Walking 280 miles across England

The route (all links open in a new window) Start point: Vallis Veg Campsite w3w: ///vehicle.cured.toasters Accompanying video I woke early to the sounds of birds and little critters all around my tent. This sounds like it could be part of a horror story but it wasn't like that. Think more like a Walt Disney style birds chirping and singing whilst the maid dances and sings kind of vibe. I felt like I was part of nature and that was because I was a resident within natures environment. I can't explain how 'right' this felt. I would implore you to try it out though. Vallis Veg is a special place. I can't say enough good things about Vallis Veg. Go there! Slowly and quietly I packed up (after breakfast of course!) I was out on the trail super early which was great. This means my day wouldn't drag into the evening, I could take my time. No stress. Big deep breath and an exhaling sigh... Peaceful. Until.... WOOF WOOF WOOF SPLASH WOOF GROWL WOOF!!!!! An early morning ...

The route (all links open in a new window) Start point: Marshwood Farm Camp site w3w: ///vehicle.cured.toasters Accompanying video I woke early after an incredible sleep! It is so relieving and revitalising to get a good night's sleep. I worked out a decent pillow system that included me using the sprung mesh backing of my backpack along with a stuff sack of clothes. It was very 'Heath Robinson' but it did the trick. There was no light or noise pollution. Perfect conditions. One of the bell tents at Marshwood Farm campsite. I was tempted but settled for my own one-man tent. From my sleeping bag I unzipped the inner tent and my immediate thought was that it must have rained in the night as there were little pools of water on my ground sheet. It hadn't. My tent had a huge amount of condensation on the inside such that any mild shaking of the tent caused droplets to run down the inside and finally drip onto the ground sheet. Clearly I should have opened the door slightly ...

The route (all links open in a new window) Start point: White Hill Farm Caravan Park w3w: ///sounds.mornings.variances Accompanying video Today started with a wake-up call from the local wildlife at the White Hill Farm Caravan Park . When I booked the campsite I was hoping it would be fairly quiet and it was. I had a neighbour with a dog that was on a hair-trigger when it came to barking at horses but it was a big softy of a dog that just wanted to be part of the fun. As with most campsites, the mood was one of calm and an early night was very easy to come by. I needed the sleep. The previous few days had exhausted me so I was very grateful for being able to sleep. I had one issue - my stuff sack that I thought would double up as a pillow once inflated did not hold air very well so I kept waking with a stiff neck and having to blow the makeshift pillow back up. I ended up stuffing every piece of clothing into the stuff sack and using that as a pillow instead which seemed to work quite...

The route (all links open in a new window) Start point: Winchester Train Station w3w: ///releasing.explores.sped Accompanying video Today signals the start of something new for this Dover to Weston-super-Mare route - thru-hiking! What is thru-hiking? I wrote " thru-hiking vs backpacking or day-hiking " which explains in more detail what thru-hiking is but essentially I now won't be leaving the trail until it is finished! This is a different style of long-distance hiking because you carry a lot more kit (this is where light-weight gear comes into its element) and you sleep where your tired feet take you to. I decided to finish the final few days as a thru-hike due to the train ticket fiasco of Day 10. You can wild camp (literally find a place to pitch a tent and hope you don't get moved on) but this is not my style. I have an aversion to wild camping. I don't mind if others do it but, for me, I like knowing I won't be moved on in the middle of the night. Usual...

The route (all links open in a new window) Start point: Haslemere w3w: ///height.decimals.profile Accompanying video I checked the map for the next few days. There looked to be a decent route to "Four Marks" which was roughly 21 miles from Haslemere. After checking the B&B options (none that I could find) and checking the nearest Travelodge (£78 was beyond my budget). My next option was to take a tent and wild camp. Not knowing the area at all this was going to be quite a big gamble. I would need to walk 21 miles, pitch a tent, and cook stealthily in a place I'd never been before. Add to that I have, possibly surprisingly, never wild camped. Partly that is due to the fact I find it really hard to break any rules so just the thought of pitching up on private land raises my anxiety levels. I very much doubt I would sleep at all well (if at all) so I pondered what a more direct route would look like. I 'plotted' the most direct route simply by using onthegomap.c...

The route (all links open in a new window) Start point: Chilworth w3w: ///along.tonic.ground Accompanying video I knew today was due to be another of those long days. I'd prepared myself mentally for a 21 mile hike but with the added pressure of needing to catch a train at a certain time. It was doable but I would need to keep a brisk pace throughout the day instead of keep stopping to film. This meant the accompanying video may suffer as a result. I marched my way out of Chilworth station and back down the road I had arrived on on Day 8. Hindsight being 20/20 it was clear to see that this road wasn't a road to be navigating during any kind of rush hour, which I was doing. It is tight, bendy, and has hill brows that hide you from oncoming vehicles. Thankfully this was only a few miles worth of worry and in the main, drivers seemed to be very careful. I advise having a bright cloth/jacket on a long stick with you to forewarn the traffic of your presence. I arrived at a crossroa...