Spalding Golf Club to the day’s final destination of Surfleet.

I have to say that the walk was somewhat monotonous. There is only so much interest that can be maintained by following an elevated bank with salt marshes as far as the eye can see to the left and muddy fenland fields to the horizon on the right. If I looked backwards I could change it to salt marshes on the right and muddy fields to the left, with the added attraction of the gradually diminishing view of Boston Stump in the middle.

There was a brief change as I passed a rubbish dump, where seagulls were circling and squawking, but over the rest of the marshes every self-respecting bird was probably huddled in their nests seeking protection from the icy blasts coming from the North Sea.

The first 15 miles have been covered as planned. Tomorrow I will be following the River Glen up to Kates Bridge. This will be another 15 mile stretch and take me to the edge of fenland and the start of the limestone country of the Rutland Wolds.

There is one big extra bonus with which to end the day. Much to my surprise a pint of Carling at the hotel I am staying in is a whole 40p a pint cheaper than in my local. I have already managed to save a few bob, and as “Casualty” is about to start on the television (my wife is addicted, I can’t stand it) I am going back to the bar to save even more.

Surfleet Seas.

Two Days to Go

Just two days to go now.

The internet weather forecasts have started to reveal the conditions for the first three days of the walk. Yipee, there are no blue tear-drops appearing for Boston and Spalding for Saturday and Sunday. A lone droplet scars next Monday, but other than that it is clear. Can I hope for a few days of blue skies or is it the lull before the storm?

Macmillan have sent me a T-shirt and sweat top to wear. It was a bit like being Reggie Perrin. "What size and colour" asked the nice lady on the phone. "White or natural, large please" I replied. Yesterday they duly arrived. One T shirt and one sweat top. Extra large. Brilliant green. At least you will not miss me if you pass by. As for the size I am looking on the bright side. At least I will be able to wear an extra pullover underneath to keep off the icy north-east wind that the weather forecast has added as a dispiriting footnote.

Some people have asked me for a route plan so here it is. Please look at it and say out loud "If only you were doing that section on another day I would have loved to have walked with you". Everyone else does.

Starting time will be between 9.00 and 9.30 depending on how big the breakfast is at the B&B. My anticipated walking speed is 3 mph and there is every chance that I will find a suitable pub on most days for a lunch-time pint.

If you see me walking along stop me and put some money in the pot. Or buy me a pint. Better still, both!

Macmillan Way
	May	Start	Finish	Distance	Total
Sat 5		Boston	Sea Bank	14
Sun 6		Sea Bank	Kates Bridge	16	30
Mon 7		Kates Bridge	Stamford	10	40
Tue 8		Stamford	Oakham	15	55
Wed 9		Oakham	Brampton Ash	17	72
Thu 10		Brampton Ash	Maidwell	12	84
Fri 11		Maidwell	Flore	16	100
Sat 12		Flore	Chipping Warden	15	115
Sun 13		Chipping Warden	Epwell	14	129
Mon 14		Epwell	Stow on the Wold	15	144
Tues 15		Stow on the Wold	Rendcomb	16	160
Wed 16		Rendcomb	Avening	16	176
Fri 18		Avening	Sherston	10	186
Sat 19		Sherston	Box	15	201
Sun 20		Box	Beckington	14	215
Wed 23		Beckington	Witham Park	15	230
Thu 24		Witham Park	Castle Cary	14	244
Fri 25		Castle Cary	Sherborne	15	259
Sat 26		Sherborne	Evershot	13	272
Sun 27		Evershot	Chesil Beach	18	290
				290