Slow Ways Routes – Herhod two, Wather one
The pitch I had chosen for last night’s camp was just by the river and turned out to be shared with a lot of rabbits as i discovered by their plentiful droppings. It had a great view which I saw when I woke up.
This was my first night’s camping on this journey and it took me a while to get sorted and packed away. It had been a still and humid night so the tent was wet with dew on the outside and condensation on the inside. I gave it a bit of time to dry in the early morning sunshine but I needed to be on my way. In the end it was 08.15 by the time I set off.
1.81km later I was in Hoddesdon which was technically the end of yesterday’s route and the start of today’s. I stopped at a cafe for a coffee before setting off towards Hertford.
Things were going ok as I walked through Hoddesdon though I was a bit later than I had planned. Once I left the town I was out into quintessentially English countryside. It was so beautiful and did my soul the power of good to walk on a day like this. YOU do always have to be aware that you are in the midst of a busy landscape, so there was a diversion because of pipe laying and the path led through a sizeable new housing development construction site.
My route took me through the playing fields of Haileybury College which their website tells me is a leading independent co-educational day and boarding school set in 500 acres of Hertfordshire countryside. It was huge and to my eyes at least posh. Thankfully there weren’t many people around so I found a quiet, shaded bench looking out onto an empty cricket ground to have some water and a snack. Quite suddenly I seemed to be surrounded by teenage girls who were playing hockey; why they had picked my spot to gather I don’t know but almost immediately two staff members and and stood right in front of me. I got the hint after exchanging some awkward comments and was on my way. I suppose I did look a bit like some disreputable scruffy old bloke.
It was getting hotter and it was beginning to get to me but on I went, through some woodland and through a quaint village complete with village green with the locals playing, not bowls but very un-english petanque.
The route took me through more fields and woodland, to Foxwells farm, where there are family activities and a farm shop/café. Then I was soon into the streets of Hertford heading towards my first destination of the day, East Hertford Railway Station. I was beginning to struggle by this point, the heat was really getting to me and my feet were very sore.
I stopped at a handy Tesco Store just up the road and had some lunch. I can’t say I wasn’t tempted though when this bus pulled up which was stopping at Watton at Stone, my next destination of the day.
I resisted the temptation and set off again. I had by this point only completed one third of what I planned for today. I can tell I was finding things difficult because I only took one photo on this part of my route. This is despite the fact it was really beautiful. Hedgerows, fields, some shady woodland thankfully and for a large part of the way you are walking beside a chalk stream. Sadly the heat and discomfort took the edge of this awesome countryside.
As I neared the village of Watton at Stone I began to seriously question whether I could manage to complete my planned itinerary for today. From here I had a further 10km / 6 miles to the next village and then to the campsite I had booked. I reached the village and its beautiful church having made up my mind I could go no further. I chatted to a cyclist doing a sponsored ride outside the church and then I walked into the village and found a pub for a cool drink. As I sat there I considered my options. I telephone the Rector of the church but she was not able to help but suggested I could possibly camp in the Glebe Field beside the church and told me to call the Church Warden. I couldn’t get past an answering machine though and I was beginning to get a bit desperate. What had sounded to easy when I was planning this walk was turning into anything but.
In the end I found I could get an Uber at a reasonable rate to take me to the campsite I had already booked so I did that. I checked in and pitched up. The ground was hard but I got myself sorted. I reckoned I could get an Uber back to Watton in the morning.
I didn’t have the energy to go to the local pub especially since they had stopped serving food by that time. In hindsight this was probably a mistake since to top everything else I realised my power bank was empty and my phone had only 36% power left. I hadn’t been diligent in keeping everything charged. Without my phone I would not be able to navigate apart from not being able to keep in touch. Today was certainly a reality check. All my plans and expectations had come crashing down around me today.
The day however finished on a positive note. My neighbours in the next tent got chatting and have offered me a lift back to Watton as it is not too much of a detour from their route home.