Wednesday 2nd November

We met to plan our next moves and decided to resume at Barton Under Needwood. So the next instalments will be starting next Friday!!

Barton-Under-Needwood → Abbots Bromley

Abbots Bromley → Shugborough

Shugborough → Penkridge

Friday 7th October

So where did we go and what did we do next?

Friday was spent visiting Belton House near Grantham, a lovely National Trust country house estate. I'm sure we only grazed the surface of things to do there, but we really enjoyed the 'Below Stairs' tour focusing on the current exhibitions relating to the family's links to the abdication of Edward VIII.

As for our Coast to Coast project we've decided:

• only plan for short walking or sight-seeing on travel days
• aim for roughly 10 miles a day - there's lots to see en route
• our recorded mileages will never agree
• with the days shortening and lots of other commitments, we'll continue the route closer to home, completing short sections travelling daily, but always walking East to West. That way we'll end up with just one gap from Woolsthorpe onward that we can complete in 1 or 2 stays before ending with the final Welsh sections to Barmouth.

It also means that we can crack on sooner with another thrilling instalment!

Thursday 6th October

Ropsley to Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir 14 miles

Under our revised plans, this was to be our last walking day as we aimed to do some sight seeing before travelling home to Telford.

So instead of 66 miles total, we would target 50+ miles. Woolsthorpe is just past the 50 mile marker in the guide book, and we spotted a handy pub on the map just as you leave the canal (for parking purposes of course).

Back to Ropsley for our final start and a cheery chat with a chap whose house we were parking by! He gave us some handy sight-seeing tips ; Woolsthorpe Manor, Belton House, Belvoir Castle, and corrected our pronunciation: Belvoir = Beaver!

From Ropsley, you follow the lane to Old Somerby, take a short footpath section to cross Ermine Street (the old Roman Road) before rejoining lanes into Little Ponton, Stroxton, and on towards Harlaxton.

As you approach Harlaxton, you rejoin a footpath 'down iron steps'. For steps read ladder - they were just like the steps you get between decks on a boat! It also helps to go down backwards like a ladder - especially with a rucksack!

Harlaxton is a pretty village centred on a church but coffee had to wait until the pub as we crossed the main A607 before dropping down to the Grantham Canal!

The rest of the days route followed the canal all the way to Woolsthorpe and although flat was never boring as the canal meandered along , punctuated by bridges and wildlife, through water meadows and offering changing views of the surrounding countryside.

Our day, and this section of walking, ended with a well earned cuppa outside The Dirty Duck at Woolsthorp Wharf , in yet more sunshine.

Wednesday 5th October

Billingborough to Ropsley - 12 miles

After yesterdays yomp, we decided to cut down the mileage a bit, so headed for Ropsley. The route doesn't actually go into the village centre, but its well worth the visit and it afforded easy roadside parking.

From Billingborough you have a mainly off road route heading out to Sempringham Abbey Church. Here we found the memorial to Princess Gwenllian, last heir to the Welsh Crown. imprisoned there by the English monarch to stave off claims to the throne!

Continuing across country, you head towards Beacon Hill (yes, hill) before dropping into Folkington by the House of Correction (the 19th Century prison).

Folkington is another lovely village with a wide village green complete with handy bench! Fortified at the busy coffee shop, (whose lunches smelt terrific) we headed cross country again  before dropping into Pickworth. This time we stopped at the church and went in to see the medieval wall paintings revealed after bomb disturbance during World War II.

From Pickworth, footpaths take you to Sapperton then on to Humby before a final lane walk into Ropsley. Whether it was the reduced mileage , a more familiar type of landscape, less road/lane walking or simply that we had hit our stride, we all agreed that it had been a much more pleasurable days walking!

Tuesday 4th October 2016 

Algakirk to Billingborough 14.5 miles

Setting off rather later than anticipated ! - (breakfast was very good) - we planned a full days walking. Given the flat terrain and the need to leave the cars somewhere recognisable and safe - roadside wasn't really an option due to the proliferation of drainage ditches - we aimed for Billingborough. This gave us a target mileage of around 14 miles.

Finding a handy car park off Station Road in Billingborough, we headed back to the Village Hall in Algakirk to resume our trek.

Algakirk quickly merges into Sutterton, a village with yet another splendid church. The route follows lanes predominantly, through Wigtoft, to Donington. Here we found the statue of Matthew Flinders and his cat, a famous explorer from Donington, who was responsible for charting and naming most of the South Australian coast! Walking is very educational!

After a stop for coffee in the Black Bull, next to a crumbling Co-Op recently decimated by a run away tractor?! we headed on past another fine church - ornamented spires a local speciality.?

From Donington you embark on a route across a very flat, open, sparse landscape following a track, then the South Forty Foot Drain, then the Bridge End causeway bank top bridlepath.

All straight, flat walking, but surprisingly hard work - it felt a bit relentless!

It was lovely to reach Horbling - a pretty little village, though the field section just prior was a little challenging with few landmarks to guide you to the crossing points in the ditches!

Horbling more or less leads in to Billingborough, so relief all round and back to the hotel for a soak in the jacuzzi!

Monday 3rd October 2016

The Beginning - Boston to Algarkirk 11.5 miles

Our 'project' began with 4 nights away in the Far East. Our aim was to cover the first 66 miles of the route from Boston to Hickling over 5 days.

After an early start travelling across from Telford, we left the car in Algarkirk before heading off to our starting point in Boston.

The route starts at The Stump - the local name for Boston's parish church.(the largest in England). Despite the name, (the Coast to Coast), our route doesn't start with one foot in the North Sea. Boston is a port on an estuary, so sadly, the sea is nowhere to be seen. However, another assumption proved to be correct - Lincolnshire is flat - very flat.

Following a climb up the church tower, to take in the view (for 2 of our party - some of us preferred a nice cup of tea in the very civilised tea room within the church), we set off rather later than anticipated! This proved to be a bit of a recurrent theme but so be it.

Having left one car in Algarkirk, we had to make it back there (before dusk preferably). Fortunately, the weather was beautiful, the route well described and the going good. Clutching our OS maps and the route directions, we made good progress. You do have to keep an eye on the route to ensure that you find the crossing points for the checkerboard of drainage dykes you are walking over!

You certainly feel 'coastal' - big light skies and walking along old and new 'sea banks', but never a glimpse of the sea.

Each village you pass through has a rather fine church - you sense a bit of local rivalry was at stake in their design and build! Still it makes for interesting walking and they also serve as handy landmarks in such flat country.

Cracking on, we made Algarkirk as the light was fading and we still had to get back to Boston for the second car.

All might still have been well, except for losing the car in Boston! Please note take very careful notice of exactly where one is parking! Or rather, we knew where it was, but having missed our turn, we couldn't get back there! In the end, we drove out of town and came in again!

Fortunately, our hotel in Grantham (a bit far flung but an excellent Wowcher deal) was very accommodating and fed and watered us late though it was. And so to bed.