Monday: Castle Ring

(Delayed posting, due to ADSL's yo-yo behavior)

Distance: 48.4 km (30.1 mi)
Time: 10 hours, 15
Average speed: 4.72 km/h (2.93) mph

According to the training schedule, the weekend of the 24th/25th was for the 30 mile (48 km) walk. However the very occasional Pendragon game intervened so I took the Monday off to do the walk then instead.

The day's target was, as in the previous two years, Castle Ring (SK 04287 12826) which is the highest point on Cannock Chase. The route I had planned took the long way to get there, and the direct route back.

I set off at just before 8am. I took the risk that it was t-shirt weather (with waterproof jacket in the backpack) and although a little cold the clear skies helped it to warm up nicely. I took the Sandon Road, then Beaconside before leaving the road and heading for Beacon Hill. From there it was down to Hopton Pools intending to cross Hopton Heath on the footpath that goes past the battle field. That was closed, so I used the Weston Road to go around it. Then it was down across the fields, dodging three tractors together, to reach the Trent and Mersey canal at Salt.

It was then a case of following the canal to Haywood Junction. Like most trips along the canal it was flat and dull. The wind got up a couple of places and cooled me down but the sun was still doing its best.

At Haywood Junction I came across the Essex Bridge and through Shugborough to the Punchbowl and the Stepping Stones. Coming along the Sherbrook Valley I could hear both a cuckoo and a woodpecker.

Apparently at the weekend there had been fires on the Chase. All along the southern half of the Sherbrook the heath towards Brocton Field and Anson's Bank was black with patches of green and yellow that had escaped. There was a very prominent smell of carbon in the air.

I followed the Heart of England way to Marquis Drive. By the Visitor Centre I stopped for my sandwiches as it was 1250 (26 km). I took the opportunity to charge up the GPS from the USB battery I got from Maplins. When I started again 15 minutes later I could feel the blisters had started to form on both heels.

After crossing the railway line and the A460 I left Marquis Drive to head up to the Beau Desert Golf Club (the bridleway crosses the last hole). It's normally a mud-fest going up that hill but it was dry as a bone. In fact the only mud to be seen on the Chase was around the streams and pools.

I reached Castle Ring at 1423 and checked the progress. A little over 32 km, and 16 km from home as the crow flies, on target for 48 km (~30 mi). I was down to the last few mouthfulls of water, though.

For the return leg I headed towards Stile Cop, passed the caravan site on the left and rejoined Marquis Drive briefly before taking a right fork and joining my Rugely to Stafford via Stile Cop route. Recrossing the A460 I had the last of the water, but had worked out a contingency plan.

Past Fairoak Lodge the forestry people were out in force. I had to wait for one guy loading logs onto his lorry to notice me before I squeezed past. There were no caravans at the Tackeroo caravan park, but the drinking water was still on so I refilled there.

I retraced the Heart of England way for a little while before heading up Anson's Bank amongst all the burnt area where the smell was even stronger.

I reached Walton-on-the-Hill at a quarter to six. Reaching the Lichfield Road, the GPS was reading 47.3 km and I was feeling knackered. Rather than head down the the canal, I instead walked along the road, checking the GPS at every bus stop. At the double mini-roundabout with the Cannock road, it clocked up 48.4 km and I deciced that was enough and waited for the next bus.

I ended up with three blisters. Lately, when I've had blisters I've been wearing that pair of socks, or its twin, so I think a change is in order.