Ruth Kidson

John dropped me off outside the cafe in Great Bircham and I started off.  The walk to Syderstone was lovely - pretty countryside, lots of wildlife and quiet country roads.  I reached there around midday and continued on my way to South Creake.  I was enjoying the walk so much that I was thinking of carrying on to Walsingham.  

I got to South Creake around 1.30. and found a nice little cafe in a pretty garden centre, where I had a very welcome cup of coffee.  

But I hadn't brought the map of the last leg of the walk with me, thinking I'd be stopping at South Creake.  Fortunately the lady behind the counter in the cafe was able to direct me.  I rang John to say I was going to try to get to Walsingham.

Setting off from the cafe, I followed the directions and checked with someone who came out into his garden at just the right time, that I was on track (I was).  It was a pleasant walk although quite hilly in places (or what passes for hilly in Norfolk!).  And, while I had thought it was twelve miles from Great Bircham to Walsingham, it turned out to be just under fourteen.  LESSON THREE don't overstretch yourself.  I've been feeling exhausted for much of today!  But I'm really glad to have done it.  And John was there waiting in the High Street to pick me up when I arrived just after 4pm.

So I've now reached and passed my target of 31 miles and, since there's still a fair bit of October to go, have increased my target to 60 miles.  The local ramblers have a six mile group walk on the programme every week this month, and I tend to walk two to three miles most days, so I hope to reach my target without too much trouble.  Watch this space!

The day started well enough.  John dropped me off at Sandringham, at the spot where he'd picked me up the previous afternoon.  It was a short walk to the Sandringham church - the one where the Royal Family goes for the Christmas day service - so I went to have a look.  Unfortunately, the gates into the church grounds were securely padlocked, so the photo I got wasn't very good.  I wasn't the only person complaining about not being able to get in to have a look - even if it was only to walk round the exterior.  

So then I started the walk from Sandringham to Anmer.  I don't know what it is about Sandringham, but I find it vaguely depressing.  Usually I like woodland but the Sandringham woods seem more gloomy than most.  The walk to Anmer wasn't very interesting - and this was where I made my mistake.  The OS map had shown a road going NE towards Great Bircham and I had marked this as the one to take.  But when I looked at Google maps, I mistook it for the B1153, which is why I walked past the road I should have taken and then spent an hour walking on the busy B road, having to stop frequently and press myself into the side of the road to allow traffic to get past safely.  Most (but not all) gave me a wide berth and some slowed down (they were the ones I thanked).  One idiot on the other side of the road hooted me - and one charming woman stopped to ask if I needed a lift (which, of course, I declined).  By the time I got to Great Bircham, having walked seven miles, I was stressed out and rang John to pick me up.  Fortunately, there is a lovely cafe in the village where I got an excellent cup of coffee and was able to sit and wait for my lift.

Lesson One - when you're making your way through or out of a town, even if you know the area well, carry a street map.  I had looked at the map and thought I knew the route.  Unfortunately the directions on the Explore West Norfolk website, which is promoting it, are sketchy to say the least.  (The route hasn't been officially 'launched' yet so one hopes the directions will improve in due course.)  Suffice it to say, I soon realised that, although I knew where I was, I had no idea where I was meant to be.  So I decided to take the route I know well out of Lynn towards South Wootton, which was the next place on the pilgrim trail.  This meant walking beside the very busy A148 and, at one point, having to double back to the last set of traffic lights to cross the road, since the pavement on the side I'd been walking suddenly disappeared.

It wasn't a very nice walk - particularly when lorries went past at a rate of knots - but the sun was shining and it was good walking weather.  It was lovely at last to turn off the road into South Wootton and get away from all that traffic! 

I walked up to North Wootton and stopped for lunch and a rest.  Then it was on to Sandringham. By this time it had clouded over but the temperature was still mild.  I walked through the woods to Castle Rising - always a pleasant walk.  Then down past the almshouses and onto the path leading to the A149 where I walked along the cycle path/footpath that runs in a dip beside it.  Eventually the path ends and I crossed the road and headed for Sandringham.  I reached the car park at 4.20. and found a bench to sit on while I waited for John to pick me up.  

I'm still feeling some of the after effects of the Covid jab, but I was able to walk two and a half miles today.  We walked up to the woods and part way through them.  The ground was littered with twigs and even a couple of larger branches but was very pretty, with a carpet of green, yellow and brown leaves.  There were also a lot of chestnuts (sweet, not conkers).  I don't think I've ever seen as many as there are this year.  

I'd forgotten that I had booked my Covid jab for Thursday - and I'd forgotten how badly I react to them.  So most of yesterday was spent dealing with aching muscles and headache, and I have postponed my Walsingham walk till next weekend.  However, I did walk a mile and a half today, so it's a start.