Here it is, then. Almost three-months after I began my walk to follow The Ridgeway, I was in to my final day along the trail and to be followed by the inevitable return home.
An entire month had passed since my previous outing (Days 2 and 3) along this National Trail. August had been a fairly busy month and for a number of reasons (mostly, walking-related). I was also fearful of heading out at a time when the majority of school kids and working parents were likely to be outside… Overpopulating spaces, crying and congesting public transport systems.
In the first week of September, I decided that the time was right for my return to complete my final two days of walking The Ridgeway. Everything had been planned out in advance and it began with a drive to Watlington.
This was a 13 mile route that I had devised and plotted myself, to lead Brunel Walking Group on what was our second day of a long-weekend camping in Cornwall. As far as the weather was concerned, it would also happen to be the stand-out most beautiful of them all.
As part of a weekend away in Cornwall with Brunel Walking Group, this was one of the two walks available on the first full day of activities. A longer and more challenging walk (further south and passing Land’s End) had already departed for the day, leaving the rest of us to car-share our way in to St. Ives for the start of our coastal walk.
I was on my way to St. Ives for a long weekend of camping with Brunel Walking Group. As this was an early start to the August Bank Holiday, I left home at 7:30 with the intention of doing a walk along the way.
Cornwall has much to offer, in the way of outdoor opportunities and National Trust visits – some of which I’ve covered in the past. I decided to tread on to Bodmin Moor for the very first time.
I doubt many of us can believe that August has come and gone. Two-thirds of the way through 2018 and we’ll soon be waving goodbye to the summer, before we’re ready for it.
I’ve managed to keep myself busy, clocking up the miles over the past month. Continue reading
All the way back in December 2017, I led a group walk in the Black Mountains that I soon grew to regret. One weekend after snow had fallen heavily across the region, I found the mountain tops were covered and we were struggling through depths up to our knees for much of our day. That’s without mentioning the rain waiting for us before we had a chance to put our boots on and the gale-force winds arriving from the east.
I’d thought about repeating the same route but have always held reservations over the small car park at Black Hill. So, for this outing, I decided to park elsewhere and lead a longer route along different paths.
