A walk around the mainline coast of Britain
On the hottest day of the year, I set off in jeans and a women's hat - seemed like a good idea in the morning! I meet a friend, and decide to wade across the river, because it's just such a long boring walk otherwise!
I swap direction for one section, and battle a headwind southwards, passing through scenic clifftops, old copper mines, and salt marshes, and then trespass the territory of the local ovine biker gang.
It's been 71 days since I last walked a section of my coastal adventure. In that time the world has become a very different place. Back then people went to pubs and chatted to each other. We went dancing, ate in restaurants. We kissed and hugged each other. When we needed groceries we just walked into a shop and bought them. In the mornings we went to work, and came home again in the evening. Then we stopped.
I was checking the weather forecast all week - this weekend was going to be the best weather since last summer. Come Thursday I was about to book a day off on Friday so I could do three walks this weekend. Fantastic! At 1:30am on Friday morning I was awoken by the sound of coughing. … Continue reading 12½. Coronavirus interruption!
A really varied and enjoyable section this one - tidal roads, marshes, villages, shingle beaches, caravan parks, nuclear power stations, ports, clifftops, ancient monuments, and promenades. Really enjoyed this one, apart from going down a loooong dead end!
I catch three buses and take an hour and a half to travel 1.25 miles, encounter a pair of other long distance walkers, and get dispirited.
I manage to squeeze a walk in between Storm Jorge's anger fits, get accosted by a farmer, bullshit my way out of it, consider swimming across a flood, and see an animal I've never seen before.
I traverse the longest promenade in Britain, surely it must be? This section of the walk should have chalked off three piers and a ferry, but I was to be disappointed!
This was my first proper day-night walk. The first half on banks and paths, the second half along the beach. I planned to come into Blackpool after sunset - after all, Blackpool is so much nicer in the dark!
This walk starts off lovely, quickly turns depressing, then briefly becomes lovely again before sinking in the mud and becoming totally disheartening! Oh well, I didn’t expect too much different, to be honest.
This was a really pleasant walk – first up the eastern bank of the River Douglas, then the south bank of the Ribble, and all the way into Preston.
This day started badly, picked up nicely, then deteriorated at the end!
On a cold, very windy day, at the beginning of February, I make the relatively short journey from Southport Pier to the strangely named village of Banks, and learn a little more about birds.