Ostensibly because I’m going on a long walk and, unlike my other walks, I will be going alone.
This walk is going to the 3rd in a series that started with the Capital Ring and then included The London Loop. These walks were chosen primarily because they pass through Teddington – The home of Phil & Gill, who are the two people NOT doing this next walk – of course there will be lots of people NOT doing the next walk, it’s just that Phil & Gill did the previous walks. There have been other walks, The South Downs Way (Eastbourne to Winchester), The Three Castles Path (Winchester to Windsor) and the Coast to Coast Walk (St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay) all of which have been extensively documented and often blogged about – Annieraks is one blog that is particularly comprehensive (more walks than you can imagine) and includes a measure of self-deprecation that I (as a northerner) find comforting. My real inspiration for starting this blog (I have started others) is my friend Jos and her blog Moscow on the line which is all about the joy of discovery.
I say ostensibly because – well, who knows what a journey is about before it starts – or even when it’s ended. My mind may wander off now and again, and if it does, then I will try and retrace my steps using this blog as a guide.
I say I’m going on a long walk but in actual fact I’m only thinking about it. I found a book called ‘A Guide to the London Countryway’ by Keith Chesterton. This guidebook describes a ‘new’ (in 1978) long-distance path that circumnavigates London crossing the river Thames at Windsor (which is handy for me) and Tilbury. The 205 mile walk can be completed in 14 days which in my case will actually be 14 weeks (one day a week) I don’t think that I need to describe the route in great detail because, thankfully, desdemoor has already done an excellent job of this – however he didn’t describe the complete route, and since 2010 has put all his enthusiasm into Beer.
Also, I’ve just discovered Midges, Maps and Muesli
The Ultimate Circular Walk
Which makes a walk around London seem simple.
Start@TheEnd 