And what a lame header that is!

After the walk last month which served as an introduction to the rural / agricultural road which is New Lane, I decided to start putting together the components of a huge walk, possibly up to 20 miles long! I decided it might be prudent to split this epic into stages, mainly to see if my ever-dwindling stamina could match up to even a part of the route. The apparent good news is that yes, I managed 12.30 miles. I won’t lie, that wind pushing me back along the Marshside Coastal path was a hinderence, and ever-so-sodding-cold! It remains a mistery to me how one could be so cold and yet so warm within the same five hour segment of a day! All the same, I did it!

There were two stretches which would qualify as the most difficult, heading into wind all the way along the Marshside Coastal path was exasperating, at times this truly took my breath away. By way of contrast the weather was more friendly along Hesketh Road and Hesketh Drive and I was looking forward to a nice, refreshing thirst-quencher at “Lourdes Deli” – which had a sign declaring “Open” and a locked door declaring “not ****in’ open!” This bordered on heart-braking given the temperature and the fact that by now I had walked around nine-and-a-half miles. I wanted, needed something to drink but I was loathe to turn back on myself in order to get something from the small Sainsbury’s One-Stop-Shop or any of the other shops on  Bispham Road. I would just have to settle for calling in at the new, big Sainsbury’s on Meols Cop Road. I got myself a Strawberry protein shake for immediate consumption and one of thier delicious little bottled Vanilla milk shakes for home. The walk home from Sainsbury’s was soon accomplised but again the wind had picked up a bit and this did impact upon progress and morale!

Summary

I was very glad to have got out and about in the countryside and was not too dismayed by the milage as I had worked this out way ahead of time, I don’t do surprises!

Time on route: Four hours and fifty minutes (given that I have forgotten just when I did get home)!

Walk type: Urban / Rural (through farmland and on single track roads).

Suitable for couples: Yes.

Families: I don’t see why not although the majority of New Lane technically is private land. Bear in mind little legs might not appreciate the long distance. The Marshside Coastal path would be a great place for kids to roam, just watch they don’t get too close to the superabundance of water, it’s everywhere!

Dogs: Mostly No! New Lane is aggricultural land, if fido takes a leak it ends up in our feed, and you won’t pick his faeces up will you, so stay clear!

Time to complete: around five hours for a reasonably fit person with time for lots of  photos.