Walking 1000 miles from Lands end to John O'Groats in aid of The Air Ambulance (starts april 7th 2024)

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Day twelve-its all looking mighty familiar!

With no trees overhead last night the tent is very soggy with mist far from the first time! Packed away as it was we followed the canal north to Braunston, with many a good morning to the barge folk-nice people these :)
into the village and another provision stop (more dog food!) and we're on a familiar path the jurassic way, many parts of which I've followed in my walking! Not this bit tho. Through the lovely Ashby St Ledgers and over what might be the busiest collection of routes I've seen with a railway,a canal,an A road and the M1 all crossing the path within eight hundred yards or so!
Through Watford (known for its gap!) Staying with the jurassic way to West Haddon, east across country we we're spoilt with a free air show as the last remaining Vulcan bomber circled overhead for a good fifteen minutes!
Onwards through Hollowell and Cotesbrooke we reach the far south west edge of my local walking territory! And find another wild camp this time next to the Lamport valley way, near Hanging Houghton.
Which leaves us with a very short stretch to get us home tomorrow !

Day eleven-overtaking ourselves!


After another very surprisingly undisturbed night we head off at first light, with a gentle mist around us we pass through Newbold Paceys hall grounds to get to the road at Ashorne. A couple of miles of this takes us over the M40 , squeezing through an overgrown kiss gate and the unobvious path takes us to Chesterton, passing its fairly remote church we cross country to Bishops Itchington for restock of provisions, on through Ladbroke, over the hill via footpath and over a road named on the map as the Welsh road (no idea why?) More obscure paths lead us finally (after much swearing) to Napton on the hill, or more importantly the folly pub on the Oxford canal,a nice pint of doom bar (didn't know you could it so close to home!) And a good meal see's us following the canal north, with lots of chatting to barge dwelling folk and a relaxing pace as we are ahead of schedule, lazily watch the evening approach and set the tent up for the night on the tow path.