I came across Slow Ways during lockdown. I had decided that walking was going to be a big part of my upcoming retirement and my interest was captured by an article in The Guardian. I was still working and I had health problems so initially this interest was a bit theoretical. Once the lockdowns had ended and my health had improved walking became an option. By that time Slow Ways had published their routes so one afternoon I set out to try a section of the Slow Way which passed the end of my street. I set off following the route, towards the village of Springwell.
It was not an auspicious start. I was trying to follow the exact route only to discover houses being built in my way. Having worked out a diversion I was then faced with an overgrown path full of brambles, nettles and a whole load of fly tipping. I never did get to Springwell and was petty much convinced that I wasn’t going to bother with Slow Ways again.
Somehow I couldn’t let go of the idea though and on New Years Day 2022 I set off to walk the full route from Gateshead to Springwell. I was a bit more relaxed about the walk and really enjoyed it. You can find my review and some photos on the Slow Ways website.
From then on I got more and more drawn into it until I ended up using Slow Ways routes to do my sponsored walk from London to Gateshead.
I now don’t mind admitting I am a Slow Ways addict. I find new reasons to walk a bit further and somewhere I haven’t walked before. I enjoy integrating a Slow Ways route with my normal daily life which seems to fit with the whole purpose of the initiative.