What could possibly be better, when you’re having some resting days from coastal walking (for physical and mental reasons!!!), than a two hour walking tour around the city streets of Bristol. But it was fantastic – interesting, informative and a huge variety of stories and experiences. Our guide Luke was a wonderful narrator and the time flew by. What a fascinating city Bristol is – packed with history, both ancient and modern. Our guided tour ranged from Bristol’s seafaring history, including the links to slavery, the churches and cathedral, the range of architecture spanning centuries, famous Bristolians, right up to modern day street art. https://www.getyourguide.co.uk/ – really recommend it.
A perfect example of old and new
And of course, Saturday wouldn’t be Saturday without the inevitable parkrun photo – this morning’s run at Eastville Park … I warn you it’s hilly.
In the 32 years we’ve been together, this is the first time that we’ve not exchanged Valentines Day cards, flowers, chocolates etc. We’re far too busy rambling! Actually, we were aware it was looming but it just caught us out in terms of acquiring said gifts. Nevertheless, what better than a stroll from Burnham-on-Sea to Weston-super-Mare … we’re just a pair of old romantics.
We drove the car to Weston-super-Mare as yesterday’s reliance on public transport had added an extra 4 hours to our day out. Unfortunately we just missed a bus and had to wait an hour for the next No. 20 to Burnham. On arrival we were pleasantly surprised that we could walk along the beach (as opposed to the sand dunes) the 6 mile route taking us to Brean. It was overcast but dry and there was lots of life on the beach – dog walkers and children playing – a beautiful start to the day. There were frequent signs about sinking mud further out, so we made sure we kept close to the back of the beach. We didn’t need any stress today.
We stopped in Brean for refreshment and could see a huge climb ahead – Brean Down. Steve did mention that we could skip this part altogether but we just couldn’t bring ourselves to cheat – what is wrong with us!!? So up the flight of steps we went – 97 metres of it – but at least we could stay upright and there was a handrail … luxury! And boy was it worth it, the views were tremendous – looking out over the Bristol Channel towards South Wales and over the Somerset levels. We both said that in all our years of walking it was one of the most magnificent views we had seen. You see, there is some logic and benefits to this crazy life we lead.
At the top is a site of a Roman temple and the path led us up and down to a National Trust property called Palmerston Fort – it is now a ruin but was built to defend the country against a possible Napoleonic invasion and later used in WWII. It was fairly muddy underfoot and slippery so we kept looking for shortcuts but they weren’t abundant. We were fairly close to the end of the headland when we spotted one – it meant a fairly steep descent so we took it steady – we had about a metre left to go when my feet went from underneath me and I took a slip slide down, caking myself in thick yellow mud. I wasn’t amused.
Palmerston Fort – National TrustThe cows have bellsSpotted a pheasant
Luckily the lower path was drier and flatter so I managed to compose myself as we walked back along the other side – we had magnificent views of Weston-super-Mare from here and it made it seem so much more doable. We found ourselves at a junction where a tarmac path would have taken us back to where we had lunched in Brean – but our OS app was indicating that the coastal path route was the other option – a muddy narrow path downhill through the woods. No prizes for guessing which path we chose. I don’t know why I did it because I grumbled and moaned the whole way down about it being ridiculous – I was extra nervous after my tumble. Once again, just shy of the end, I fell onto my side this time and collected an even more muddy look. My very words were “that’s it, I’m not taking any more risks.”
And to think we could have skipped the whole headland as we were pretty much back where we started an hour ago. But we would have missed the views!
It wasn’t even 5 minutes before we were forced to take said risk!! The coastal path sign indicated that the path was available between April and July. The trouble was that there didn’t seem to be any alternative and we had to get back to our car. Steve was getting concerned about getting back in daylight. The gates to the embankment path were open so on we went, and the next few gates were open too. It was wet, muddy and unpleasant but it least it was taking us back to where we needed to go. About halfway along the 3 mile stretch of embankment however, the gates were padlocked … but climb over we did in preference to going back. Our spirits were low but we trudged on and climbed over numerous gates. When we got to the turning point to take us to the other side of the estuary, we made the decision to abandon ship – we were facing another 3 or 4 miles of embankment walking and unknown territory in terms of locked gates etc.
A rerminder of the dreaded estuary and its embankment wall
We found a route to a bus stop a mile away and then had to wait an hour for a bus into Weston-super-Mare. We cheered ourselves up with an orange Club biscuit – simple pleasures. We hated having to give up but we needed to get back safely. It was a bath, food and an early night for us – completely exhausted. Happy Valentines Day. xx
Thursday 15th February 2024
We’re taking a day or two off walking. The travelling to our start points is getting too long and complicated. We’ll be finding something a little more leisurely to do for a few days until we move further down the coast at the weekend. Planning a belated Valentines meal out today.
Yesterday was a day to remember, perhaps a turning point in this retirement project of ours. We need to stay safe and we need to enjoy our times on the coast. So King Charles, if there’s no official coastal path we’re just not going to do it.
The only thing I knew about Weston-super-Mare is that the tide is generally so far back, that it requires a hike if you fancy a swim. Today was my first visit and it involved catching two buses to get there – the 49 into Bristol Centre and then the X1, but straightforward enough. Our first impressions of Weston-super-Mare were good – we liked it. Its piers and hospitality were welcoming and the hotels with their bay views seemed grand and elegant. And ironically the tide was SO far in that the waves were lapping up onto the promenade. That’s how much I know!
The Old Pier has seen better days!
But, as always, we were soon off to find the coastal path as our plan was to walk to Clevedon today. Steve was particularly anxious about the route as only such a small part of if was official Coastal Path – the rest he had to devise through the means of Ordnance Survey. What could possibly go wrong!? Being an estuary, so much of this coastline is mud flats and sea defence walls – with that and it being SO wet plus ongoing downpours, we made the executive decision to steer ourselves more inland and stick to walking on country roads in preference. At this ripe old age we have to put our Health & Safety hats on sometimes. Despite his meticulous planning, there can always be an element of surprise (e.g. locked bridges or flooding) so sometimes we have to just see how it goes.
The leaving of Weston-super-Mare was a lovely stretch uphill with the scenic sea views on our left. As we reached Weston woods there was some roadside walking and then a path through the woods kindly took as away from the traffic noise just a little. We soon reached the village of Kewstoke and wandered through admiring some stunning houses. The ‘Private Pavement’ signs were a little officious however – naturally we just had to walk on them – such rebels!!
In the same village – obviously very precious about their parking!
Just out of the village we picked up signs for a cycle path to Clevedon … and what’s good for cyclists is certainly good for us. So for some time we wandered along country roads – diving into hedges sometimes as the odd speedy car appeared. There were a few railways crossings to manoeuvre and bridges too as we ducked and dived our way, avoiding motorways and other busy roads.
Can you spot the garden shed travelling at 50mph? Can you spot the Cross Country Express travelling at 100mph?
The bit of the route that Steve had worried about the most came to fruition in the shape of 5 farm fields that we had to squelch our way through, quite literally … it was gross. But he was so relieved that the promised bridge was in place, as was the ladder down to the stinky ‘ cattle creep” underpass … and so we managed to achieve a way through under the M5 Motorway.
It’s a cattlecreep!
After that it was country roads all the way to Clevedon, albeit it stretching endlessly – the Beatles lyrics “long and winding road” came to mind for a good hour or so. Then Clevedon came into view and we were so grateful and, despite the miles, terrain and weather we’d encountered, we felt chuffed at what we’d achieved.
Some strange plantersNewborns
But of course there was one more killer spot at the end – Wain’s Hill – this involved us scrabbling up the steep cliff on all fours to reach the Coastal Path at the top to take us down into Clevedon beachfront. I’m sure there must have been an alternative route but, despite searching, we couldn’t find it anywhere. A fitting and unglamorous end to the walking day – I even came nose to nose with a terrier and frightened the life out of him!
Finally we had returned to this very pretty seaside town of Clevedon where we rewarded ourselves with tea and shortbread in one of their very delightful cafes. What a day it had been – a lot of rain, a lot of mud … and 16 miles of walking.
I have to give full credit to Mr. Rose for his genius in planning out these routes – I always trust him and sometimes it can go a little pear shaped but not today. And as for the King Charles III England Coast Path – where were you today? It just goes to show …. sometimes in life you just have to make your own path!
Checked out of the Travelodge first thing this morning and drove to Fishponds, a suburb of Bristol, where we are doing a house-sit for the next 7 days. Jess and her two children, Nico and Eleanor, are flying out to Tenerife – before they went they introduced us to all the gang who are now in our charge. We have 2 cats, Dave and Gathina, 2 guinea pigs, Guinness and Scraps and 2 quails who remain nameless! We’ve been warned about foxes so hoping to still have 6 pets on the register when the family return next Sunday.
Once we were settled and the fridge and pantry were stocked up, we caught a bus into the city of Bristol. Neither of us have been here for a long long time so we were interested to explore. Took in all the sights, visited the M Shed, Brunel’s SS Great Britain, the cathedral, took a ferry – we loved it. So many cafes, bars and restaurants – I hear it’s a great place for a Stag Weekend.
It’s a Banksy y’know!
Monday 12th February 2024
Today’s walk – Clevedon to Pill (11 miles)
Drove to Pill and parked up, planning to catch the two necessary buses to get us to Clevedon. A little bit of a mix up with bus timings resulted in us taking an Uber instead. Lovely driver though who takes us right to the seafront and recommended a place for breakfast. So ‘Tiffens’ it was … and I can highly recommend the bacon bap. Clevedon is a pretty Victorian seaside town but it was just a short stop for us before we set off to find the Coastal Path.
Steve’s breakfast at Tiffen’s – a posh full EnglishClevedon Pier
It was a wonderful path today, cliffside, walking alongside the estuary, uphill and downhill through woodland, sounds of the seabirds and waves making us feel coastal, the sun was shining and there was a cool breeze … the only downside was the mud … 6 miles of it. It took all our concentration and balance to stay upright – there were many slips and slides and grabbing on to whatever was available. We passed many other walkers and we all exchanged our mud tales. But I’m proud to say we both made it through without a complete tumble – thank God for walking boots – today they well and truly met the mud.
This was a dry patchThe two River Severn bridges into Wales
We passed ‘Sugar Loaf Beach’ which sounded like a Caribbean paradise … it was pretty but not quite at that level.
At Portishead, another very attractive resort with stunning houses, we stopped for refreshment at the Lido – Steve tucked into a huge slab of Victoria sponge. I stupidly abstained but immediately regretted it. And they didn’t frown at our oh so muddy boots!
After Portishead, there was a bit more woodland walking, then some country lanes and bridle paths to lead us all the way back to Pill, where our trusty car awaited. The terrain improved although there were still some muddy patches and deep puddles lurking. We couldn’t help but be fascinated by the miles and miles of car storage facilities in this area – brand new shiny cars all lined up waiting to go somewhere – wish they could spare us one.
Pick a car … any car!!
In May 2023, the England Coast Path was renamed The King Charles III England Coast Path, to mark the coronation. I think I might be writing to Charlie boy to get some of this mud cleared up before someone goes over the edge!
Today was all about the Severn Bridge. We had yet to cover it to link our England walk (so far) to our Wales Walk (so far). And what better way to kick it off than a parkrun. We had much discussion as to how to travel to the start – drive, run or walk … but drive it was and we parked up in Chepstow.
There we met up with our great friends, Ros and David (who have a getaway house in Chepstow) and Matt Jones who was staying with them for the weekend. David has an injury so was time-keeping today but the rest of us eagerly lined up for the start of our favourite Saturday pursuit – the parkrun. To be truthful it was a fabulous run, an out and back to halfway across the bridge, with spectacular views. Despite some incline on the way out it all felt OK, particularly a long stretch of downhill on the return. Weather was mild too – absolutely no complaints.
Matt, Ros, David … Steve and meCan’t wait to get going!!
The very best bit was going back to Ros and David’s for tasty sausages, bacon, eggs etc. and lashings of tea and toast. Great to spend time with such lovely people – lots of laughing and exchanging our travel and many Redway Runners memories.
David kindly drove us back to the hotel where we had a quick turn around before heading out for the Severn Bridge again. This time we had to walk the whole way across it, so covering the Coastal Path distance and achieving the retrieval of our car. It was a wee bit more chilly and windy by this time but still a fabulous walk. Cyclists certainly rule the way on this route though – make no mistake! It turned out to be less than 3 miles though so an easy day all round. Hey ho, that’s how the cookie crumbles.
Cyclists rule the way!Light at the end of the tunnelAnd just to make us feel more at home!!
We’re back for more. Two weeks to fill the coastal path gap we have between Chepstow in Wales and Minehead, Somerset. Today we walked between Pill (the name originates from a Welsh word for tidal inlet) and Aust (derived from the latin name Augusta) and I can tell you the day was a real mixed bag!!
We drove up from Milton Keynes yesterday afternoon – we’re not due to start our house-sitting until Sunday so we’d booked into a Travelodge for 3 nights. Seemed like a good idea at £40 a night as it was just near the Coastal Path and also well positioned to do the Severn Bridge parkrun plus a couple of days walking. It was a foul day weather-wise and the hotel was on the M48 Service area with pretty uninspiring dining facilities, so not the most attractive of starts. It was a choice between Costa and Burger King for dinner so the burger won out – and we treated ourselves to a can of Gin and Tonic each from WH Smith to cheer ourselves up – Rock and Roll. And gasp horror – no free Wifi.
We had a great night’s sleep though – the bed was comfy. Steve had planned the first day’s walk but by the time we woke in the morning he had devised a whole new route. The best we could do for breakfast was a BLT sandwich from the services, with a cup of tea. But it was so lucky we had that as we saw nothing else until we returned from our walk 5 hours later!
We took an Uber ride to the pretty village of Pill, the sun was shining and all was well in the world. In a very short space of time we were crossing the bridge on the M5 Motorway and from thereon in we were walking through dockside and industrial areas, residential areas and miles of roadside – with articulated lorries whizzing by at 60mph – it was a pollution fest for 7 miles … it just seemed endless and dispiriting.
At mile 7 however things took a better turn and there were paths that took us away from the roads so the noise levels greatly improved. And we had views of the estuary and the magnificent bridges – the Prince of Wales Bridge and the Severn Bridge. The weather had largely been kind to us but for the last two miles we got drenched in a downpour and with plenty of flooded paths we arrived back at the Services like drowned rats.
It was 13 miles of walking today – unless you’re trying to complete the whole UK coastline I would suggest it’s one to miss. But having discovered a bit in daylight today we find we’re near the lovely village of Aust and, now we’re all dry and recovered, we’re about to visit the pub for refreshment. Tomorrow’s another day – it’s Severn Bridge parkrun and we’re meeting Ros and David.
I have to admit, hand on heart, that today’s walk was quite uninspiring! The first couple of miles was along the Hartlepool promenade so that was fine, with lovely sea views. We even stopped for coffee – we weren’t going to let any opportunities pass.
Looking back to Old Hartlepool
But after that it was road walking, then across a golf course and then more road walking more or less all the way. We passed through Seaton Carew which seemed a pretty seaside area and along Seal Sands (but no seals to be seen). Apart from that our backdrop today was largely a power station and heavy industrial sites. Really not the best … but every bit has to be done! On the positive side, it was completely flat the whole 10 miles.
There were definitely no seals in today!!
About the most interesting part of the walk was seeing the impressive Transporter Bridge – even though it was closed. That brought us to the end of our walk today and in fact it’s the last bit of walking for now – it turns out that our house-sitting accommodation is further from the coast than we’d imagined. So Durham, we’ll be back another time.
The Middlesborough Transporter Bridge
And it was with heavy hearts we walked today – after hearing the terrible news this morning of a tragic loss of young life. Our thoughts and prayers are with Christine and family. RIP Ben. xx
After Friday’s torturous walk, I had to think hard about continuing on with this UK Coast Walk project … but after much inner and outer discussion, I put my big girl pants on (and trousers!) and got back on that horse. We left our airbnb accommodation in South Shields today and drove to Horden Railway Station, to pick up the path from where we left off. The plan was to walk 12 miles to Hartlepool and catch the train back.
We had read in the guide that the first 3 or 4 miles included clifftop and woodland walking with ascents and descents, so we braced ourselves for some more of what Friday had delivered. However, it was like someone had read our blog and as a result had sent workers out in the night to lay tarmac, fix up coast path signs and chop down all the stingers and prickles. It was so different (after all that worry) … there was no slipping, sliding, tripping, scrambling, stings or scratches … and we didn’t get lost, not once! There was one area of ‘overgrowness” but we sneakily found a shortcut to avoid it (Steve said I won’t tell anyone if you don’t)!! And there were definitely some climbs but with manageable terrain it was completely do-able. We breezed it.
Leaving Horden, fearing the worst!Something for everyone
Lots of cliff top walking with spectacular views of the wonderful Durham coastline. So many walkers out for their Sunday afternoon stroll on the beach. My favourite thing – hearing the waves crashing, breathing in the wonderful sea air, hearing the seagulls cry out, taking in the views of sea and sand for miles – it’s just unbeatable.
Somebody had been very busy on this beach
The sun popped out a couple of times but it was largely overcast again, no rain. Incredible winds however.
After 8 miles of walking we reached civilisation – a promenade. A remarkable thing we’ve noticed on this coastline is that there are so many houses with sea views here – and not the expensive sort of beachside homes you found in many counties, but regular terraced homes and new builds etc. So, walking past all this stunningly located housing we felt sure there’d be cafes in abundance … but it was another 2 miles before we reached the area of ‘Headland’ and came across ‘Mary Rowntrees’ cafe and restaurant where we luxuriated in our first coffee of the day. We were joined by the owner and her son who were absolutely lovely … they asked us to take photos of their restaurant for the blog.
Mary Rowntrees Thai cafe and restaurant …. Headland, near HartlepoolHeadland
And then we just had to carry on along the Coastal Path a further two miles to the marina in Hartlepool. This involved some road walking so not very glam, that was until we reached the newly developed marina with its cosmopolitan mix of bistros, bars, cafes and restaurants – clearly a popular hangout. HMS Trincomalee is moored here amongst other cultural attractions.
HMS Trincomalee“Monkey Hanger” is a colloquial nickname for Hartlepool folks
After all the worry, besides the fact that we were heading into the wild wind most of the day, and it was 12 miles, it was an absolute breeze …. and so the adventure continues. xx
We are now installed in our house-sit in the town on Willington, near Durham, where we are based to do some further coast walking as well as looking after the beautiful ‘Casper.’
View from our bedroom window in WillingtonThe adorable ‘Casper’
Stinging nettles and the wearing of shorts is not a great combination … I can categorically confirm that! Especially when the environment seems to have stopped producing dock leaves – always a life-saver when we were kids.
Today’s walk started in the rain … and it ended in the rain, in fact it was wet and misty pretty much all day. As you may tell, it was overall not the best of days … and I’m allowed to grumble because I lived through it.
Started off well with an early bus to Sunderland, made our way to the bridge and down to the opposite side of the docks from yesterday, so we could head south on the coastal path. There was a steep descent of slippery cobble stoned path to the dockside – this turned out to be the start of a slip sliding day.
The first couple of miles was not as glam as yesterday’s beginning although Steve was excited to see the homage to footballer Raich Carter. But the coastal path route was signposted well (always a bonus) and we soon found ourselves at Hendon Beach. Looking ahead it was clearly not going to be a promenade day, very much cliff top walking. We got chatting to some Local Council workers who were there to cut grass and, when asked, we told them that the path we’d experienced so far was well maintained and clearly signposted. All good … they were chuffed.
Raich Carter – played football for Sunderland and EnglandHendon Beach
It was shortly after this, round about the County of Durham sign, that things went seriously wrong – lack of coastal path signs found us taking wrong turnings, walking round in circles and through all sorts of tricky terrain. A number of these errors meant that we endured even more steep ascents and descents than we needed to do … oh how we laughed!!! Between that and finding some paths completely overgrown, so getting scratched and stung to pieces – in the rain – things were not shaping up well. But of course we soldiered on – we were not far off Seaham where breakfast awaited.
After eight miles we had reached Seaham which this year won an award for the ‘Resort of the Year.’ Also famous for it’s mole sanctuary. But for us it provided a place for sustenance and the chance to sit down and reassess our mission. Do we call it a day … or do we walk on, knowing that it would be another 7 or 8 miles to the next public transport linked destination? Well, after tuna melt toasted panini and restorative mugs of cappuccino of course you’re ready to ‘bring it on’ and so we wrapped up warm and headed on our merry way.
I have to say, there were some incredibly scenic parts to the next leg of the walk, albeit largely shrouded in mist and we were never far away from the sea, which we love. Also some touching memorials to the area’s mining history. However, this section of coastline was one of the worst paths we’d encountered … it was tough. In summary, it was massively overgrown, slippery underfoot, narrow paths that literally just about fitted in the width of your foot, so many steep inclines with difficult steps and of course the same going downhill each time … again and again and again. We continued to get lost and found ourselves retracing our steps, we had to wade though water and sinking mud. At one point we had to scramble up a hellishly steep, stone uphill path that was so overgrown we could see nothing beneath our knees – we just had to step and hope for the best with all sorts of tripping and slipping hazards. I lost my balance for a moment and grabbed out … onto a piece of gorse (not great). This particular scramble will forever be imprinted on my brain and the echoes of “this is ridiculous” and “I hate Coastal Walking” will surely be remembered!!? And … why oh why did I wear shorts?
So, 16 more miles to add to the collection … and yes, you know it, we’ll be back for more. But for this section at least – trousers definitely recommended.
Saturday 16th September 2023
No rest for the wicked – another early morning as we had volunteered to be ‘Park Walkers’ at the South Shields parkrun. Boy was it cold and windy. But there were over 200 turned out in this harsh weather to run the beautiful route. A Full English Breakfast at the Sand Dancer pub afterwards seemed utterly justified.
I do love a ‘high viz.’What a fabulous setting for a parkrun – the only parkrun we’ve done where the finish is nowhere near the start!
After a long car journey up from MK yesterday, we settled for an early dinner and an early night in our very comfortable bijou Airbnb accommodation in the Sandhaven area of South Shields. (Some of our fellow Redway Runners would have been in these parts last weekend, finishing the Great North Run). And so it was that we were then up with the larks this morning to hit the Coast Path Trail. But too early in fact for Steve to use his bus pass, having decided to bus to Sunderland and walk back … wind directions considered. At £2 a pop for bus fares at the moment though there wasn’t much call for grumbling!
Disembarked at St. Peter’s Church in Sunderland and had a short walk through the city, taking in the spectacle of the ‘Stadium of Light.’ Many years ago, Steve drove me, Alice, Geraldine and Emma all the way up here for a ‘Take That’ concert … waited for us and drove us home again. In desperation I had bought the much sought after tickets online, not having a clue how far away from us it was – but Steve came to the rescue, “Love is ” … and all that.
We happened upon a set of steep steps leading down to a dockside path, from there we picked up the England Coast Path signs and the signs were pretty spot on the rest of the walk. So a smooth and picturesque start with signs of the city’s shipbuilding history and parts of the University campus. Still too early for the cafes though – seems that folks don’t breakfast till 10.00am around here.
Once we reached the promenade there were eating establishments a-plenty and so we tucked into breakfast baps and lashings of hot tea. The whole walk today was with stunning sea-views and alongside wide sandy beaches. We ‘southerners’ are full of thinking our beaches are the best but I can tell you Northumbria takes some beating. There were a handful of swimmers and surfers in today – I’m determined to try out this September North Sea by the end of the week – suspect it’s a wee bit colder up here!! Mostly promenade and cliff top walking today, essentially flat but always scenic. Passed through Roker, Whitburn, Marsdan Bay, Souter Lighthouse, Sandhaven and Littlehaven. Saw Lime-Kilns, Lighthouses, windmills and even a Cave Bar and Restaurant – something for everyone.
This area is so pristine with wide open recreation areas. Some fabulous sculptures and art installations all along the path too, as well as some beautiful rolling lyrics along the wall. Keeping it correct we walked all the way up through Littlehaven to the ferry point, as we’d finished off in North Shields the last time we were up this way. We clocked up 11 miles today.
Love this installation called ‘Conversation Piece.’ … “They look like rolling figures, like tumblers, and they are about movement, but they can’t move.”Made some new friends …
From the coastal path end we walked a further two miles to get back to our Airbnb – always seems like dead miles when not recorded on Strava! But a fabulous first day for the Rambling Roses, back on our beloved Coast Path.
The rambling roses 