After Wales
As I came to the end of my cross-Wales walk,
I knew I would need something similar. So the cross-England project followed on.
Same rules, same idea: mix together established trails with new but logical routes across country,
and traverse a nation, a few days a year.
I started age 55, and the aim is to get to England's far north before my state pension hits in at age 65.
Start and finish
Start was a choice of two - the traditional Land's End (which is the most south-westerly point,
pictured) or the most southerly point, the Lizard.
I went for the former, because (a) everyone does (b) the SW Coast Path gives an obvious northbound kick.
I don't really regret it, but it might have been interesting to start from the Lizard because
(a) nobody does (b) crossing the Cornish peninsula would have been a change from the coast.
The end will be the Scottish border, on the coast, north of Berwick-on-Tweed, England's most
northerly (and north-easterly) point.
Route summary
Very straightforward start. From Land's End, keep sea on left following the
South West Coast Path, turn right at Tintagel.
From there I crossed Bodmin Moor at its highest point, Brown Willy, and picked up the Two Castles Trail from Launceston
before crossing Dartmoor at its highest point, High Willhays.
Having now traversed mid-Devon and the Blackdown Hills, I am currently at Taunton in Somerset.
Objectives
The idea is to always know next year's stage so I don't end up somewhere hopeless for onward paths;
in 2010, I'll be heading through the Somerset Levels and over the Mendips to Bath.
After that, I'll pick up the Cotswold Way.
Not sure how to get across the Midlands yet - might use urban canals rather than countryside -
but am thinking about taking the Limestone Way in the southern Peak District.
I've done the Pennine Way apart from its final section, so don't need to use that route north;
I'm keen to see the rarely-walked fells around Mallerstang, and might head through upper Teesdale into Allendale,
before finally finishing the Pennine Way by picking up its Cheviot stage,
the only part of it I have not yet done.
Coastal finale to join up with the cross-Scotland route.
Transport
To reach Land's End, train to Penzance
(I used the sleeper, pictured)
then bus. St Agnes has buses to Truro, Tintagel can be reached from Exeter or Bodmin stations,
and the 2008 walk interacted with the
Western Greyhound bus service
from Camelford to Exeter. Taunton, and next year Bath, are major destinations and easy to reach from almost anywhere.
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