Hiking Long Distance Footpaths

The Saxon Shore Way is a 163 mile long footpath from Gravesend in Kent to Hastings in West Sussex. It follows the old Saxon shore and passes through beautiful coastline and countryside. I hiked this early in 2020 completing it by walking the next stage early Saturday mornings. It’s amazing what you do in a few hours before lunch on a Saturday before you’re missed too much. 

The South Downs Way is a 100 mile national trail from Winchester to Eastbourne in the South of England. I walked and wild camped this path in June/July 2020. There are amazing views and it’s wild country but you’re only an hour or two from London and there are railway stations and even drinking water taps along the route.

The Thames Path is 190 miles long from the Source in the Cotswolds near Cirencester to London and beyond to Erith in Kent. I walked each section with day walks around 10 miles with railway stations near each end. 

I walked the following sections:

Windsor to Marlow 14 miles - 

Marlow to Tilehurst 14 miles

Tilehurst to Cholsey 12 miles

Cholsey to Culham 14 miles only trains 

Saturdays 

Culham to Oxford 12 miles 

Wallingford to Oxford 24 miles

Oxford to Cricklade 40 miles wild camp 2 days 

Cricklade to Kemble 12 miles

This 153 mile footpath runs from Dover through Canterbury and Kent and through the Surrey Hills to Farnham in Hampshire. Spectacular scenery and countryside, through down meadows, Box Hill and Newlands Corner to name a few of the highlights. I walked this in summer 2020 and recommend walking this in sections. It is easy to get to from London on the train.

This challenging long distance National Trail is 630 miles along rugged coastline between Minehead in Somerset through to Poole Harbour.

I wild camped from Poole Harbour through to Weymouth and have done 40 miles so far.

This was the most challenging walk I’ve done and it really tests your kit like boots and whether you have light enough gear to carry up and down very steep inclines and steps.  I plan to do move sections later this year.

Once you become a Day Tripper you can adventure when overseas on holiday. In early 2021 I spent time in Tenerife and explored the incredible volcanic island. I walked the 62 mile GR-131 trail across Tenerife which I highly recommend. It is simply out of this world and feels like you are walking on a different planet at times. I recorded the sections where I hike up to 8,000 feet through the pine forest into the volcanic crater of Mount Teide and down the other side to the finish point. The last section was 20 miles in one day through the altitude which was my biggest challenge yet. Memories are waiting to be made.