Day 23 Monday - Stratford-upon-Avon to Baddesley Clinton

Walking 10.15am to 4.15pm
Distance walked today 14 miles
Total distance walked 343 miles
Distance left 709 miles

By special request, I'm now including the total distance walked so far from Land's End. Also, my support team has adjusted the mileages in my schedule and ascertained that the total distance from Land's End to John o'Groats is 1,052 miles and not the 1,075 that I had originally calculated. So, 709 miles to go. By my reckoning, I've covered 32.6% of the distance, nearly one third.

I've worn through the original pair of rubber boots on my Pacerpoles so a visit to Millets today was made to buy the two pairs they had available.

I joined the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal at the basin in Stratford. Amanda joined me for a short distance before heading for home. Shortly after, I was joined by Richard, on a regular walk from Stratford to Wilmcote, three miles up the towpath. He was good company. He was, until recently, the manager of Mary Arden's House at Wilmcote and was walking there today. His wife is the archivist of the RSC.

Bridge near Wilmcote



Bearley aqueduct

I continued along the towpath from Wilmcote. It was raining on and off all day but not too hard and it wasn't actually unpleasant rain. The Stratford is one of my favourite canals. I went over three aqueducts, the Edstone at Bearley Cross, the one over the road at Wootton Wawen and the Yarningale. Apart from these, the canal's architecture is interesting. The design of the bridge shown below is peculiar to this canal, having a metal span with a gap in the middle. This allowed the original horse-drawn boats to pass through without unhitching the horses. Also, some of the lockkeepers' cottages have barrel roofs; these only feature on this canal.

Lowsonford

I passed under the M40 and left the canal at Kingswood Junction, following field paths to the entrance to the National Trust's house at Baddesley Clinton and then walking on to the A4141 at Chadwick End where I was picked up by David and brought back to Stratford. I shall be dropped back there tomorrow morning. David and Jane are brilliant friends.