Accomplished

The same boots being dipped in the sea, firstly on the north Scottish coast 1 May, then in the English Channel on 29 July, with 1129 miles (1807 km) of walking in between.  Complete with a sense of accomplishment on undertaking significant personal challenge over those three months: drawing on my last blog entry, there's plenty to be thankful for during my pilgrimage between the NW and SE corners of Britain, which has taken me alongside lochs and mountains, through dales and fields, along many a road and footpath, through rural and urban landscapes alike.

Final steps

After a couple of days with plenty of roadside walking, the final couple from Faversham to Canterbury, then to Dover, were largely off road, mostly woodland on Thursday, but back into crop fields on Friday on another warm day.

Ruth, one of the group of friends and colleagues I trained with at Sarum College, joined me for both days of walking, so there was plenty of conversation en route, time to reflect on the end of my journey and start to think about the next few weeks as I take some leave and then resume my day-to-day responsibilities at the end of August.  Amidst the gathering of Anglican bishops from around the world for the Lambeth Conference, we managed to end Thursday with Evening Prayer in Canterbury Cathedral.

All of Friday's route was on the North Downs Way, which cuts across the South East of England, starting in Farnham in Surrey.  West of Canterbury, it includes the Pilgrim’s Way, but the final section between Canterbury and Dover is also the beginning of a longer pilgrimage route, the Via Francigena - Road to Rome, so no surprise that the way-marking was very good throughout with little need to consult the map, not least when Stephen (who lives in Dover) joined us for the last few miles to lead into Dover and share some of his historical knowledge.

I'd originally planned to finish at the landmark of Dover Castle, but the thought of walking up a steep hill at the end of 20 or so miles in the heat seemed a bit daft!  

So to the harbour, and the small pebble covered beach to finish the walk, dip my boots and then have a paddle to cool off my feet.

Time to stop, give thanks to God for all the safe journeying and enjoy the moment.

A moment to pause

Just two days of walking before, God-willing, I reach Dover and the destination for my sabbatical pilgrimage.  I'm currently in Faversham, awaiting a friend who is going to walk with me to the end, so I've had a time to read back through my personal journal of the past three months as I've travelled the length of Britain.  More on that later.

Return to Watling Street

Thankful once more for the overnight hospitality of a Methodist Church colleague, I headed east from Rochester, soon re-joining the A2 along Watling Street which I followed all day yesterday en route to Faversham.  There wasn't an obvious alternative on the back roads, but there was a good pavement or cycle lane all the way.

Rochester and the neighbouring Medway Towns of Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham all merge into one, with only a short gap between them and Sittingbourne, after St Margaret's Church where I met one of the members of clergy and had time to chat and pray together.

Throughout each of the Medway Towns, maritime influences are still apparent, for example in many road names and buildings, including these almshouses in Chatham and dating back to Elizabethan times.  They were built by Sir John Hawkins, a notable naval commander of the period with links to the early period of the Atlantic Slave Trade, and cousin and mentor to Sir Francis Drake.

More locally based sea-faring is also remembered by this statue of a Thames bargeman which I sat next to whilst eating my lunch in Sittingbourne.

The afternoon's surroundings were in sharp contrast to the morning, quickly becoming more rural and echoing Kent's title as the Garden of England.  Plenty of grain crops, alongside plenty of fruit and the hops for which Kent is equally well-known.

Shortly before reaching Faversham, a short diversion from the road led me to the ruins of an ancient stone built church, the nave of which has origins as a 4th century Roman mauseleum with additions in Saxon and medieval times.  The chancel with its stone altar is certainly visible in what remains of the building.

Counting blessings

Looking back at the first few blog entries and  through my private journal, there's a sense of settling into the routine of walking each day, and establishing a rhythm for what has been a refreshing period of time for me.  In the next few days, I'm going to have to adapt once again, firstly to the different rhythms of life at home, then as I resume my day-to-day responsibilities of ministry once again towards the end of August and into September.

I'm hoping that conversations with a trusted friend and colleague over the next couple of days will support me as I begin that transition 'out of sabbatical' but before those begin, here are a number of things for which I am thankful.  Many have already been included in the blog before, but I feel there's benefit in bringing them together:

- sustained physical health as Ive walked

- a renewed sense of well-being

- times of solitude

- soaking up many amazing landscapes and views

- encounters and conversations with friends and strangers alike

- prayers of others; online 'likes,'  'kudos,' and other reactions

- practical support, including the loan of maps, the online tracker, items of kit, advice

- those who have walked with me

- all who have welcomed me into their homes en route 

- my sabbatical support group

- those covering my day-to-day responsibilities of ministry

- those who have supported Sandy and our immediate family members in any number of ways whilst I have been away 

- those family members themselves who've allowed me the time and space away from home

- God's presence along the way

A prayer

Lord of all places, people and time, I raise myself in praise to you this day, offering thanks for the blessings of this journey through Britain.

In moments where I have stumbled, you have picked me up and restored; in moments of doubt, you have reassured; in moments of awe and wonder, you have been present and shown me more.

Please continue to direct my onward steps, wherever they lead.

In the name of Jesus, my continuing guide, amen.

Into Kent

A week ago my main concern was walking in the record-breaking daytime temperatures across the UK, not least SE England where I'm now heading towards the last few days of my sabbatical pilgrimage.  Temperatures have certainly dropped over recent days and have been accompanied by cooler breezes most of the time, making for good walking conditions.

Déjà vu?

Following our walk across Central London, my daughter Jasmine and I enjoyed our evening together.  Our Monday mornings were somewhat different, Jasmine spending time preparing to move back to Bristol in the near future, mine  heading off out of London into Kent, and to Dartford.

Not unlike the walk into London at the start of the weekend, there was plenty of green space around  as I walked on aptly-named Green Chain Walk, described as a 'South London gem hidden in plain sight.'  Away from busier roads, it crosses several areas of woodland and common land, including Shooters Hill which provided a good view out of London and towards the North Downs.

At 432 feet high, Shooters Hill is one of the highest points in Greater London, its name probably derives from use for archery practice, although possibly a link with high­waymen.  Hidden in the adjacent woodland, I came across Severndroog Castle, a folly built as a memorial to (Admiral) Sir William James by his wife Lady Anne James to mark the capturing of the island fortress of Suvarnadurg on the west coast of India.

Having enjoyed the green spaces for a while, the last couple of miles in London were spent wending my way through the suburbs of Eltham, Bexley and Crayford, passing Hall Place which dates back to Tudor times with its formal garden still looking well despite the spell of dry weather.

Having crossed into Kent, my first call was to collect my final batch of maps from my intended overnight stop in the western edge of Dartford.  I wasn't able to stay because my host currently has COVID, so after a (distanced) catch up, i carried on into town before returning to Greenwich for the night by train.

Alongside the A2

Much of Tuesday's walk followed the Kent section of Watling Street, thought to have been used by Celts as a route between today's Canterbury and St Alban's, later paved by the Romans.  Its route eventually extended from the port of Deal in east Kent coast, across London, eventually reaching Wroxeter in Shropshire.

The route of Watling Street forms the route for much of the A2 London to Dover trunk road, equally the two sections of the National Cycle Network which I followed towards Rochester.  Not a particularly quiet morning's walk ...

Rochester's Roman name, Durobrivae, means 'walled town with bridges,' which still fits the bill although any Roman remains are long gone.  Having arrived around lunchtime, I enjoyed wandering around for some while, and visiting the cathedral, parts of which date back to the 7th century.  I'm not sure about the age of the Pilgrim's Steps which recognise the many who have journeyed to Rochester and beyond, but they are certainly well-worn, not unlike the soles of my boots.

Across the capital

 A cooler start

After a the stretch of warmer days and nights, Friday morning dawned a little cooler, and walking conditions were more reasonable as I headed south from Potters Bar, towards the M25.  A former colleague from John Lewis joined me as I walked under the motorway, heading towards Barnet where we found a monument to the Battle of Barnet, a decisive moment in the claims for the English throne during the Wars of the Roses in the late 15th century.  

Not long after, the familiar sound of a tube train rattling into the terminus of the Northern Line could be heard in the distance, marking the beginning of the Greater London area which has been the backdrop for the last three days of walking.  

Nonetheless, there was still quite a lot of green space around on Friday as Sue and I walked along some of the footpaths of the London Loop (London Outer Orbital Path) and Dollis Hill Greenwalk, so only the last hour of my walk to Muswell Hill (my overnight stop) was in a built up area.  Having lived in SW London between 1987-94, North London is somewhat unknown beyond the names on the tube map, so there was still a sense of exploration as views over the City of London opened up.

The friends who hosted me on Friday had arranged tickets to see Rob Bell on his tour, 'Everything is Spiritual.'  Having had lots of nights with just my own company or with smaller family groups over the past three months, it was a bit of a shock to the system to be out in the metropolis, returning home well after recent bedtimes!  Whether it was that or the somewhat cooler night, I slept very well and even enjoyed a lie-in of sorts.  The manse cat having spied on my every move as I packed up, Central London beckoned.

My walk continued through London suburbs not really known well to me, but passed the clock tower in Crouch End, built as the village was growing and being subsumed into the wider London conurbation during late Victorian times - follow the link to see more on what is described as its 'friendly chunkiness' !

Another hour or so's walking brought me towards the northern fringes of the City of London itself, and Wesley's Chapel, built in 1778 in a style typical of the Georgian period by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.  The building houses a museum telling the history of the Methodist movement, but is equally home to an active Christian community with members drawn from across the world, serving the local area as well as the many visitors who come each year to visit the mother church of world Methodism - including me (I have been before).  Having settled in and caught up with my colleague, the roof of the manse proved to be a good spot to catch the afternoon breeze and relax:

Underwater walking

Once I'd been to morning worship in the chapel, my eldest daughter Jasmine joined me at lunch time today (Sunday) for a walk across the city, along the Thames Path (using the northern shore) and to Greenwich where Jasmine has been studying over the past year.  It was nice to share one another's company, catch up as we walked alongside the river, and for a short time underneath it (in the Greenwich Foot Tunnel) so I will simply leave you with some photographs of some places en route - some perhaps well known, and one with a connection to Bristol through Brunel, whose ship 'The Great Eastern' was built and launched from a spot on our route.

 

 

I never imagined...

...I'd need to spend some time walking in the dark during my trip.  With afternoon temperatures forecast to reach between 35-40°C during Tuesday, I wanted to be at my destination by noon, which meant starting around 4am, about an hour before sunrise.  Big thanks to my host in Bedford, Chris, who got up to make sure that I was suitably fed before I set off.

Crossing Bedford in the cool air before dawn was quite a treat, passing the statute of John Bunyan in the town centre, where there was enough light for a photo.  Bunyan was born on the south side of Bedford, and took part in the Civil War,  before becoming famous as a Dissenting preacher, helping bring about greater religious freedom in England.

Not long after passing Bunyan's statue, I was treated to a beautiful sunrise captured firstly looking from the River Ouse, then through some trees a little while later, certainly worth the early start!

Once south of Bedford, I turned onto farm tracks once more, as I did then realised that I had left my walking poles behind... having covered well over 4 miles from the start by that point, it was certainly too late to double back for them (thanks to Chris for subsequently dropping by with them).  In common with the preceding days, much of the walk meandered through crop fields, punctuated by small farming hamlets, with just two bigger settlements en route.

The town of Shefford was the first of these, where I was joined by a colleague from the Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District of the Methodist Church.  Angela had hoped to walk with me for a while, but with the change of plans due to the heat, she was only able to catch up with me for a while, nonetheless brought much appreciated iced water bottles.

Once Angela had turned back around nine o'clock, the conditions were noticeably hotter, with the breeze proving to be quite dry and warm.  Plenty of water to drink, alongside a wet neck towel made things bearable and I reached Hitchin by late morning, stopping for a welcome large iced drink before carrying on to Little Wymondley where I stayed for two nights with friends - after the early start, the day off was much needed.

Fire damage

My route on Thursday felt very similar, once again taking the back roads and farm tracks, this time to the west of the new towns of Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City before crossing the A1(M) trunk road into Hatfield, threading my way through the outskirts to Welham Green (my wife's first home) and along a footpath by the railway which took me through to Potters Bar, my destination for the day.

Just west of Knebworth, I came across the damage caused by a large field fire on Tuesday, for which a fire service crew was still on scene a couple of days after the incident itself.  My photos don't really do justice to the scale of the area involved, but hopefully you get the idea.

Under a hundred miles to go 

All being well, I'll cross Greater London over the weekend, then into Kent for the final few days of my pilgrimage.  With eight days to go, it seems a long time since I was recovering from a day walking into the wind and rain towards Poolewe in the NW Highlands, the eighth day from the start, and somewhat different temperatures.

More of the same ?

In common with the end of last week, much of the weekend and today has crossed farmland, ripening crops and some harvesting operations. Given the current spell of hotter weather, it's perhaps no surprise that I've seen more haymaking alongside harvesting of over-wintered crops.

First thing on Saturday, cutting of another kind was the order of the day as I treated myself to a haircut whilst waiting in the centre of Uppingham for friends Jane and Ginny to join me for the morning.   

Once they'd arrived, we walked south, mostly on the Jurassic Way, a long distance footpath between Banbury in Oxfordshire and Stamford in Lincolnshire, laying over rocks from the Jurassic age, producing the gently undulating landscape I've experienced over the past few days.

We stopped for lunch next to Rockingham Castle, finding some shade on the steps of the church whilst we ate.  The castle itself dates from the time of William the Conqueror, who set about building a large number of similar stone castles, with Rockingham becoming a base for administration and hunting.

After lunch, I covered the couple of miles to Corby, skirting the town to the west thanks to a path around the edge of a large housing estate. Unfortunately the route onwards to Kettering wasn't quite so simple and I spent a while trying to find the path which would lead me into the north of the town.  With the temperature rising, I was a bit disappointed to see an ice cream van driving away from a community fete that I passed (I did eventually find ice cream for sale in the town centre).  In common with neighbouring towns, Kettering was well-known for the boot and shoe industry, although that has now largely declined.

After a night hosted by a Methodist Church colleague, Sunday's walk continued southwards, crossing more farmland towards Wellingborough.  Although I had a shorter distance to cover in the day, I passed one of the five wells which led to its name, adjacent to the cycle route I was following in from the north of the town:

After a quick stop for a coffee, I passed the museum, hosting a fleet of vintage buses for the day, including these two (I planned to capture all five on show, but the free rides round the town centre were very popular)

The final highlight of the day was a few miles walking alongside the River Nene, which took me most of the final stretch of the day to Bozeat, once again to be recipient of generous hospitality, provided by friends of my Mum.  If you'd like to experience a bit more of the Nene than my picture, take a look at the following YouTube channel which has some recent videos of the inland waterways around this area https://youtube.com/c/MinimalList 

Handling the heat

I'm now right in the region of the UK that's got the current spell of hotter weather, so have been thinking through how best to deal with that.  I'd planned for a shorter distance today (Monday) and was able to set off not long after six o'clock, arriving in Bedford in the late morning before it got too hot.

I'm intending to be up and away before dawn tomorrow, again planning to stop before lunchtime.  Plenty of water is in the fridge.