If you have been following my planned route at all, you will notice that neither of the placed listed above featured on it. Yesterday I should have reached Leominster, and today Ludlow.
However, unexpected bits of walking due in one case, to my failure to take a right turn, and in two cases, too poorly marked footpaths, have meant that I fell short of Ludlow by five miles. This now goes second on the list of miles that I will need to recover sometime after I have finished the trip.
However, in terms of total distance walked (including unexpected diversions) I have passed the 400 mark, and in fact the total mileage of 404.5 is just over the 403 which was the originally planned total so far. If this continues, I should reach or exceed the 1050 miles signed up for.
For my own peace of mind, and for fun, I will return to fill the gaps (two so far and probably more in due course) when I have time. Despite the perfectionist in me, I am actually happy with 404 miles walked against just 17 missed!
The walking today was much more interesting, being mainly on footpaths, plus some backroads, all with plenty to see. Before I got to Leominster I picked up the Herefordshire Trail and followed it most of the day. It was impossible to follow it through Leominster, and I spent a bit of time trying to find where it left the town (a factory had been built over part of it). That was my first diversion of the day.
The pub I was aiming at for lunch was not open, so I had to wait until 3.30 when I found a village shop, for some food. Late lunch is certainly a bad idea – it is surprising how much more tired you get without fuel. By then I had had my second diversion. The Herefordshire Trail had been generally well marked, but at one point the markers on a gate were behind the overgrown brambles and I missed them, going a long way along the wrong side of a hedge (it still looked right on the map and even on the OS App) until I could not get out of the field. I looped back to the gate and eventually found the signs.
By this time walking on to Ludlow would have taken me until about 7.00 so I arranged to stop at Richard’s Castle, arriving there exactly at the same time as my host, Sue Welch.
Sue is an old friend of Val McCartney, whom I know from Southwell, and she and her husband Bob are the third set of hosts who are kindly putting me up even though they have never met me. They kindly took me out of a very nice meal at the local pub.
I will be staying here for the rest day, then walking from Ludlow to here on Wednesday, before heading onwards to Shrewsbury the next day. So I will be staying three nights.
Although I was pleased to pass the 400 mile mark, today was the first day where I felt that this attempt to walk the length of the country is hard. Where the first three weeks had exhausting days, I have not until now felt a feeling of cumulative tiredness, which, while inevitable, is also a little worrying, especially as there are some long days and high hills in the next week.
So, the rest day tomorrow is more important than ever.
Today's route
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Daily Data
Days left until John O’Groats | 48 |
Route miles walked | 404.6 |
Route miles missed | 12 – Bridgwater to Highbridge 5 – Richard’s Castle to Ludlow |
Estimated miles until John O’Groats | 652 |
Evening and rest day walking | 5 |
Counties walked through | 10 |
Ferry miles | 0.4 |
Number of walking companions so far | 7 |
Number of stiles crossed | 69 |
Current sponsorship total | £12,860.85 |
Cast of characters (Bold = walking companions) | Jeremy Pemberton, Laurence Cunnington, Brad Poulson, Adele Poulson, Graeme Parkhill, Andy Hellwig, Patrick Lynn, Esther Lynn, Emma Rayner, Quentin Rayner, Sara Low, Robbie Low, Christopher Darwin, Heather Darwin, Christine Hytch, Chris Hytch and Annown, Hilary Edwards, Richard Edwards, Rachel Robbins, Mark Robbins, Ben Turner, Bart Day, Cristina Dorador de Los Santos, Ruth Sharville, Adrian Sharville, Jill Turner-Webb, Lisa Turner-Webb, Crispin Pemberton, Suzannah Pemberton, Jane Mortimore, Peter Mortimore, Ian Howarth, Barbara Howarth, Sue Welch, Bob Welch |
Such wonderful hospitality and the kindness of strangers. Enjoy your rest day.