Lowestoft to Homersfield
I set off from Lowestoft, ready to turn around and start my journey to Ardnamurchan! In a little under 2 months, I’ll be hitting the coast once more and be at the westerly point! There’s a whole lot of adventure (and hills) to come!
I followed roads out of Lowestoft, before joining the Angles Way at Oulton Broad. The Angles Way started along a footpath around the Marina. The sun was out and it was lovely. Now that I’m walking west, I’ve got the long shadows in the morning.
The Angles Way took me into Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve. The reserve was beautiful and so peaceful. It was lovely to walk along and watch the different birds.
I stopped on a sunny bench and had a break. After lots of fields over the past week, the marshland felt even more special. Being around all of the birds was so tranquil. I felt so grateful that the sun was out and I got to experience the full beauty of the place.
Whilst buying my M&S feast last night, I brought a pack of mini Colin the Caterpillars. A mini roll can’t get better (in my opinion)! I enjoyed them very much whilst sitting on my bench.
Whilst sat there, I met a chap who is walking the Angles Way. He’s covering all 91 miles in 4 days, which is one good effort!
The Angles Way then took me along a raised path, all the way to Beccles Quay. I had marsh on the left of me and river on my right. It was lovely. I followed the River Waverley as it meandered through the landscape.
As I got towards the Quay, there was a 4mph speed limit sign (for the boats). I had a chuckle to myself, that I could probably break it, if I pushed along the path!
In Beccles Quay, I was greeted by some local leaders. It was lovely to join them at the cafe and share some of my journey with them. One of the Guide Laws says that a Guide is a sister to all Guides, and it really is true. It has been so nice making Guiding connections over the country!
Leaving Beccles, I was accompanied by one of the leaders. It was lovely to have some company and hear all about the international trip that she is going on in the summer. She is going hiking in Switzerland, so leapt at the opportunity to fit a training walk in.
As I reached Shipmeadow, I was greeted by a closed footpath. When I encounter an unexpected problem, I’ve found that the best thing to do is have a snack, take a moment, then think. My interoception isn’t very good, so I generally don’t know when I’m hungry. I don’t get normal hunger signals, so I only know that I’m hungry when my brain slows down! Having a snack first, fuels my brain, then I can think about the problem. A quick look at the map and I found another route.
The bridleway took me through fields. I could feel that the wind was starting to pick up and was grateful for any shelter that I could get.
I then passed Mettingham Castle, which is now a ruin, but I could imagine the scale of what it must have been!
I then continued along more fields. With the wind picking up, I was looking increasingly windswept! As the gusts got higher, I put my hood up to keep me a bit warmer.
The sun was shining, and it was nice to watch the wind ripple through the grassy fields. The blades of grass shimmered in the sun.
I soon joined a wooded lane, which took me to Homersfield and my finish point for the day.
Tonight I’m camping at the village pub. They have very kindly let me camp for free, which is so lovely of them!
I was really pleased to finish today. After incorrectly marking the pub, and having to replan my route. Today’s walk was over 38km. This was my longest day yet, in terms of distance. It felt a great achievement to finish it all under 10 hours (including my cafe stop). I definitely think that my body is settling into walking life and it puts me in good stead for the days ahead!
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