Slow Ways Route – Balwal one, Stobal two
It was a nice quiet night and I had a good sleep. I was packed up and ready to set off by 07.30. I felt calmer and confident that I could do this, but there were still problems with blisters and because of my slipping schedule I would have to start re-arranging accommodation which I had booked before I started. I had phone tonight’s campsite yesterday and told them I would be a day late so at least that was sorted.
I had a couple of kilometres to walk back to the village of Walkern where today’s route started. I reckon I will have walked over 400 miles in reality by the time I finish the walk. Out of the village it was into the fields. It was rolling countryside with a well defined track. At least that what I thought. I was feeling good and was happily walking along when I realised I should have cut across the field rather than continuing along the track. This wasn’t the last time I would do this!
Whilst fields which have been harvested have a certain barren attractiveness there is nothing like blocks of colour when you come across crops which have not been harvested or the beautiful hedgerows.
My issues with navigation were not over. I was convinced after looking at my OS App on my phone I was going in the right direction down a really lovely path between trees only to realise I wasn’t
Back on the right path I passed through the little village of Hall Green. I passed a pub and seeing some lads having coffee outside thought that maybe for some weird reason it was open. Not something I was expecting on a Monday morning in the country, Wetherspoons it was not. I did go and have a look only to discover that it was indeed closed and they were just using the benches to have their break.
So on I went heading out through pastures and fields again.
Surprisingly enough I actually met a walker coming in the opposite direction. He had a camera with him and looked as if he knew what he was doing. It turns out he was local so we chatted for a few minutes about the local countryside and the fact that people underrated the walking in the area even though there were loads of walking paths. He also told me about some Red Kites in the woodland ahead though I never saw any that day.
I came to the village of Weston and there was a handy bench so I sat down and had a refreshment stop. I decided I had better do something about my accommodation for the next few nights. I managed to book a hotel room in Biggleswade for tomorrow and changed my booking at the campsite in St Neots the day after. It took a while a some stress but I changed my accommodation in Peterborough too. I decided to split tomorrow’s walk into two so I would be two days behind schedule. I think in my enthusiasm when I planned the walk that I would walk further each day. I think I will definitely need to change the day I finish. I will look at stuff when I am in decent accommodation and plenty of charge on my phone and power bank.
I continued along good tracks and paths over the hills and down into the town of Baldock.
I decided in could do with somewhere nice for lunch. I found a great coffee shop with really nice food and power points so I could charge my phone and powerbank.
After being suitable refreshed with food and power on I went. Under a railway, then over the A1. It seemed like for a while I would never be too far from either the East Coast Main Line or the A1. I was following a shared cycle route at this point through lovely countryside again. Today was really good walking.
Just before Stotfold I headed off route to my campsite at Radwell. The path took me through some lovely woodland.
I did seem to take the long way round to get to campsite when I got near the village. I passed yet another attractive church, I just love them.
Today was not a good navigation day! I got pitched up, it felt a bit weird not actually seeing anyone around. I had pre-paid so I did not need to check in, just find a space and put my tent up. The site was very basic but had all the essentials. As I sat outside my tent my super lightweight camping chair collapsed. It must have been my less than super light weight.
I decided that as the Baldock Services on the A1 were just 15 minutes walk up the road I thought I would get something to eat and see if I could get some charging done. As I negotiated my way round the access roads I was thinking that it felt in some way ‘wrong’ for a walker to be at these services. I looked at all the people coming and going in their cars and felt out of place. But I was on a mission. I got some fast food and then when browsing in the shop spotted a small power bank with an attached charging cable which I thought would be good for keeping in my pocket so I could charge my phone as I walk. I then spent some time in Starbucks charging as much as possible. Then as night fell I walked back to the campsite. It did cross my mind that for a bit more money I could have stayed at the hotel at the Services.