We all have a burning desire. Yes, even I, and that burning desire is something different to most people. My desire is that I want to walk the entire UK Coastal Path or walk around the entire coastline of the United Kingdom.
That’s 12,429 km or 7,723 miles in old money.
This is something I wanted to do from an early age, in fact since I was a teenager when I really took a serious interest in walking.
When I was in my late teens I was really into outdoor pursuits and spent much of my time in North Wales or the Peak District on outward bounds courses learning fieldcraft, orienteering, rock climbing, canoeing, survival skills, and general outdoor crafts. You know Ray Mears or Cody Lundin stuff.
I loved it. Still do!
By the time I was 18 I really wanted to work as a guide at an outwards bounds center but alas the computer games industry came calling and I ended up working in this industry and then in general IT, which I still enjoy today, well most of the time. but……
The love for the outdoors is still there but because of other commitments, it was pushed to one side. However, since I reached 40 years of age the desire has become great once again, and because self-employment affords me the luxury of not having to work 9-5. I have found myself in the outdoors, pursuing my desire more and more.
Since 2010 I have walked almost 2,500 miles of the UK coastal path, see my map of walks, but there is still so much more to do.
The desire to do this one walk, this one thing, is always on my mind and I think about it daily and because this is on my mind, I am plotting where to walk over coming weekends, bank holidays, or week-long breaks. Planning where I can walk continually in one direction.
I’m also thinking about the campsites, overnight stops, and how best to utilise public transport to return to my starting point and retrieve my car/return to hotel/campsite. Sometimes this isn’t always possible as I generally walk with my dog.
I have started a Google map, which is below, so you can see where I’ve walked along the UK Coastal Path already.
I’ve done the entire South West coastal path which goes around Devon and Cornwall, the Ayrshire coastal path, and large sections of North Wales, the Fylde coast, and parts of the Lake District.
My latest walk was from Barton Upon Humber, near Hull to Cleethorpes while I was working away. A very different coastline from most I’ve walked before.
I will be adding more walks to the map as well as links to photo galleries and blog posts of the walks I have undertaken.
In the past, I have done the walks for me and me alone but realised that many other people have the same interests and want to know more.
So, watch this space as I’ll be doing write-ups of my more recent walks and posting them here.
