Over the boardwalk … and Anglesey complete

April 25, 2024 / Dee and Steve / Leave a comment

Wednesday 24th April 2024

Valley to Trearddur (it’s so hard to say Trearddur … with its rolling ‘r’ and ‘dd’ being pronounced as ‘th’)!! – 11 miles of walking

*I was talking to Tom on the phone, while this photo was taken on Silver Bay Beach – about half way.*

No trains or buses needed today as we set off from Valley for our 11 mile ramble to Trearddur. We knew that the first half particularly was lowland, so we had mentally prepared ourselves for a muddy day. Just about spotted the ‘hole in the wall’ start to the Coastal Path and once inside, so did the squelching begin.

*The hole in the wall that led us on to the Coastal Pat*h

So for the next few miles we manoeuvred our way along muddy paths and beaches but took it all in our stride as once again we had fabulous views and perfect weather. We were also treated to a series of ‘boardwalks’ which had obviously been placed over the worst parts. Bless you Alexander Boardman for inventing the boardwalk – you were a genius and today you were our saviour.

*Someone had kindly indicated an alternative path along the beach*

*Fabulous views, despite the mud! Looking at Holyhead Mountain – yesterday’s climb!*

We reached ‘Four Mile Bridge’ which is clearly not 4 miles long – having now researched we know that it is so named because it is 4 miles from the town of Holyhead. It links the main island of Anglesey to the island of Holyhead.

The immediate path off the bridge looked a little treacherous, with it being both narrow and blocked … I could see a wet experience ahead. However, once there, it was a little wider than initially thought, and our Sherpa David beat out a path behind the boat so that we didn’t have to swim around or climb over.

*At this point I was saying to Steve “are you sure about this!?”*

This narrow path path led on to some woodland with beautiful bluebells on display.

Then we found ourselves on the most magnificent beach in Silver Bay … with its golden sands and the sea unbelievably calm. We chose this perfect spot for our picnic lunch and got chatting to a chap that had come down from his caravan to swim, he swims most days. He reassured us that it is not always like this, more often it is windy and the sea choppy – we truly have been blessed with the weather.

*Chatting to Tom while being photographed on Silver Bay Beach*

We were treated to some amazing air displays during the walk today, both helicopters and trainer jets from RAF Valley. Our very own Air Show – spectacular.

Pork sandwiches and crisps consumed, we continued on our way. Higher ground now so less muddy … with a few hills thrown in. Wonderful views of Snowdonia in the distance and once again, a stunning collection of coves, sandy beaches and cliff faces. Overwhelming beauty at times – feel so privileged to experience it.

*Then, further on, back to the views of Holyhead Mountain*

Then finally, after 11 glorious miles, we reached the beautiful beach in Trearddur Bay – the end of the road for us. This saw Steve and I complete our walk of the whole of Anglesey and Holyhead – David kindly bought us beers to celebrate, in Oceans Edge bar/restaurant, overlooking the beach on what felt like a summer’s day.

*Celebratory beers – completing the Coastal Path of Anglesey and Holyhead!*

Then it was the bus back to Valley and to save us extra walking, we made the decision to stop off in the pub for a couple of beers and an early dinner, rather than go home, get changed and come back out. BIG mistake but loads of fun. A few beers waiting for the carvery to open, a huge plate of carvery … more beers and wine … and a very giggly and wobbly walk back home!!

And so, that’s a wrap for now and I’d like to thank Steve and David for helping me through some of the more trickier parts and for keeping me motivated to continue being a ‘Rambling Rose.’

80 more miles of coastal walking clocked up on this trip, (a little less for me) so we’re chipping it off. And after a dodgy start, it has to be said that this is one of our favourite sections so far. Wales is wonderful and Holyhead particularly is a real hidden gem – most definitely worth the drive up.

*Mr. Rose and Mr. Rose …* *it’s a Goodbye from him and a goodbye from him and a Goodbye from me!!*

Coastal path walk … with a mountain thrown in!!

April 23, 2024 / Dee and Steve / Leave a comment

Who put a mountain in the middle of a Coastal Path walk!? We knew that Holyhead Mountain was lurking on one of the island walks but when you’re there, it’s pretty tough, thrown into the mixture of a 12-mile trek. Today was the day it had to be done!!

Wednesday 23rd April 2024

Holyhead to Trearddur – 12 miles

Up and out a bit earlier today to catch the train to Holyhead. Valley is a request stop so we nominated David to flag the train down, as we were the only passengers on the station platform. On arrival, we made our way over Holyhead’s quite magnificent bridge to a cafe named “Holly Molly” and tucked into rather delightful breakfasts and mugs of tea. Then we were ready for the off.

*David flagging down the train as Valley is a request stop*

*Said breakfast, setting Steve and David up for the day – mine was somewhat smaller!!*

Picked up the coastal path signs quite easily and the first couple of miles were pretty plain sailing – all was well in our world. Yet another fair weather day – just can’t believe our luck. Gradually there was a sense of climbing but the paths were so accommodating that it wasn’t a struggle. There was a certain amount of winding around the mountain rather than steep ascents so still didn’t foresee any difficulty. And the views were to die for, wouldn’t want to have missed this.

However, as we got further up the 722 ft climb it got steeper and rockier underfoot and the same with the downhill sections. So I must admit to struggling somewhat on the top half of the mountain. Even with my trusty walking pole, I seem to have got more wobbly on these trickier terrains and my diminishing confidence results in me being slower. Steve and David don’t mind waiting for me or giving me a supporting hand from time to time but I do feel sad about not being such a capable rambler anymore.

Holyhead Mountain has diverse ecology and several sites of historical significance – there were numerous other walkers exploring its rugged paths. Many visitors come to see the South Stack Lighthouse and also the variety of birds that nest along the cliff faces. We were looking out for puffins and stonechats as well as seals and dolphins but didn’t see any of those. We did see a couple of small lizards but luckily not the snakes that had been mentioned as a possibility. And we also saw some Oystercatchers.

When we reached the bottom of the mountain we had 5 miles in the bag, and it seemed like the next 7 miles would be a breeze! I’m not going to grumble because it was beautiful – we were so spoilt with the blue skies, the turquoise seas shimmering in the sun, the dramatic cliffs and sandy coves … but a breeze it wasn’t. It was 7 miles of significant ups and downs in places, not on the mountain scale but certainly not flat. But I wouldn’t have missed it for the world (I can safely say that now I’m back home sitting in an armchair)!

*Finally saw a F35B Lightning Fighter Jet*

Along the way we saw many people kayaking, young and old, as well as a group of youngsters being taught to do abseiling and coast steering. And as we neared Trearddur Bay there were several beaches of outstanding beauty.

*And finally we reached the beautiful Trearddur Bay Beach*

Despite my own limitations, I would wholeheartedly say that today was yes, one of the tougher of days, but it was also the most magnificent in terms of scenery. So, if you are a walker and you’ve not visited this part of Anglesey, I would certainly recommend that you put it on your list.

It was a mountain of a day but now feeling mellow with a glass of red wine in Valley, watching the sun go down … and there it is in the distance – that’s the brute that is Holyhead Mountain.

*From our house in Valley, we watched the sun set on Holyhead Mountain*

Walking back to Valley

April 22, 2024 / Dee and Steve / Leave a comment

Monday 22nd April 2024

Porth Swtan to Valley

Like yesterday, today’s plan was to catch a bus and walk back to Valley – this time from a different direction. Our first mission was to find the bus stop in Valley and this ended up being a 2 mile wander until we found somewhere to stand in hope that the number 61 would stop to pick us up – this being the one daily bus going in that direction. Success, the driver stopped, although didn’t seem over impressed with me speaking in English. After an incredibly hairy ride along several of the narrowest country lanes, where the driver was definitely not taking any prisoners, we disembarked roughly near Porth Swtan and headed off to find the coastal path. This turned out to be another 2 mile walk. So before we even started our official coastal path mileage, we had walked 4 miles … we like to call them ‘bonus’ miles! Sadly there was nowhere open for coffee and cake … and this haunted us the whole day.

*No evidence of this being a bus stop but we waited in hope – there was one bus a day at 11.44am!*

And so we set off on the officially signed path – great signage today, didn’t get lost once. It was one of those undulating sort of days, enough ups and downs to keep you interested but nothing too dramatic. A mixture of terrain too – country and cliff top paths, tarmac lanes, farm fields, caravan parks, sand dunes, as well as stretches of beach – sand and pebbles. All pretty pleasant.

*Finally, after 4 bonus miles, found ourselves on the Coast Path at Porth Swtan*

The weather was a little nippy today with chill winds so we were wrapped up. Three miles in we decided to stop for our picnic lunch as time was getting on. We found a sheltered spot on a pretty beach and tucked in – so wishing we had brought a hot drink with us. When another couple arrived and set up their picnic spot nearby, we were SO envious of their huge flask of coffee – we were positively drooling.

We set off feeling re-energised and not long after the sun began to peep through the clouds. We just can’t believe how lucky we’ve been with the weather – some friends of ours experienced a whole different climate a couple of weeks ago. Traipsed our way through fields of baby lambs that just melt your heart. Talked about identifying birdsong … but the seagull was about the best we could do! We did however manage to identify the roars of the F35 fighter jets flying over, even though we couldn’t see them.

*Think these swans may have been nesting*

Started to feel a little weary as the miles clocked up and unfortunately the last couple of miles were spent wading through mud again. The mild climate has definitely improved the ground but there’s definitely still some squelchy bits around. Had a long section of balancing on logs, clinging to the fence but still managing to sink into it occasionally … my trusty walking pole kept me upright however.

Then finally Valley was in sight and we wound our weary way around the village to our oh so comfortable accommodation. It was muddy boots and socks off and kettle on. After the official 10 miles of Coastal Path covered, plus our bonus 4 miles pre-path, 14 miles walking today deserved lashings of tea and biscuits. It felt good to be back in Valley.

Marathon Day Coastal Walking

April 21, 2024 / Dee and Steve / Leave a comment

Sunday 21st April 2024

Holyhead to Valley

*Setting off from Holyhead Ferry terminal*

No, we didn’t walk Marathon mileage today, but we did set off late morning so that we could see the start of the London Marathon on the TV, and we made it a short walk in order to be back to watch the finishers – we all had several friends running it today.

We’re staying in the village of Valley in North Anglesey, logistically planned for our walk around the coast of Holyhead (otherwise known as Holy Island).

*Our new accommodation in Valley, North Anglesey – great views*

Again it was all three Roses – Steve, David and myself – a right bunch!! We planned to get a train to Holyhead but there was a replacement bus service, which worked super nicely, particularly as it was free. And on arriving at the busy Ferry Terminal, there was just one thing to do before setting off – coffee and cake. It’s tough!

Impressive views of the Irish ferries as we left to start our walk along the estuary coastline, taking us through Penrhos Coastal Park. The beautiful woodland promised viewings of red squirrels but despite cricking necks, not a bushy tail was seen. There were minimal inclines today – it was a manageable and pleasant walk with perfect weather. While we had all the walking gear on, we passed many casually dressed Sunday strollers – must have thought that I was a real weirdo with a walking pole – I’m just not taking any chances ever again! It was mostly single track walking so we took it in turns to be the ‘pacer’ in true Marathon fashion.

And literally 300 yards before the end, just when we imagined arriving back with spotless boots, we hit a muddy cow field – but still nothing in comparison to earlier days so hardly worth a grumble. Just short of 5 miles today – a walk in the park.

And now we are back in our lovely accommodation, enjoying tea and biscuits, and scanning the sectioned TV screen, trying to catch sight of those green Redway Runners’ T-shirts, as well as our friends in their Charity T-Shirts, crossing that famous finish line.

Congratulations everyone!

And back to yesterday: Saturday 20th April 2024

We checked out of our stunning accommodation in Abersoch (early) in order to drive to Pwllheli for the parkrun. The most stunning of parkruns but one of the hardest too as it’s running on soft sand and pebbles. We all found it hard and definitely zero chance of a PB. Rewarded ourselves with a full Welsh Breakfast afterwards, as you do.

*Pwllheli Beach – it doesn’t come more tranquil than this.*

*This is what we were running on though – tough going!*

Drove up to Anglesey and then on to Holyhead – spent a couple of hours relaxing on the beautiful beach at Trearddur Bay – you see it’s not all hard work – before checking into our new accommodation in Valley.

And the day before that: Friday 19th April 2024

While David did an admirable 18 mile coastal walk from Llanbedrog to Criccieth, Steve and I on the other hand had a leisurely morning and an indulgent lunch at The Sandbar restaurant on Abersoch beach. The weather was absolutely stunning, so much sunshine. We just had to finish the day off with a couple of beers at The Vaynol pub, watching the sun go down.

*Views from the Sandbar restaurant, Abersoch Beach*

*A cheeky couple of Friday night beers!*

So all in all the last few days have been wonderfully relaxed – with a little bit of running and walking thrown in. Now this feels like holiday.

The three Roses set off from Hell’s Mouth … the pole came too!

April 18, 2024 / Dee and Steve / 2 Comments

18th April 2024

Hell’s Mouth (Porth Neigwl) to Abersoch

So I jumped back in today and joined Steve on the coastal path – the final bit we needed to do on the Llyn Peninsula – hoping beyond hope that I’d made the right decision. That is the trickiness though – you just don’t know until you get there. And we were joined for the majority of it by our buddy, David Rose. This meant we could park David’s car in the Hell’s Mouth car park and be able to use ours when we returned to Abersoch where we’re staying. With the sun shining and blue skies we keenly set off in our walking shorts, ready for the adventure ahead.

I can safely report that it wasn’t disappointing, in fact it was the BEST day of coastal walking I’ve done in such a long time. It completely restored my faith … and my confidence. This time I remembered to bring my walking pole so for the odd bits of mud and downhill slopes we encountered it made such a difference. On the whole though, the ground was so much drier, hardly a slip hazard in sight – bliss.

*Sometimes previous walkers leave us with a little help ….*

The route was a series of stunning beaches, views a-plenty. Some significant climbs it has to be said and a small amount of narrow paths on cliff edge but as long as it’s not slippery I can cope with that. And the two men were always there to give me a hand! There were large parts where we could walk three abreast and chat about life and politics … oh, and about animal poo!!

We stopped about half way for our picnic lunch – David is having a good influence on Steve in terms of stopping for sustenance. We spotted a great bench that was clearly for someone who had long legs … David and I just had to dangle ours! We were joined by several sheep and lambs who seemed fascinated by our egg sandwiches and made us feel guilty with their piercing stares. When Steve dropped a piece of banana there was practically an avalanche of them. Who would have thought? And as we walked away a couple of them followed us – clearly getting bored with their diet of grass.

As I walked today, I was reflecting on a little book I’m reading, given to be my lovely chum Anne – it’s entitled ‘Mindful thoughts for Walkers.’ I was following their advice about being mindful, getting into a rhythm and breathing, listening to sounds, being aware of the smells, just appreciating the nature around us and being present. So therapeutic. It’s a great little book based on Buddhist philosophy.

About a mile out of Absersoch we parted company with David as he was walking on to Llanbedrog (we had already covered that section). Steve and I walked the last bit along the beach which is always a beautiful way to finish.

And rounded it all off with coffee and yummy cake back in the village before setting off in our car to collect David and return him to his parked car. Eventually we all end up back in our accommodation, now showered and revived … the men are snoozing while I reflect on the day for our blog.

I can wholeheartedly say that today’s walk was “FAB-U-LOUS” – 8.5 miles of loveliness. I think that’s me back in … for now!

Spectacular Aberdaron to Porth Colmon

April 16, 2024April 16, 2024 / Dee and Steve / Leave a comment

Another day on the coast path and a complete change of weather, with lots of the mud drying and easier conditions underfoot. Still a small matter of hills and a mighty wind to contend with but the incredible sea views, coves and beaches more than made up for this!

Today was just ‘Billy no mates’ venturing out as Dee had quite rightly decided not to partake because of the aforementioned mudfest that we had seen the day before. The plan for today’s route of 15 miles, included a small section of path actually on the beach, with high tides expected a path closure across the beach was probably for the best!

Lots of good things to report today, in no particular order:-

Plenty of coastal path signs, lots of downhills (of course lots of uphills as well), awesome views, a few other walkers on the path, amazing weather albeit a tad windy (cobwebs defo blown away) and top of the list was Dee being able to track the walk on Garmin, enabling her to co-ordinate meeting me at the end with sandwiches, cakes and drinks!

Can you spot the coastal path … it goes either up and down (generally) or occasionally round all these lovely inclines!

Always a memorial along the path and today’s two feature ‘The view for Leo” being just a sign, so I assume Leo stood here rather than sitting. This was made up for though a little later when a white painted bench came into sight but there was no plaque?

Most of the focus on pictures today revolves around sea views, a feature of coastal path walking is getting so many photo opportunities. All of these are taken with my phone, as I’d made the decision to travel light today which seemed a good decision as apparently there are Banjo’s locally?

Two more days of walking on The Llyn Peninsula before we move onto Holyhead next week for more walking exploits!

A heartwarming reunion

February 20, 2024 / Dee and Steve / Leave a comment

Monday 19th February 2024

Watchet to Minehead – 8 miles

*Today was so special meeting up with these lovely people. Our walk was taking us through Blue Anchor Bay* – in July 2017 we stayed there, at the Langbury Hotel for a couple of nights, before nervously starting off on our retirement project of walking the UK Coastline. Nigel and Paula were our wonderful hosts. So we couldn’t just walk by without seeing if they were still there and letting them know that we were still rambling. Imagine our surprise when they greeted us so warmly, remembering who we were as they’d been following our adventures through the blog. That is why I say ‘heartwarming’ in the title because it warmed our hearts that they had done that. We had a fabulous hour exchanging our stories – Nigel and Paula too are great travellers and wildlife photographers. https://www.langbury.co.uk/ *They now run their stunning residence as self-catering accommodation – if you’re down this way, we would highly recommend.*

The day started off with the most wonderful breakfast, served up by Keith, the owner of this fabulous hotel we’re staying in – http://the-georgian-house.somersethotels24.com/en/ Watchet is great, the hotel is great – life is good.

*The sumptuous dining room where we enjoy breakfast.*

We’d been pre-informed that there was a diversion off the Coastal Path as you leave Watchet – we just needed to follow the yellow signs. This was really helpful although we still got a little lost … we diverted off the diversion somehow!! But once we were back on it again the path was fairly straightforward, largely walking through woodland but with coastal views too. A fair amount of uphill, a fair amount of mud and water and this meant a fair amount of slippery downhill slopes – I took it very slow, I mean literally inching my way down, I must have looked ridiculous!!

*An excellent bar we’ve found in Watchet*

*There are lots of these little men around in Watchet – possibly connected to the Arty community here and the town’s history of tin mining*

*Nothing like walking through muddy puddles – wet feet again!!*

Half way along the route we reached Blue Anchor Bay – a place that holds fond memories for us and where we enjoyed our meet up with Nigel and Paula.

And then on to Minehead via Dunster Beach. A gloriously flat walk, quite a lot of water around but plenty of chances to divert and stay dry. The white peaks of Butlins loomed ahead as we entered the town but if felt good to be walking along the promenade again. It was amazing looking up at the hill where our walking first started – how it didn’t put us off I’ll never know.

I guess we should have saved this bit to the very end but it’s just seemed silly not to do it while we were down this way. We reckon we have ‘rambled’ 2/3 of England and Wales now – we still have bits and pieces to do here and there. Scotland is probably out of the question now – we may do that in a different style of transport.

*Looking back on our very first climb!!*

*The very start of the South West Coastal Path – on Minehead promenade.*

But today’s meet up with Nigel and Paula summed up the beauty of creating memories – we all said what fabulously interesting people we had met on our journeys and how they had enriched our lives … and there’s always room for more.

And this is a link to the blog where our rambling days started:

https://wordpress.com/post/deestevetravels.blog/71

A Valentine’s Day to remember

February 15, 2024 / Dee and Steve / Leave a comment

Wednesday 14th February 2024

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.

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.

A wet walk away from Weston-super-Mare

February 13, 2024February 15, 2024 / Dee and Steve / Leave a comment

Tuesday 13th February 2024

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!

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.

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.

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!

The rambling roses

Come along with us on our journeys :)

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