Important Info

Planned kilometres: 31 (cummulative 581)

Kilometres walked: 34 (cummulative 618)

% Completed (based on 1800km trip): 34.3%

Weather: Sunny

Pubs visited:  The Newbridge

Pints: 1 (cummulative 61)

Kms per pint: 10.1

Blisters: 1 (cummulative 3)

 

Kidderminster to Wolverhampton

Today’s walk was continuing along the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal walk. The canal was quiet as I started out as I was on the canal by 8am.

Initially I passed a few locks and phot below shows the lock gate with rasied steps that help you to push off on when opening the gate.

This is one boat I wish I had never taken a photo of as I had the theme tune to the Flintstones running through my head for the rest of the morning (as probably a couple of you do now). I love how their home town is listed as Bedrock, Austcliffe.

I finally came across a lock that was being operated to let a canal boat through, so I had a break and watched how the process worked. I don’t think I would have the patience to be on a canal boat especially with how long it takes to get through a lock and the slow speed they operate at. I got passed by canal boats and them would pass them when they were al the locks and we would keep passing each other multiple times during the day.

Not sure if this photo shows the impact of lack cashflow but couldn’t resist a finance related photo sometime on the trip.

I am also not sure what a Wine Wolf is, but I certainly know some wine monsters, so maybe this is just a more specific species.

Today I met the first person on a Lands End to John O’Groats walk. Most people on the path are either walking dogs or have no gear, so when I saw someone with a full backpack, I had to stop to chat. His name was also Andrew and he was from Rotherham and if you thought I was crazy doing what I’m doing, he was taking it to a whole new level. He was free camping and told me that he had been travelling for 9 days and had last had a shower 7 day prior, so I stood a metre or 2 away when talking to him. I’m okay with the walking each day but the first thing I look forward to when getting to my hotel is a hot shower/bath to warm up, relax the leg muscles and fell clean. He was not just doing one length of the UK but up and down, He was planning to walk from Rotherham down to Lands’ End and then up to John O’Groats and the back to Rotherham. He was expecting the trip to take him at least 5 months.

 

I left the canal and joined the South Staffordshire Railway Walk which is along the path of a rail line that ceased operation in 1965. The walk is mainly along raised rail banks and through rail cuttings and during the walk I passed by old overgrown rail platforms and over old rail bridges.

Due to my early start I arrived in Wolverhampton mid afternoon and that gave me plenty of time to Uber to Waitrose supermarket to pick up replacement battery for my Surface Pro. I looked at walking but decided that I didn’t need to day an additional 6 km round trip walk for something to do.

 

My body has started to recover, and I was pleased to find that my thumb is no longer swollen, but I did acquire a new blister from todays walk. I can’t complain as I think 3 blisters in 600kms is pretty good.