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The big trip
  • Karen Foster
  • John Foster
  • Karen Foster
  • John Foster

The big trip

A 94-day adventure by Karen & John Read more
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  • The big trip
    Our camping pod
    Our camping podWell's CathedralA thorn amongst the rosesThe Bishop's palaceThe Bishops palace gardensWells CathedralVicars Close

    Day 19 rest day in Cheddar

    June 7 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Today we are stopping in Cheddar but we decided to visit Wells. I’m very glad we did. It is a beautiful little city. We explored the Bishop’s palace and the cathedral and Vicar’s Close, the oldest remaining medieval street in Britain. We really enjoyed our day in Wells and now we are resting back in our pod again.Read more

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    Day 20 Cheddar to Walnut Tree Farm

    June 8 in England ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    This morning it was very rainy. The forecast said showers, but they were very heavy showers. Luckily we had a short days walking today (about 10 miles) and we didn’t have to check out of the pod until 11am. So we had a slow start to the day and waited for the ‘showers’ (deluge of rain) to stop. Which they did at about 10am. We walked through Cheddar Gorge, amazing views. Then on through paths through what had been old Lead mines. The only clue to that past being how undulating the land was. We passed through some farm fields on paths and some nice villages on lanes. The walking was really good, and the sun came out. We arrived at Walnut Tree Farm where we are camping tonight around 4:30pm. It is great here, the sun is shining we have loads of space, there are barrels to sit on and a fire pit right next to us.
    PS And there is a pub a mile away and I am off to it 🍺    Read more

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    It was very wet at the start of our walk
    It was very wet at the start of our walkRain over BristolIt was nice when the sun came outClifton Suspension bridge

    Day 21 Walnut Tree Farm to Avonmouth

    June 9 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Today we managed to pack up the tent before the rain came. It was wet however as it had rained during the night, but everything in it was dry. However the rain then came and it was very heavy. It made the first part of the walk challenging. Finally after about 3 hours we came across a cafe in Long Ashton and went in for a reprieve from the rain. We tried to clean ourselves up a bit before we went in, we took off our wet and muddy rain coat and trousers and I took my boots off, luckily they had a clock area so we could just leave our stuff there. It was so nice to sit out of the rain for a while. By the time we left the rain had stopped and the sun came out, in time for us to go over the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It was interesting to go into the museum to learn about it before crossing and we are our lunch on the other side, with great views. We then walked on along the Severn way to our stop tonight in Avonmouth. The Severn way was quite a nice walk. Where we are staying at the Miles Arms Hotel is OK, room is clean. Maybe we haven’t seen the best of Avonmouth yet.Read more

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    The start of the walk
    The start of the walkNot the best introduction to the King Charles 3rd coast path3Good views hereThis was a nice cafe at Severn BeachThe Severn BridgeIt was a bit windyChepstow Castle

    Day 22 Avonmouth the Chepstow

    June 10 in Wales ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Today our walk started on the King Charles 3rd Coast Path out of Avonmouth. It wasn’t the most picturesque start. The path goes through a very industrial area and is actually just a pavement on a very busy road, then when the path comes off the pavement it is overgrown and full of rubbish. But we persevered and it did get better as we got towards Severn Beach. We also found a nice little cafe there for coffee and cake, so that lifted my spirits considerably. Then we crossed the Severn Bridge. That was hair raising! It was very windy and took my breath away. Once over the Severn Bridge we were soon into Chepstow. It has some nice old parts. We visited Chepstow Castle, which was interesting and we are staying at Castle View hotel, which is interesting and a very old inn.
    PS Found a Wetherspoons in Chepstow so taking Karen on the town for a big night out tonight 😂    Read more

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    Day 23 Chepstow to Monmouth

    June 11 in Wales ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Today we walked the Offas Dyke path. The path was great, well way marked, easy to follow, really nice path. The weather was awful. It rained and rained and rained. The path turned into a mud bath. The views were still lovely but it made the walking harder than it should have been. When we got to Redbrook we stopped for hot chocolate and a rest. This was a lovely little village and after than it was only a couple of hours further to Monmouth. We got to our accommodation The Punch House and cleaned up and have now had a nice walk around Monmouth. It’s a nice town, we’ve seen the remains of the castle and the fortified bridge and had some nice food and a glass of wine and it has stopped raining, so we are happy now 😀
    PS John says The trail shoes did not cope with the mud, spent more time on my ass today than on my feet. 😂    Read more

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    Day 24 Monmouth to Pandy

    June 12 in Wales ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Today was a lovely day for walking, dry, bright and just the right temperature. we set of after a coffee and pastry for breakfast in our room. The pub didn’t start breakfast til 8:30am, which was too late for us. we set off walking just after 7am. we walked through forest, then open fields, with great views. we passed 2 villages that had churches that offered coffee, tea and juice, and a place to rest. we passed one in the morning and one in the afternoon which was perfect for our breaks. Thank you to those churches. At lunch time we stopped at the remains of The White Castle. We had a look around and then had lunch at their picnic tables. This is really nice walking. Tonight we are camping in Pandy at The River’s Edge, a pub with a camp site. They have a small area for backpacker tents, we are there with one other couple. Looking forward to beer and food in the pub tonight.Read more

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    Day 25 Pandy to Hay on Wye

    June 13 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Today we were on Offa’s Dyke path again. Great views. Today started with a big climb and then it was a walk along the ridge. It was quite windy on the ridge, but the weather was lovely and sunny. We found a sheltered spot for lunch and there were some sheltered spots along the way with great views where we took a break. Towards the end of the walk we had a stand of with a herd of cows, there was a small bridge across a stream that we needed to cross but the cows were guarding it at the other end and would not move. There was us and about 6 other hikers all debating how we could cross, in the end we climbed a gate into the neighbours field, ran round the edge of that and climbed another gate to get back on the track and avoid the cows. Luckily we all managed to get through. The cows won that battle. Then it was a nice stroll into Hay on Wye, which is a lovely town and especially in today’s sunshine. Then on to our camp for tonight, Radner’s End, just outside the town.
    PS We nearly got blown off the ridge. We were on top of the Brecon Beacons for about 12 miles. Has to shelter behind a wall for lunch.    Read more

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    Day 26 rest day in Hay on Wye

    June 14 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today we had a really slow start to the day. Leisurely breakfast, pastries and coffee. Then we needed to do some clothes washing, luckily it is dry and warm today and there is a place at the camp where we can hang our washing. We will have properly clean clothes again. Just before lunch we walked into Hay on Wye. Looked around some bookshops. The bookshops are so good, every type of book you can imagine. I can spend hours in each shop. Then we visited Hay Castle. That is a good place to visit, you can wander the gardens and go in the cafe as well as visit the castle itself. After that it was time for refreshments, we visited a couple of old pubs and tried their beer. Then a walk back to our camp for picnic dinner and a rest.
    PS Karen loved it, more book shops in Hay on Wye than in a big city.    Read more

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    Day 27 Hay on Wye to Kington

    June 15 in England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today we had an early start from Hay on Wye. Just as we were packing the tent up there was a heavy rain shower. luckily we managed to run for shelter at the campsite and get everything packed away while we were sheltering from the rain so we were not too wet. That was the only rain we saw all day. As we left Hay on Wye the sun was shining again. We had an uphill climb and were rewarded with great views of the Brecon Beacons. We stopped for a break in Newchurch, there was a church there offering tea, coffee or squash for a small donation, so a good place to stop. We stopped for lunch in a small village, Gladesty. It was a pretty village and a much needed rest. The pub in the village unfortunately doesn’t open on Monday. We are now at our camp Fleece Meadows in Kington. it is lovely here, we are camped right by the river and there are 3 pubs just down the road 😀Read more

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    Day 28 Kington to Knighton

    June 16 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We had a lovely breakfast at our camp overlooking the stream. A very nice start to the day. Then it was off on our walk. Today we followed Offa’s Dyke up into the hills, through fields. A couple of stops to take in the views. We stopped for lunch at Dolley Green where there was a Baptist chapel with a bench where we could sit, very nice of them. Then it was on into Knighton where we are staying tonightRead more

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    Day 29 Knighton to Mellington Hall

    June 17 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today started with a nice continental breakfast at the place we stayed last night. Then it was off on the hardest walk we’ve done since the South West Coast path. It started with a really steep climb. Made more difficult as it was a wet, misty start to the day, we the path was very slippery. But we made it to the top, to face just as steep a climb down, then up again, then down. However the weather did get better and we got lovely views, including really clear views of Offa’s Dyke, we were actually walking along it at one point. Tonight we are camping at Mellington Hall. This place is lovely, beautiful old hall that houses a restaurant and bar and it is really well laid out. And they have a brand new shower block which is really nice.
    PS I am absolutely knackered. Tough day. Struggled for motivation from the first climb. Well deserved pint tonight. Who does LEJOG during a world cup? 🥲    Read more

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    Montgomery Town HallMontgomery castleMontgomery3Beacon ring fort. Trig point in the middle

    Day 30 Mellington Hall to Four Crosses

    June 18 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today’s walk was a long one. We took a detour to see Montgomery (which was worth it) and it was 24 miles. We set off nice and early as we knew we had a long days walking. After a few hours we arrived in Montgomery. This is a lovely town. We stopped for a coffee and had a walk around the castle. It was well worth the couple of mile detour. Then we were back walking Offas Dyke path again. There was only one big climb on the walk today. We managed to get near to the top of the climb then saw a bench and decided to stop for a break. About 6 miles before Four Crosses we saw a sign saying that in 1 mile there was a pub and it was open. Great, we thought, we will have a little rest there and then carry on. But when we finally found the pub it was not open! By this time we were getting very tired so when we got to the next field we took a break sitting on a stile. Not the most comfortable break, but when needs must. Now we are at our camp for tonight, Hayfield camping, it is very nice really peaceful and the owners are lovely.Read more

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    Day 31 Four Crosses to Gobowen

    June 19 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    It was a really lovely morning at our camp this morning. The sun was shining and we had a nice relaxed breakfast. We set off later than usual at around 8am. The first part of the walk was nice, along the Montgomery canal. After a few hours we wanted a break so we (stupidly) followed google to what it said was a cafe. We had to fight our way through overgrown paths and climb a stile that was surrounded by thorn bushes. We were eager for the coffee! Only to find that there was no coffee shop, it closed down a long time ago. We were then on a very busy road with no footpath. We tried to get off that road by following Wats Dyke path. What a disaster. It was marked on the OS map as a major path, but nobody has used it in a long time. We fought through overgrown bushes to get onto the path only to give up after a few yards because it was so overgrown we couldn’t make our way through. We managed to find a few minor lanes that we could use to get to Oswestry. On the outskirts we were saved by Munchies cafe on an industrial estate. A coffee and a sausage sandwich revived us enough to complete the last 5 miles or so of our walk. It did actually get better from there too, we passed a hill fort and the old Oswestry station. We made it to Gobowen with no further path disasters and tonight we will stay with my sister. This is absolute luxury and I am looking forward to it.Read more

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    Day 32 and 33 weekend with family

    June 21 in England ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    This was our weekend with family. We had a great time seeing everyone and we have had lovely weather. We’ve been visiting the garden centre, eating curry and drinking beer and today we were at the farm with children and grandchildren. A lovely weekend break before we start walking again tomorrowRead more

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    Day 34 Gobowen to Whitchurch

    June 22 in England ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Today it was back to Gobowen to continue our walk. A short walk out of the town along lanes took us onto the Llangollen canal, which we walked along for much of the day. Very flat, easy walking, but it was a long one today, 20 miles. We saw a lot of canal boats, the people were very friendly, saying hello and asking how far we had to go. We stopped by Blakemere for our lunch, very nice views and had a few stops along the canal. Tonight we are staying in a camping pod at Hadley park. It is nice, but when we opened the door it was like walking into a sauna. It is very hot today. I think we will now sit outside for a while with a cold beverage and wait for it to cool downRead more

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    Day 35 Whitchurch to Nantwich

    June 23 in England ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Today started off with a walk through the centre of Whitchurch. It was very nice and I got my morning coffee there. Then we walked through country lanes to Marbury which was another very pretty village. Then we carried on to Wrenbury where we stopped at the village store for a coffee break. Then we were back on the Llangollen canal. At Barbridge we passed a pub on the banks of the canal. Well we nearly passed it, but we really needed a break at that point and it was the perfect place to stop. Then we went on to the Shropshire union canal for the final part of our journey. Tonight we are staying at Aquaduct marina on a canal boat. It is lovely.
    PS My feet are sore after the 20 mile days recently    Read more

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    Day 36 Nantwich to Knutsford

    June 24 in England ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Today was a hot day. We enjoyed waking up on the boat at the marina. Coffee and pastries for breakfast then off on our walk. We started on the canal again. Lots of people on boats moving around early. All very friendly and saying good morning. We took a detour through Middlewich as we needed to pick up lunch. We ended up taking a long break in Morrisons supermarket as it was really cool (cool in temperature that is). We needed a break from the heat for a while. Then we walked through country lanes before getting back on the canal path again. We passed through a small village called Lach Dennis where we stopped for refreshment ( a pint of larger shandy). Suitably refreshed we set off again and stopped a bit later on a bench to each our sandwiches. As we sat there a lady from a nearby house asked if we were ok, did we need extra water. She was really nice, we must have looked shattered. But at that point we were only 5 miles or so from our destination, Knutsford, so we were ok. We made it to the Rose and Crown in Knutsford where we are staying tonight.
    PS Everyone we passed today went WTF are you doing when it’s over 30 degrees 😂😂 One guy asked if we had our waterproofs? 😂😂 We answered yes, I think it made it look worst.    Read more

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    Day 37 Knutsford to Hazel Grove

    June 25 in England ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Today it was hot. We set off a bit later than usual (9am) walked through country lanes around Knutsford and then quickly on to the North Cheshire Way, which is a good, way marked path. It skirts Manchester Airport through leafy tree lined paths, until it (very unexpectedly) comes out virtually on the runway at Manchester Airport. The airport is separated from the path by a perimeter fence, but that wasn’t immediately obvious. I thought we were going to be running along the runway. But the path does go all around the airport and then we walked through Stockport suburbs (very nice) until we arrived in Hazel Grove, where we now have a very comfortable bed courtesy of Emma (daughter) and have been well fed and watered (well actually we drank Prosecco, not water).
    PS I had a big blister this morning on my left heel, The first one I had. Karen took great pleasure in bursting it. Hopping for half an hour before pain settled down. It was then that hot we had to stop every time we passed anywhere that sold a cold drink.    Read more

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    Day 38 Rest Day in Hazel Grove

    June 26 in England ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    Today we had a lovely rest at Emma’s house. This also gave us time to look at the walk over the Pennine way and check with some camp sites that they have availability. It was all good and we now have a plan. I also picked up my new boots, as my current ones have holes in them. I’ll walk around in them for the next few days but they feel good at the moment. Then we went for a spa evening at Shrigley Hall. Emma, Danny and Elsie bought this experience for John for his birthday and this was an ideal opportunity to use it. It was very relaxing and will get us ready to start walking again on Sunday.Read more

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    1Coffe and Eccles cake at Portland basin2Very nice picnic lunch courtesy of Emma3

    Day 40 Hazel Grove to Grains Bar

    June 28 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today we set off again on our way to John O’Groats. Emma and Elsie joined us at the start of the walk which was very nice. We crossed the river Goyt then walked through woodland until we reached the Cheshire ring canal walk. It was very nice walking. We stopped at Portland Basin in Ashton under Lyne for a break. Then we were off again making our way through trails through Oldham until we reached our destination for tonight The Grains Bar hotel. We have had a very nice Sunday roast and are now resting our feet.
    PS Changed to new shoes as tread was wearing, hope they are ok    Read more

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    Day 41 Grains Bar to Hebden Bridge

    June 29 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We started today with a good breakfast at the Grains Bar hotel. Then we set off again on on the Crompton Circuit path across Crompton Moor. We then joined the Pennine Bridleway, we had great views of Hollingworth Lake, which took us under the M62. We joined the Pennine Way at the White House Inn, sadly it was closed. We then walked across the moor, passing reservoirs, until we reached our destination Stoodley Pike Monument, this was very impressive. We then followed a very steep path down to Hebden Bridge before following an even steeper path up to our camp site. We are camping in the garden of the New Delight Inn tonight, and that inn is open 😀Read more

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    Day 42 Hebden Bridge to Cowling

    June 30 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    After breakfast today we set of up the lane to join the Pennine Way. Only one slight problem, we should have been going down the lane. We realised our mistake after only about 15mins (when I decided perhaps I should look at the map). Anyway we made our way back down the lane to where we started and then set off again in the right direction. There were no further navigation errors and I really enjoyed today’s walking on the Pennine Way. It was lovely walking weather and the views were excellent. We passed quite a few reservoirs and a tumble down building that allegedly has connection to Wuthering Heights. Tonight we are at Winterhouse Barn. We were planning to camp but when we got here the lady who owns the accommodation said she had a summerhouse we could stay in and that sounded great to us. We are so glad we took that option as it is now raining heavily and we are sat in comfort in the summerhouse.Read more

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    Day 43 Cowling to Malham

    July 1 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    After a very nice breakfast at the summer house we set off on the Pennine Way to Malham. It was proper Pennine Way walking today. After the rain during the night we had lots of lovely bogs to walk through 😀 today we walked through fields and moors, up and down hills, through some very pretty villages and a short walk along the Leeds Liverpool canal. Plenty of variety. We stopped off in Gargrave (very pretty village) to stock up as there is no food shop where we will stay tonight or tomorrow (although there are pubs, so all is not lost). We picked up breakfasts and lunches and decided we will have pub grub for dinner. Tonight we are staying at the Riverside campsite in Malham. We’ve found ourselves lovely quiet spot in an out of the way corner. There is a large DofE group currently celebrating the end of their walk. I’m sure they will be tired out and asleep by 8pm😂Read more

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    Malham coveLimestone pavementMalham tarn3Horton in RibbersdaleOur camp for tonight

    Day 44 Malham to Horton in Ribbersdale

    July 2 in England ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    It’s been a wild and windy day weather wise today. It rained heavily during the night and was really windy, but our little tent stood up to the elements and we were warm and dry inside. A short walk from our campsite took us to Malham Cove, a very impressive sight. We viewed the limestone pavement. A further walk took us to Malham Tarn. As we got higher on the moorland we really had to battle the wind. It was a great days walking though and amazing views of Pen-y-Ghent at the end. We are camping tonight at Holmes farm in Horton in Ribbersdale. We’ve managed to find a sheltered spot by the wall, and after several efforts managed to light the gas so we could have a coffee. What a great day
    PS We were nearly blown away. 😂    Read more