Northern Ireland 1

 17th July 2025

It has been hot and sunny for a month or more but the rain begins as I arrive in Cairnryan for the ferry to Larne in Northern Ireland. The ferry takes two hours and I drive off in drizzle looking for the coastal route to the Giant's Causeway. It's an attractive drive in good weather and dramatic even in drizzle. There are cliffs on one side and stray rocks on the other. Some are the remains of old sea stacks thrusting stiffly from the grey sea.

I arrive in my chosen camp site, a CL in Armoy, just in time to choose my pitch ahead of some garrulous French folks in two large motorhomes. An hour and a half later they have moved four times and held endless discussions very loudly while I have set up, cooked my evening meal and washed up before they have even started.

I'm here to walk for at least five miles in each of the six counties of Northern Ireland. This is to add to the 86 counties of England, Wales and Scotland I have already walked. More Details here.

This first day was to get into position, the campsite being only a few miles from the coast where I plan to walk tomorrow. Here's the overall plan showing my route from Larne generally anti clockwise.

Kirtling

Kirtling, together with Kirtling Green and Kirtling Towers, is a scattered settlement in the south-eastern edge of the English county of Cambridgeshire. It is about half an hour from our base in Cambridge.  

We parked in the car park of the village hall and walked along good tracks, field edges, past woods and fields using this rough map (courtesy of Stapleford Strollers)

The Red Lion at Kirtling was unavailable for food so we drove a little further and enjoyed hospitality at The Three Blackbirds in Woodditton.

We were lucky with the weather and had a relaxing morning.

Chilterns

 Great Missenden, Chilterns, Buckinghamshire

April 2025

The Chilterns are rolling hills, a chalk escarpment, woodland and a welcoming environment for walkers.

We stayed at The Nag's Head on the edge of Great Missenden, which is a good central place for exploring the area. We previously visited Buckinghamshire here and here. We spent three comfortable nights (despite some squeaky floors) and ate extremely well at their restaurant. A limited range of beers (Marlow's Rebellion was good) but both were most acceptable. Very helpful service throughout.

Nag's Head, Great Missenden

Tuesday April 1st

We drove to Wendover and had lunch at the Shoulder of Mutton.

In the afternoon we planned a short walk (Walking World 4235) from Wendover and then on a short distance to Great Missenden but because of the disruption by HS2 we drove to Coombe Hill and did a circular walk from there.

Wendover Station Bridge

At the Boer War monument on Coombe Hill. We visited this last in 2006.

Evening meal at the Nag's Head. Very fresh trout from the chalk stream.

Wednesday April 2nd

A circular walk from Great Missenden with lunch at the Cock and Rabbit at Lee Green, part of the way round.

Delightful walks through the woods with dappled shade and emerging bluebells

The Cock and Rabbit

Spacious views spoiled only by gouged out scars from the HS2 workings and inevitable rerouting of walks. Never mind, we'll save 5 minutes to Birmingham. In ten years time.

Visible scars of HS2

Supper was at Cross Keys in Great Missenden, only a short walk from our lodgings.

Thursday April 3rd

A linear walk from Great Missenden to Chesham. (WW8059). Lunch was at The Queen's Head in Chesham. Mainly Thai food, which surprised me (I'm more used to a Thai curry in the evening) but was very good.

We returned by train (Metropolitan Line to Chalfont & Latimer then Chiltern Railways to Great Missenden).

St Mary's Chesham

Timothy Taylor Landlord

Supper would have been at The Green Man in Prestwood but there was some confusion over our booking so we went back to our lodgings and enjoyed another excellent meal at the Nag's Head.

Friday April 4th

A walk in Wendover Woods in the morning. This is a very popular place with running trails, walking routes, "Go Ape" climbing facilities, excellent car parking etc. And on a day such as this a gentle stroll in the shade of woodland and an iron age fort can hardly be bettered.

Our final lunch was at the pleasantly Victorian King's Arms in Tring. Big sandwiches!

Wendover Woods

That's The Chilterns. Recommended!

West Wratting

 January 2025

It's a few degrees above freezing and the ploughed fields are churned up with thick clay. Perhaps it wasn't the best time to go for a pleasant stroll from West Wratting.

On the other hand the mist is quite evocative, the horses well covered in blankets, not many folks around excepting the distant pop of pheasant shooters.

The original walk did rely on crossing fields and when we came to a long field where the right of way had been ploughed up we took the sensible course and re-routed the walk.

It ended up as a shorter than usual circular walk around West Wratting, parking and lunching at The Chestnut Tree. Beer good, good value pub grub, atmosphere and temperature a bit below par. When the landlord puts his hat and coat on at lunchtime, with opening hours still available, you know it's time to leave! (Or put the fire on!)

Norfolk Broads

 September 18-21

Wednesday 18th

We rented a cottage on the edge of South Walsham and found that there were lots of good walks and good pubs hereabouts. Driving around was often circuitous, sometimes having to drive ten miles while the destination was only a mile away. That’s the consequence of all these rivers and pools caused by drainage and by peat diggings.

We drove to the area, east of Norwich, and had lunch at The Nelson Head, a welcoming unpretentious pub with ancient firearms on display. 

The church nearby has an intriguing tower, Saxon in origin.

In the afternoon we took a gentle walk including Horsey Church and Horsey Mill, which is a very scenic restored mill, 

and along the fields parallel to the river with its flotillas of motor boats.here any walk will pass old mill towers in various stages of decay but still standing prominently against the long horizons.

Thursday 19th

We parked at Ludham Bridge for a 7 mile circular walk which took in several old mills and the ruined abbey of st Benet, unusual in that part of its gatehouse had been incorporated into a later wind mill. The abbey itself, now a few ruins, survived Henry’s demolition of the monasteries and is still overseen by the Bishop of Norwich.

 Lunch was at the Kings Arms where the OAP meals were excellent value. St Catherine’s church is very fine, light and airy with some interesting black marble grave stones in the nave.

This was a pleasant walk though rather frustrating in that we walked parallel to the river but were blocked from seeing it by thickets of high reeds. All we saw was the roofs of motor boats and the occasional mast.

In the evening we ate very well at The Hermitage which featured some excellent ales and good pub food.

Friday 20th

A handy walk which started directly from our cottage in south Walsham. 

It followed the river Bure for a while, clockwise, passed St Benets Abbey on the opposite bank of the river to yesterday’s walk then on through the reeds to a point where we were for a while barred by some rather threatening cattle. With Brave Sir John shouting “shoo” at them they fled and we continued on our way via more reed beds ...

to yet another mill ...

and at last to the White Horse at Upton for beer and a sandwich.

Finally we completed the circuit to our cottage for tea and shortbread. Intentions to scout around some nearby churches faded as we put our feet up. And in the evening we ate at The Cock Tavern at Cantley. Very busy!

Saturday 21st

A short walk as we head towards home. Parking at the Lion Inn at Thurne, where there is a pleasant marina, a handy shop and a CL camping spot in the nearby farm yard, we walked along the Weaver's Way, clockwise following the river Thurne then taking off at Repps on the Staithe Road before returning across fields to Thurne. 

This was a pleasant walk in good weather, some 4 miles or so with a variety of paths. And lovely sunny weather.

Lunch at The Lion, where we were well fed before setting off for home. A very fine gentlemen's expedition!

Northamptonshire / Bedfordshire

July 2024

Tuesday 16th

We took a circular walk around the village of Odell and took lunch at The Bell. 

Very pleasant walk despite some showers and mud underfoot.

In the afternoon we headed for The Coach and Horses at Brixworth, where we planned to stay for three nights. We were made very welcome and had a good evening meal. Comfortable rooms too.

Brixworth is an attractive village most famous perhaps for its church of All Saints which is believed to be the largest surviving Anglo Saxon church in the country. It is dated 680AD.

Wednesday 17th

We started from the very attractive village of Ashby St Ledgers. 

The Manor House here, now a private residence, was used as a planning HQ by Robert Catesby, a lead conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot (Guy Fawkes got the fame but Catesby was the leader).

We followed a clockwise circular route through Welton then along the tow path to Braunston. John and Duncan had previously taken their boat, nbPatience along this part of the Grand Union Canal but had never walked the towpath.

Somewhere along here we lost the route, as someone has closed the towpath and given no redirections, which was irritating. 

At Braunston, lunch was at The Admiral Nelson, alongside a lock and in warm sunshine, before heading north through Braunston and north-east on the Jurassic Way (part of a long distance footpath connecting Banbury and Stamford, following an ancient limestone ridgeway.) It probably continued further at each end though much is lost. And so we continued back to Ashby St Ledgers, about 7 miles in all.

In the evening we ate at The Griffin at Pitsford, a comfortable and spacious traditional pub plus restaurant.

Thursday 18th

To Great Brington, yet another attractive ironstone village, and an estate village, obviously under the influence of Althorp House nearby. It is the ancestral home of the Spencer family and Diana, Princess of Wales, is buried on an island in the grounds.

The Spencer Tombs cat Great Brington

The 5 mile walk took us over undulating fields from Great to Little Brington, with so many varied tracks and paths that we reflected that we could have planned a dozen different routes in the area, all pleasant field walks.

The Althorp Coaching Inn, also known as The Fox and Hounds, dates back to the 16th century. It is very spacious, with extensive outside space, and we had lunch in the courtyard.

We contemplated visiting Althorp House but demurred at £27 per head and instead returned to base at Brixworth to view the remarkably preserved All Saints Church, Anglo Saxon in origin and returned to its early glory with minimal Victorian interference.

Team Photo at Coach and Horses, Brinxworth

The weather continued warm and sunny, which enhanced our walk and encouraged us to extend our afternoon rest hour to 3 hours.

Our evening meal was at The White Horse at Old. It was very busy and a booking error meant we had to move. Food OK but the only ale was off and the outside music was irritatingly loud.

Northamptonshire has shown itself to be a very attractive rural idyll; quiet villages, some prosperity and lots of history, while always accessible to major roads.

Friday 19th

This was a short circular walk around Carlton (Walking World 6258, abbreviated, going from point 4 to point 8). Described as a gentle and undulating walk on grass or metalled surfaces with very few stretches becoming muddy (hurray!).

The walk can be started from, or passed by, Emmaus Village, a charity that accommodates and trains homeless people to recycle furniture, bikes, electrical goods etc. It's really worthwhile and has another outpost just north of Cambridge. Do drop in and browse their goods!

And so we returned to The Fox at Carlton for our final lunch and headed homer in good time to tend to our gardens, running rampant after both rain and sunshine. Our walks caught lots of sun and very little rain. Another success!