Sunday was an awful day,weather wise and I had an itchy mouse-finger, so I gave him some exercise in Memory Map – I began planning the South West England section of end-to-end walk.
Before Sunday planning had been very tentative. I have a rough route sketched out and a single day walk properly planned between Winsford and Knutsford (see earlier post), but once I got started on Sunday I seemed to get carried away with the planning bug and before I knew it I had 18 days mapped out.
I’ve decided to go south from Lands End and follow the South West Coast Path as far as Plymouth, from where I use the Erme Plym Trail to reach Ivybridge and pick up the Two Moors Way to reach Lynmouth. From there options become a bit more tricky and I still need to find some reasonable paths through Somerset, ideally through the Quantocks, Mendips and Cheddar to get to Chepstow and the beginning of the Welsh Coast to Coast.
I’ve started out easy; the first 10 days or so only clock up 120 miles, but I will need to find my feet and gain my strength without feeling like I have to crack out 18 mile days to stay on target. I’ve not even checked whether there is accommodation available at some stops – that will come with the second stage of planning.
My only concession to powered transport for the whole route will be ferries and there are several required on this section of the walk (the purple waypoints). Other than ferries I will be walking everywhere – no lifts to and from B&Bs – no lifts to the pub – just walking (and ferries). Well that’s the plan anyway – and you know what they say about planning – it’s only good until first contact with the enemy.
The first 18 days:
1 Lands End – Mousehole 12.5 mls
2 Mousehole – Sydney Cove 12.1 mls
3 Sydney Cove – Mullion 11.0 mls
4 Mullion – Cadgwith 11.1 mls
5 Cadgwith – St. Keverne 9.9 mls
6 St. Keverne – Falmouth 14.3 mls
7 Falmouth – Portloe 10.7 mls
8 Portloe – Mevagissey 10.5 mls
9 Mevagissey – Fowey 13.6 mls
10 Fowey – Looe 11.4 mls
11 Looe – Torpoint 13.3 mls
12 Torpoint – Ivybridge 20.3 mls
13 Ivybridge – Holne 13.2 mls
14 Holne – Chagford 17.0 mls
15 Chagford – Morchard Bishop 18.4 mls
16 Morchard Bishop – Knowstone 14.6 mls
17 Knowstone – Simonsbath 16.0 mls
18 Simonsbath – Porlock 22.0 mls
5 thoughts on “LEJOG Planning Frenzy”
Good on you! Pleased to see you’re not following the herd and are choosing your own route. I’m looking to do LEJOG in a couple of years time and also want to avoid the McCloy recommended route, and like you am looking to build mine around a theme -for me it’s going to be about keeping as far as possible to the more remote and wilderness areas.
I’ll follow with interest how your thoughts and planning develop. Hopefully, you won’t have to wait until 2020 to do your walk though!!
A nice alternative route -especially the Two Moors route
The Cicerone End-to-End Trail book gives a route that goes through the Quantocks and Cheddar to Chepstow. We didn’t follow much of it, but it was certainly a useful resource. I was particularly impressed with the suggested route from Easton-in-Gourdano to Chepstow – it was a day that felt like it was going to be overshadowed by motorways, but in the event we were only aware of them when we either crossed them or had to walk on their adjacent walkways to get across the Avon and the Severn.
My folks live in Falmouth, so there is one stop sorted out!
Now the fun starts! Good to see you choosing your own route rather than McCloys.You will need to start slow if you are on the coastal path – it’s a real switchback and was incredibly grim in rough weather! Always be prepared to dive inland to get away from the worst of it!
Carrying a tent will give you a lot more options.Good luck with the planning.