Saturday 3rd October 2026

I know it’s Cumbria but boy have we climbed a few hills today, I can laugh now that I’m relaxing on the sofa blogging, but it was painful at times.

Our Saturday of course had started with a parkrun and getting to the local Lancaster one involved a mile walk to the very picturesque Williamson Park – UPHILL. And, although we appreciated the beauty of the park with its monuments and its stunning views over Lancaster, the run was hugely hilly with a lot of trail thrown in. We dragged ourselves around, as you do, and as always, the other runners and organisers were a friendly bunch. Then it was time for the mile walk back – this time DOWNHILL.

So just the 5 miles of exercise completed before we had breakfast and caught the train to Grange Over Sands for todays coastal walk. Steve had been trying to plot a route between Grange Over Sands and Ulverston but the usual blog guide we follow warned us against attempting it as it involves a major road with no pavements. It seemed that we could get as far as Cark easy enough so this short walk seemed perfect for the afternoon.

A scenic promenade was our first section of path, and being a Saturday was well populated with walkers. We enjoyed the ease. This eventually led us on to a quiet road, then some muddy lanes (a huge puddle provided us with wet feet for the day), a path running alongside the railway and into the village of Kents Bank. Some very beautiful houses here and we were saying how lucky they were to be so remote and yet have their own railway station. Then we had to tackle a humungous HILL and I’m not exaggerating … it was both steep and long, you needed a good set of lungs to get to the top. Not another walker in sight – funny that! Still following our OS app, we literally turned a corner and then were guided down ‘Jack Hill,’ and incredibly steep descent – the type that pulls on your calf muscles.

At the bottom of the hill there was a little cluster of very grand but rustic looking houses and they clearly weren’t keen on ramblers as there were “Private’ signs everywhere, and a lot of barking dogs, guarding said properties. But we had it on good authority, from our OS app, that there was a Public Footpath somewhere – but finding it was a little tricky. We tried several paths through a wooded area, back tracking each time, before Steve spotted the narrowest of passageways with a hidden Public Footpath sign … and we got back on our way.

The next section was across a couple of farm fields, rather boggy and knobbly fields I’m afraid, no path laid out particularly … long wet grass. And to my delight, a herd of inquisitive cows – as always I got anxious as they moved towards us … and as always Steve managed to shoo them away using his long limbs and loud voice to let them know that we didn’t have anything for them and we didn’t particularly want them following us. Yet another stampede avoided!!

From there we got onto a lovely flat tarmac lane and we hopefully had our destination in sight. We were near an airfield and saw a lot of parachute activity and then some low flying planes which proved exciting. We had hope of finding an embankment wall which seemed to be indicated on the map, but no such luck. We had to make another u-turn and back track our way down the long road that took us into Cark. Just nearing the village we stumbled across a cafe and treated ourselves to coffee and meat pies as recommended by the lovely lady running it. From there it was the final UPHILL trek to the railway station … and we had covered a further 6 miles of the coastline.

Despite the hills it was a fabulous day (Parkrun + Coastal Walk = 11 miles) but I can certainly feel it in my legs tonight. And you know we’ll be back for more tomorrow – there’s no stopping these Rambling Roses. xx

Thursday 1st October 2026

Today’s plan was to walk from Ulverston to Barrow in Furness. As has been the case, there is no indication on the Ordnance Survey app of an official King Charles III coastal path on this section so, once more, Steve had picked out a potential route to get us from A to B, hopefully being able to walk a little nearer to the coastline today. We knew it was going to be a long walk but we had no idea what to expect in terms of path – we had plan Bs in place i.e. turn back/bus or uber!! Yet again the sun was shining down on us – can’t believe it’s October – so we were all set to give it a good try.

First off it was the train to Ulverston which is a beautifully scenic ride – highly recommend it. The walk started through the local streets of Ulverston and then on to a more major road – there were pavements though so all was good and this went on for a good few miles. It was almost like being in that glorious Cumbria countryside again as the views to our left were rolling green hills, farmhouses and flocks of sheep – it was just that we had frantic A5087 running alongside us to the left.

At just over 3 miles, this road led us to a scenic waterfront with a well positioned cafe. A little early to take a break I know but we make the rules up as we go along … and cappuccino and chocolate brownie were so required, and enjoyed. This put a spring in our step and it was fabulous to be walking on a well provided shoreline path. Then the most crazy thing happened – we turned a corner and there to greet us was a very fresh looking wooden King Charles III Coast Path sign, just when you least expect it. Well, it was like snuggling into a comfort blanket, just feeling familiar and knowing that we were going to be led safely to our destination.

From here we were led into ‘Sea Wood’ and, as it says on the tin, it was a wood at the seaside. A very historical wood at that, it was once owned by Lady Jane Grey in the 1500s and was used to supply timber to the local mines and shipbuilding. It was pretty to walk through albeit a little slippery in places – I nearly pulled Steve over when he was helping me down a slope.

So we gaily followed this new official path – all the signposts, steps and kissing gates were lovely new wood – taking us on a variety of terrain … estuary path, shingle beaches, farm fields and some roadside. We did take a little diversion off the road at one point to get some respite from the traffic noise. Steve tried to come to the rescue of a poor sheep that had got wire wrapped around its legs. He wasn’t able to get the wire off so we knocked on a few doors in the nearby village of Aldingham but no-one was in. We finally passed a couple of walkers who offered to notify the local farmer. Hope he’s OK.

We returned to the path on the main Coast Road and then were signposted down to a beach and the sand was perfect for walking on. Always love being this close to the water. However, the tide was coming in and the beach was getting narrower and more rocky – just got a tad anxious about these unusual Morecambe Bay tides. We kept looking out for signs to take us back up but there was just a bank of greenish rocks between us and the higher ground. As the beach became less accessible, we made the decision to scrabble up said rocks. Rock climbing has never been my thing so I was on all fours! And there at the top was a perfect tarmac path – goodness knows how much of that we’d missed and where the sign had been.

We picked up the official signs again and from here it was a completely straightforward walk into Barrow in Furness. Such a contrast to the countryside views of the last few days but interesting in its industrial skyline. From the long seawall path we could see Piel Island, Walney Island and the Barrow shipyard. We took the opportunity to video call our lovely friend Glynis who is a ‘Barrow girl’ and she chatted to us all about her hometown as walked around Cavendish Dock into the centre. We stopped our garmins at this point and we had clocked up 15 miles. We were chuffed with ourselves.

We were relieved to have completed what started as an unknown section, and even more thrilled that King Charles had made such a welcome reappearance. But Steve was even more excited when we got to the station to find a statue of one of his all time heros – Emlyn Hughes – another local … almost as famous as Glynis!

Tuesday 29th September 2026

Wow, wow, wow … what a spectacular day of walking. Steve came up trumps again, picking out a safe walk between Arnside and Grange Over Sands, as there is still no sign of the official Coastal Path. He knew that walking close to the estuary waterside might be dangerous so he had mapped out the nearest inland route and it proved to be amazing.

We started off by catching the train to Arnside which very scenically runs along the waters edge. The first station after Lancaster is Carnforth (incidentally pronounced Carn fth and not Carn 4th as we’ve been saying)! Much to my delight, this station was used as the filming location for the 1945 romantic classic ‘Brief Encounter’ – such a favourite of mine. The platform bistro and bar are styled to mirror the iconic film set. I hope to pay it a visit before we leave.

We walked along a pleasant embankment wall leaving Arnside and, ironically, we were sheltered from some extremely blustery winds, as there were tall trees running alongside. This path took us to the edge of town, with just one teeny stretch of very wet slippery sand that without my walking pole I would not have stayed upright. We then had a short stretch of busy, no pavement road before we turned off down a country lane … and from thereon in we were just in splendid countryside the whole day.

And the paths, though not coastal, were all so manageable – either country lanes, villages or farm fields. A fair bit of it was cycle path and extremely popular with our speedy lycra clad chums. Apart from cyclists, we spent hours in the company of sheep, cows, pheasants and partridges. We had 360 degree views of the lushest green countryside I have seen in some time, with hills and rivers, long stone walls and magnificent properties that you would see in Period Dramas. We feel so grateful that we have the opportunity to experience this – everybody should come to Cumbria.

We reached the village of Levens at 7 miles and it was a great spot to enjoy our lunch. I had to make a decision to either end my walk here (as it was the last place I could connect to public transport) or … to walk on another 9 miles. A tricky decision. But, I decided I had it in me and I’m delighted I did. It was tough I’m not denying it but it was gorgeous and worth every step of the way.

The weather was kind to us all day – there were frequent grey clouds and the cows were laying down but the rain stayed away. Plenty of sunshine too which made everything seem even greener. Can’t believe our luck.

Towards the end there was a fair amount of uphill walking before we started our descent into Grange Over Sands, finishing off with a promenade walk. We clocked up 16 miles today and were very proud of ourselves – a good day’s work. We caught the train back from here and were amused at the fact that what had taken 6 hours to walk, took 8 minutes by train. Food for thought!!

Monday 28th September 2026

A similar start to yesterday. Caught a bus to Carnforth Station then walked down to Shore Road. Not far along the lane we crossed a wooden bridge signposted for Silverdale and Arnside … that was where we were heading today. And lo and behold, the first thing to greet us was a tarmac path – it just seemed too good to be true. Plus the sky was blue, the sun was out and it felt gorgeously warm. After yesterday’s rain fuelled and boggy day I was probably expecting something much worse. Steve had talked me out of bringing my walking pole and seems he was right.

And so the joy continued, not all tarmac but manageable paths with some absolutely stunning views. Still no sign of the official coast path signs – this was another section we had to work out for ourselves. On our way to Silverdale the main hazard was having to walk a two mile stretch along a National Speed Limit road, with no pavements. Unfortunately the road had many twists, turns and blindspots, so we were constantly zig zagging from one side to the other, to make ourselves visible to oncoming traffic. Not the most relaxing. Come on King Charles, get this coast path sorted!

That horror over, we turned off and walked under the railway line and from there we had some great paths, a little more populated too. There was a huge gang of ramblers resting at Jenny Brown’s Point. We didn’t stop to chat (unusual for us!!) as we were on a mission to get nearer to Arnside in time to witness some of the tidal bore. We continued on round, staying as close to the coast as we could, and made our way down to the Cove at Silverdale. This was a pretty little spot and it wasn’t high tide yet so we thought we may have a chance of carrying on walking at this lower level. We checked it out and came to the decision that it was a bit risky. Good decision. We took the opportunity to stop and have our lunch and within minutes the tide had come in and the path cut off, it was amazing to see!!

So with appetite satisfied, it was a long trudge up the hill … and then up more hill. It’s been a while since we’ve had the sort of climbs and descents we were finding today. And that’s when we crossed into Cumbria and the beauty kept on coming and coming. So did the hills!! Sadly we had another stretch of National Speed Limit road madness and this time the road was even narrower – much stress!! About a mile in though there was an alternative path, heading up into Woodland – fairly steep but very atmospheric and a far far better option than dodging speedy cars.

Before we knew it we were heading downhill into the extremely picturesque village of Arnside. There were quite a few people milling around, seems a popular place to visit. It had a wonderful feel with shops, galleries, pubs and cafes, all with spectacular views over to the Lake District mountains. It was already high tide so we had missed the rush of water – we very much hope to get back one day this week or next to witness it.

So that completed today’s walk – 9 miles – just time for an ice-cream before catching the train back to Lancaster. Apart from those couple of road bits, it had been an absolute stunner of a walk today …. and the sun was still shining. xx

Yesterday afternoon we drove up to Lancaster to do an 11 day house-sit …. and we’ve actually been here before. The lovely owners, Will and Paul welcomed us back and served up the most delicious dinner. It felt like we were long lost friends as the evening passed with good food, wine and easy chatter … exchanging stories of our travels since we were last together in January 2025. A proper good giggle. We loved this house-sit before – a stunning Victorian property, very comfortable, two adorable cats – Monty and Kit – and in walking distance of the marvellous historic city of Lancaster.

Sunday 27th September 2026

We had an easy start to the day, unpacking, food shopping, getting ourselves settled in etc. with the intention of letting the worst of the weather pass by. Around midday we caught the bus to Carnforth from where we planned to walk to Morecambe, a point we had reached on our last visit to the county. The particular point was in fact the statue of the much loved Eric Morecambe, and we were looking forward to being back in his company.

It had originally been our intention to do the 9 mile scenic walk across Morecambe Bay which you have to do with an official guide due to the notorious quicksands and fast moving tides. Over the centuries, hundreds of lives have been claimed on this stretch, the most famous being the 23 Chinese migrant cockle-pickers in 2004. We found ourselves out of season for this guided walk and hence we are now walking the extra miles, skirting the whole bay. Will and Paul assure us we won’t regret it as we will have some spectacular views. And it’s more officially ‘coastal path’ too, although King Charles III’s lads have not been to these parts yet to set out the official path and erect their lovely signs.

So it was with a little bit of guesswork and planning today that Steve picked out our route. From the bus station in Carnforth we had a short walk to ‘Shore Road’ and set off with a positive stride on what was a comfortable country lane. We were back Coastal Path rambling and it felt good. Unfortunately I’m still trying to shake off a miserable cold, and to make matters worse, the weather was foul. Not only were we experiencing some heavy rain showers but we were walking into strong winds too. It was definitely going to be ‘kill or cure.’

A little way along the road there was a Lancashire Coastal Path footpath veering off to the right. Not the official England Coast Path as it doesn’t exist here, but we felt compelled to take it. Not the easiest route we’ve ever taken I have to say. The estuary tide was high and the path was wet, boggy and extremely unpleasant. There were large sections of dry grass which seemed the better option at times but we trod on them with trepidation not knowing what was underneath or how far we might sink! Despite drenched and muddy feet, as always we survived and eventually found ourselves back on much more manageable path. In fact we found ourselves back on ‘Shore Road.’ (It might be cheating but it would have been so much easier to have stuck to the road)!

The rain and wind persisted so after just 5 miles we took refuge in a cafe and consoled ourselves with lashings of hot tea and delicious slices of homemade cake. Calorie counting goes completely out of the window on these rugged adventures!!! Feeling rejuvenated we set off, it was only 2 or 3 miles to go – easy peasy … except it wasn’t. We quickly hit another hideous section where we had the delights of scrabbling across rocks, negotiating smaller but slippier rocks or sinking into wet sand nearer the shoreline – not a great selection of choices. Luckily this was only about half a mile so we took it slowly – the driving rain was no help.

I’m pleased to say that the last two miles were joyous – easy paths and promenade, all the way into Morecambe. And believe it or not, the sun and blue skies came out to greet us. We reached Eric at exactly 7 miles.

In the immortal words of Eric and Ernie ….

Bring me sunshine, in your smile. Bring me laughter, all the while. In this world where we live there should be more happiness. So much joy you can give to each brand new bright tomorrow.

Tuesday 8th September 2026

We went rogue today and did the walk back to front – mixing it up a bit!! We caught a train into Chichester and then hopped on a bus just outside the station which took us all the way down to Bracklesham Bay. This was a point we had finished off at in October last year and our abiding memory of it was enduring 1.5 miles of walking on pebbles at the end of a 16.5 mile walk. We very much hoped that our 11 mile walk back to Bosham today was going to be an easier terrain.

It seemed God was paying me back for moaning about the heat over the last few days as today was the opposite – continuous rain and quite a chill wind. Our weather forecasts were telling us that it was due to clear up in a couple of hours though so we strode on confidently, believing we would soon dry out. For the first time in ages, Steve wore his leather hat which is generally part of his wet weather walking gear, but today he said that either his head had got bigger or the hat had shrunk – he felt like it was just perching!!

It seemed luck was on our side as the Coastal Path signs immediately led us around the houses of Bracklesham Bay rather than on the pebbled beach and we were loving that – until a sneaky path led us unexpectedly onto the dreaded pebbles. It wasn’t too bad however, although they continued for some distance they were interspersed with concrete and grass areas at points, and we managed. Better at the beginning of the walk while our legs were still fresh.

And despite the rain it was a really pleasurable walk. The pebbles gradually changed to shingle and then to sand – in fact black sand which I’ve never come across in this country before. In parts we walked in woodland running alongside the beach, very pretty and varied. When the path hit sand dune territory at East Wittering we hotfooted it down to the harder sand at the shoreline. It’s always lovely to find ourselves on a long stretch of sandy beach and we enjoyed this all the way to West Wittering where a Lifeguard recommended that we take to the higher path.

From West Wittering to West Itchenor the Coastal Path was varied and well signposted. Unbelievably, the house appreciation took on a whole new level today. The whole spread of this coastline has got to be extremely affluent, some properties literally took my breath away. Later I discovered some of the local residents include Kate Winslet, Keith Richards, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Michael Ball. None of them popped out to say hello however!

At just 7 miles we reached Itchenor – it was still raining. We easily found the Ferry and its very friendly Ferryman who whizzed us across Bosham Deeps (officially part of the Coastal Route), saving us an extra 10 mile walk. We were only his second customers of the day, think he was glad of the company.

Miraculously, the rain stopped for about 20 mins, just as we reached the other side. There was a bench perfectly placed for us to finally have our lunch – so we tucked in to re-energise for the remaining 4 miles of rambling.

Although the path was well marked out it was a bit slip slidey with mud and wet seawood – it was a little close at times but we managed to stay upright. And then we reached the extremely picturesque village of Bosham – luckily the tide was out so we could cut across the shallows.

We clocked up 11 miles of walking today and for some reason I found it quite manageable. I think it’s taken me a few days to get into the swing and maybe because it was cooler it didn’t feel such a task. But we were pleased to get back to our Airbnb for a hot shower, dry clothes and a good old cup of tea.

We achieved the completion of the gap – it turned out to be just 46 miles and that’s what we’ve walked in the last 5 days. This means we’ve done the whole of the Hampshire and West Sussex coastline, another big tick.

Later in the month we’ll be back on the Coast Path from Morecambe heading North – just enough time to rest our weary feet!

Another two days of Rose rambling to report on …

Sunday 6th September 2026

Not the best start in that our bus was cancelled but we eventually got on a No. 700 (extremely busy) bus, disembarking at the top of the village of Prinsted. We walked down its very pretty lanes to the Thorney Island Coastal Footpath.

We were immediately faced with a locked gate as the island is MOD property, only allowing visitors to stick to the official Coast Path which is fenced off around the perimeter. We had to press a buzzer and listen to the rules and regulations before the gate was opened for us to get on our way. Seemed like a nice man, hope he had other jobs to do as there weren’t too many walkers about!

We had glorious views the whole day, waterways, mudflats with plenty of seabird activity, pretty sailing boats and even a section of sand dunes with perfectly white sand. The white sand beach was our picnic spot for the day – it felt like being in the Caribbean!

A little further on we came across St. Nicholas Church, a stunning Norman building which now serves the small island population, largely made up of British Army personnel and their families. Considering this, there was surprisingly four large graveyards, two of the older ones we walked through as part of the Coastal Path.

Now, I’m not one to moan, but as the day went on it got hotter and hotter! It’s like the island had its own sub-climate and heatwave! Made us realise that we were wise not to attempt walking during this recent summer’s extreme temperatures. Even with the coastal breezes it felt pretty stifling at times. At least we had plenty of water and foraged sweet blackberries as we wended our way.

At 7 miles we had completed the island circuit and buzzed our little man again to open the gate. We had then arrived in the town of Emsworth. We still had a further 3 miles from here to finish at Langstone, the start of Hayling Island. We suspected it might be road walking but in fact it was a very pleasurable waterside route the whole way.

At just on 10 miles, and almost 4pm, we arrived at The Ship Inn, Langstone where we had booked a table for an early dinner with our lovely friend Bridget, who had driven down from Crowborough to meet us. We all enjoyed a delicious chicken and leek pie in their upstairs restaurant … and they didn’t mind our walking attire!! It was lots of fun, lots of chatter and a little over zealous consumption of wine and beer (mostly Steve!!!). It was great to spend that time with Bridget who kindly stayed sober to drive us weary and ‘tiddled’ ramblers back to our airbnb, before setting off on her own long journey. Just can’t believe we forgot to take a photo – too busy nattering.

Monday 7th September 2026

Today’s plan was to walk from Prinsted to Bosham, an 8 mile walk largely circumnavigating Chichester Harbour. We again started at Prinsted waterfront, today walking to the left. A beautiful walk through Prinsted village again and now on the coastal path out there were equally stunning houses with their large windows overlooking their extensive rolling lawns down to the water edge. Not jealous at all – just making a comment!

It was a day of flat paths – a mixture of shoreline, sea walls, farm fields and quiet lanes. Paths were a little rocky in places – plenty of stumbling opportunities. We started out with some ugly looking grey clouds and even a little drizzle but mostly it turned out to be just the right temperature for walking – warm with a cool breeze.

Many years ago, in my late twenties, I sailed from this Harbour to the Isle of Wight. My lovely ex-boss (John Leighton) moored his yacht here and invited me and two others to join him on a sailing weekend. Walking alongside it today brought back wonderful memories. Another equally lovely ex-boss (David French) had lived on Hayling Island and he has been very much in my thoughts the last few days also.

When the Coastal Path diverted us off the sea wall onto farmland it felt considerably hot again, being more sheltered from the sea breeze. The farm paths were long and dry but it was a wonderful spectacle to see and smell some healthy looking vegetables – kale, cabbage, beetroot, cauliflowers, leeks and pumpkins. The soil looked rich too although we did see some evidence of some planting not having survived the summer temperatures.

Another day of no toilets or cafes but we had our one little lunchtime picnic break on a bench with a view. Steve voted for cutting a mile off the end and adding it to tomorrow’s walk and who was I to argue!! Just made sense logistically and we were soon on the 700 bus back to Havant.

So, 7 miles of walking with a late start and an early finish. A good chance for me to catch up on blogging and for Steve to have an afternoon kip. Our last walk tomorrow now stands at 11 miles rather than 10 – did we make a wise decision!? Let’s see. x

Our guestimate for the Hayling Island coastal walk was 16 miles so Steve came up with a plan to split it across two days as our first two days were essentially going to be afternoons only – Friday as we first had to make the journey down from Milton Keynes plus find our Airbnb accommodation and Saturday due to our beloved Parkrun being the first item on the list!! We’ve based ourselves in Havant with the intention of closing a 55 mile gap between Hayling Island in Hampshire and Bracklesham Bay in West Sussex. It’s a bit like finding those elusive edge parts in a jigsaw puzzle.

Friday 4th September 2026

The trusty No.30 bus took us from Havant Bus Station to Northney where we started our walk to the south of the Island. For this section there had been no evidence of an official coastal path on the ordnance survey maps but as it turned out there was indeed a path and it had exceptional signage for the whole of the route. A whole mixture of terrain, some estuary paths, country lanes, a bit of road here and there, all perfectly manageable.

The weather was mostly overcast but it was still warm, in fact pretty hot at times. Having eaten breakfast at 7.30am we were getting peckish by midday and desperately seeking out a bench to sit and have our sandwiches, 5 miles in and still no bench! Then we came upon a parked up flat bed truck which made for a perfectly comfortable picnic spot. The chicken & cranberry sandwiches hit the spot and, after nourishment, on we trooped.

We saw some wonderful houses en route and got a lovely feel for Hayling Island life with its sailing clubs and marinas. Quite a mixed demographic though I’d say as some parts felt somewhat less salubrious. At 8 miles we hadn’t reached our destination – it was a further two miles than we’d bargained for, oh joy. When we saw the shingle our hearts sunk – not again! But luck was on our side as there was a promenade – that bonus two miles could have been oh so worse.

Our destination for today was the Hayling Island Light Railway. On reaching it, we rewarded ourselves with 2 scoops of salted caramel ice-cream and a much needed sit down before catching the bus back to Havant … 10 miles in the bag.

We’re staying in a very comfortable airbnb (no house-sits available) but there are no cooking facilities – just a kettle and a toaster. This meant that rather than lounge around in our pyjamas we had to get dressed and go out to find sustenance. We happened upon a huge Wetherspoons called “The Parchment Makers” and, trying to stick to budget living we gave it a go. Successfully installed ourselves in a quiet corner and ate and drank at bargain prices. Even looked up the history – parchment making was once an important industry in Havant and parchment from here was used for the Treaty of Versailles. We had a little wander around the town on our way back, very pretty in parts. The sky was unbelievable – pink sky predicts a sunny day tomorrow – yippee!

Saturday 5th September 2026

Up with the lark and straight to Havant parkrun which was in Staunton Park, just a short bus ride away. Can recommend it as a run as it was very scenic but, being a gravel path it was not so comfortable underfoot, plus there were steep downhill slopes and matching uphills. Another one ticked off though.

We had a late breakfast back at our Airbnb to set us up for the day’s walk – hoped it would sustain us till dinner time and give us sufficient energy for our 8 mile walk. Packed some mini pork pies in my rucksack in case of emergency!

We got the same bus to the same bus stop as yesterday – today we walked to the right, walking the other side of Hayling Island. The coastal path signs were great again and it immediately took us on the “Billy Trail” – a disused railway line – pleasant paths with waterside views. As yesterday evening’s skies had predicted, today was blue skies and sunshine. Lots of conservation areas, oyster beds and plenty of birdlife. Being a Saturday we were accompanied by many walkers and numerous cyclists – lovely to see families out enjoying this wonderful weather and location.

After enjoying the luxury of the Billy Trail for some time, those pesky King Charles III Coastal Path signs veered us off in another direction, taking us on a much bigger loop. But all was not lost as we walked through some glorious residential areas, house envy alert!! Some magnificent residences – period, modern, coastal, country – all individual and just oozing style. This led us down to the beach where we had a lovely long stretch of shore walking, listening to the waves lapping and soaking up the seawater aroma. Some more stunning beach facing properties too.

The final mile felt like a slog but we had the “Islander” light railway train to entertain us. And then we were back to where we finished off yesterday …. 8 miles today. And we can confirm that the Hayling Island Coastal Path is 18 miles.

Finished off the day with fish and chips, lashings of tea, a blog …. and an early night!

Tomorrow’s another day …. of walking! x

Thursday 19th March 2026

Another absolutely stunning weather day – unbelievable for mid-March. Love a T-shirt walking day. Today we drove and parked up in the town of Hythe and caught a bus to Fawley. This village has a lot of bronze age and Roman history but its probably best known for the power station and refinery that dominate the landscape. And said refinery being positioned waterside meant that the Coastal Path took us inland with roadside and woodland walking.

Unusually, the path led us through a graveyard today, not long after we started – saw lots of robins hopping around. Good Coastal Path signage led us safely back to Hythe where we finally got to walk waterside – Southampton Water busy with ferries and cruise liners. This was 5 miles up to this point.

We sat and had our egg sandwiches overlooking the water with views of the high rise city of Southampton. We could see Netley Castle nestled by the shore, which we had walked past last week. It looks old and mysterious from a distance.

And this is where we parted ways – only for the next few hours, not permanently!! Steve walked on to Totton and I took the option of some retail therapy in the little Georgian high street – some great charity shops! I have to mention though that Hythe is known for its ferry service to Southampton – unfortunately it is closed due to “ongoing infrastructure and funding challenges.” And the ferry trip is in fact the official Coastal Path. Had this been running, it would have saved Steve walking the further 7 miles today and we could have avoided the Southampton section where I fell victim to uneven paving!!! That closed ferry has a lot to answer for!

And now from Steve …..

Some irony in the air this morning as the news welcomed us with “King opens world’s longest coastal path around England” which is remarkably true …. other than the gaps where it doesn’t exist, it’s closed because of erosion or diversion or even this last week where two advertised ferry services no longer operate!

Now let’s be honest there is an enormous amount of spectacular path that is open and of course it’s always going to be a moving target, which we have got used to now, having walked some 2000 miles of the advertised 2689 miles available over the last eight years (Covid happened in the midst).

The second part of today’s walk though will probably not live long in the memory.  A seven mile journey which included three miles of walking on busy roadsides with no pavements and another three miles of cycle track alongside aforementioned busy road.  However help was at hand as entering Elling at the end of the walk coming across a delightful harbour complete with toll bridge and toll collection office … £1 for a day pass over the toll bridge!

So that completes our latest walking adventures with another 100 miles ticked off and only small bits remaining.  Referencing my earlier comments these remaining parts are generally very difficult to either walk or access, even though the path is apparently complete, but we will persevere of course!!

And back to me …

We have walked most days since being here – I had one day off due to injury and we both had a day off for Mother’s Day and a day off for St. Patrick’s Day. Returning to MK on Saturday with some fabulous memories and some spectacularly weary legs. We’ve felt so at home in this house-sit and have loved the company of cuddly and playful Romeo and Julie, the gorgeous cats.

Till next time. x