My first day ...

Well today didn't quite work as planned due to the storms of Friday evening damaging the rail line between Clapham Junction and Tring. I had been expecting to leave Worthing around 10am, change at Clapham Junction and be at Tring by 1pm having walked up from the station, where I would get a bus up to Beacon Hill after a swift pint in the local pub. Thanks to the delays I only reached Tring station just past 2pm, after a tortuous train journey.

I had 3 options, walk the 3 miles to Beacon Hill, only then to turn around and walk back to where I was (the train station is on the route), say to hell with it and just walk from here (so missing the first 3 miles) or get a taxi to the start so I was pretty much back on time. Never one to cheat I bit the bullet and took a taxi (rip off at £12 but had no choice). This put me at the start just before 2.30pm, so after a couple of quick pics just to show that I had made the start (!) it was time to be off!



The route was well signed and easy to follow, in fact the whole of the Ridgeway could be walked without a map it's so well signed. My aim was to be at my B&B in Wendover between 6 and 6.30, so with 12 miles to do in under 4 hours I needed to get a wiggle on. Thankfully, despite the rain in the previous weeks, the ground underfoot wasn't too soggy so swift progress could be made pretty much everywhere. I had loaded some geocaches that were along the route to my Etrex, but there were none on this first leg so nothing to distract me as I walked!

Looking back towards Beacon Hill



A lone walker ahead of me



A tree lined ride before Tring, where I was to pass the station I'd arrived at about 90 minutes ago!!



Bridge over the busy A41



Sure does seem peaceful here ...



The view from 'Peaceful'



Darkness was falling as I approached Wendover, so my headtorch was needed, not to see with but to help the motorists see me as the final bit wends its way along country lanes, rather appropriately to Wendover, where I booked into a lovely b&b run by a lady called Grace. Comfortable, spacious room, at 17 Icknield Close and listed on the Ridgeway website http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ridgeway/plan Having settled in and booked breakfast for 8, it was off to the pub for a well deserved pint or two, followed by a fish and chip supper from the local shop ... and then to bed.