A little bit of info on... The South Cheshire Way (Footpath No. 14)

After Big Dave has stocked up with at least one pint of ale at Malkin’s Bank, his route will take a southerly turn from the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk and onto The South Cheshire Way.
 

The South Cheshire Way is a long-distance footpath which runs for 32 miles (51km) through Cheshire, though parts lie in Shropshire and Staffordshire.

This section of the route runs through mainly lowland farmland and should constitute a good day of relatively easy walking.

Big Dave will leave the Trent and Mersey Canal heading south west past Haslington and Weston towards sixteenth century Doddington Hall.

He’ll then cross the Shropshire Union Canal at Coole Pilate heading towards the village on Wrenbury.

From there he’ll go onwards past the Marbury Meres and then the Peckforton Hills.

He'll reach the end of the South Cheshire Way, after about 25 or so miles, at the Llangollen Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal at Grindley Brook, where the path meets the Maelor Way.

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A few facts about... the Limestone Way, the Monsal Trail, the Dane Valley Way and the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk (Footpaths Nos. 10, 11, 12 & 13)

After Big Dave leaves the Derbyshire Portway his travels will take him on to The Limestone Way.

The Limestone Way is a long-distance bridleway in Derbyshire. It runs through the White Peak of the Peak District National Park, from Castleton south east to Rocester over the county boundary in Staffordshire.

The entire length of the Limestone Way is 46 miles (74 km) but Big Dave’s route will only follow the Way past Peak Forest, down the valleys of Hay Dale and Peter Dale, parallel to Monks Dale then through the village of Millers Dale, a popular beauty spot in the Peak District of England, much of the area being preserved as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

 

From Millers Dale Big Dave sharply heads west along the Monsal Trail. The Monsal Trail is about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) in length. It starts at the Topley Pike junction (in Wye Dale, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Buxton) and runs to Coombs viaduct, 1 mile (1.6 km) south-east of Bakewell. It follows the valley of the River Wye and runs parallel to the A6. Big Dave’s trek takes him from Millers Dale along the River Wye, through the Chee Tor tunnels and along Chee Dale.

 

The route then breaks from the Monsal Trail and head north-west up the Wye Dale before turning west into Buxton. Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire and has the highest elevation of any market town in England. It is also located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, leading to it being described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park.” Of course, Big Dave will be using this “gateway” as an exit as he heads out of Buxton to the south through the Grin Woods and up Grin Low.

 

From there the route follows the Dane Valley Way to Three Shire Heads on Axe Edge Moor, the point where Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet; and then onwards through Forest Wood, past Danebridge and Hanging Stone Hill.

 

The route leaves the Dane Valley Way just north of a hill named The Cloud where the route joins onto the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk. 

 

Big Dave will follow the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk from the Macclesfield Canal skirting Buglawton and Congleton, southwest past Church Lawton towards Kidsgrove, but turning northwest before he reaches the town, along the Trent & Mersey Canal through Thurlwood until it reaches Malkins Bank... where a good pub may need to be located!

 

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Out and about again... from the Cafe in the Woods in Wendover to the Dunstable Downs, via Tring, Aldbury, Ivinghoe, Dagnall and Whipsnade – 1st Feb 2014

Lorna wasn’t too keen on me going out on a training walk on Saturday morning.

 

A cynic would say that the idea of getting up at 5:15am and driving me over to Wendover Woods for about 7am was the culprit, but in reality she was just a bit worried about me heading out whilst carrying a pretty heavy chest infection on top of all my other current ailments. I, of course, thought “flibbity-jibbit* that for a game of soldiers!” and so downed a handful of antibiotics, ibuprofen and vitamins; packed a compass, a couple of litres of water, a couple of bananas and a couple Twix bars into a small backpack and jumped into the Volvo... that’s right guys... I’m so rock and roll!

 

(*the actual word used may have been somewhat more explicit than filbbity-jibbit, but this a family blog :) *)

 

Lorna had the post code for the Cafe in the Woods in Wendover programmed into the sat-nav, so off we went. Unfortunately where I had planned to be dropped and where I was actually dropped were quite different places – to the tune of about 1.2 miles. I set off in the dark up a tarmac track which turned out to be spiralling up Aston Hill and then onwards up Haddington Hill. Haddington Hill, also known as Wendover Hill, it transpires is the highest point in Buckinghamshire; taller than it’s more prominent neighbour Ivinghoe Beacon. Once I had gotten to the summit, and the Cafe in the Woods, the old compass came out of the pack so that I figure out which direction I’d actually come from on my limited feature map.

 

From the summit of Haddington Hill, I followed a forest trail south-east through the Wendover Woods, until it met with the Ridgeway National Trail which I followed taking a sharp turn to the east. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I don’t think I’ve ever been over to Wendover before and it is truly a beautiful place, perfect for a day out with the family albeit a bit chilly this morning. The Ridgeway trail goes across a couple of farmer’s fields across a road and onto a bridleway through another stretch of woodland just east of The Crong.

 

Once out of the woods the trail follows a couple of minor country lanes, Gadmore Lane and Church Lane before turning north up Marlin Hill and then north-east into Bishops Wood and through Tring Park.

 

Again, I have the guilty confession, that despite living so close to Tring, I have never walked through Tring Park and I highly recommend it. Whenever the tree line to your left breaks, the views across the county are phenomenal.

 

Once out of Tring Park it’s across a road and another couple of fields skirting the edge of Langton Wood  before you come to a footbridge over the A41.

 

Now... I’m not afraid of heights.

 

I’m not afraid of climbing up things, when I am in control and there's no one near me.

 

But I have discovered that I REALLY don’t like footbridges with waist high railings over busy traffic.

The other thing to note about me, is that all this walking is starting to make me a little loopy. It is not uncommon anymore for me to start talking or singing out loud as I’m walking.

I guess what I’m saying is... if you see a burly guy in a flat cap trundling over a footbridge at a steady pace, staring straight ahead and belting out Ray Parker Jr’s “I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost” as he goes... please don’t call the men in white coats... it’s just little old me having a moment.

Once over the bridge I was accosted by two horses in a paddock who chased me around the edge of their field, intent, it would seem, on relieving me of my banana.

Having bid them farewell, the Ridgeway then crosses another fairly busy road and follows the outskirts of Pendley Manor Park – or at least it would if there wasn’t the six foot trunk of a felled tree in the way. With a 6ft fence either side of this impediment, the only way was over it, so over I went; the whole time thinking “if I fall and break my ankle now I’m going to look like a right spanner!” The thing about this tree trunk was that it didn’t look as if it had fallen, but that it had been cut to the precise width of the footpath to prevent access... very frustrating.

 

After readjusting the old right boot (unfortunately blisters are part and parcel of all this), I carried on towards the Grand Union Canal in Tring, but rather than following the canal, the Ridgeway Trail spins a right up Station Road, over the railway bridge by Tring Railway Station. Leaving the road the trail heads north-west up and through the Aldbury Nowers, a 19.7 hectare area of woodland and a Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in West Hertfordshire... which again, I confess, I didn’t know existed... and again, the Nowers are well worth a look on a family day out. It was just before I entered the Aldbury Nowers I saw an impressive bird of prey in the sky, which I believe may have been a Red Kite, although I'm no Bill Oddie, Bill Bailey, or any other bird watching and knowledgable Bill. Having emerged from the Nowers, I climbed up and over Pitstone Hill before heading down towards Stocks Road and back into familiar territory.

 

The Ridgeway Trail then heads across open grassland towards Steps Hill where it linked up with last week’s route. Steps Hill was much easier this week due to the fact that, although it was muddy, compared to last week it was pretty firm. I was taking no nonsense from any puddles at this point. No more skirting the edges... straight through them!

 

I climbed up Ivinghoe Beacon where I stopped for water and a Twix. The views were spectacular and a far cry from last week’s fog, but it was seriously windy and cold and, as I was only wearing a t-shirt, a hoody and a flat cap (on my top half!), I didn’t hang around up there for too long.

 

By the time I had reached Ivinghoe Beacon I had walked about 10.5 miles.

 

From Ivinghoe Beacon I struck out across the fields following the Icknield Way Walkers Trail, through the woodlands (which were teaming with deer) and up the “steps of doom” before turning past Ward’s Coombe and skirting around several large fallen trees. From there it was along Hog’s Hall Lane then a right turn walking along Main Road North into Dagnall. Once at the signpost for Dagnall, which has convenient benches built all around its base, I stopped for some more water and another banana.

 

From there, I went over the roundabout to the school, up the footpath towards Dagnall Wood and then skirting its edge, across the Whipsnade Park Golf Course and around the Whipsnade Wild Animal Park perimeter, which incidentally was a damn sight busier later on in the day and in better conditions. As the cars went around the route I couldn’t help but think they were getting as much amusement watching a very tired fat bloke sliding along a mud trail as they were from watching some very sleepy antelope lying down no more than 30 feet away from me.

An elderly couple were walking this stretch of the Icknield Way Trail ahead of me from Whipsnade Zoo, across the common, to the Tree Cathedral; and at a pace which I struggled to maintain! I arrived at the Tree Cathedral in a bit of a coughing fit, the effects of the antibiotics clearly starting to wane by this point. I lay on a wooden bench there for a good 15 minutes, boots hanging over the arm, glugging water and nibbling at my second Twix. Twix bars, by the way, are useless for the walker. They’re too biscuity by far, causing you to need more and more water, and they seem to have very little impact on your energy levels whatsoever. Tracker bars or a Snickers are the way ahead me thinks.

I left the Whipsnade Tree Cathedral with the weather starting to take a turn for the worse. It got very cold and the storm clouds were rolling in. Then as I made my way down towards Dell Farm I came face to face with a bull. This solid slab of beef was stood stock still and defiant on the footpath. As I approached it started to puff and circle slightly lowering its head, clearly not happy that I was audaciously walking towards it. I put my arm out and said quite loudly “easy there mate” which seemed to confuse it more than anything, but which had the effect of letting me get to the stile pretty sharpish!

From there it was along Bison Hill and across the Dunstable Downs, past the Hut and over to the Five Knolls. I stopped for a moment to look back across the landscape that I’d covered today. I had set off at about 7am and now it was about 3pm. By the time I had climbed down from the knolls and walked the couple roads back to Lorna’s parents house, I would have covered about 19.2 miles, according to MapoMeter, and in excess of 22 miles according to MapMyHike. Not a bad training walk considering. I almost managed to get back without getting rained on, but the heavens began to open as I got about 500 metres from the house... still not bad after 8.5 hours of walking.

 

The one thing I do like about training walks... there’s a lovely hot bath, a sweet cup of tea and some food awaiting at the end of every one. Utter 5 star luxury compared to the real walk! 

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Heavyweight support from Lightweight boxing legend Billy Schwer

Had some great news today!

Former British, Commonwealth and European lightweight and IBO World Light Welter-weight title Champion, fellow local lad, and thoroughly nice bloke, Billy Schwer, has offered to work with me with my training and... my diet for Big Dave's Little Stroll - End 2 End 2014! 

 

I had an extremely positive meeting with Billy and his lovely business partner Amanda this afternoon, coming up with loads of ideas as to how we can work together to make sure that I nail those 1,127.5 miles!

 

And with Billy, who is now excelling as an Internationally renowned motivational and inspirational speaker, getting involved with Big Dave's Little Stroll, it's safe to say that I'm absolutely buzzing

Out for a brief stroll – 25th January 2014 – from Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire to the Five Knolls, Dunstable Downs, Bedfordshire

Although I was feeling pretty unwell on this cold, foggy Saturday morning I had the urge to go out and get at least 10 miles of walking under my belt. Luckily for me, my wife Lorna was very supportive and bleary eyed at about 6am, with baby Niamh strapped safely in the back, set out in the car towards the Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire.

Having been dropped off at the bottom of the avenue that leads up to the Bridgewater Monument and having waved off the wife and baby, I trudged up the gravel track and was surprised to learn that it was nearly half a mile long. At the monument I turned right down the woodland path into Buckinghamshire, past Pitstone Common and up Moneybury Hill.

It’s a funny thing you know...

I believe that if you live very near to somewhere, you tend to have a cursory general knowledge of it. You recognise the routes. You reminisce about summers of your childhood looking out for deer, having spontaneous picnics or attempting to fly kites. You know the name of the places in general terms.

But... if you grew up in Dunstable, or Luton, or any of the surrounding small towns or villages... that tends to be the limit of your knowledge... tourists with their guide books tell you things that you never knew or never bothered to find out... or at least that is true for me.

The Ashridge Estate is situated in the Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is located about two miles (3 km) north of Berkhamsted and twenty miles (32 km) northwest of London. Although largely situated in Hertfordshire, part of the estate’s land stretches into Buckinghamshire and it is close to the Bedfordshire border. It comprises of 20 square kilometres (5,000 acres) of beautiful and mature woodlands (known as Ashridge Forest), together with commons and chalk downland which supports a rich variety of wildlife. It also offers a good choice of way marked walks through outstanding country.

On this particular foggy January morning I strolled along the woodland path past Duncombe Farm and around Clipper Down, a gentle hill at 249m (817ft), until having crossed a large area of open field I reached the Ridgeway National Trail. A sharp right turn, past a herd of particularly noisy cows, and I was heading up Steps Hill. Ordinarily this stretch is not too strenuous, but the path was awash with mud and it felt like I was taking two to three times the amount of steps I would normally take, all the time tensing the old inner thigh muscles in an attempt to avoid my boots from splaying and being launched into an involuntary box splits!

A bit further along the Ridgeway trail crosses a road and heads up towards the summit of Ivinghoe Beacon. For those of you who aren’t from these ‘ere parts, Ivinghoe Beacon is a prominent hill and landmark in the Chiltern Hills, standing 233 m (757 ft) tall. It also acts as the convergence point of the Icknield Way to the east, and the Ridgeway long-distance path to the west.

As I was about to follow the Icknield Way Footpath Trail eastwards from the base of the beacon, I didn’t really need to go up it... but I was there and it isn’t too taxing so I thought it would be churlish not to. Once up there the wind was picking up some serious pace and due to the fog you actually couldn’t see very much at all; not even the Five Knolls of the Dunstable Downs which are usually easy to spot in most weathers. So having chugged a fair bit of water it was back down the beacon and left towards “the Icknield Way Trail – Walkers Path.” It was at this point I spotted by brother in law, Kevin, braving the elements, heading towards the Ivinghoe Beacon Car Park, three cocker spaniels circling his feet. I took the opportunity to pause for a chin wag before leaving him to corral the exuberant canines into the back of his car.

From the bottom of Ivinghoe Beacon, I followed the Icknield Way Trail across some fields and through some gloomy woodland, where it was clear that the deer had been stripping the bark off the lower parts of the trees with their antlers. Eventually I came to some wooden steps inserted into the mud bank leading up to a farm.  These were surprisingly steep and started to take the wind out of me. I had to pause about three times on the way up which led me to feel quite miserable... until two runners, who were clearly ultra-fit in their spandex space age running clobber, came running through the woodland behind me.

 

The lady, who was leading the way, made it about three quarters of the way up the steps at a canter before pausing to wait for the bloke. He had the good sense to stop running by about the second or third step and started to trudge up the ascent at a reasonably steady rate.

“You couldn’t carry me up could you?” he joked as he passed me. “I can hardly carry myself!” I wheezily replied.

Having conquered this minor obstacle, I downed a fair amount of water, and then took a fairly sharp left at the farm, downhill through what appeared to be a paddock of some kind, towards Dagnall with Ward’s Coombe to my left.

 

I emerged onto my first bit of road walking southeast across the roundabout in the centre of Dagnall, until I reached the school where the footpath began again, then onwards uphill next to Dagnall Wood before entering into Bedfordshire by striking out across the fairways of Whipsnade Park Golf Club (which I confess I did not know existed despite having lived in this area pretty much my whole life!).

 

My route followed the Icknield Way Walkers Trail around the fence line of Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, which unsurprisingly considering the weather, looked pretty desolate of human activity; but I did get a funny stare as I trundled by from what I can only guess was some sort of Asian Antelope.

The trail emerges at Whipsnade itself and it’s only a short ramble across a piece of common, crossing a surprisingly busy road, before you reach Whipsnade Tree Cathedral. I took the opportunity at this point to have a rest on one of the benches.

 

Whilst I was chilling out silently in this clearing I overheard four adults and a child walking through the Tree Cathedral. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself as the adults took a turn at singing a couple of line each from the rap at the start of Fresh Prince of Bel Air to the thoroughly amused youngster whilst they happily rambled through the otherwise serene Cathedral of Trees.

Then I was up again and off in the general direction of Dell Farm, the school trip centre of many a Dunstablian youth, and along the footpath towards Bison Hill. The path at this point was not really a path at all... water as far as the eye could see, mixed with sloppy, glue-like mud that would sooner have your boot off than let you cross it. Having left my kayak at home, and having had frankly quite enough of the gymnastics of trying to avoid the puddles earlier, I just waded through like a man possessed. There was probably a cooked breakfast waiting for me at the in-laws house – that’s some pretty strong motivation right there!

The walk from Bison Hill towards the “Chilterns Gateway Visitor Centre” (which I still stubbornly refer to as “the hut” despite the fact that it no longer exists and was technically on a site a little further along) was equally slippy slidey (technical term).

 

I was actually quite relieved when I reached the new-ish trail path that now runs from the centre to the Five Knolls, as I was able to stop concentrating on my balance and start enjoying the views all around me. The fog had lifted and, although some serious rain was clearly on the way, the views were spectacular.

 

From the Five Knolls I looked back towards Ivinghoe Beacon prominently sticking out from the horizon and felt reasonably satisfied with this first training walk after a couple of months of being laid up.

I then ambled down the path from the top of the downs that leads to Dunstable, before chirpily strolling towards the in-laws house. When I arrived Lorna, Niamhy and Maxine were already at the window to greet me with water, sweet tea and a very tasty breakfast – a perfect Saturday morning.

According to MapmyHike the mornings training walk was about 14.5 miles and I was walking for about 4.5-5 hours in total. According to Mapometer drawing the route onto their map it is about 12.5 miles. Either way, I was quite happy with how it went after a short period of inactivity.

 

Onwards and upwards!

 

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