Saturday, 12 February 2000

Coastwalk

King's Lynn → Sutton Bridge

[Neverending Fenland]

Distance: 13.3 miles
Ascent: unknown
Duration: unknown

Forever fenland
« Hunstanton | Gedney Drove End »

The ferry from King's Lynn to West Lynn at the start of this walk cuts a full two miles off the walk. It hardly seemed worthwhile, but I'm addicted to these small passenger ferries -- frequently little more than a rowing boat -- so I took the short cut.

I don't know that I'd have finished the walk had I not. My remains would probably have been uncovered buried in the mud somewhere on the edge of The Wash.

It's not that it was a long walk, or that it the scenery was tiresome (though it was certainly repetitive). Much of the walk even has a name: Peter Scott Walk.

No, what tried to kill me today was the wind. I was walking head on into the wind all day and it felt as though I completed the thirteen miles twice over in a marathon feat.

The Peter Scott Walk ends at a car-park by the mouth of the River Nene. Not two hundred metres away on the opposite bank the path continues round The Wash, but there is no crossing the Nene here. Instead, it's a four mile hike down to Sutton Bridge, to be repeated in reverse when I tackle the next step.

The big achievement of the day though was crossing the border into Lincolnshire. Now that I'm out of Norfolk I've completed East Anglia -- no small feat. (Unless you count Essex; there are plenty more estuaries for me there yet.)

For once it feels as though I might just be able to complete this circuit before I die. There's a long way to go yet, but chalking off not just another county but and entire region has suddenly pushed the unattainable within reach.

Posted by pab at 22:40