Walking 1000 miles in 2016: How I did it

Though I walk regularly anyway, I decided to "up my game" for 2016, and follow Country Walking Magazine's #Walk 1000 Miles Challenge

1000 miles in a year isn't a lot - it's just less than 3 miles per day, so quite achieveable for most people really. I made it a bit tougher, by deciding to only count "boots on" miles - ie. not just ordinary walking round the shops, and round the house.
On January 1st I walked round Wormleighton, Oxfordshire, (link: one-canal-two-deserted-villages) and met this fierce looking Texel sheep standing on the grassy humps of a deserted Medieval village

Later in the month, I met more sheep, on a cold January day on the Sheepwalks- little known hills just outside the Black Country (Link:  sheepwalks-in-late-afternoon.)

In February, we started the Monarch's Way Long distance path (over 600 miles, and I've only covered about 70 so far.)This is White Ladies Priory, where King Charles spent the night after he fled from the defeat at the Battle of Worcester. (Link:  in-footsteps-of-escaping-king)

Stately homes offer good walking in their grounds: this is Blenheim Palace at Easter. (I'd never do it again because of the Bank Holiday crowds, though they thinned out as we started our walk.)( (Link:  blenheim-palace-grounds-celebrating-300.years of Capability Brown)

In May, my husband needed to go to London: I accompanied him and walked from the Thames Barrier to Tower Bridge while he sat in a stuffy meeting. (Link:  stormy-times-and-high-tides-thames)

I discovered a fabulous walk local to me: Habberley Valley, near Kidderminster - one of my new favourites. You climb steeply upwards through some dispiriting woodlands, but at the top there is a fantastic view over the whole of the Black Country as well as parts of Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Shropshire. (North Worcestershire path on the skyline) (Link:  short-but-superb-habberley-valley-near.Kidderminster)

I love urban canals, especially those round Birmingham - they are so secret. This canal goes right under the M5.(Link:  narrow-boats-pools-and-motorways.html)

June saw me in Gloucestershire: this is an Iron Age Barrow that you can climb right inside - known locally as Hetty Pegler's Tump (Link: climbing-inside-bronze-age-barrow-uley)

I spent much of the summer holiday sailing - at home and in Cornwall, so I got a bit behind on my walking, though I did manage some miles. This is Loe Pool in Cornwall - Cornwall's largest lake. (Link: gentle-walk-round-loe-bar)


Another great local walk: along the Severn Valley....

...  and back by steam train (Link: severn-stroll-bewdley-to-arley)

In October, I did my favourite walk of the year: climbing Cadair Idris. Fantastic views all the way.

Daughter Ruth accompanied me to the summit


..and photographed me starting the descent. (Link: cader-challenge-could-you-do-it)

I went out in all weathers. Pouring rain on the Malverns, but a lovely rainbow at the end of the walk. If I'd stayed in, I would have missed it. (But I would have been drier!) I didn't blog this walk - too wet!

Most of my walks were local - through fields to get a newspaper, for example,  or, as here, along the Staffs and Worcs Canal to a tearoom in Wolverley

This walk was my most popular blog post this year, and though it looks sunny, this was in late Autumn (Link:  a-tearoom-walk-kinver-to-wolverley)

Two unpublished pictures from December: we went to Barmouth to walk part of the Mawddach Trail, and this was the best view on the whole walk(!) 

 ...but back at the cottage, a late afternoon walk the following day gave us this beautiful sunset

I finished my 1000 miles, boots only walk on 31st December, in the dying light of the old year, on my local walk on Kinver Edge (South Staffs)

It's been a great year - and I have really enjoyed the challenge. 

What about you - could you do this? With a little planning, it's definitely possible - you make up your own rules. Some people counted all their steps, some just did walks of a certain length. Look at the Facebook page to see more. Or get a copy of Country Walking magazine of course. Let me know how you get on.

Enville to Kinver - your big winter walk?

This is a lovely walk in its own right, but combine it with the previous walk (click here) and you can get a 9/10 mile walk which could be done on Boxing Day or New Year's Day.

It passes though the Enville Estate's sweeping parkland, much of it designed by William Shenstone.

I started this section in Enville,  - you can park near this shop

I went up to look at the church - it's one of my favourites, because of this lovely stone work on its tower

Sandstone churches are fairly rare - and sandstone does erode easily, as the worn door decorations showed

I walked past the post office

...and on into Enville Hall's grounds

There's a glimpse of Enville's church through the trees.

Past Enville cricket club's scoreboard 

...and the impressive stables.

A horse dashed up to meet me. Enville is famous for its point to pointers.

Looking back towards the hall

The last of the Autumn leaves were still clinging on

The pool by Home Farm

This walk is mostly on the Staffordshire way, and is easy to follow (and to walk)

There are good open views back across to the Million (the woodland from the previous walk)

It's easy to miss the old ice house.

The higher land aheasd is Kinver Edge

The path continued to the very edge of Kinver, 

...where I turned right along a road for about 100 metres, then left into the next woodland (still on the Staffs Way)

The path brought me to Windsor Crescent, 

...where I looked towards Kinver Edge, with its famous rock houses.  I decided to leave them to another day. (They are worthy of a blog all to themselves)

Instead I followed paths between the houses. (They all lead to the next so it's difficult to go wrong). Here, at Compton Gardens, I turned down Stone Lane and into the village

Kinver's sandstone church is on a rocky outcrop high above the village

The windows were decorated ready for Christmas

This route is very easy, and very worthwhile to walk. It's just over 3.5 miles. You can use two cars and walk it one way, or do it as an out and back route of 7.2 miles
Or you can combine it with this route (click here)  Then all you need to do is walk an extra mile along the canal to the Stewponey Lock. This combination makes a 10 mile round trip. Suitable to walk off the Christmas calories on Boxing Day? Or to walk on January 1st to start a New Year's resolution to get fitter/walk more? Of which, more anon....

Today's walk: 3.5 miles, easy walking. Park in Enville. (Visit the church first - lovely views) Then follow the Staffordshire Way through the Enville estate and on to Kinver. On reaching the road in Kinver, walk in a straight line between the houses, until you reach Compton Gardens and its junction with Stone Lane. Turn left down Stone Lane and right at the bottom onto Kinver High Street. Cafes, restaurants and pubs galore here. My current favourite is the Olde House Tea rooms

Stewpony to Enville - a beautiful, but easy winter walk!

The weather has been fantastic just lately. Cold, but bright and sunny. Just the ideal conditions for this walk.
I started at Stewpony Lock (the Stewpony was a famous local pub - now demolished), where there is good parking.

These circular weirs are a feature of the Staffs and Worcs Canal

Having admired the rushing overflow, I began walking along the towpath,

...catching a glimpse of Stourton Castle through the trees (it's invisible from here in summer). One of the castle gates has a hole in it, made by a cannonball in the English Civil War.

Towards Stourton Bridge,...

..and then on, northwards.

Two waterways here, the canal on the right, and the glassy River Stour on the left

I crossed the aqueduct over the Stour

It was almost December, yet there were still plenty of leaves on the trees, especially the oaks. Lots floating in the canal though.

At Prestwood Bridge, I turned left ...

...onto a clear bridle path

...which crossed Greensforge Lane, and then began to climb gently

Near the top, the views were fantastic, over towards Worcestershire's Clent Hills on one side...

...and towards the Black Country on the the other.

Gothersley Farm's tree was almost as bright as a burning bush

The path continued through The Million woodland

It was very easy to follow - and good walking underfoot, because its on sandstone

Eventually, the path reached the A458, with a handy footpath on the verge

After about 100 metres, I turned right onto another lane/path

Quarter of a mile later, I turned left onto this footpath. The donkeys in this field didn't want to be photographed! (Nor the Shetland - too interested in feeding)

As the path continued,the village of Enville came into view

Reaching the very minor road, I turned left, past an inquisitive sheep

Being on a main road, people often overlook Enville

...but there are some interesting buildings, mostly built in Enville brick

The church is sandstone, with lovely views and lacy stonework - well worth a visit

You can get chocolate from the tiny, old-fashioned Enville Post Office

The old school .

The walk was about 5 miles, and a top quality walk. You can do it with two cars, leaving one at the Stewpony, and one in Enville. Following your walk, you could drive back to Kinver and its tearooms or eat at the Cat Public House.
Or you could wait for the next blog, and see how this walk can be combined with the next one to make a nice 10 mile round trip- to do on Boxing Day, or New Year's Day perhaps.
The route: Start from Stewpony lock  - Junction of A449 and A458. Good parking, but no phone signal!Walk past the lock, along the canal (ignoring the turn off to Stourbridge) until Prestwood Bridge, where you turn left onto a bridle path - follow this uphill (it becomes a private road at one point), past Gothersley stables and into the Million woods. Just keep going straight on, ignoring any junctions. At the road, cross and continue in the same direction on the other side. Then follow the raod verge for 100 metres. Turn Right onto a road/track. After just over 1/4 mile, turn left onto a path which heads towards Enville. The path becomes a lane. At the junction, turn Left and follow the road into Enville. Make sure you visit the church, or at least its grounds. Return by the same route if you haven't left a car here!

The next blog continues this, to make a round walk. Click here. You combine the 2 walks, and then walk a mile along the canal to get back to your start at the Stewponey. Can't recommend highly enough.