LEJOG day 24: Seisdon to Penkridge
It's half-past four as I settle down to write this and I've already been here over an hour. I've showered, sorted out wifi, caught up on highly urgent Internet surfing and made myself a cup of tea. It is just possible I could have managed to make this adventure shorter by pushing myself more, but that doesn't sound fun and having short days means I get to stop for cups of tea along the way. Plus I like to think it reduces the risk of my picking up any serious injury, which would utterly derail the endeavour. Today I arrived just as I was beginning to think my foot seriously hurt.
Before we get into that, though, I have to gush about my day off. Now I initially thought I was going to spend the whole day sitting in my room, quite possibly in my pyjamas, as the place I was staying was at least a mile in every direction from any other building except the pub. However, while investigating potential solutions to a minor laundry crisis, I discovered a nearby National Trust property on the outskirts of Wolverhampton- and a bus that stopped virtually in the car park of both my pub and said NT house. Victory! So instead of getting the bus to the laundrette, my hostess did my laundry and I swanned off to poke around an arts-and-crafts house entirely stuffed with William Morris furnishings and decoration and original artworks by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (Rossetti and Millais, mainly) and associated artists. I even bought a (tiny!) jigsaw puzzle in the shop and I am very happy!
In the course of my recent days off I also reviewed today's route and discovered that I had included a questionably necessary arc meaning I approached Penkridge via the canal and Staffordshire Way, walking almost due East. A couple of moments' peering my phone screen demonstrated an alternative direct route along roads, meaning I'd walk into town going North-North-East instead, and cut down the distance by two miles. I wondered as I walked it and my foot began to hurt which would have been less painful: two extra miles, but on mud and grass, or the shorter route on tarmac. We will never know.
I crossed both the M54 and the Shropshire Union Canal- one much louder than the other- but the day split into two halves: a meander along nice footpaths with the Staffs Way, and then a tramp along pleasantly quiet roads after lunch. I was quite happy until my foot began to really hurt, but by then I only had another half-mile to go. Now my biggest problem is deciding whether to walk for 15 minutes to what Google reviewers reckon is Penkridge's best restaurant, or be extremely lazy and eat in the pub downstairs.
Distance walked: 15.3 miles
Time taken: 5h (almost exactly)
Percentage complete: 34% - over 1/3rd!
Miles per £1 of boot: 3.57
Lunch: tuna and cucumber sandwich (look, there's only about four sandwich options I'll eat, ok?) and orange and mango juice, and I've just eaten the cucumber sticks and sour cream and chive dip I bought to get a meal deal offer
Last night's B&B: Beggars Roost, Seisdon/Pattingham/Shipley: lovely place, welcoming hosts- dried my boots, did my laundry, fed me, and last night semi-dragged me into the kitchen to hang out and drink a glass of wine with them all. Would recommend.
Casual original Millais portrait of Effie
"Build me a modern house! With electricity! But make it look four hundred years old, please"
I did my jigsaw
"Ford" the map said. "Track which is actually a stream" might be more accurate. Did give me a chance to thoroughly wash the bottoms of my boots and check the waterproofing, though
Yes this is another photo of barge boards. But also tiny tiny gargoyles!
The Swan Hotel, Brewood
Before we get into that, though, I have to gush about my day off. Now I initially thought I was going to spend the whole day sitting in my room, quite possibly in my pyjamas, as the place I was staying was at least a mile in every direction from any other building except the pub. However, while investigating potential solutions to a minor laundry crisis, I discovered a nearby National Trust property on the outskirts of Wolverhampton- and a bus that stopped virtually in the car park of both my pub and said NT house. Victory! So instead of getting the bus to the laundrette, my hostess did my laundry and I swanned off to poke around an arts-and-crafts house entirely stuffed with William Morris furnishings and decoration and original artworks by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (Rossetti and Millais, mainly) and associated artists. I even bought a (tiny!) jigsaw puzzle in the shop and I am very happy!
In the course of my recent days off I also reviewed today's route and discovered that I had included a questionably necessary arc meaning I approached Penkridge via the canal and Staffordshire Way, walking almost due East. A couple of moments' peering my phone screen demonstrated an alternative direct route along roads, meaning I'd walk into town going North-North-East instead, and cut down the distance by two miles. I wondered as I walked it and my foot began to hurt which would have been less painful: two extra miles, but on mud and grass, or the shorter route on tarmac. We will never know.
I crossed both the M54 and the Shropshire Union Canal- one much louder than the other- but the day split into two halves: a meander along nice footpaths with the Staffs Way, and then a tramp along pleasantly quiet roads after lunch. I was quite happy until my foot began to really hurt, but by then I only had another half-mile to go. Now my biggest problem is deciding whether to walk for 15 minutes to what Google reviewers reckon is Penkridge's best restaurant, or be extremely lazy and eat in the pub downstairs.
Distance walked: 15.3 miles
Time taken: 5h (almost exactly)
Percentage complete: 34% - over 1/3rd!
Miles per £1 of boot: 3.57
Lunch: tuna and cucumber sandwich (look, there's only about four sandwich options I'll eat, ok?) and orange and mango juice, and I've just eaten the cucumber sticks and sour cream and chive dip I bought to get a meal deal offer
Last night's B&B: Beggars Roost, Seisdon/Pattingham/Shipley: lovely place, welcoming hosts- dried my boots, did my laundry, fed me, and last night semi-dragged me into the kitchen to hang out and drink a glass of wine with them all. Would recommend.
Wightwick Manor, which being a place in England is pronounced with only half its letters
Congrats to 34% Louise. Well done. Howvis your foot?
ReplyDeleteSO SORE. I limped out for dinner tonight. I'm going to stretch and massage it and then really pray it's better in the morning because it feels like someone's stabbing me with each step at the moment :/
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