John O'Groats to Land's End - Day 044 - Penkridge to Ironbridge

Day: 044

Date: Thursday, 14 July 2022

Start:  Penkridge

Finish:  Ironbridge

Daily Kilometres:  36

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1251

Weather:  Cool to warm, breezy at times and partly sunny.

Accommodation:  Hotel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Egg mayonnaise sandwiches

  Lunch:  Tuna mayonnaise sandwich/Chcken Tikka mayonnaise sandwich

  Dinner:  Fish & chips/Kebab, salad & chips, icecream.

Aches:  Dave - a few niggles.  Julie - nothing to report.

Highlight:  We passed some beautiful fields of flowers today along with plenty of wildflowers.

Lowlight:  Not a big deal, but at one point we found ourselves on the wrong side of a hedgerow while trying to follow a field path and had to crash through brambles and nettles to get to the right place.  Ouch!

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

Knowing we had a fairly long day, we rose early and, after buying supplies at a convenience store, left Penkridge around 6:00am (having passed up another included hotel breakfast).  It was cool and the backroads and lanes were quiet as we headed westward with the sun rising behind us.  Our packs felt a little lighter since yesterday we mailed back items we will no longer need to a friend in London, from whom we will pick them up before flying back to Australia.  Mostly it was warmer clothing, but we also sent our emergency bivvy sacks now that we have booked all of our accommodation through to Land’s End.  Hope neither of us gets injured or sick!

Our morning route followed a series of roads and a few field paths through low rolling rural country, much of it devoted to grain crops, some of which our path directly crossed.  We always feel like trespassers when wading through crops like this, but we are on official public footpaths and generally there is a narrow trail to follow.  We also had a few encounters with electric fences today, both getting unexpected mild shocks, but no damage done.

We stopped around 9:00am and ate breakfast on a picnic table next to a village hall in the sun.  Very pleasant.  The rest of the morning’s travels also involved backroads and field paths, but also some shady old forests.  A highlight (see above) was the fields of flowers we passed by.

Later we found another good spot, this time for lunch, on a bench by a path near a village, though a cool wind blew making both of us add some clothing layers.  However, we soon warmed up once we started walking again and the sun reappeared.

The last part of the day took us through some more lovely old forest and then down to Ironbridge Gorge at the upper reaches of the Severn River and the old industrial villages of Coalport and Ironbridge.  There were reminders of the Industrial Revolution in terms of the old factories, the Hay Inclined Plane (a set of steep railroad tracks used to raise/lower floating loads 63 metres between the Severn River and the Shropshire Canal), and the Iron Bridge, a cast iron bridge, the first of its kind, opened in 1781 and still in use.  All very touristy now (more ice-cream shops than Terrigal!), but great to see so much history being preserved and/or carefully re-purposed.

We reached our hotel in Ironbridge at 3:30pm and checked in, having had yet another good day.

John O'Groats to Land's End - Day 043 - Penkridge

Day: 043

Date: Wednesday, 13 July 2022

Start:  Penkridge

Finish:  Penkridge

Daily Kilometres:  0

GPX Track:  Click here and here for Julie’s Strava & Photos from her run and walk today.

Total Kilometres:  1215

Weather:  Mild, sunny and breezy

Accommodation:  Hotel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Full English breakfast

  Lunch:  Ham & salad roll/Chicken & salad roll

  Dinner:  Cottage pie, peas & chips/Steak melt, salad & chips, sticky toffee pudding & custard/Apple crumble & custard.

Aches:  Nothing to report

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: No pictures today.

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

A very quiet day off, which Dave spent tapping away on his computer, and Julie used to go for a morning run and afternoon walk.  We did have a quiet birthday dinner for Julie in the pub where we are staying (no other diners!), but not much excitement apart from that.

John O'Groats to Land's End - Day 042 - Uttoxeter to Penkridge

Day: 042

Date: Tuesday, 12 July 2022

Start:  Uttoxeter

Finish:  Penkridge

Daily Kilometres:  34

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1215

Weather:  Warm and overcast all day

Accommodation:  Hotel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pastries

  Lunch:  Ham & egg sandwich/Bacon, egg & mayonnaise sandwich.

  Dinner:  Kebab & chips, icecream

Aches:  Dave - a few niggles.  Julie - nothing to report

Highlight:  In the early afternoon we followed the Staffordshire Way across Cannock Chase, a huge park-like nature reserve.  There were fern-covered hills, woodlands, streams and paths everywhere and not that many people.  It felt distant from civilisation but sits amidst one of the most populated parts of England. 

Lowlight:  To get out of Uttoxeter, we had to walk a few kilometres along a narrow winding road with virtually no verge, busy with commuter traffic, and bordered by high hedgerows reducing visibility.  It wasn’t much fun.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We left our Uttoxeter hotel soon after 7:00am, stopping in at a supermarket just after it opened on our way out of town to get breakfast supplies.  It was overcast, but already warm, as we followed a main road out of town.  For a while we had a footpath, but when that ended we had to negotiate a busy narrow road, frequently pressing ourselves into the bordering hedgerow to avoid vehicles (see above).

We were much happier when we turned off onto a minor road and, when peak hour had passed, we saw very little traffic for the rest of the morning.  We did have some excitement when two large farm dogs came flying and snarling out of a farm entrance to greet us, but after much shouting from us, and the farmer and his wife, they eventually let us pass.

We left the minor roads behind in mid-morning and spent an hour or two, punctuated by a breakfast break under a tree, following a bridleway through the pretty rolling rural countryside and across mown fields.

In late morning, we passed through the village of Great Haywood where we bought lunch supplies from the village store before joining a scenic canal to walk the towpath for a few kilometres until we joined our guidebook route and the Staffordshire Way which we were to follow for the rest of the day.

From the canal we gently climbed into the beautiful Cannock Chase (see above) where, around 1:30pm, we found an isolated picnic table and stopped for a pleasant lunch.  After more Cannock Chase trails, we emerged on the western side of the park and after some more backroads, fields and canal towpath, we reached Penkridge and our hotel around 4:30pm.

The day was perhaps easier, and certainly more scenically interesting, than we had anticipated, which was a good thing.  We have a day off tomorrow, which totally coincidentally (really) happens to be Julie’s birthday.

John O'Groats to Land's End - Day 041 - Ashbourne to Uttoxeter

Day: 041

Date: Monday, 11 July 2022

Start:  Ashbourne

Finish:  Uttoxeter

Daily Kilometres:  21

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1181

Weather:  Warm and sunny

Accommodation:  Hotel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pastries

  Lunch:  Tuna & sweetcorn sandwich/Coronation chicken sandwich

  Dinner:  Pizza. icecream

Aches:  Dave - a few niggles.  Julie - nothing.

Highlight:  We found a great spot for our breakfast stop in the morning in a peaceful shady little woodland along a rarely used path.  It was tempting to spend the day there.

Lowlight:  Wasting 30 minutes trying to find an invisible path across fields after lunch.  Our GPS told us we were on the path, but there was no way to get through the hedgerows the path apparently crossed.  In the end, we gave up and followed a slightly longer route along country lanes.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We had a short day planned, as a consequence of limited accommodation options, so Julie had time to go for a run before we left our hotel soon after 8:00am.  We stopped at a supermarket on our way out of Ashbourne and bought supplies for the day, then followed a road out of town for a while before turning onto some field paths.

As usual, the paths were a mixed bag, sometimes clear and easy to follow and at other times overgrown with nettles and brambles.  We both ended up with a few cuts by the end of the day.  And, there were endless stiles of endless styles to climb over.  We are amazed at the ingenuity of some of the designers, but they are often high and sometimes a tight fit with a pack.

Around 9:30am, we found a great spot for breakfast in a little wood, then continued on across more fields for a while before joining a very quiet and shaded country lane which was pleasant walking on a warm morning.  Further on, other lanes we followed were more exposed but there was a light breeze to take the edge off the heat.

We found a shady spot under a tree by the road to have lunch after passing through the attractive old village of Marston, then wasted some time trying to pick up a field path (see above) before backtracking and following roads and a bike path into Uttoxeter and our hotel, arriving at 2:30pm.

Although our journey today was through pleasant rolling rural countryside, we have left the more spectacular Peak District and will now be crossing the English Midlands towards Wales where we will join the well-known Offa’s Dyke Path.  Until we get there, the walking paths will be fewer and harder to follow, so we will be improvising and often following lanes and back roads instead.

John O'Groats to Land's End - Day 040 - Bakewell to Ashbourne

Day: 040

Date: Sunday, 10 July 2022

Start:  Bakewell

Finish:  Ashbourne

Daily Kilometres:  38

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1160

Weather:  Mild to very warm and sunny all day.

Accommodation:  Hotel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Breakfast sandwiches

  Lunch:  Egg & ham sandwich/Ham, cheese & coleslaw sandwich

  Dinner:  Sweet & sour pork and rice

Aches:  Dave - a few niggles.  Julie - nil.

Highlight:  In mid-afternoon, when it was very warm, we came into the little hamlet of Milldale on the River Dove to find day-trippers sitting around eating ice-creams.  They pointed the way to a tiny shop and we bought an ice cream and ice cold Diet Coke and enjoyed them sitting by the river with our fellow tourists.

Lowlight:  The last hour dragged on at the end of a long warm day as we tried to follow little-used paths across freshly-mown fields wondering when we would ever get there.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We timed our departure from our AirBnB to pass through the centre of Bakewell soon after a small grocery opened (7:00am) and bought the supplies we needed for the day before climbing into the hills to the south of Bakewell on a day that was already warm.  By 8:00am, we were working up a good sweat as we crossed farmland and walked along country lanes.  In places, the paths were overgrown with nettles and brambles but, fortunately, those sections never lasted for too long, and there were also some pleasant wooded stretches, especially the shaded path that followed the crystal clear River Bradford after the village of Youlgreave..

We stopped for breakfast on a bench we found in the sun (mistake) around 10:00am and never really cooled down before setting off again on another gradual climb.  Mostly, it was still field paths and country lanes as we climbed up to the Tissington rail trail where we encountered a lot of competitors participating in a two-day ultra-running event based at Bakewell.

Our navigation app suggested that following the rail trail to Ashbourne, where we had a hotel room booked for tonight, would be the quickest and easiest route, but our guidebook said this would be a scenic mistake, so we followed the guidebook route.  It was a very wise choice as the trail followed a succession of long winding narrow limestone valleys, or dales, that were spectacular, if a little hard on the feet.  On either side were steep grassy slopes or limestone cliffs.  It was obviously a popular route and the further we went the busier the trail became.

After a while, the trail met the gently-flowing River Dove and followed it downstream through a lovely wooded dale.  We stopped for an unexpected, but very welcome, icecream and cold drink at Milldale (see above) then continued downstream on the scenic path.  The trail became even busier and, as we neared the Dovedale carpark, it became positively crowded, with many groups, of many different ethnicities, picnicking and having fun on the grassy banks of the river on a beautiful day.  In places, music was being played loudly and groups were dancing.

Our route turned away from the River Dove at the busiest point, the Stepping Stones, and suddenly we had the trail to ourselves again as we crossed fields to the hamlet of Thorpe.  From there, time seemed to drag as we followed endless hard-to-follow field paths towards Ashbourne, finishing up with a long climb, and finally reached our hotel at 6:00pm, very happy to finish.

John O'Groats to Land's End - Day 039 - Bakewell

Day: 039

Date: Saturday, 09 July 2022

Start:  Bakewell

Finish:  Bakewell

Daily Kilometres:  0

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos from her afternoon walk.

Total Kilometres:  1122

Weather:  Warm, breezy and sunny.

Accommodation:  AirBnB

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Quiches

  Lunch:  Ham, cheese & salad roll/Turkey & coleslaw roll

  Dinner:  Hamburger & chips, Bakewell Tart

Aches:  Nothing to report

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

One of the reasons we chose to have a day off in Bakewell was so that Julie could run the Monsal Trail parkrun, which was on at 9:00am this morning.  Our AirBnB is very close to the trail itself, which is along the route of a disused rail line, though about 1.5km from where the parkrun started, so we left about 8:15am and walked there on a breezy, sunny and mild morning.

Our lack of running training showed, and neither of us ran very fast, though Julie’s time was OK (25+ minutes) and Dave didn’t tear or break anything and wasn’t last in the field of 180, most of whom were apparently visitors to the area.

Post-run, we walked back to our accommodation, where the host had offered to do a load of washing for us, and while that happened we wandered into the very busy, touristy and attractive town of Bakewell.  We bought some late breakfast, Dave bought some more wool hiking socks, and we purchased some rolls for lunch and an actual Bakewell Tart for dessert tonight.

Back at our accommodation, Dave spent the afternoon booking accommodation and doing running club admin with Wimbledon on the TV in the background, while Julie went for a 5km walk in the sunshine.  Later she went back into town and bought takeaway for dinner.

It has been a nice and relaxed day off.

John O'Groats to Land's End - Day 038 - Strines to Bakewell

Day: 038

Date: Friday, 08 July 2022

Start:  Strines (after bus from Sheffield)

Finish:  Bakewell

Daily Kilometres:  28

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1122

Weather:  Mild to warm and mostly sunny with a cooling breeze.

Accommodation:  AirBnB

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Home-baked muffins (courtesy of Dave’s nephew, Harry)

  Lunch:  Cheese & pickle roll/Ham & cheese roll

  Dinner:  Fish & chips/Chicken nuggets & chips, chocolate trifle

Aches:  Dave - still a few niggles.  Julie - nothing.

Highlight:  The English summer has arrived!

Lowlight:  Not a big deal, but our bus back to the trail from Sheffield was running late (to the point we were wondering if it had been cancelled) then, when it did arrive, the driver accidentally overcharged us for our tickets (eventually sorted out), then, despite us pressing the button for our stop in the middle of nowhere, he didn’t stop until we started yelling, and we had an extra 700m to walk back up the busy road.  Despite all this he was a very affable and apologetic fellow.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were able to sleep in a little, given the first bus from Sheffield back to the trail didn’t leave until 8:05am.  Before it’s scheduled arrival time, we wandered up to the main street and bought some drinks for the morning and eventually caught the bus back to where we finished yesterday (see above).

It was a beautiful sunny morning, if a little hazy, and the early hiking involved a gentle climb across moorland to Stanage Edge, a long spectacular rocky escarpment with great views over the Derwent Valley and the villages below, and to the mountains beyond.  Although occasionally rocky, the walking was easy and enjoyable.  As the morning wore on, we met more people out enjoying the day - walking, running, mountain-biking and rock-climbing - and some students who were on their Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition and were keen to tell us about it..

After Stanage Edge, we dropped down to pass through the woodland of the National Trust’s Longshaw Estate where many people were picnicking and walking before climbing back for more escarpment - Froggatt Edge, Curbar Edge and Baslow Edge - where we were constantly tempted to stop, walk to the precipitous edge, and admire the views and take photos.

Eventually we dropped down again, this time to the village of Baslow, where we bought a late lunch and ate it on a pleasant little green in the middle of the village.

Our final seven kilometres took us through the vast parklike grounds of Chatsworth House and then past the huge and historic stately house itself (mentioned in “Pride & Prejudice”) before we climbed over our last hill of the day and descended to our accommodation in Bakewell where we checked in just before 5:00pm, very much looking forward to a day off tomorrow.