Official Stage Statistics Route distance – 16.43 miles Total ascent – 1103 feet Total descent – 1500 feet Highest point – 765 feet Fly-through of this stage Logistics Drive to Ivinghoe Beacon Car Park, Beacon Road HP4 1NF (OS SP963159) Walk to Toddington Get bus 42 or E back to Dunstable Get taxi to Ivinghoe Beacon Car Park £25 OR Get bus 61 61A or X61 to Ivinghoe Beacon stop on B489 and walk to car park Pick up car Drive to Portmill Lane Hitchin car park SG5 1DJ - free between 18:00 and 08:00 Walk across to Premier Inn and stay overnight My Walk This was my first stage of the Icknield Way. I used to live and work in Dunstable and was therefore familiar with much of the route. I even lived in Icknield Street, so ‘Icknield’ has always meant a lot to me! However, having moved away from the area more than 30 years ago I was keen to see what if anything had changed. I was really shocked to see the massive housing and industrial developments that have taken place to the north of Dunstable and Houghton Regis and the A5-M1 Dunstable Northern Bypass and junction 11A of the M1 that opened in 2017. Dunstable town centre has also changed significantly and not necessarily in a positive way I’m afraid to say. From my experience of having now walked this stage I’m assuming slight changes were made to the route of the Icknield Way in the light of the Dunstable Northern Bypass back in 2017. The Icknield Way doesn’t actually start from the top of Ivinghoe Beacon as you might think it should; instead, there is a green Icknield Way sign about 600 yards before the top pointing you towards the start of the trail. The Icknield Way is the only trail of the 6 that comprise the Great Chalk Way that greets the walker at both the start and the finish with a fanfare. The fanfare in this case is a stone milestone at Ivinghoe Beacon and a similar one at Knettishall Heath – although at Knettishall Heath it’s well camouflaged! There is also one at Balsham which is where the official opening ceremony of the Icknield Way Path was carried out in 1992. The start of the Icknield Way Path is also the start of the 7 mile section of the trail known as the Ridgeway Link. The link path follows the Icknield Way to Dagnall, Whipsnade and then across Dunstable Downs to the Chilterns Gateway Centre. This visitor centre, managed by the National Trust, provides the facilities lacking at Ivinghoe Beacon and has outstanding views for miles around. Beyond the visitor centre I’d descend the downs into Dunstable, walk around the outskirts of Houghton Regis and eventually cross the Dunstable Northern Bypass at Thorn. Beyond Thorn, the landscape would quickly become more rural again. The path would pass through the hamlet of Wingfield before passing Chalgrave Manor Golf Club. Beyond the golf course I’d have 2 options for crossing the M1, both of which filled me with dread due to my irrational fear of high, narrow bridges – gephyrophobia! Option 1 would be to bear right and cross a narrow pedestrian footbridge over the motorway. This would eventually bring me out in Upper Sundon. Option 2 would be to bear left, walk into Toddington and then cross the motorway using the narrow bridge at Toddington Services reserved for emergency services vehicles and Travelodge guests. This option would bring me out close to Harlington. Option 1 is the official route, whilst Option 2 is the official alternative route. Having viewed the 2 bridges on Google Maps I’d already decided there was no way I’d be crossing either of these with 8 lanes of fast moving traffic underneath me! So, what did I do? Read on! My day began with a 60 mile drive from home to the Ivinghoe Beacon car park off Beacon Road. This is where the Great Chalk Way information board is located. It was a beautiful start to the day and as it was only 9 o’clock I treated myself to a climb to the top of the Ivinghoe Beacon to admire the 360° views including the Whipsnade chalk lion in the distance. I’d been to the top a couple of days ago but you can never tire of the views from up there. Back down at the start of the Icknield Way, the path initially descended alongside a couple of large fields before entering some woodland that led into The Coombe, a wooded valley known for its muddy paths and steep steps. Fortunately, in August it was bone dry. It was certainly a steep climb and I was grateful for the steps. At the top the path opened up to give views of the Whipsnade chalk lion and the Downs. What a gorgeous day! The path brought me down into the village of Dagnall and of course, a climb up towards Whipsnade then followed. This included crossing a few of Whipsnade Park Golf Club’s fairways. Beyond the golf course the path continued climbing as it passed between the high fenced edges of Whipsnade Zoo to the left and high hedges to the right – so not a great deal to see and certainly not the huge white chalk lion that everyone associates with the zoo. The lion, which was carved between 1931 and 1933, is about 160 yards long nose to tail and is believed to be the largest chalk figure in England. In fact, it's so big it was covered during World War II as it would have been a very useful navigation aid to enemy planes. A band of volunteers is needed to keep it weed free. The zoo is on the left. Not much to see on the right! Looking well groomed. About 480 feet long. The tail is 13 feet wide! Eventually I emerged into Whipsnade itself with its village hall, green and Tree Cathedral! I’d been to the Tree Cathedral before but couldn’t make out the outline of the Cathedral. Similarly, this time but maybe it’s because all the trees were in full leaf and I was too impatient to explore it fully. I therefore decided to return later in the year with my drone to help me get a better idea of the floor plan. I did this in December 2025 on an incredibly cold but very sunny morning. Whipsnade Revisit December 2025 Revisit December 2025 You get a better idea from 120 metres in the air - December 2025 Emerging from the ‘Cathedral’ I was soon walking along the Dunstable Downs, one of the highlights of this walk. At almost 800 feet, the Dunstable Downs are the highest point in Bedfordshire and this 2 mile section provides fabulous views of Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire countryside, if not further. Halfway along, the Chilterns Gateway Centre, managed by the National Trust provides a café, toilets, shop, visitor information and car parking. As it was about lunchtime I stopped here for a coffee and a sandwich I’d brought with me. As it was in the middle of school summer holidays and it was a gorgeous day, it was lovely to see so many families enjoying the downs with picnics and flying kites. There was no excuse to be stuck indoors playing computer games today. Kites (including the red variety) weren’t the only things in the air; down below was the London Gliding Club and to the right, away from most of the families, a number of brave souls attached to their paragliders, were launching themselves from the top of Pascombe Pit. Pascombe Pit Another Great Chalk Way information board has been placed on the path As I came to the end of the Downs, the path began to descend slowly into Dunstable. I passed what I thought at the time must be a BMX track – a number of grass mounds with an exposed chalk track running down the middle of each. It was only after I got home that I realised these mounds were anything but a BMX track! They were in fact the Five Knolls burial chambers – what an idiot!! The National Trust explains the history of these 4000 years old chambers, now recognised as a Scheduled Monument. It’s a shame though that people weren’t respecting them. As I hadn’t thought anything of them at the time I didn’t bother taking any pictures, so I went back in December 2025 with my drone as part of an Icknield Way ‘mopping up’ exercise of things I wish I’d photographed. There are in fact seven chambers - three bell barrows, two bowl barrows and two pond barrows. As I'm not sufficiently well versed in types of barrow, I have no idea which is which in my photos! Beyond the BMX track and having crossed the main road between Dunstable and Tring, the walk continued on a track at the side of the Beecroft housing estate. After walking along 4 virtually straight paths and tracks for almost 1½ miles I arrived at a bridge that carried the former Leighton Buzzard to Dunstable railway line that closed in 1967. Today with the tracks lifted, Sewell Cutting is not only used by walkers and cyclists along its firm and flat path but it is also a narrow wildlife haven. A big success story! Incidentally, Dunstable is in the top 20 largest towns in England without a railway station! Having reached this bridge at Sewell Cutting I hadn’t realised that I’d walked past Maiden Bower, a Neolithic hillfort. Again, I hadn’t done my homework before setting off on this walk. In my defence, unlike other hillforts I’d encountered along the Great Chalk Way, Maiden Bower isn’t exactly by the side of the path and you’d have to know what you were looking for as you passed by the turn off leading to it. Feeling guilty about missing the fort in August, I returned in December 2025 with my drone as another part of my mopping up exercise. Having found it, from the ground you might not realise that what you were looking at was a hillfort. What remains of the rampart is covered in hawthorn bushes and trees and brambles. This is certainly a good thing since it deters people from vandalising it. One side of the rampart has collapsed into a former chalk quarry right by the side of the fort. The ditch has been filled in and is no longer visible and much of the interior has been under cultivation in recent times. The site has been subject to vandalism over the years. One of the worst was about 20 years ago when vandals used a stolen mechanical digger to damage the rampart and cut a number of holes from the centre of the fort. The fort has also been used as a dumping ground for stolen cars after the drivers have had their fun driving round the fort and then torching them. Sure enough, there were two torched cars on the site when I visited in December 2025! There was also evidence of people riding off-road motorbikes around the fort. I'm guessing this is what happens when towns expand so close to historical artifacts like this. Maiden Bower - much of the interior has been used for cultivation over the years Continuing under the Sewell Cutting bridge I passed through the pretty hamlet of Sewell and then after walking along the side of a couple of fields I emerged onto a busy roundabout on what in my day was the A5 Thorn Turn but is now the A505. After crossing the A505, the path continued between a huge warehouse and a large Amazon Fulfilment Centre and then on through a development of new houses towards the Dunstable Northern Bypass. Wow! These buildings and houses certainly didn’t exist when I lived in Dunstable – everything is so new. An Icknield Way waymarker directed me onto a footbridge over the busy 4 lanes of traffic. The height and width of the bridge made it bearable for me to cross it without my stomach churning! Sewell This is all brand new A reassuring sign Safely on the other side of the bypass, the path initially continued parallel to the bypass but then took a left away from it and peace and tranquillity returned. I continued walking on the edge of a number of fields before entering the hamlet of Wingfield. More edge of field walking brought me to Chalgrave Manor Golf Club. Not sure I was meant to cross a couple of fairways but nobody told me off. Just beyond the golf course I hit Luton Road and this is where I was given the option to turn to the right to follow the ‘standard’ Icknield Way or bear left towards Toddington. The ‘standard’ way would take me onto the narrow footbridge over the M1; well, that was a non-starter for me. The alternative route would take me onto the emergency vehicles bridge over the motorway at the Toddington service area; the lesser of 2 evils for me. I followed the Toddington route across a field and through some woodland and eventually emerged in the centre of Toddington. The village was much bigger and prettier than I remembered from when I worked for Barclays in Dunstable and we had a sub-branch in Toddington. Both the branch and sub-branch have now closed. Dunstable closed in October 2023 and is now a slot machine and online bingo paradise! I suspect Toddington sub-branch closed many years before. 146 miles left to reach Hunstanton I walked the extra mile to the motorway bridge…..took some photos…….and walked back into Toddington! I knew all along I wouldn’t be able to walk across it and had already decided that I would start the next stage of the Icknield Way tomorrow on the other side of the M1 at Harlington. The bridge over the M1 So, back in Toddington I caught a bus back to Dunstable and got a taxi to take me back to my car at Ivinghoe Beacon. From there I drove to the Premier Inn in Hitchin. I chose Hitchin because tomorrow’s stage would finish at Ickleford, just a short bus ride or walk from Hitchin town centre. By the time I got to the Premier Inn it was gone 8 o'clock. I really couldn't be bothered getting showered and then go out to find somewhere for my tea, so I settled on eating in the hotel's restaurant. The poor girl who checked me in was also having to man the bar as well as cook and serve the food. I say 'cook' the food. I did ask her and she confirmed that what I ordered was simply microwaved! I didn't feel so bad after she told me that. After leaving my house at 7:30 this morning, today had been a very long but thoroughly enjoyable day. Tomorrow should be an easier day and I hope it will be as good fun.

Official Stage Statistics Route distance – 15.20 miles Total ascent – 1083 feet Total descent – 1175 feet Highest point – 609 feet Fly-through of this stage Logistics Drive from Premier Inn Hitchin to Harlington Station car park LU5 6LD - £3.50 at weekends Walk down Sundon Road for 1.2 miles to pick up Icknield Way Path Walk to Ickleford Catch bus 9A from Church to Hitchin OR Walk to Bedford Road & catch 9B 74 or 89 bus to Hitchin Walk to Hitchin railway station and catch train to Harlington Pick up car and drive home My Walk The 2nd stage of the Icknield Way Path would begin with a tiny bit of cheating. I wasn’t going to allow my irrational fear of crossing any of the M1 bridges at Toddington to spoil my walk. I’d done a lot of research before starting the Icknield Way Path and using Google Maps, had evaluated and rejected all the M1 crossing points in the vicinity. So, instead I would start today’s stage on the other side of the motorway at Harlington Station and walk from there down Sundon Road to join the Icknield Way at the point the alternative route from Toddington met it. With that out of the way, today’s walk would start with a climb to the top of Sundon Hills Country Park, a beautiful chalk grassland ridge with extensive views. The Sharpenhoe group of hills comprise Sundon Hills, Moleskin and Markham Hills, Sharpenhoe Clappers and Smithcombe Hills. The Icknield Way would follow this ridge before dropping into the village of Streatley. After running parallel to the busy A6 and eventually crossing it, the path would climb again up Galley Hill with its views over Luton and then climb to the top of Telegraph Hill, the highest point of this stage and part of the Pegsdon Hills landscape with its magnificent views. Beyond Pegsdon the path would descend slowly alongside fields to the pretty village of Pirton and then on to the end of the walk at Ickleford. The shape of the Bedfordshire Hertfordshire boundary means that I’d be popping in and back out of Hertfordshire during the day before finishing in Hertfordshire; that’s 3 counties so far that the Icknield Way would have passed through. My day began at the Hitchin Premier Inn with a full English. I helped myself to a banana and a couple of pain au chocolat to see me through the day. I then drove to Harlington railway station and parked my car. I set off down Sundon Road and in less than a mile I picked up the Icknield Way Path. Like just about every stage of the Great Chalk Way, today was going to be a sunny and warm day. Immediately, the path started to climb to the top of Sundon Hills Country Park via a small disused pit. From the top were views across the ridge towards Sharpenhoe Clappers, site of a promontory fort ( a particular kind of Iron Age hillfort ) situated in a commanding position in the area that provided the best defence. These days it is covered in tall beech trees. Start the day with a climb Thankfully some steps Small disused pit Views across to Sharpenhoe Clappers The Icknield Way followed the ridge towards Sharpenhoe but after entering the Sharpenhoe Clappers car park, rather than taking you to the fort, instead it cut across the hill towards the next hill, Smithcombe Hill. The geology of the land meant that I was doubling back on myself due to some steep escarpments below. I'd keep seeing these communication masts almost as if I was going round in a circle The Icknield Way doesn't go round the Clappers but heads off to the right After Smithcombe, the path descended towards the A6 but rather than crossing it here as I would have expected, instead it entered the attractive village of Streatley. I stopped at a bench by the side of a tree-covered pond in the village and ate my banana and the pains au chocolat I’d taken from the Premier Inn at breakfast time. Blackberries were in abundant supply all summer It's those masts again! Perfect spot in Streatley for a break Moving on, for the next mile or so I walked alongside a number of fields that were themselves roughly parallel to the A6. Eventually I emerged onto the A6 and crossed it, literally on the northern edge of residential Luton. Pheasants Welcome to Luton The path took me onto South Beds Golf Club with Warden Hill right in front of me and Galley Hill to the left. The path took me up Galley Hill which forms part of the Galley & Warden Hills Nature Reserve. The top of Galley Hill provided panoramic views of the town of Luton and the more attractive countryside to the north of it. View over Luton from top of Galley Hill - December 2025 After crossing one more fairway, the path carried on in an almost dead straight line along what some people label ‘proper Icknield Way’ i.e. the original ancient trading path rather than the collection of modern day footpaths comprising the Icknield Way. I like to imagine the cobbled bricks I walked over had a reasonable amount of age to them, if not thousands then maybe hundreds or tens at least!! As is often the way, the path was sandwiched between dense vegetation comprising hedges and trees, with openings here and there. In summer, the vegetation cover is at its greatest. This is the excuse I’m using for walking straight past the Pegsdon Hills and Hoo Bit Nature Reserve! The Pegsdon Hills are known for some of the best panoramic views in Bedfordshire and I missed them. To partially remedy this, I returned in December 2025 to see what I had missed. In particular, Deacon Hill, apart from being an SSSI has ancient earthworks as well as a trigpoint pillar. I think I really out to return next summer to fully appreciate these hills. As pleasant as it is, the vegetation in summer can hide important things left and right Pegsdon Hills December 2025 Pegsdon Hills December 2025 Deacon Hill December 2025 Deacon Hill December 2025 Having unknowingly walked past the Pegsdon Hills, the path continued with hedges and trees on both sides and a bit of road walking – pleasant but not inspiring. I passed another nature reserve, Knocking Hoe National Nature Reserve. The views were fabulous and I’m certain were not too dissimilar from the Pegsdon Hills views. Re-entering Hertfordshire Views from Knocking Hoe National Nature Reserve Views from Knocking Hoe National Nature Reserve I was getting closer to the village of Pirton which was a good thing as I’d run out of water. Pirton has the remains of the earthworks of a medieval motte and bailey castle that was called Toot Hill but I missed them. I didn’t realise this at the time but I probably walked past the earthworks without realising what they were! On the other hand, I did pass a pub called The Motte & Bailey in the village! The wrong Motte & Bailey! St Mary's Church in Pirton. The earthworks are behind both the pub and church on the Icknield Way! I settled on stopping at the other pub in the village, The Fox, for a soft drink, a packet of crisps and a top up of one of my water bottles. Duly refreshed I set off for the last couple of miles alongside the hedges of fields that had either recently or were being harvested. Again, pleasant but not too inspiring. Having said that, there is something to be said about photos taken on a sunny day of landscapes featuring harvested fields and natural hedge borders. The colours go very well together and the photos make for better photos than those of fields with green crops! The path eventually reached the busy main road between Hitchin and Henlow Camp. I crossed the road and continued for a few hundred yards into the village of Ickleford. This is where this stage finished. Ickleford I could have walked into Hitchin from here to get back to my car in Harlington but I was rather hot and sweaty. Instead, I walked back to the main road and a bus turned up almost straight away. Back in Hitchin I walked to the railway station and caught a Thameslink train to Harlington where my car was. I then drove home. Perfect timing! Hitchin Today’s walk was enjoyable but not as interesting as I’d been used to. The landscapes were outstanding however. I’d been really spoilt up to now in terms of history and hill climbing. I accepted that much of the Icknield Way from here on would be all about the landscapes. Tomorrow's walk was going to be longer than today's and take in 3 towns - Letchworth Garden City, Baldock and Royston.

Official Stage Statistics Route distance – 17.67 miles Total ascent – 1108 feet Total descent – 1065 feet Highest point – 549 feet Fly-through of this stage Logistics Drive to Hitchin & park at Woodside Long Stay Car Park SG4 9SG Walk to Ickleford or catch bus 9B, 9D or 89 to Burford Grange stop & walk to Ickleford Walk to Royston Catch train from Royston to Hitchin Walk to Woodside Car Park & drive home My Walk The 3rd stage of the Icknield Way Path would begin with a short walk to Letchworth Garden City and from there on to Baldock. Beyond Baldock the path would rapidly become rural in nature with a mixture of walking alongside arable fields or alongside the familiar corridors of tall hedging either side of fields. The path would pass the villages of Clothall and Wallington where it would merge with the Hertfordshire Way as far as Sandon. From beyond Sandon the Hertfordshire Way would go its own way whilst the Icknield Way Path would head for Therfield and the highest point on today’s walk. The final 2½ miles to Royston would continue in much the same vein as the rest of this stage but just towards the end it would emerge onto Therfield Heath Nature Reserve, a 350 acre SSSI featuring Neolithic, Iron Age and Bronze Age archaeological artifacts. At more than 17½ miles this would be my longest walk along the Icknield Way Path. My day began with an early morning drive from home to the Woodside car park in Hitchin. Today was going to be another hot, sunny day. I caught the bus back to the nearest stop to Ickleford and walked into the village. Ickleford is one of those places where there are different Icknield Way routes depending on your mode of propulsion and you have to be careful which signs to follow. In this case, the Icknield Way Equestrian Trail took a different route to walkers and cyclists, resulting in the crossing of railway lines over different bridges. I carefully followed the signs and on a tree-lined path crossed a small wooden bridge over the River Hiz. Almost immediately was a bridge taking me across the East Coast main line and Thameslink local line railway tracks. Horses take a different route to walkers & cyclists Bridge over the River Hiz East Coast & Thameslink tracks Once across the railway tracks the path carried on for a mile or so alongside fields. The path emerged onto Stotfold Road which it crossed onto Wilbury Hill, before reaching the residential streets of Letchworth Garden City Despite its name, it is only a town with a population of about 34,000 people. Letchworth is famous for being the world’s first Garden City. Based on the ideas of Ebenezer Howard, construction began in 1903 under the ownership and control of First Garden City Ltd. Garden Cities were seen as a solution to the squalor and poverty of urban life in Britain in the late 19th Century. One consequence of this was that all houses should be built on relatively large plots resulting in bigger than average gardens. The tree-lined streets I was walking along reinforced this ethos. There were also to be plenty of green spaces around the town. An aerial photo of the town shows how compact the town is and how much green space there is. Letchworth Garden City The Lido was opened in 1935 with a 50 metre heated outdoor pool Central to the company’s ethos was a commitment to repatriate all profits back into the estate. Today the estate is managed by Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation. Any proposed changes to properties have to be approved by the foundation and changes need to stick to the published guidelines. One other thing that Letchworth is famous for is the UK’s first roundabout, built in around 1909. Unaware of this fact before my walk and not on the route of the Icknield Way Path itself, I went back in November 2025 to visit Sollershott Circus for myself. It was originally built as a pedestrian refuge at the intersection of 3 roads. Twenty years later, a decision was taken to direct all traffic to move in the same direction and a roundabout, as we know it today, was created! Sollershott Circus Sollershott Circus As I reached the town centre I couldn’t help but notice what looked like a pair of identical art deco buildings each emblazoned with the name The Spirella Company of Great Britain Ltd In fact, together with a building at the rear connecting them, they were formerly a factory manufacturing corsets from 1912 until 1989! The owners fully embraced Ebenezer Howard's vision of healthier living for workers. Referred to as the "factory of beauty", it offered a wide array of employee amenities including "baths, showers, gymnastics classes, a library, free eye tests and bicycle repairs". The building was Grade II listed in 1979 and acquired by the town in 1994. Following an £11 million regeneration project by Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, the building is now leased out as office space. Anyway, history lesson over at last. After walking past the Spirella Building, the path took me along more tree-lined residential roads with traditionally designed houses and each house had a bit of green front garden. The streets and houses were just as I imagined. Industry was confined to an area on the north east of the town and the path took me through this area before veering off to the right down a narrow pedestrian footpath. I then crossed a footbridge over the A1(M). I’d looked at this bridge on Google Maps at the planning stage for this walk and decided that as it was relatively wide and not too high or long, I’d be able to cross it without getting totally stressed out. Whilst not desperately pleasant for me it was OK. Houses & streets just as I'd imagined The industrial area Footbridge over the A1(M) The A1(M) The bridge brought me into Baldock, a small, historic market town of about 11,000 people. Despite its size, it has a railway station. The Icknield Way took me down the High Street where there were a number of cafés with people sitting outside enjoying the Sunday sunshine. Set slightly back from the road was an impressive, large building and I was keen to see what it was. I got quite a surprise when I saw the large ‘Tesco Extra’ sign attached to the façade! It turns out that in 1924, inspired by Howard Carter’s explorations of Egypt, a giant art deco factory was designed by architects PHS Burditt and built in Baldock to house a film processing company called Kosmos. Only four years later in 1928, the building was taken over by the Full Fashion Hosiery Company. As with Spirella in Letchworth, the company's management fully embraced the ethos of looking after its workers, providing them with a swimming pool, bowling green and tennis courts which were located in what is now the Tesco car park! During World War II, the building was requisitioned for parachute manufacturing, just as the Spirella factory in Letchworth was. After the war the company went from strength to strength until finally closing in 1983. Tesco took the building over, retaining the art deco frontage, although I assume this was a requirement of planning consent. I did go inside to buy a sandwich for my lunch but sadly there were no signs of the building’s history. This is turning into quite a history lesson and I’m only 5 miles into the walk! The trail continued down Baldock High Street to a roundabout. Crossing the roundabout, it carried on along a residential street before narrowing to a tree lined footpath that led to a narrow footbridge over the busy A505 dual carriageway. Eek! I hadn’t noticed this bridge when I surveyed the route on Google Maps, which was possibly a good thing as I didn’t have any time to get pre-match nerves about crossing it. I have to say that unpleasant as it was, I looked straight ahead and crossed it. With the A505 out of the way, the landscape quickly changed from urban to rural with the now familiar sight of large, recently harvested fields bounded by hedgerows. The path climbed slowly but steadily towards the village of Clothall and the top of Bird Hill provided some nice views across to Baldock. The top of the hill was also covered in an impressive mass of purple coloured flowers. Google Lens told me that these were Phacelia Tanacetifolia and who was I to disagree! Continuing to climb, the path headed towards the village of Wallington. The author George Orwell lived at 2 Kits Lane Wallington between 1936 and 1940. His most famous book Animal Farm was written between November 1943 and February 1944 and published in 1945. The village of Willingdon in his book is widely believed to be based on Wallington. In real life, the farm that served as the primary inspiration for the book was Manor Farm in Wallington. There was a rival claim made on behalf of Bury Farm in the same village and some believe the fictional farm was an amalgam of both. Sunflowers at Bury Farm Goats resting in the shade Which path should I take? The Hertfordshire Way joined forces with the Icknield Way just before and beyond Wallington. After a couple of miles, I entered the village of Sandon where I stopped to eat my sandwich at All Saints Church. The 14th century church is memorable for its, let’s face it, pretty ugly 17th century buttresses that presumably were built to support the tower! The brick courses of these buttresses aren’t horizontal but instead slope inwards, confirming they were built to add strength. The Hertfordshire Way is waymarked in 2 directions! After passing through the churchyard the next 3 miles of walking continued through the churchyard with mostly all too familiar paths sandwiched between fields, shielded by a parasol of trees. This was pleasant enough on a warm afternoon but not very inspiring. Now that's a busy waymarker post! Eventually, I emerged into the really pretty village of Therfield, the highest point of today’s stage. Therfield is located on the northern edge of the Chilterns, specifically on a chalk ridge that forms part of this range, with its famous Therfield Heath known for being on the "final slopes of the Chilterns" and offering classic Chiltern landscape views. I’d read about Therfield’s village green pub, the Fox and Duck and this was proving very popular today. With less than 3 miles to reach Royston I was drawn towards the pub and decided to stop for a quick pint. Beyond Therfield the tree lined paths finally opened up to give almost unbroken views of the landscape. It was downhill almost all the way now. Just before reaching Royston, I emerged onto Therfield Heath, although it’s so close to Royston town centre that it’s also called Royston Heath. The heath contains a long barrow, thought to be Neolithic and several Bronze Age round barrows. I decided I’d have to come back to the heath to explore it more fully as it was so big. On a freezing, windy day in early January 2026 I came back with my drone. January 2026 The Neolithic Long Barrow in January 2026 - the oldest standing monument in Hertfordshire Bronze Age round barrows - January 2026 The Long Barrow & 5 Round Barrows - January 2026 Royston The path descended into Royston town centre, marking the end of today’s walk. The railway station was a short walk away. From there I caught a Thameslink train back to Hitchin, walked to my car and drove home. A long but interesting and enjoyable day! I allowed myself 4 days back home before embarking on the next stage from Royston to Great Chesterford. You guessed it - a former Post Office now a pub The Jolly Postie St John the Baptist Church in Royston

Official Stage Statistics Route distance – 14.07 miles Total ascent – 719 feet Total descent – 798 feet Highest point – 444 feet Fly-through of this stage Logistics Drive to Rustat Avenue Cambridge & park car - JustPark Walk to Cambridge Station Catch train to Royston Station Walk to Great Chesterford via Littlebury avoiding the M11 footbridge Catch train to Cambridge Walk to Rustat Avenue Cambridge & pick up car Drive home My Walk On stage 4 of my Icknield Way Path walk, my irrational fear of narrow, high footbridges (gephyrophobia) would result in my longest detour to avoid having to cross the pedestrian bridge across the M11 and its slip roads at Junction 9. Due to the shape of the county boundaries, in the space of just a few miles today’s walk would pass through Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex. I chose Great Chesterford as my finishing point because it has a railway station with direct trains to Cambridge. After leaving Royston, today’s stage would be very much a case of walking alongside large arable fields for much of the route, interspersed with passing through a number of quaint Essex villages like Crishall, Elmdon and Strethall. The official route beyond Strethall would take me over the dreaded footbridge, crossing 7 lanes of M11 motorway traffic and into Great Chesterford. For me this was never going to happen, so whilst crossing the M11 couldn’t be avoided, I decided I would use a less intimidating road bridge near Strethall. This bridge would bring me into the village of Littlebury and from there I would walk roughly parallel to the M11 into Great Chesterford. My diversion would cost me almost 2 miles of additional walking but the peace of mind it would give me would be priceless!! Not on your life! As I was making my way eastwards along the Icknield Way, the landscape would become less and less hilly as I said goodbye to the Chilterns and this would be quite noticeable today with just one climb of any note into the village of Heydon. To get to the start of today’s walk at Royston, my day began with a drive to Cambridge railway station. Rather than fork out £15.80 for the pleasure of parking in the NCP car park at the station, I’d pre-booked a parking space belonging to a property in Rustat Avenue using the Just Park app. I paid less than half of what NCP wanted. As this was the first time I’d ever considered parking at an individual’s property I was slightly wary. Would there be another car in ‘my’ space when I got there? I needn’t have worried because everything worked out fine. My space was empty and was less than 10 minutes walk from the station. Great start to the day. I stopped off at the Sainsbury's Local to buy a sandwich for my lunch. My reason for choosing Cambridge station was that I could get a Thameslink train to the start at Royston and at the end of the walk I could catch a Greater Anglia train from Great Chesterford back to Cambridge. By just after 8:30 I emerged from Royston Station and walked down into the town to start my walk. It was yet another gorgeous day with not a cloud in the sky. The Greenwich Meridian runs just to the east of Royston marking 0° of longitude Within less than a mile I was out of the town and in the countryside. The OS map told me that I was walking along the ancient Icknield Way at this point. The landscape was relatively flat and dedicated to arable farming. The path mainly followed the edges of large fields although at times it was sandwiched between hedgerows – all very familiar stuff but still most enjoyable. Having crossed the county boundary into Cambridgeshire, the path took a 90° turn to the right and began a gentle at first climb towards Heydon along the line of Bran Ditch (AKA Heydon Ditch). Most of the ditch has been lost to agriculture over the years. Bran Ditch - just about dead straight Just before the end, the ditch climbed quite steeply Having emerged from the 'black hole', I'm looking back from the top of the hill. At 444 feet, the village of Heydon was the highest point of this stage; in fact, it’s one of the highest places in Cambridgeshire. Heydon has many attributes of a quintessential English village – village green ✔ church ✔ village pond ✔ pub ✔ thatched cottages ✔ Holy Trinity Church in the centre of the village was bombed by the Germans in 1940 and sustained a lot of damage. The north side of the nave and the tower were destroyed. In the 1950s, the church was restored. You can see from my photo that the tower was rebuilt using bricks rather than the original stone. Beyond Heydon, the Icknield Way Path crossed into Essex – the 5th of the 7 counties the trail passes through. Over the next 3 miles the path passed through 3 more quaint villages – Crishall, Elmdon and Strethall. This cottage in Elmdon was formerly a pub named The Carrier. Original pub sign still standing Cottage in Elmdon Heading towards Strethall In Strethall, the official path took a left towards the dreaded, narrow footbridge over the M11, although there was no waymarker on the fingerpost. In any case, I’d already planned my route to carry straight on instead and follow the road to a wider and much shorter bridge over the motorway. It's not even clear that this is the route of the Icknield Way Path! Road bridge over just 4 lanes of the M11. I can deal with this After crossing the motorway, the road dropped down into the pretty village of Littlebury. For the next 2 miles I walked along the verge of the quite busy B1383 towards Great Chesterford. It wasn’t ideal but I’ve walked on much worse & dangerous verges than this one. Eventually I reached the outskirts of Great Chesterford and a proper pavement. By now it was about 14:15. I was hot & sweaty and in need of a ‘proper’ drink, especially as I’d drunk all my water. With trains back to Cambridge every 30 minutes I was in no real hurry to walk to the station. Littlebury Littlebury View from the verge! Naively, I assumed that as Great Chesterford had a railway station, it would undoubtedly have a number of shops and pubs. I did find the Crown & Thistle pub but it was closed for the afternoon. I could have walked a further 400 yards to the Plough but I really couldn’t be bothered as I’d have to walk all the way back again. As I couldn’t see any shops, I asked a lady if the village had any. She kindly directed me towards Days Bakery and Food Hall – the only shop in the village. There I bought an overpriced bottle of water. Closed! I made my way to the station and waited in the sunshine for my train back to Cambridge. Back at Cambridge Station I walked over the Tony Carter Bridge back to my car. The Tony Carter Bridge, named after a former councillor who championed the construction of this iconic bridge, was the longest covered cycle bridge in the world at the time it was completed in 1991. At 780 feet, it is still the longest covered cycle bridge in the UK. It crosses 16 railway tracks at a height of 21 feet and was built to improve road accident statistics involving cyclists. I can quite happily walk over this bridge without any qualms which doesn’t make too much sense. I suspect it’s because a) the bridge is covered b) it’s wider than the narrow footbridges that freak me out! Anyway, back at my car, it was undamaged, not clamped and didn't have any rude messages stuck on the windscreen. I therefore deemed my first Just Park experience a big success and would repeat it for the next stage. Tony Carter Bridge According to the OS map, I had now completed 60 miles of the Icknield Way Path, so had just another 50 miles to go. My next stage would take me back into Cambridgeshire, finishing in the village of Stetchworth. The good news is that I wouldn’t have to take any more detours to avoid pesky narrow footbridges!

Official Stage Statistics Route distance – 17.22 miles Total ascent – 1102 feet Total descent – 873 feet Highest point – 381 feet Fly-through of this stage Logistics Drive to Rustat Avenue Cambridge & park car - JustPark Walk to Cambridge Station Catch train to Great Chesterford Station Walk to Stetchworth Walk to Dullingham Station – 2 miles Catch train to Cambridge Station - 2 Hourly at 21 mins past the hour on Sundays Walk to Rustat Avenue Cambridge & pick up car Drive home My Walk Continuing my walk across East Anglia towards the sea, the fifth stage of the Icknield Way Path would begin in Essex but soon cross into Cambridgeshire before finishing close to Newmarket, the ‘Home of Horseracing’. Starting from Great Chesterford, a climb and descent into the village of Linton would be followed by another climb up Rivey Hill. This would be the extent of climbing, with the rest of the walk relatively flat. The walk would continue through the Cambridgeshire countryside, passing the villages of Balsham, Brinkley and Borough Green before reaching Stetchworth. Getting to the start of today’s walk was the reverse of getting back from Great Chesterford 2 days earlier. I got up really early and drove towards Cambridge. Having deemed the Just Park app a big success, I found and booked myself another parking space in the same street close to Cambridge Station. I was there by 7:15 and caught the first train of the day to Great Chesterford, arriving shortly after 08:00. The station itself is about ½ mile from the village. The clock of Great Chesterford Church is 20 minutes fast! Needless to say, it was yet another cracking day with a cloudless sky. After walking through the village, I emerged onto a track which climbed steadily for about 2½ miles, reaching the highest point of today’s walk, more or less on the Essex/Cambridgeshire border. There were some lovely views of the surrounding countryside. The path then started going downhill, dropping towards the pretty village of Linton. Looking back towards Great Chesterford Great views as I climbed higher Still climbing! Absolutely fabulous Field of maize Linton is officially a village, albeit quite a large one; it even has a zoo – although it’s primarily a breeding centre for endangered species. Having walked through the village the path climbed up the relatively steep Rivey Hill alongside a most impressive field of plants with purple flowers. The Linton Village Community Life Facebook page assured me they were borage plants! I learned this about borage - ‘Borage is harvested for its seeds (for GLA-rich oil in supplements and cosmetics), its cucumber-flavoured leaves (eaten fresh, cooked, or used in teas), and its pretty blue flowers (used as garnishes in drinks and salads), with the whole plant also used as animal fodder and soil improver, while the flowers provide excellent nectar for bees.’. All in all, it seems that borage is a great plant! The things I learn on my walks!! Perched at the top of the hill was Rivey Hill Water Tower, a 98 foot Grade II listed Art Deco tower built between 1935 and 1936. It has a dodecagonal brick exterior. For its age it looked mighty fine but that’s because the masonry had a bit of a makeover in 2018. Shame about the mobile phone gubbins attached to it however! The tower can be seen for miles around. Beyond Rivey Hill, I continued along a well defined path across a number of recently harvested fields until I reached what was a Roman road that ran between Cambridge and Suffolk. The path turned right here onto the road and continued for about ½ mile before turning left onto a wider track heading towards Balsham. Looking back towards Rivey Hill The Roman road Nearing Balsham Balsham is a village about half the size of Linton. On the village green there was a stone plinth milestone for the Icknield Way advising me that I was 43 miles from the Peddars Way and 63 miles from The Ridgeway. Balsham is where the opening ceremony of the Icknield Way Trail took place in 1992. September 1992 Icknield Way opening ceremony © Icknield Way Association The stone plinth milestone weathering nicely after 33 years The next 4½ miles were nice enough but nothing special. Much of this part of the trail was along stone and gravel tracks often sandwiched between hedgerows giving reduced views. At Willingham Green the path crossed B1052 before heading cross-country to Brinkley and Burrough Green. At Burrough Green I emerged onto the B1061 and across the road was a most inviting pub – The Bull. It was a hot day, so naturally I had to stop for a quick pint and a short rest. I surreptitiously ate my Sainsbury’s sandwich at the same time. Burrough Green seemed to mark the start of horseracing Newmarket. The Icknield Way Path continued down the side of the pub and almost immediately I was walking alongside the paddocks of my first stud farm. At the next road the path crossed – named Cross Green - I was presented with Icknield Way fingerposts pointing in all directions. It was one of those places where the cyclists & horse riders went their own way whilst I was allowed to carry straight on. This is what I mean when I say you have to read the signs carefully! During the summer I'd see many horses sporting fly masks I'd walk down a number of corridors like this between paddocks Walkers one way & riders another way The final mile into Stetchworth was more or less all dedicated to horses, be it paddocks or gallops. Gate leading onto the gallops of Aislabie Stud No horses training this afternoon You now have to walk between the paddock and the hedges I arrived at Stechworth at about 14:15. The local villages had come together to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day at the community centre in the village – Ellesmere Centre. There were a lot of people there and it looked like they were all enjoying themselves on a gorgeous summer Sunday afternoon. I however had to get back to my car in Cambridge. I knew there were no buses on a Sunday and my original plan had been to call for a taxi to take me to Newmarket Station from where I could get a train to Cambridge. My other option was to walk to Dullingham Station which is on the same line as the Newmarket train. The station was about 1¾ miles from Stetchworth. The next train was due at 15:20, so I had almost an hour to walk there. Even on a hot day, this was plenty of time. I reached the station just after 15:00 so had 20 minutes to sit on a bench enjoying the sunshine and admiring the station’s colourful garden. With the extra walk to Dullingham Station I’d walked almost 20 miles today. Yet another enjoyable stage through some beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. Two more to go to complete the Icknield Way Path.

Official Stage Statistics Route distance – 17.44 miles Total ascent – 538 feet Total descent – 849 feet Highest point – 366 feet Fly-through of this stage Logistics Drive to Newmarket & park in The Guineas car park - CB8 8EQ £3 all day Catch 903 bus to Stetchworth at 08:45 (but only on Thursdays!) OR Get a taxi - NewTax - 01638 561561 - £13 Walk to Icklingham Catch 16 bus from Icklingham adj Red Lion (actually The Guinness Arms!) to Newmarket Bus station. Journey time 57 mins Drive home My Walk The penultimate stage of the Icknield Way Path would begin with more racehorse studs between Stetchworth, Cheveley and Ashley. Beyond Ashley the path would continue for a mile or so along the road towards the River Kennett, crossing into Suffolk as it did so. After reaching and following the river for nearly a mile, the path would cross over it into the pretty village of Dalham. Beyond Dalham, the path would skirt around Dalham Hall, climbing steadily to reach Gazeley, before dropping slowly for 2 miles down to the A14, which it would pass under. Continuing north, along a pleasant mixture of country lanes, footpaths and farm tracks, the path would head towards the small village of Herringswell. It would then veer north-east into Tuddenham before the final push past Cavenham Heath National Nature Reserve. After crossing the River Lark I’d emerge onto the streets of Icklingham. The stage would end at the bus stop conveniently situated right outside The Guinness Arms. It’s interesting to note from the elevation chart that the last 4 miles have a range of only 30 feet, with a low point of just 31 feet above sea level. No wonder this would be a very easy walk! Today’s walk began with a drive from home to Newmarket where I parked my car in the Guineas Car Park. Before researching these walks and never having been to Newmarket, I’d always thought that the town was ‘somewhere in East Anglia’ and must be a long way away. As it turns out, it’s ‘only’ 45 miles from home, taking about 50 minutes to drive, mostly along the A14. Bus services between Newmarket and Stetchworth are infrequent. For an early start (08:45) the 901 service goes to Stetchworth but only on a Thursday! As it was a Monday and I was in Newmarket by 07:15 I chose to call for a taxi instead. Despite there being a little confusion as to where the driver would pick me up from (he made an assumption that I was familiar with place names in the town), I was in Stetchworth by 07:45 and raring to go. The Marquis of Granby in Stetchworth I picked up from where I’d left off the previous week and was soon walking downhill alongside a field in the direction of Woodditton. At the bottom of the hill I passed through a gap in the line of trees at right angles to the path. I didn’t realise at the time that the line of trees was actually encompassing an Anglo Saxon earthwork called the Devil’s Ditch (or Dyke). The ditch clearly wasn’t that deep at the point the path crossed as even I would have taken notice! This must have been the Devil's Ditch I was walking across The other side of Devil’s Ditch opened up into a large field that the path went through the middle of. Reminding me that this was still horseracing country, I soon passed some horses in training at Church Hall Farm stud, part of the Godolphin racing empire. These goats weren't in training! Continuing across the countryside for another mile I entered the village of Cheveley, home to more stud farms. At a gap between two houses in the High Street, the path took a right and continued for a mile into Ashley, a pretty village complete with pond and thatch roofed cottages. The path now continued along Gazely Road towards the River Kennett, passing into Suffolk as it crossed the B1085 road. A little further on and the path turned right to walk alongside the Kennett for about a mile, eventually crossing it into the village of Dalham. The River Kennett is on the left hand side behind the trees The bridge over the River Kennett Beyond the bridge Dalham Almost immediately I came across a strange construction, looking like a beehive, alongside the road. This was a malt kiln, one of only two remaining standing in Suffolk. As such it has been Grade II listed. The kiln was probably built in the early Victorian era. Malt kilns were used to dry partially germinated barley, stopping it from further germination in order to create malt. Malt is used in the production of beer and whisky and the kiln was the final stage in its creation. These days, malt is created on an industrial scale but still using the same basic techniques. Opposite the kiln, the Icknield Way left the road and headed up a short but steep (well, for this part of the country!) path towards the church. Looking at the colours of the leaves on some of the trees it was hard to believe we were still in August. At the top of the path I could see the church as well as Dalham Hall. Until 1955 the hall had three stories but a fire in that year destroyed the third floor and this wasn’t reinstated when the building was repaired. Having seen a photo of the hall before the fire, it certainly looks more in proportion and better looking without that third floor! Since 2009, the hall and its 3300 acre estate have been owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE. As well as the estate, he also owns Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket. The stud is the headquarters of Darley, the name of his global thoroughbred breeding operation. Anyway, there was very little I could see of Dalham Hall as the trail skirted all around it through some wooded areas before opening up alongside fields. Wow! A pretty busy fingerpost After about 20 minutes I emerged into the village of Gazeley. The village has a population of about 700 people. Local folklore has it that the village is so called because ‘It gazes over Ely’. In fact, the name is of Anglo Saxon origin – Gaseleia but Ely Cathedral can apparently be clearly seen on the horizon on a clear day from the highest point on Moulton Road. Yet again, my walks are such a learning experience! After passing the Grade I listed church, the path began a slow descent towards the A14 along a very quiet road in the direction of Kentford. At the next fork in the road I bore right onto the road signposted to Needham Street. Again, the road was very quiet and after a while I could leave the road and continue alongside a field. Eventually, I reached and crossed the B1506 and then crossed the A14 by way of a tunnel under the busy road. Thankfully I had no narrow footbridges to walk over! I immediately passed what I thought must be a cement works but on closer inspection it was actually one half of Phoenix Works Bike Park; the other half was on the other side of the A14. After passing under a railway bridge, the next almost four miles weren’t the most exciting, with a lot of walking along paths with trees on both sides; at least it was all downhill. I passed through the tiny village of Herringswell before eventually reaching Tuddenham. Phoenix Works Bike Park Herringswell Herringswell RAF Tuddenham was built in 1941 with a runway long enough to handle bombers. In the middle of the green at Tuddenham is a War Memorial which is dedicated to all those who served their country as members of XC Squadron. The squadron was also known as 90 Squadron and was based for a time at RAF Tuddenham. Tuddenham Pond in Tuddenham Just past the green I walked past the Purple Pantry - a farm shop and café. Just a little further on I passed a turkey farm with the birds free to roam. Beyond the farm, the path continued along a dead straight, single-track road which eventually turned into a dirt track, to reach Cavenham Heath National Nature Reserve. The reserve covers about 500 acres and is a great example of Breck Heathland. In addition, it has riverside meadows, woodland, wet woodland scrub and small areas of fen. It is noted for its rare breeding birds, particularly the Stone Curlew. A reminder that RAF Mildenhall is just 6 miles away. As NATO allies we allow the US to use this base - OK Trump! The trail continued along the dirt track before reaching a bridge over the River Lark. After crossing the river, the path continued for about ½ mile before emerging onto a residential street in Icklingham. I walked past the church and along the main road to the bus stop referred to as ‘Icklingham - The Street - Red Lion’. The Red Lion was a pub that closed in 2011 and lay empty for a number of years until the current owners, the Elveden Estate, bought it, spent £2 million on refurbishing it and then reopened it in 2019 as The Guinness Arms. It looked so attractive and welcoming from the bus stop. As my bus back to Newmarket wasn’t due for another 30 minutes, I decided to pop in for a quick pint. It was certainly as welcoming inside as it looked from the outside. I’d quite like this as my local! How cool is this You take a photo, load it into the Guinness app & it creates the photo on the head of your pint. The number 16 bus back to Newmarket arrived on time. It took almost an hour from Icklingham but this really didn’t bother me, as I sat on the top deck admiring the countryside on a lovely late summer afternoon. I was now just one stage from completing the Icknield Way Path.

Official Stage Statistics Route distance – 15.85 miles Total ascent – 567 feet Total descent – 550 feet Highest point – 191 feet Fly-through of this stage - assuming no byway closures Logistics Drive to Cambridge station & park car - Rustat Avenue, Cambridge - JustPark Catch 08:00 Cross Country train to Ely Catch 08:30 train to Bury St Edmunds Catch 355 bus to Icklingham 09:20 - 20 mins OR if lucky catch 16 bus at 09:02! Walk to Knettishall Heath - about 6 hours Get taxi to Thetford Railway Station – Ask to be collected at Icknield Way car park - LJs 01842 552907 - £20 Catch train to Cambridge - 48 mins Drive home My Walk The final leg of the Icknield Way Path, within the area known as the Brecks, would be mainly about trees – and lots of them, as the path would take me through the 5800 acre King’s Forest, part of the much larger Thetford Forest complex. Beyond the forest, the path would continue along footpaths and farm tracks towards Euston, the only settlement of this whole stage. After stopping in Euston to eat my sandwich, I’d then push on for the final 3½ miles to Knettishall Heath. The surface of the path would become more and more sandy as I progressed and this would be really noticeable in places where it would feel like I was walking along a sandy beach! Despite the sand, because this part of the country is so flat, this would be a very easy and enjoyable walk. The Brecks is an area of 390 square miles either side of the Norfolk/Suffolk border. The name was coined after WG Clarke published ‘In Breckland Wilds’ in 1925. The land is characterised by forest, heath, farmland and dry sandy soil. Over the last hundred years the ancient character of the Brecks has been changed forever. The large-scale pine plantations of Thetford Forest and the use of modern farming technology have transformed much of it into more productive land. The remaining stretches, and the more open parts of the forest are now vital areas for wildlife conservation. The logistics for this stage were going to be a little more convoluted today. I began with a drive from home to Cambridge and once again I found a private parking space close to the railway station using the JustPark app. I caught the 08:00 train to Ely, changing there for the train to Bury St Edmunds. I then caught the number 16 bus back to Icklingham. The first 1½ miles of this stage involved walking alongside a number of fields before reaching a T-junction. A left turn would take me along a byway into King’s Forest, whereas a right turn would take me down to a road that would go past West Stow Anglo Saxon Village. Interestingly, back in April when my sister and I were having a Sunday walk along The Ridgeway in Wendover, a fellow walker stopped and asked us for directions, as the HS2 works had resulted in the closure of a number of local roads. We got talking and I told him I was planning to shortly walk the Great Chalk Way from end to end. He mentioned that he’d recently had to call a halt to his walk along the Icknield Way Path at Icklingham because the official route through King’s Forest was closed. I thought this sounded a bit extreme as the forest is fairly large, so surely there must be another way through it! Anyway, we pointed him in the right direction through Wendover and I thought no more about it until I started planning this final stage. So, in August I started googling and discovered that, sure enough, the official route through the forest was along one of the byways that Suffolk County Council had slapped a Traffic Regulation Order on in August 2024, valid until February 2027. I did actually write to the council asking if there was a diversionary route but was told there wasn’t one. I was told the closure of the byways was due to widespread damage caused by 4x4 vehicles and trail bikes. The byways would be closed until repairs had been carried out. It struck me that surely they meant the closures only related to vehicles, not pedestrians. It's official - these byways are closed to ALL traffic I also found this reply to a Freedom Of Information request online - 2/ The documented "risk to public safety" that would be expected to arise from the use of these byways by (a) Pedestrians, (b) cyclists, and (c) horse-riders, outside of times when any resurfacing works are in progress. Was any consideration given to whether the objectives could have been achieved by closing the routes just to motorized vehicles, and only implementing a full closure for the duration of any works? Byways exhibited pervasive features which were deemed a risk to public safety including all users. Consideration was given to whether closing routes to particular user groups would be possible, but due to the damage caused this was deemed not possible. I decided in advance that I wouldn't mess about going up one of these byways only to be turned back if works were being carried out. I'm pretty certain I was overthinking things however! Bearing all the above in mind, when it came to the day of my walk, having reached the T-junction where a left hand turn would take me into the forest along one of the closed byways, I was a good boy and instead turned right heading towards West Stow Country Park & Anglo Saxon Village. I would then walk along the road and turn left into the forest a little way to the east of the closed byway. Computer says 'No' I passed the entrance to the country park. The Anglo Saxon Village is a recreation of a village occupied from AD 420-650. Just past the entrance I took a left into the forest. I knew that basically I had to walk roughly south to north for about 4 miles. The OS App on my phone ensured I didn’t veer off course. I just couldn’t believe that the chap we’d met in Wendover back in April had been put off by the closure of the official route. First & only stopping point for refreshments As good a place as any to enter the forest King’s Forest was created by the Forestry Commission in the mid-1930’s. The planting of the forest coincided with the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary in 1935 and the forest was given its name in honour of that occasion. Most of the forest is planted with pine which is sustainably managed for timber through a cycle of clearfelling and replanting, providing habitat for a number of ground nesting birds such as woodlarks and nightjars. There is also a network of broadleaf trees, mainly oak, across the forest and around the boundary. Whilst there are no published figures for the number of trees in the forest, it's fair to say that there are an awful lot! It was a very pleasant and calming experience walking through it. I only passed a couple of dog walkers and that was it. As I wasn’t following the official path, I was so grateful that I had the OS App, as with so many small paths it would have been so easy to go off course and get lost – something it didn’t bear thinking about. There is repair work going on! After about 75 minutes I reached Queen Mary’s Avenue, a path planted with beech trees rather than pine trees. I was now back on the Icknield Way Path, even though the route was officially closed. At the end of the avenue I emerged into the open and was greeted by a commemorative stone. This stone had the wording "This stone commemorates the Silver Jubilee of King George V. The Forestry Commissioners began in 1935 to afforest the King's Forest and to plant with beeches Queen Mary's Avenue which follows the course of the Icknield Way." I was also greeted by another notice advising me of the closure of byways, including another one that the official path was meant to follow. Looking at the council’s map and construction work that I could see was going on, I chose to cut out trying to get to Barrows Corner; instead, I took the route that I’ve highlighted in yellow on the next OS Map extract. This route involved walking along the north-eastern edge of King’s Forest until I rejoined the official path, which again was officially closed! Even though the landscape was flat as a pancake I was really enjoying my day walking amongst so many trees and admiring the views from gaps between them. The Icknield Way did a hard 90° left turn along a track and after another ½ mile, it took a hard 90° right turn along a stony-surfaced track, passing a large pig farm. I eventually reached and crossed over the A134 road. On the other side the path would continue virtually straight for about 3¾ miles, along a variety of surfaces, including sand which conspired to slow me down. I was very close to RAF Honington, home to RAF Force Protection. The station is a central hub for training RAF Regiment Gunners and RAF Police, featuring 25-metre ranges for live-fire training. There was a lot of training taking place on the day of my walk but thankfully no stray bullets came my way! The path emerged onto a road in the village of Euston. There was a lovely piece of green space with a bench, so I stopped here for my sandwich and a short rest. I was now just over 3 miles from Knettishall Heath! The Black Bourn - a tributary of the Little Ouse River Continuing for the final push, the path entered Euston Park, part of the 10,500 acre Euston Estate which is home to the 12th Duke of Grafton. The walk through the estate was pleasant enough with a mixture of open fields and lightly wooded tracks. After crossing one final minor road, the path continued towards the 3rd Icknield Way Association stone plinth milestone, which you’d have assumed would mark the end of the Icknield Way Path. If you didn’t know where to find it, you’d probably never know it was there because of the undergrowth around it. The easiest way to find it is to use the What3Words app. It’s location is at outraged.position.sharpened Having found the milestone, I cleared some of the undergrowth to get a couple of photos of it. Incidentally, I can’t recommend What3Words highly enough for solo walkers in particular. In the event of ever getting into trouble (heaven forbid) and having to call the Emergency Services, being able to quote your exact location to the nearest 3 square metres from What3Words could potentially be a lifesaver. The app relies on GPS rather than a mobile phone signal. I have the app on the home screen of my phone for easy access. Such sandy soil! Not quite at the finishing line! Interestingly, the Icknield Way Path continued for almost another ½ mile before reaching the official end of the trail in a car park at Knettishall Heath. One of the new Great Chalk Way information boards had been installed right next to a fingerpost telling me that Ivinghoe Beacon was 105 miles in one direction along the Icknield Way and Holme-next-the-Sea was 46 miles in the other direction along the Peddars Way. For me, this was the best handing over of the baton from one trail to the next along the Great Chalk Way! I’d now completed the longest of the 6 trails that comprise the Great Chalk Way. Knettishall Heath is a nature reserve extending to more than 430 acres. It retains a sense of what the whole of the Brecks would have looked like before the likes of Thetford Forest and King’s Forest were planted and modern farming techniques were implemented. Wild ponies graze on the heath all year round. The heath is extremely popular with walkers and cyclists. As everybody knows, facilities at Knettishall Heath are very limited. There are toilets in the main car park along Knettishall Road – 9:00 am – 4:30 pm. There is also a mobile barista a couple of days a week and that’s it! The Icknield Way Association has an alternative 5½ mile walk from Barrows Corner on the edge of King’s Forest, finishing in Thetford. They refer to it as the Thetford Link. Thetford is a market town with shops, pubs, a railway station, taxis and even one of my beloved Premier Inns! If you’re not continuing along the Peddars Way then the Thetford Link might well be for you; however, for me this would have been so unsatisfactory as I wanted to reach the official end of the Icknield Way Path. Thetford Link As a solo walker, a taxi from Knettishall Heath to Thetford Station was the answer. There are a number of car parks at Knettishall Heath, so when I phoned for a taxi it was important to say I wanted to be picked up from the Icknield Way Car Park – What3Words . I used LJs Taxis in Thetford. A friendly driver picked me up and drove me to the station. The fare was £20 – quite reasonable for the distance. Back in Thetford I caught a direct train to Cambridge where my car was and I then drove home. Icknield Way Path complete; now just the Peddars Way to go to finish my coast to coast walk!

Official Stage Statistics Route distance – 14.03 miles Total ascent – 392 feet Total descent – 326 feet Highest point – 166 feet Fly-through of this stage Logistics Drive to Cambridge North station & park car CB4 1UN - £9.80 Catch 08:19 train to Thetford - 42 mins Get taxi to Knettishall Heath Icknield Way Car Park - £20 Walk to Watton Catch 82 bus to Attleborough from stop opposite Crown Hotel at 13:50 14:50 16:10 17:10 Walk to Attleborough Station - 10 mins Catch train back to Cambridge North 14:46 & hourly Drive home My Walk The Peddars Way is almost straight as an arrow. As close as possible, it follows an ancient Roman route along tracks, footpaths and minor roads towards The Wash. With the exception of Castle Acre, it’s not desperately interesting IMHO – pretty in places but that’s it. Looking at the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast National Trail as a whole, I see the Peddars Way as very much the starter ahead of the main course which takes the walker along the Norfolk coast, taking in coastal wildlife reserves, birdlife and seaside towns. This National Trail is therefore very much a trail of 2 halves. Today’s first stage would begin at Knettishall Heath where the Icknield Way Path finished and in less than ½ mile the path would cross a bridge over the River Little Ouse into Norfolk – the 11th county the Great Chalk Way passes across. Being a National Trail, the Peddars Way would be extremely well signposted and for another 6 miles, I’d walk along a well defined path, over the busy A11 and on to the village of Stonebridge. For much of the time the path would be tree lined, resulting in limited views. In Stonebridge, the path would continue along a road for a mile or so before becoming a wide track. For much of the remainder of the walk, most of the land on the left hand side would be fenced off with countless ‘Military firing range. Keep out’ signs. This was Stanford Training Area – referred to as STANTA. In 1942 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) compulsorily purchased 30,000 acres of land in the Brecks to turn into a battle training area. To do so it evacuated the villages of Buckenham Tofts, Langford, Stanford, Sturston, Tottington and West Tofts. At the time the villagers were told that they would be able to return to their homes after WW2; however, the MOD later reneged on its promise and this continues to cause resentment. The area became known as STANTA. One positive outcome of the evacuations was that it resulted in the creation of the largest SSSI in lowland Britain. Rare Breckland flowers and birds, such as the stone curlew, now thrive. The training area originally had a mock German village constructed. Subsequently a replica of a typical Afghan village was built. In 2022, STANTA was used by the British Army and armies from a number of other allies to deliver basic and leadership training to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Numerous outdoor locations within STANTA were used for the filming of Dad’s Army and even today, a few locations can be hired for filming locations. Once again, the things I learn as a result of my walks! As this section alongside STANTA was through light woodland, there wouldn’t be a great deal to see on the right hand side either. Eventually I’d reach the northern end of STANTA and the Peddars Way would bear left. However, having decided to finish my walk at Watton, I’d continue straight on for about a mile to reach the market town of Watton. I'd go straight on here to end my walk today My day began with a drive from home to Cambridge North Station. Cambridge North is easier to reach than the main station as you don’t have to drive into the city centre. I caught the train to Thetford and there was a waiting taxi outside the station. The driver was familiar with the Icknield Way car park at Knettishall Heath and by 09:15 I was ready to start the final trail of the Great Chalk Way. 46 miles to the sea The start of the walk was very much a continuation of the Icknield Way Path. I very soon crossed a small wooden bridge over the River Little Ouse and in so doing I crossed from Suffolk into Norfolk. And we're off! Crossing from Suffolk into Norfolk These fences are to keep otters out of a fishing lake - hope they can read! More otter fencing on the right After crossing a couple of roads, the path entered a forested area described as Thorpe Forest. The forest is the home of Forest Holidays Thorpe Forest which specialises in log cabin hot tub breaks! Beyond the log cabins the path continued along a long wooden boardwalk leading up to a wooden bridge over the River Thet. This area is subject to flooding at times; hence the boardwalk. In fact, a notice attached to a fingerpost showed a long diversion if even the boardwalk was under water. This diversion was waymarked. A couple of workmen were replacing a section of the boardwalk as I walked over it. Once over the Thet, the next couple of miles were along paths through more woodland with breaks every now and again. The path emerged onto the A11 – a busy dual carriageway. There was no bridge or subway but at least there was a central reservation, so it wasn’t too bad getting across. 42 miles to go Beyond the A11, the path crossed the Norwich mainline railway tracks at Shadwell Crossing. For those of a nervous disposition, military troops on foot and groups of pedestrians, an underpass was provided! Continuing beyond the railway, the next 2 miles were dead straight, initially through a wooded area but then along a more open path, before emerging into Stonebridge. Various areas on my left were fenced off with ‘Military Firing Zone – Keep Out’ signs. I was none of the above! After crossing the main road through the village, the path took a left along a metalled road through yet more woodland. After a mile of walking along the road it became more of a wide track and this is where the continuous STANTA fences and warning signs began. For the next few miles of walking through woodland, the left hand side was all out of bounds. Take the right fork The right hand side was also tree covered – by no means unpleasant but not very exciting. I did however pass an unusual sculpture. This was the first of 5 sculptures along the trail. The sculptures are part of a multimedia art project called “A Norfolk Songline”. The project was inspired by the Peddars Way. I knew there were 5 sculptures to look out for but I didn’t know exactly where they were located - the excitement of the Peddars Way!. This first sculpture had the text - “The footprint of our ancestors Familiar as our own faces Remote as fossils Written on clay And washed away Over & over Over and over” A little beyond the sculpture there should have been (and quite probably was) a turning to the right to take me to Thompson Water, a manmade lake and part of the Pingo Trail walk. Walkers often stop here for a break. For my part there was so much tree cover and foliage that I may have missed the turning. I wasn’t too upset. After another 3 miles of mainly walking through woods I finally reached a fingerpost pointing left for the Peddars Way but straight on for 1 mile to Watton. Even though it was only 1:15, I’d decided to finish at Watton for the day, since it offered me the public transport I needed to get back to Cambridge. The last mile began as a wide track which narrowed quite considerably before reaching the main road into the town. I subsequently discovered that I’d missed the second Songline sculpture shortly before I left the trail to walk into Watton! Watton is the smallest of the Breckland’s 5 market towns. I have to commend the council on the state of the town’s public conveniences – absolutely spotless! I got to my bus stop with a couple of minutes to spare. The driver of the bus drove at breakneck speed to Attleborough, a very attractive market town. The railway station was a 10 minute walk from the town centre and my train to Cambridge arrived on time. Sitting on the train, thinking about today’s walk, it had been very easy but with so much walking through woods, it hadn’t been very interesting to be honest. I’d completed it in under 4 hours which reflects the flat terrain and there being little for me to stop for. Here’s hoping the next walk would be more satisfying!

Official Stage Statistics Route distance – 14.76 miles Total ascent – 577 feet Total descent – 601 feet Highest point – 268 feet Fly-through of this stage Logistics Drive to Watton IP25 6XT - free car parking Walk to Castle Acre Get taxi to Swaffham - 07528 535044 £15 Catch 11 bus to Watton Drive to Premier Inn King's Lynn PE34 3LW & stay night My Walk Today’s penultimate stage of the Great Chalk Way would begin from where I left off a couple of days earlier in the centre of Watton. After a mile or so of walking along the main road to the west of the town, I’d reach the point where the Peddars Way joined this road from the left hand side. After another mile alongside this busy road, the trail would leave it at Little Cressingham. The next 4 miles would be along a very quiet single track road which unfortunately had tall hedges either side of it for much of the time. A very short respite from the road would take me across fields into the village of North Pickenham. The trail would then join another road past a go karting circuit, where it would continue along a dead straight bridleway for 1½ miles to reach the A47 at the Swaffham Services, the halfway point of the Peddars Way. After crossing the A47, the trail would continue along a single track road for another 3 miles before reaching the junction with the A1065 Swaffham to Fakenham road. Having crossed the main road, the trail would continue into South Acre, where for the first time today there would be a little bit of excitement – in fact a lot! The path would cross the River Nar and pass by the remains of Castle Acre Priory. Continuing into Castle Acre the road would pass through a fabulous Norman Bailey Gate into the centre of the village. This is where my walk would finish today. My day began with an early morning 80 mile drive from home to Watton. For me, this is an easy drive as I live just off junction 13 of the A14 in Northamptonshire. The A14 has been improved out of all recognition since 2020, making the drive to Cambridge and beyond a dream these days. By 8:30, I’d parked my car in the Goddard Court car park which was free. The car park also had toilets that were spotless – well done Breckland Council! It was a fabulous morning and my spirits were high. Walking along the pavement out of town and then briefly on a grass verge I soon reached the point where the Peddars Way joined from the left hand side. For the next mile the path followed the busy road but on the field side of the verge to protect walkers from the traffic. Thankfully, the road into Little Cresshingham soon branched off to the right and everything quietened down. Four miles of walking along a single track road followed, much of which had tall hedges on both sides. Whilst not very inspiring, it was a lovely day and mostly flat. At least there were places where the path encouraged me to walk on the field side of the hedges. I’d have been more upset if it had been four miles of walking through a forest on a day like this. This is where I met up with the Peddars Way coming from the left Pleasant enough views Very quiet road Not a huge amount to see with hedges on both sides Occasional walking on the other side of the hedges About a mile away from North Pickenham, the path left the road and continued cross country into the pretty village. There is a well signposted café at the Community Hub in the village. I resisted any temptation to stop here for a coffee, since such stops invariably lead to the purchase of cake! North Pickenham The path continued out of the village on Procession Lane, climbing up towards the Anglia Karting Centre, built on part of the former RAF North Pickenham airfield. The airfield was controversially once used by the USAF during the Cold War to store Thor ballistic missiles. The Thor site at the airfield was the focus of CND’s early antinuclear protest. In November 1958 small numbers of demonstrators started to picket the base, protesting about the UK’s imminent deployment of nuclear missiles and seeking to block access to the site by the contractors pouring concrete for the missile launch complex. The airfield was closed in 1965 and these days the 3 runways are home to huge poultry sheds belonging to Bernard Mathews. A wind farm has been operating on the site since 2006. The trail crossed the road at the top of the hill by the karting centre and continued dead straight as a pleasant bridleway before reaching the A47. Shortly before reaching the A47, I passed the third Songline statue (I’d missed the second towards the end of the previous stage!). The text on this statue was – “The piety of every man and every woman's whispered prayer Clasped in the grain of wood and stone & in the grace of ancient air.” The A47 at Swaffham Services On the other side of the A47, the trail continued mainly as a quiet, gently falling single track road for 3 more miles, finally emerging onto the A1065 Swaffham to Fakenham road. There was a lot of road walking today! Walking alongside the road but on the other side of the hedges Cross the road for the final push into Castle Acre After crossing the road, the trail continued towards Castle Acre and very soon, the tower of St James the Great Church could be seen in the distance. This church has the honour of being the only one along the Peddars Way. The path descended and crossed a wooden bridge over the River Nar. On the other side, the remains of Castle Acre Priory came clearly into view. My first ‘Wow!’ moment since leaving Knettishall Heath. The priory is East Anglia’s biggest and best-preserved monastic ruin. Continuing past the priory, the trail continued along the narrow road through the village, emerging onto the village green through an amazing Bailey Gate in fantastic condition. This was the end of today’s stage. Castle Acre is a rare and complete survival of a Norman planned settlement, including a castle, village, parish church and one of the best-preserved monastic sites in England. All this was the work of a great Norman baronial family, the Warennes, mainly during the 11th and 12th centuries. The village demanded further exploration, so after sitting on a bench eating my sandwich in the sunshine along with a few more walkers, I decided to take a wander around the village. The entrance to the priory. The site is managed by English Heritage St James the Great Church The castle was another ‘Wow!’ moment. It’s an example of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle. The ‘motte’ is a tall artificial mound, on top of which a wooden or stone fortified tower – called a keep – would be built. This is where the Lord of the Castle would live. The motte served 2 main functions; it was a look-out spot given its height and its keep would serve as the last stronghold in the event of the castle being attacked. At the base of the motte, the bailey was a courtyard which surrounded the it and had a defensive wall to keep out unwanted visitors. The bailey would have been where most of the day-to-day activities of a castle would take place – the stables, kitchens, storerooms, living quarters of the people associated with the castle such as soldiers and servants for example. A chapel may even have been located there. A ditch would usually have been dug out around the bailey to create a dry moat, with the soil from the ditch being used to help construct the motte. Knowing all the above, I was able to appreciate the remains of the castle before me. I didn’t have my drone with me on this walk which would have been really handy to fully appreciate the castle; unfortunately, I’d left it in my car at Watton. However, I’d be returning here tomorrow morning as I began the final stage to Holme and Hunstanton, so I’d aim to get an aerial photo then. Drone image taken next day For its size, Castle Acre certainly packs in a lot of history – I absolutely loved it. I now had to get back to Watton where my car was. I phoned Swaffham Taxis for a taxi back to Swaffham. Liam, the owner, picked me up within 15 minutes and dropped me off by the bus stop in the market place. The fare was a reasonable £15. I booked Liam to pick me up from the same place tomorrow morning at 9:15 to take me back to Castle Acre. In Swaffham, I didn’t have to wait long at all for the number 11 bus back to Watton. Back in Watton I drove to the Kings Lynn Premier Inn as this is where I’d be staying tonight. Despite the amount of road walking today, I preferred this middle stage of the Peddars Way to the first one; clearly, Castle Acre had a lot to do with it. Tomorrow was going to be a long day that would see me seeing the sea again after first leaving it at the end of April in Lyme Regis, more than 360 miles away. I was really excited!

Official Stage Statistics Route distance – 22.66 miles Total ascent – 970 feet Total descent – 1092 feet Highest point – 305 feet Fly-through of this stage Logistics Drive to King's Lynn Railway Station PE30 1NX and park car – £3.70 (Saturday) Catch bus A or B to Swafham Get taxi to Castle Acre - 07528 535044 £15 Walk to centre of Hunstanton Catch bus to King's Lynn Railway Station - numerous services Drive home Relax! My Walk My final day walking the Great Chalk Way would start back at Castle Acre. The trail would plough through the countryside in a straight line, crossing countless minor roads and tracks, before the tiniest kink upon reaching Littleport near Sedgeford. This after all is a proper Roman road! Beyond Littleport it would be more of the same before reaching Ringstead, just 3 miles from the sea. Beyond Ringstead, after walking along a number of paved roads, the trail would leave the road and follow a path right down to the sea at Holme. From Holme I’d walk along the coast for the final few miles to Hunstanton and the end of the Great Chalk Way! After yesterday’s road walking, much of today’s would be along paths, tracks and the edges of fields. Interestingly, today’s stage would be noticeably hillier than either of the 2 previous stages. I use the word ‘hillier’ loosely; maybe I should say ‘less flat’. Pig farms would be very much the order of the day along today’s stage. My day began with a final Premier Inn cooked breakfast. For old times’ sake I helped myself to a couple of pain au chocolat and a banana to keep me going for the day. I drove to King’s Lynn Railway Station and parked my car in their car park. As it was Saturday it was only £3.70 for the day. The station was restored in 2013/4 to a 1949 British Railways state with plenty of small details. Very pleasing to the eye! My bus to Swaffham turned up on time and by just after 9:00 I arrived back in the market place. Liam from Swaffham Taxis picked me up at 9:15 and by 9:30 I was in Castle Acre. Needless to say it was yet another sunny day but a little bit hazy. Before setting off towards the sea, I walked to the castle and got my drone photographs. For the first hour I was walking along the arrow-straight Roman road for almost 3½ miles, although there were opportunities now and again to walk on the other side of the hedges lining the road. Eventually, the road veered to the right but the path naturally continued straight on. A trig point at a somewhat jaunty angle marked this spot. Views every now and again in the gaps between hedges Somehow it's staying up! From here, the next 11½ miles would be very much a case of walking along a dead straight path of various surfaces – most of them pleasant. Every so often the path would cross a road or track but without fail, it kept straight! Whilst the route was generally flat, there were gentle climbs and descents every now and again to keep you interested and these had some lovely views across the surrounding farmland. Pig farms along the way were very much the order of the day. It was very easy walking and I made good progress. No messing - just straight across! More than 5 miles from Sandringham House. It's a big estate that the King owns! Almost a hill! Take a seat, gal! Enjoy the view together Enjoy the view I did! All of a sudden, I got a shock – the path actually deviated briefly from its arrow-like course for about 400 yards! I was in the hamlet of Littleport, a short distance from Sedgeford. There was a large Grade II listed house and garden in the way causing the path to have to divert down the side. 16 miles from Castle Acre and now a definite left turn The path crossed the Sedgeford main road in order for it to resume its relentless progress to the sea. Right by the roadside I passed a striking property (pun intended) that looked like a former chapel; looks can be deceiving however! This building, called Magazine Cottage, was built by the Royalist Sir Hamon Le Strange of Hunstanton Hall, Lord of the Manor of Sedgeford in 1643 as a disguised munitions store during the English Civil War. Needless to say, it has been Grade II listed since 1980. Today, it is a gorgeous looking 3 bedroom holiday cottage. Magazine Cottage Back to normal for another couple of miles, I next reached Ringstead, a very small village BUT with a pub – 'The Gin Trap'! It was 3 o’clock and I was just 3 miles from Holme now. I was very warm, thirsty and a little peckish, having only had my banana and my 2 pain au chocolat to eat since breakfast 8 hours ago. I stopped for a pint and some crisps and enjoyed them sitting outside the front of the pub in the sunshine. Today the pub was holding one of its summer ‘Gintastic Extravaganzas’ in the beer garden with plenty of gins to sample, live music and a BBQ. Hope nobody was driving! From the pub, the path did a gentle climb up Ringstead High Street and then along another street to exit Ringstead. I then got my first glimpse of the sea in the distance and knew I’d just about finished my long walk from the South Coast. I can see the sea! The path left the road, continuing left along the side of a field. The path then turned 90° right down the field and I passed the fifth Songtail statue which had this text - And I being here have been part of all this Caught & thrown like sun on water Have entered into all around me I hadn’t done too well in spotting these statues, finding only 3 of the 5! The path crossed the A149, which is the main coastal road. I’d now officially reached Holme-next-the-Sea. The path continued down a single track road for ½ mile until I reached a car park and public toilets. Ahead of me there were a couple of fairways for me to cross belonging to Hunstanton Golf Course. Thankfully, with no golfers I didn’t have to worry about low flying golf balls today. Finally, I saw the fingerpost I’d walked 360+ miles to reach. The fingerpost had 1 fingerboard for the Peddars Way and 2 for the Norfolk Coast Path. I knew what to expect before I arrived here but I still felt a little deflated and cheated. Is this all that greets someone who has just walked coast to coast along such an iconic and ancient trail? I’m only joking of course. Again, I did know before reaching Holme that Norfolk County Council wouldn’t give permission for one of the Great Chalk Way information boards to be erected here. Of course, as well as completing the Great Chalk Way, I’d also just completed the Peddars Way. I knew before setting off from Knettishall Heath that I wasn’t going to get blown away by magnificent landscapes etc, so I wasn’t disappointed. Castle Acre really made this trail for me. As I said back at the start, the Peddars Way is very much the starter and the Norfolk Coast Path is the main course of this National Trail. I’m now going to have to wait until I’ve completed the Norfolk Coast Path section before I can buy a new badge to add to my collection of National Trails badges! Unlike the rest of my walk today, there were plenty of people milling around and I got someone to take some photos of me standing triumphantly by the fingerpost. I hadn’t yet reached the sea however. I had to walk across the sand dunes and then down the beach. The tide was quite a long way out but finally I found the sea. For the sake of completeness, I had to have a little paddle in it, just as I’d done at Lyme Regis. I was lucky that a couple were walking past me, so I asked if one of them could take a few pictures of my paddle. Quickly whipping off my shoes and socks and getting in the water, the lady duly obliged. Job done! Still some way to go to reach the sea Greetings from Holme-next-theSea! There is a pub in Holme – The White Horse - but that was more than ½ mile from where I was and in the opposite direction to Hunstanton which I needed to get to for a bus back to King’s Lynn. To be honest, having stopped for a pint 3 miles from the finish, I wasn’t that bothered about having another one to celebrate my achievement. So, initially I walked along the top of the sand dunes but that was really slow going. I then dropped down to the beach but that too wasn’t great either, trying to find firmer sand. Finally, I moved further inland to the residential streets of Hunstanton; not as scenic of course but it had been a very long day and I was getting a bit tired now. I reached the Old Lighthouse in the town. It’s one of Hunstanton’s iconic landmarks. Whenever I think of Hunstanton, the lighthouse is the first thing that always comes to mind. These days it’s a holiday cottage – in August this year it’ll set you back £4000 a week. An interesting fact about Hunstanton is that it’s on the east coast but yet it faces west and gets some spectacular sunsets. I wouldn't be staying tonight to witness today's as I had a long journey home. I reached the fingerpost I was looking for; the one I think and hope marks the start of the Norfolk Coast Path - NCP. The NCP is now itself officially part of the England Coast Path, or as it’s now called The King Charles III England Coast Path. It’s no wonder that the fingerboards on this post are getting wider! It was now 6 o’clock and I had an hour-long bus ride back to King’s Lynn to contend with followed by a 90 minute drive home. My FitBit told me I’d walked 53000 steps today. When you’re tired and all you want to do is get home, an hour-long bus journey is the last thing you really need but I wasn’t prepared to fork out £40+ on a taxi. I had a nice rest on the bus at least and eventually got back to King’s Lynn Station and picked up my car. I stopped at the nearest McDonalds for something to eat & drink before driving home. I got home around 9:30. Now that was a really long day but I’d completed the Peddars Way in 3 stages and the Great Chalk Way in 27 stages! I’ll celebrate tomorrow!