Author Topic: Suggest a first LDP for me?  (Read 2415 times)

Steve922

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Suggest a first LDP for me?
« on: 14:46:54, 11/04/18 »
I'm aiming to walk the WHW later in the year but I'd like to have a warm-up to test me and my equipment first. I'm getting on now and in poor health so I'm hoping to try out on something not too demanding.
    Ideally not too long or hilly with wild-camping not difficult to find. The less horses and cows, the better; I'm not keen on animals bigger than me!

gunwharfman

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Re: Suggest a first LDP for me?
« Reply #1 on: 15:45:01, 11/04/18 »
Where do you live, how far do you want to travel from your home for this warm up walk? Will you want to drive to the start of the walk or perhaps train, bus or coach?

alan de enfield

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Re: Suggest a first LDP for me?
« Reply #2 on: 15:49:58, 11/04/18 »

Its not far for you to pop over to Lincolnshire - you could try a few days on the 147 Mile "Viking Way".
Apart from the Wolds (which are oversized molehills) its pretty flat.

The Way is so named because it crosses an area which was occupied by Norse invaders. From the banks of the River Humber it crosses the Lincolnshire Wolds to Caistor, then along the Bain valley to Horncastle from where the Spa Trail is followed along the trackbed of a former railway to Woodhall Spa and along the Witham Valley, crossing flat fenland to Lincoln. Turning along the limestone escarpment of Lincoln Cliff and over Lincoln Heath, the route of the prehistoric Sewstern Lane is traced to reach Woolsthorpe Locks on the Grantham Canal. Another section of Sewstern Lane and other old tracks are followed to Thistleton from where the Way takes field-paths and lanes past Greetham, Exton and Rutland Water. At Oakham it links with the Macmillan Way and the Hereward Way.

https://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?menu_type=S&path_name=Viking+Way


All necessary charts and information is broken down into '8-12 mile' bite-sized chunks on this page :


https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/countryside/visiting/walking/viking-way/120966.article
« Last Edit: 15:57:14, 11/04/18 by alan de enfield »

Islandplodder

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Re: Suggest a first LDP for me?
« Reply #3 on: 19:25:41, 11/04/18 »

The Great Glen Way which starts pretty much where the WHW finishes but is much easier going and has the advantage of being in Scotland where wild camping is easier, and being close to a bus route for a lot of the trail if you need an escape.  I can't think of anywhere along it that you would be likely to meet a cow.   Or maybe the Dales Way if you didn't want to go so far north.  Both are reasonably easy to get to, and they are both a bit shorter than the WHW.
 Have a look at the LDWA website, that has hundreds of walks and gives you a good idea of how demanding each trail is. 

gunwharfman

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Re: Suggest a first LDP for me?
« Reply #4 on: 19:50:23, 11/04/18 »
One route you could consider, it fits your criteria, is the High Weald Trail from Sussex into Kent. Catch a train to Horsham, get off the train and you are on the walk. As it meanders its way through fields, woods, villages and orchards there are numerous opportunities to cut it short (rail stations are often nearby) should you so wish. Or, you could do the whole route to Rye and then catch a train home. The opportunities for wild camping, in my experience, are endless. The villages en route (and pubs) are, again in my view, are some of the best I've come across. If you are also looking for the 'rustic', for culture, middle class values, observing our class system in action, etc, there is something for everyone on this route. Villages like Goudhurst, Cranbrook, Tenterden and of course Rye are as good as you will find anywhere in the UK.

Steve922

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Re: Suggest a first LDP for me?
« Reply #5 on: 23:32:07, 11/04/18 »
Some really nice stuff there, guys. Thanks so much.

High Weald Trail:  I confess I never thought about so far South but you make it sound pretty nice :-) Is it Arable or Pasture land down there? Animals or Crops?

Great Glen Way : Sounds perfect but so far North for a shorter initial walk. I was thinking about this instead of the WHW actually.

The Viking Way : So close to me. The lower 50 miles or so is only some 20 or so miles from me (yay for the free bus pass :-) But again... Animals or Crops?

gunwharfman. I live on the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border. Junction 28 of the M1. I prefer to travel by car if there's somewhere to park but can manage bus for shorter distances. Trains are ok for further afield but they are so ridiculously expensive now!

alan de enfield

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Re: Suggest a first LDP for me?
« Reply #6 on: 23:47:58, 11/04/18 »



The Viking Way : So close to me. The lower 50 miles or so is only some 20 or so miles from me (yay for the free bus pass :-) But again... Animals or Crops?




There are very few animals in rural Lincolnshire - particularly if you are looking at (say) Lincoln down to Oakham.
Crops - yes but much of it tends to be root crops (Sugarbeet, Carrots, Potatoes) but increasingly Rape and Maize, with a little Barley and Wheat.


If you don't want to go where there are animals or crops or hills then you may have some difficulty in finding somewhere to walk.


Maybe another possibility would be to do a Canal Tow-Path walk - you are not far from the Trent & Mersey Canal, (about 60 miles from Sawley to Preston Brook) no animals, no crops, little in the way of hills, not much opportunity for wild camping tho'. Never far from 'facilities' should health problems strike - but - never far from the 'madding crowd' either.


You pays your money and takes your choice.


Steve922

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Re: Suggest a first LDP for me?
« Reply #7 on: 00:14:54, 12/04/18 »
To be clear, Crops and sheep are fine, its animals bigger than me which I'd like to avoid. Last year I spent a week near Ashbourne and every day walk I went on was spent trying to avoid Cows. Cows which wouldn't let me through gates or over stiles and Cows (Bullocks I think) which came charging over the field as soon as I was spotted. Not malicious but BIG and stupid! And too inquisitive.
    Hills are ok too, just not big or endless hills. I'd sooner go flatter at first.
   Canal walking sounds interesting. The Nottingham canal starts only about 6 miles from me and IIRC there should be plenty of opportunity to wildcamp at the side. Interesting but might get a bit repetitive. :-)
« Last Edit: 00:18:27, 12/04/18 by Steve922 »

gunwharfman

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Re: Suggest a first LDP for me?
« Reply #8 on: 09:24:53, 12/04/18 »
High Weald Trail, everything you might ever want, except mountains. There are large rocks around the Tunbridge Wells area if you fancy a climb and scramble, it will only take a few minutes to complete.

Cows, yes, I'm sure just to pass those long daylight hours they deliberately gather at stiles to annoy and scare hikers. They must be having great fun and when they move they leave behind churned up muddy earth and their droppings for us to tip toe through.

Deolman

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Re: Suggest a first LDP for me?
« Reply #9 on: 23:34:44, 13/04/18 »
Sandstone trail runs from Frodsham to Whitchurch. At approx 32 miles it can be done in two or three days. Very varied terrain steepish climbs, Delamere Forest, and canal walking into Whitchurch. It was my first LDW and I chose it to test myself and my gear before walking Hadrians Wall later the same year. 

scottk

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Re: Suggest a first LDP for me?
« Reply #10 on: 23:18:05, 18/04/18 »
Be aware that you will come across quite a few animals on the WHW. At a couple of places I had to walk through fields of cows, the second time with calves around which is a bit nerve wracking as you can't be too sure what they might do.

 

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