On the Level and Up

345 miles, 23 days walking, from Cape Cornwall to Painswick in Gloucestershire. From Wellington to Bath, I followed the River Tone through Taunton and then onto the Somerset Levels. I was helped by Richard guiding along less walked paths, sometimes hard to find. We stayed at Stoke St Gregory with John and Annie and then crossed the heart of the Levels to reach the hostel at Street - the original home of Clarks shoes. An evening with 'end to end' cyclists, stoking up for their big ride ahead. Then, a day rich in family history. I climbed my father's favourite, Wearyall Hill, continued through the market square at Wells, where my grandfather had his tailor's shop, and then climbed through Ebor Gorge, a favourite haunt of my parents. I camped on the Mendips and then walked an epic 27.5 miles to Bath - over 12 hours of walking, paths hard to find and an exhausted 11pm arrival. After a good night's sleep, it was great to meet up with Mike Muller, who joined me for the leg to Cheltenham. We've had four pleasant, steady days, walking on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment - enjoying beech woods in spring, carpets of bluebells and wild garlic, views of the Severn, and chat from school days to today. It was great, too, to have Mike Maguire joining from Wooton to Stonehouse. An old friend, and a new one. We're at Painswick tonight, staying at the pub across the road from the churchyard and it's 99 yew trees. Tommorrow, we're on to Cheltenham, hopefully with Mum joining us at Crickley Hill - and it will be a big hug for Jane, after 4 weeks!