Westward Ho! - Instow Bad thing about today: couldn't stick out my tongue for a drink. Good thing about today: sunshine! Okay, so I know I went the wrong way today. Clockwise instead of anti-clockwise; water on the left instead of the right. Believe me, it did feel a bit wrong. But after spending most … Continue reading SWCP Day 22 – 12 Sept 2018
Drizzly gloom - welcome back to Devon, Penloper! With tired and excruciatingly-tight muscles after the shock of day 1 last year, I'd skipped the climb from Lynmouth to Lynton. Today I planned to correct that small gap in my swcp record. But, first, I needed to limber up. I chose a warm-up walk to the … Continue reading SWCP Day 21 – Sept 11 2018
Dear Lopers, Apologies for my long hiatus far from the adventurous path that goes here, there, and everywhere. I have not for one moment stopped yearning for the step, climb, plod, plod, plod of the path. But, for a while there, the practicalities of life somehow took over. No more! Now, the time has come … Continue reading Re-loping the swcp
The Yo-Yo City Staines-upon-Thames > Shepperton > Hampton Wick > Richmond > Putney Bridge > London Bridge > Thames Barrier 216.1 - 296 km Why Yo-Yo? Because all through the City of London, the TP walker can choose which side of the river they want to traverse. There’s a lot to see, and the glass-half-empty … Continue reading TP: The Yo-Yo City
The Middle Bit Oxford > Abingdon > Shillingford > Pangbourne > Sonning > Henley-on-Thames > Marlow > Maidenhead > Eton > Staines-upon-Thames 86.8 - 216.1 km I thought about calling this section either the Meat in the Thames Sandwich, or the Middle Thames Child, but I’d either make everyone hungry or I’d have a … Continue reading TP: The Middle Bit
The Thames Path The Source > Cricklade> Lechlade > Tadpole Bridge > Newbridge > Oxford > Abingdon > Shillingford > Pangbourne > Sonning > Henley-on-Thames > Marlow > Maidenhead > Eton > Staines-upon-Thames > Shepperton > Hampton Wick > Richmond > Putney Bridge > London Bridge > Thames Barrier 0 – 294.7/297.2 km (let’s call … Continue reading TP: The Upper Reaches
Marazion to Porthleven The first thing I did on this final day of the SWCP was to get a visual on where I’d landed after my late-night taxi ride to the Glenleigh B&B at Marazion. After weeks of religiously following my map, and finding my way at foot-speed, it felt otherworldly to step out into … Continue reading SWCP Day 20 – 3 May 2017
St. Ives Narrow streets on a tight headland between beach and port. Visited the the amazing Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Gallery: via Penzance (sorry, no photos) The Scilly Isles (Hugh Town) Oh, my goodness. What a day! Two hours and forty-five minutes of horribleness. Actually, the first half hour the Scillonian ferry to the Scilly … Continue reading SWCP InterLopers – 28 April – 2 May 2017
Portreath to St. Ives The shorts have not been repeated...'nuff said. Best meal of the trip so far: dressed crab salad with sweet potato fries and a local ale. [Surge stats: 27.1 km, 101 floors, 40795 steps]
Perranporth to Portreath With the wind still gusting, it was a wild and woolly day, but I was determined to go the distance. My hosts at St. George's directed me another way back to the path, but this became a hair-raising adventure when I had to evade a group of gypsies and cross an area … Continue reading SWCP Day 17 – 26 April 2017
PenLoper 