Walking 7.30am to 4.30pm
Distance walked 20 miles
Distance left 52 miles
Steve dropped me off on his way to work shortly after 7am at a McDonalds very close yesterday's pick up point. I ordered my first ever McD breakfast with coffee. Only a few minutes later, all customers were told they were closing in five minutes for essential maintenance work. I wasn't amused.
Anyway, I set off across the heath and gallops. There were a number of racehorses out for their morning exercise. It was a windy morning but dry and the wind continued most of the day.
I was made welcome in Kelshall church by ladies there. The modern glass outer doors were impressive. It really was a day of eating up the miles. I think for this reason I missed a HW sign past Wallington. I had gone too far to consider retracing my steps so devised a route across country, including nearly a mile of trespass on a farm road to link up with a track leading to Clothall. Well before Clothall, I took a bridleway to Weston. I rejoined the HW in the churchyard.
In a corner of the church were a couple of easy chairs and I sank into one of them. I had a snack and a drink and half an hour later felt quite refreshed. By now it was raining as I set off across the lovely Weston Park. Skirting a new housing development on the edge of Stevenage which wasn't on my map, along a track I came across possibly the worst example of fly tipping I've ever seen. Quite disgraceful and depressing at the same time.
Approaching Graveley, I tried to make contact with an old school friend, Steve, (a different Steve to the one last night) but my phone kept dying as it had become quite cold. Consequently, I dived into the George and Dragon and ordered a coffee and managed to make contact with Steve who by then was cruising around Graveley looking for me.
Shortly after, we arrived at his house for the night. I'm shattered - a long day.
Sent from my iPhone
I've been following you with interest - your backpacking style is similar to mine and we also have in common our LEJOGS. I noted somewhere you have a plan for Chepstow/Berwick. My current plan is Berwick/Castle Carey in Somerset. I set off from Berwick on 10th April 2017 and on 18th April fell and broke my arm descending into Weardale. I resumed when that was fixed on 15th August and then my right knee (the left had been replaced 5 years before) packed up at Hellifield. I had the replacement op on 20th November and resumed at Hellifield on 25th July 2018 and walked as far as Newport in Shropshire from where I returned home for various reasons. I am scheduled to resume again from there on 24th April.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed this trip of yours and wish you well with the remainder.
I believe we have a couple of mutual friends in the backpacking world. I walked from Chepstow to Berwick last year, starting on 17 March. It was very good. I dip in to yuour blog now and then. Probably ought to subscribe!
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