From the mountains of the West Highland Way to the Essex estuaries, on a balmy spring day, perfect for meandering and exploring.
I certainly intend to meander, after meeting up with the blogger Helpful Mammal, aka Julian, for a few beers in the Old King’s Head at London Bridge last night. It was great to meet a fellow coastal walker, who is now on the home straight down the East coast.
Armed with my binoculars and pocket bird guide for once, I sit on the grassy embankment, and identify canada, greylag, and brent geese, together with black-tailed godwits.
I follow St Peter’s Way once more, to see the “Petrified Oaks” of Mundon. The gnarled, dead trees claw up to the sky, with black crows perched, watching my approach. Matthew Hopkins, the 17th century “Witch-finder General”, was based in Essex. There are theories of witchcraft at work or perhaps just the result of a rising water table? Not the place to wild camp, alone in the dark. The field is now a secure conservation area, preventing me from approaching the trees. Still, I’ve never triggered so many audible alarms simply by walking round the outside of a perimeter fence.
The promenade park at Maldon is heaving with hundreds of families, which throws me a little after the solitude of the walk. I’m a little too early for the Mud Race, a 500m dash across the thick mud of the River Blackwater. I have seen enough mud on my coastal walk.
Walk distance: 14 miles.
Total distance: 1,616 miles.
That’s some contrast to last weeks walk but I’m sure you’re enjoying the warmer weather! Yesterday I watched walkers battling against wind and rain as they walked the Hebridean Way.
Oh oh….another walk to add to my list.