Today was a much more challenging day route-wise than yesterday, as I was mostly in the countryside. I had predicted a 22 mile walk, which with good access should have taken between 6 and 7 hours. As it was I covered 24 miles, taking nearly 9 hours.
Instead of laying out my own route, this was my first experience of following a slowways route. Slowways is a new initiave, launched this year to connect every settlement in Great Britain with walking routes. I used it for the overall planning of my walk, from settlement to settlement, aiming for a roughly straight line. For example yesterday covering Enfield-Potters Bar-Hatfield(-Flamstead). However, I’ve mostly used the actual routes Slowways gives as guidance, and optimised them myself – primarily to reduce the overall distance (and I’m generally happy walking on roads so long as they’re not too busy).
But today I followed Winlei one, between Leighton Buzzard and Winslow in Buckinghamshire. It wasn’t a great success – follow the link and see my review for more details.
I got here eventually though, and am now safely ensconsed in the quaint Bell Hotel, Winslow. Their specaility is pies, so given I didn’t manage to find one last night, I’m expecting great things tonight.
Things I have learnt today:
- Do not wear shorts when trying out new footpaths for the first time in summer. Stinging nettles are legion.
- Listening to music when walking not only runs your headphone batteries down faster than audiobooks but also means you can’t hear a car screaming towards you with its horn blaring.
- England has better 4G coverage than Wales. In fact, so far it seems to have 100% coverage.
- Haribo are the densest and tastiest form of carbohydrate.
- I’m not looking forward to the thunderstorms forecast tomorrow.
- Sleep last night: 7hr 41min (unconvinced)
- Miles covered: 24.3/49 (today/total)
- Miles to go: 160 (estimate)
- Steps: 52,007/103,373 (today/total)
- Calories expended walking: 4,280
- Walking speed (kph): 3.2-6.4
- Arrival at hotel: 13:44
Route:
- Premier Inn Luton South (Flemstead)
- Markyate
- Dunstable
- Leighton Buzzard
- Stewkely
- Winslow
![A cleared path through a field of wheat](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d2cd1e_1424326050684824b1440633c9f0f720~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_750,h_563,al_c,q_20/file.jpg)
![A footbridge over a stream, with (wobbly) guardrails on each side](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d2cd1e_a587c22b9ba3413fad69948e505bd62a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_750,h_1000,al_c,q_20/file.jpg)
![An overgrown path](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d2cd1e_a720477497ce4949a82ce9eaea6db692~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_750,h_1000,al_c,q_20/file.jpg)
![A dodgy footbridge consisting of 2 rolling sleepers badly fastened together](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d2cd1e_01b204d8b41543269723d5dcf06f1cc4~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_750,h_1000,al_c,q_20/file.jpg)
![A dual carriageway with signs warning of pedestrians crossing](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d2cd1e_c89092140eb74eb48fd2ddc0f6a438af~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_750,h_352,al_c,q_20/file.jpg)
![A large, imposing building on the in Winslow](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d2cd1e_1fea7d461b314e05be4dbe1008761a85~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_750,h_563,al_c,q_20/file.jpg)