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 weather could not make up its mind this morning. One minute, heavy downpours, the next, sunny and dry. I left the hotel in driving rain, but was warm and dry under layers of Goretex as I walked north out of Worcester along the river.
Workmen were busy constructing a new stand at the racecourse. Their singing stayed with me for quite some distance!
About a mile along the Severn Way, the path was closed and a diversion route had been posted, which meant a steep but short climb away from the river and a short period of urban walking.
And then the clouds truly opened. I walked a couple of miles huddled under my hat and waterproofs, mostly with a view of my feet as I found my way back to the Severn and carried on through fields to Grimley and beyond, when the rain suddenly stopped and the sun made a tentative appearance.
At Holt, I popped into the local shop for a drink and had a chat with the proprietor about the pros and cons of backpack rain covers, which he was genuinely interested in. I love these kind of geeky discussions.
It was then a case of following the Severn Way some miles to Stourport. I was surprised at how many holiday parks I walked through along the way – with caravans elevated many feet into the air for those times when the river consumes all of the surrounding land. These parks often go hand-in-hand with a strip of mooring and the playfully named boats that invariably line them.
The Severn Way often strays from the river through fields and along the edges of cliffs, which gives nice variety to the walk. In many places, landslides had brought large parts of the cliffs crashing down and completely blocked the path with earth and fallen trees. Traversing these obstacles is tricky enough in normal circumstances, but when the ground is sodden and extremely slippy and one is carrying a heavy backpack that wants to continually surprise its courier by catching on a branch or suddenly changing the centre of gravity, it’s a whole other game. And a game is what it feels like – a bit like going a ‘Tough Mudder’ competition. But every day. For months.
It’s interesting to note the amount of work that goes into ensuring most paths are passable. There are clearly issues with the footpath network in England, but overall it’s extremely impressive that happy wanderers like me can get from A to B.
As I reached Stourport of Severn, it was time to leave the river Severn and join the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. It is because of this canal and its terminus at the river that Stourport exists – before the canal it was a tiny settlement, but once it became an important junction, the town quickly grew.
I like Stourport. It is full of interesting and handsome streets and buildings. And, if today is any good evaluation, it is also full of happy and welcoming locals.
The remainder of the walk was an easy and relaxing ramble along the canal directly to the heart of Kidderminster. It was a very nice way to end the day.
The Day 21 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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