I’m going to start today with a glossary of terms — I should have done this days ago. Beck — small stream or brook, from the Norse bekkr Crackpot — a deep hole or chasm that is the haunt of crows Dale — a valley Fell — high mountain, hill, or moorland ridge (Norse fjall) Force — waterfall (e.g., East Gill Force) Foss — also waterfall (e.g., Falling Foss) Gill/Ghyll — narrow steep‑sided ravine with a stream Hush/Gully — artificial channel used by miners to expose minerals Ke

For the next six nights my accommodations were all booked, so I decided to have Packhorse Baggage Transfer pick up my bag starting today. I’d brought a small day pack for this very purpose, and now I filled it with only the essentials. It immediately felt almost as heavy as Mini‑me, so I went through the whole procedure again to lighten it significantly. It felt strange saying goodbye to Mini‑me. Had I filled out the form correctly? Would they actually pick up my bag? With a

The wind kept me awake more than the group of lads who’d pitched six tents not far from my wild camp. Margo and Reindert had already left — I learned they get up around five to set off early, as they walk slowly and like to take a nap around ten. I left around 7am, a little more civilised, and thankfully before the rain. Today was the much‑anticipated Kidsty Pike, the highest point on the Coast to Coast. Very exciting… in theory. In reality, I couldn’t see a single thing. Mis

Grasmere to Angle Tarn. The problem with solo hiking is that there’s no one to tell you not to choose the alternative high route. I was up at 6:30am — rewarded immediately with the sight of a beautiful fox — and off by 7am. I left Grasmere armed with enough food to feed a small expedition: two packs of cheese and Branston Pickle sandwiches, two bags of crisps, four Snickers, and eight granola bars. Very tricky to pack without squashing the life out of everything. The weather

Headed straight back to the Borrowdale Youth Hostel for a splendid fry‑up to start the day. If you’ve ever seen Run Fat Boy Run, you’ll know the line: “A Full English… and a Side English.” Honestly, what is wrong with that? After yesterday’s efforts, I felt fully justified. Today was my catch‑up day. As I’d started walking the afternoon I arrived in St Bees, I was now a day ahead of my original schedule. If I kept going to Patterdale as planned, all my accommodation bookings

Day 2: Ennerdale, Ankle Snap, Black Sail and Borrowdale. Slept… blah. It had rained a lot in the night, but thankfully everything was fairly dry by the time I was ready to pack up. I didn’t realise it at 6 a.m., but today would be a tough one: climbing and clambering around Ennerdale Lake, then something-or-other-Crags, Black Sail Hut, and Honister Mines. I met a friend almost straight away - a little robin. I think I had stopped for a pee. I carry dog poo bags for this very

In this series of posts, I’m going to take you on a journey across three counties in the North of England: the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors. Over roughly twelve days — with a couple of half‑days thrown in, for reasons that will become clear — I’ll be walking Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay. It’s a mix of rugged mountains, rolling dales, wild moorland, and the occasional pint. Pretty much labelling all the town

Leaving Llanrhystud and heading towards Tregaron feels like the beginning of a gentle adventure — but don’t be fooled. If you think some of the roads you’ve already travelled are small, just wait until you leave the old market town of Tregaron. This is not a route for new drivers or anyone who breaks into a sweat at the thought of reversing uphill around a blind bend, with a tractor bearing down on them. (or in my case a logging lorry - seriously). Make sure you pick up any l

As this goes right past my doorstep in Llanrhystud, and I have done most of the sections in isolation over the years it has always been a desire of mine to complete the whole trail in its entirety. After doing the stretch from New Quay to Llanrhystud the week before, I decided the time had come. It would be a great test of my abilities and equipment ready for my epic Coast to Coast the following week. An opportunity to iron out any niggles, or to totally rethink or back out

Nant-y-Moch dam and reservoir This challenging 22 km (13.67 miles) hike begins at the car park (no charge) tucked beside the beautiful Nant‑y‑Moch dam. I’m not going to tell you how to get there — that’s your Sat‑Nav’s job — but I will give you a word of warning. Once you turn off the main A44, the road becomes single track and wonderfully twisty‑turny… but then again, what Welsh road isn’t? Drive with care. The surface is good and there are plenty of passing places. One day

Like all good reads, it starts, "In The Beginning......" As with most daft thoughts, the idea that I would hike across England happened quite accidentally. One lonely evening whilst flicking through the telly in Wales on a cold damp evening in March 2026, I came across the lovely Julia Bradbury clad in matching waterproofs, tramping along some footpath heading to somewhere ending in “thwaite” and quoting magical thoughts from AW himself. Immediately, I was transported back to

With its rows of beautifully coloured Georgian homes, the bones of this pretty seaside town has remained unchanged for years. Some of the shops along the main road have come and gone, but Aberaeron is still the same as it was years ago. Coming here as a little girl I would play in the park in the middle of the town or watch the Aberaeron 7’s play rugby there. Then we would head to The New Celtic for fish and chips served on plastic table cloths and if we were lucky, have tin

The Great Childhood Mystery When I holidayed here as a child, I was great friends with the people in the caravan next door to me, Sarah and Claire. They always went to Newquay. We never did, and I never really understood why. I think it was because Mum and Dad didn’t want to drive that far. (It’s about 20 minutes from the caravan). It’s an awesome place with beautiful sandy beaches that extend around the coast and join up with another famous beach in the area called Cei Bach

Pontarfynach is the Welsh name for this famous spot, and it’s pronounced exactly as it sounds: pont - ar - fy - nach. Whether you're here for the folklore or the fitness, be prepared for a workout! I am not going into the history of the Devil's Bridge, as I want you to visit and read about it yourself. It's a great tale. The Nature Trail: A Warning Before You Venture on... If you come here out of season, you need cash (£4 in coins) for the turnstile that leads down to the Fal

Upon arrival by train in Chester, I was almost immediately greeted by a young man who obviously thought happy hour was 11 o’clock in the morning. He inquired how much I would sell my trainers to him for. I guess I was not blending in quite as well as I hoped I would be. Maybe it was the Iron Man Mont Tremblant Canada bag that I was lugging around with me that gave it away. I politely, and with as much confidence as I could muster, told him they were not for sale and then imme

View North towards Constitution Hill In The Road to Little Dribbling, Bill Bryson describes Aberystwyth as "squatting, grim and grey......and was never going to be anything but miserable." I was horrified at his description, as I love Aberystwyth and can happily amuse myself there for several hours. Especially with a pork and stuffing batch, or sausage bap from Morgan’s the Butchers, or a bag of pick and mix from Mollie’s. You have to admit any town on a wet day is dismal, a

It is quite apt that I am starting my blog on March 1. Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus ! Happy Saint David day. If you’re still wondering he’s the patron saint of Wales. For me, Wales is my second home, especially this cute little village of Llanrhystud, located on the busy A487 between the seaside towns of Aberystwyth and Aberaeron which I will explore later. I spent pretty much every half term holiday and summer holiday here at Greenacres Caravan Park, now called Penrhos Park, but ow