Hullo. How are you? I hope you are having a good day. I’m Mark and I’m walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats…
The day started with an easy walk through the fields of the Vale of Berkeley towards Purton, where I would join the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. It’s a truly impressive work of engineering, completed in 1827 after around 30 years of toil. At one point, this canal was the broadest and deepest in the world and enabled sea faring ships to sail all the way to the centre of Gloucester.
Being a canal walk means, of course, a flat, easy stroll. A jolly nice way to spend the day. But first, I was on a mission to find somewhere to have breakfast and came across a nice place at Shepherd’s Patch.
It is often the case on longer walk days that I have to leave the hotel before they begin serving breakfast, but this means I’ve discovered some delicious little places along the way.
The keen eyed amongst you will have noticed around half of my walks to date have been, like today, 18 miles or more. I don’t think this is a particularly good game plan for LEJOG, but had just one date fixed in the diary that I could not miss, which requires me to be in Gloucester tonight and I am very excited about, so needs must!
I will then settle in a rhythm of averaging 15 miles a day and will avoid any more 20+ miles days if at all possible.
At Frampton, I wandered off the canal for a little while to explore the beautiful little village and chatted to some locals.
To the north of the village, the canal widens into docks and a marina, giving a real sense of its history and purpose.
All along the water’s edge, whenever it was close enough to a road and car park, fishermen were hunched in quiet concentration. I wondered for a moment why all these people were here on a week day morning, thinking they should surely be at work before awaking to the irony of me walking along for months on end.
Lots of people live on the canal in narrow boats, forming a happy linear community along the banks, with many residents tending to the verges as their own little gardens. I’m sure there are plenty of challenges to living on a boat, but surely none greater than choosing a name for your vessel, which has to be original and punny.
The canal runs through Gloucester to its very heart, which means the walk begins to take on a more urban and industrial feel – though the industry is long gone and the docks and warehouses are now swanky bars, cafes and bohemian shops.
I reached my planned end point for the day, but decided to carry on a little to visit the glorious Gloucester Cathedral, which was a perfect way to end the day.
The Day 18 Vlog
Fundraising for MacMillan Cancer Support
As I walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats, I am hoping to raise £10,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support, who do such a wonderful job of supporting families through the most difficult times. If you are able to spare any amount and would like to donate to MacMillan, please do so through my Just Giving Page.
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