E2: Meriden to Henley-in-Arden

A day with no rain!

Today I passed another construction site for the HS2, high-speed railway. Unlike the sites I passed on Saturday this one had loads of lorries going in all directions. The path had been diverted. Shepherded by steel-mesh barriers and red and white plastic I was led across the construction site. Frequent traffic lights controlled my movement. Stacked white portacabins looked down on me. Two bridges looked almost complete. Red mud embankments could be seen in all directions. A huge pile of gravel was being amassed. Then I was back in large waterlogged fields, including a few with the remains of Brussels sprout plants after they had been harvested, the smell was distinctive, reminding me of my mother's Sunday dinners.

A high point today, pulling me forward despite an painful knee, was lunch at Baddesley Clinton, a National Trust property. The lady on reception seemed a disappointed that I was more interested in the whereabouts of the cafe than visiting the 15th Century manor house. It looked an attractive place to investigate in the future. The M40 crossing marked another milestone in my journey today.

Over the last few days most buildings have been of a dull red brick with tiled roofs, including the large farmhouses I passed. However, the churches have been of a weathered sandstone, with solid towers, surrounded by graveyards with leaning gravestones and large drifts of white snowdrops. Today five churches were on my route. I admired the one at Berkswell with its sundial, clock, unusual porch and crypt. I visited the latter by climbing down stairs hidden in a boxed pew. The final church I visited (after a slippery climb up and down a steep hill) was at the entrance to Henley-in-Arden. It was clearly of Norman age with its curved arches and muted decoration. 

Henley-in-Arden was in a contrast to the plain red brick houses I had encountered, its high street seemed full of ancient half-timbered buildings. For example I am lodging in the White Swan pub, which is a 16th Century coaching inn. It was busy when I arrived, a "Wake" was being held.

E2: Kingsbury Water Park to Meriden

After trying to find a way through Kingsbury Water Park that was not flooded I walked across many soggy fields to reach Meriden. 

This morning I made an attempt to reach the Heart of England Way on the eastern side of Kingsbury Water Park. My attempt failed as the path was flooded so I asked at the visitor centre if there was another way through the Park to reach Kingsbury where I could rejoin the Way. They suggested a route around the Model Boat Pool and up the east side of the park beside other areas of water but could not guarentee it would be passible. 

I followed their suggestion, asking dog walkers on the way for information, and did eventually reach the footbridge to Kingsbury. Wading through water was required where the lakes had overflowed or rainwater had collected in low points. Sadly my socks, which I had carefully dried overnight on the heated towel rail, became rather wet.

Rejoining the Heart of England Way I was soon crossing fields, the clay soil soggy and waterlogged. I crossed many of these in the course of the day and was very pleased whenever a short section of tarmac gave me a relief from the mud. Soon after Kingsbury there was a military rifle range. I had expected it to be in use, although as it was flooded, they must have moved to another range. I could hear gunshots from somewhere in the distance. It made no difference as the path runs around the perimeter of the range.

There were no villages of any note on my route today and unfortunately no cafes or cakes. I had hoped there would be a pleasant walk around a reservoir that I could see on the map. However I was prevented from seeing it in the real world as the path was beside a railway line and the reservoir was hidden behind a bank on the other side of a brown, fast flowing little river.

The other milestone today was the M6 motorway. I knew I was approaching it from the gradually increasing amount of continuous white noise from the traffic. A view of Birmingham was promised from the bridge across it by the guidebook, and indeed in the far distance above the endless cars I could see the high rises of the city.

In the mud I saw many paw prints left by dogs beside the welly prints of their owners. More unusual were tiny hoofprints which I thought were left by Mintjac deer, I was told they found in the area. I briefly saw two, minscule deer running off, their rumps (I initially thought them tails) were white so maybe they were Roe deer.

I arrived in Meriden and my room at an Inn as the sun set below a sky of cloud in a display of smoky orange. In the evening Ian Powell, secretary of the Heart of England Way Association was kind enough to join me. His organisation looks after this long distance path, publishing a guidebook, .gpx files and much doing much else. Like myself he is also a member of the Long Distance Walkers Association and helps to maintain its dataset of long distance paths and the information associated with them.

E2: Lichfield to Kingsbury Water Park

Some dry periods today between the drizzle as I walked by canals, work (or lack of it) on the HS2 Railway, over fields and by water filled gravel pits.

Last night, as I lay in bed, whenever I moved, my muscles on my left side went into a painful spasm. The source of the pain seemed to be just below my ribs. Annoying, especially as I had not fallen or injured myself in any way. My usual exercises did not improve it so I eventually took a couple of pleasantly lemony Ibuprofen tablets which helped me get to sleep. My left knee was also stiff and painful so I felt a bit of a wreck.

Nevertheless I enjoyed my walk out of Lichfield, through the town with its pedestrianised centre and old buildings. On the outskirts, where a new housing estate was being built, I walked by the Lichfield canal for a short distance. A short length was all there now was of it, and much of that was being restored. After that I walked along straight tracks and paths by green fields, some freshly planted, all saturated with water. There were a few fields of pigs and one of donkeys to add interest.

In a number of places I came across work on the new HS2 Railway. I did not realise it ran this far east. Although I say "work", as in many British construction sites (and roadworks) there was no evidence of anyone doing anything, only large expanses of red earth. There were a lot of construction vehicles parked up in one area, all idle. I wondered if they were being hired, with costs rising daily. There were large puddles, possibly the wet weather and it being the weekend was not conducive to completing what ever the next stage was.

After a bit of road walking I reached Drayton Basset, the only village on my trip today. It had no cafe I was aware of but I found a bench in a wooden shelter to eat my last piece of fruit cake and a banana.

After the village I walked south on a stretch of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. To reach the towpath I climbed up a curious footbridge. On each side there was a tower with a spiral staircase inside, at the top the stairs connected with the deck of the bridge crossing the brown waters of the canal. 

To the left of my canal walk the fields were flooded by water, which a few swans were surveying. A group of horses waded through the water. Later, lakes of water filled old gravel pits. There was a bird reserve with geese and mallards, and then the Kingsbury Water Park. I followed the Heart of England Way around the expanses of water in the park, but my way was eventually blocked by extensive standing water on the path. In my notes I had recorded this as a possibility, with all the rain perhaps it should have been a certainty, and I was mentally prepared to retrace my steps amd continue along the canal to my hotel for the night.

E2: Hednesford to Lichfield

A rainy day walking through Cannock Chase and over very wet fields.

For breakfast I visited a Gregg's where I was disappointed that all the pastries were cold and prepacked, and then annoyed when shortly after I discovered a Wetherspoons nearby that might have served me breakfast in an attractive historic building. Continuing rain probably influenced my mood. My weather forecasting App was unusually confident in giving the probability of rain as 100% for much of the day.

Despite the weather I enjoyed my morning's walk through the remainder of Cannock Chase on tracks through the trees. There were a few expanses of water where streams had overflowed or water filled dips in the track. These required a bit of negotiation through surrounding undergrowth. 

Walking back to the Heart of England Way from Hednesford I passed an area where there was a hospital in the First World War and later a colliery. Only an apron of concrete remained among the birch trees. I was reminded of a time when we used more coal on passing an isolated house with smoke coming from its chimney. Its smell of coal smoke brought images of my childhood into my mind, when first thing in the morning my father would light the fire, which would initially smoke before it burnt cleanly.

An older site on my walk was an Iron Age hillfort called Castle Rings. I climbed up the encircling embankment where the guidebook promised a view. All I could see today was a misty white.

Leaving the Chase there was a mixture of waterlogged fields and quiet roads, I prefered the latter. One field was particularly difficult as there was extensive standing water. My feet inevitably became wet. As I reached a road the water was particularly deep as it escaped from the field with speed. There were no cafes on route today. I passed a church, sadly locked, so I sat outside on a wet bench in the drizzle and ate a slice of fruit cake a neighbour had kindly given me.

I was pleased to reach the outskirts of Lichfield, crossing the green expanse of Beacon Park and finally reaching a cafe for a coffee and cake (croissant and blueberry)! Tonight I have a room at the Premier Inn with an ensuite bathroom where I have showered, washed my underwear and spread around my wet clothes to dry on any available hook and surface. I bought a newspaper especially so I could stuff it in my wet boots.

Chores done I went to Lichfield Cathedral for choral evensong. In part this was to share in worship that extended back to the 7th Century in this place, a connection with history. The present building dates back to the 13th century. Statues of saints looked down as the choir sang prayers and psalms in haunting voices. There were more choristers than people in the  congregation on this wet Friday night.

Tonight I ate at a busy Ukrainian restaurant, not a type of restaurant I have encountered in Britain before. I had varenyky (which are like pierogies) with potato, bacon and sour cream, plus a salad to get my "greens". Pancake with cottage cheese, raisins and sour cream (again) for dessert. All delicious!

E2: Rugeley to Hednesford

A day of walking in the rain, the gloom offset by interesting historical sights (and a few cafes).

Walking a long distance path in the Midlands of England in the winter has certain risks, while snow is unlikely rain is not. When I looked at the weather forecast for my two week trip, each day had a symbol of a cloud with rain drops falling from it. Rain had been falling for much of January so my walk in the first part of February was likely to encounter a lot of mud, puddles and maybe flooding. Nevertheless I was keen to embrace the open spaces after a month of hiding indoors out of the wet, windy cold, and also wished to continue my walk down the western variant of the E2. So one Wednesday evening I arrived by train at Rugeley, ready to pick up from the point I reached last winter. Not being the season  or countryside for camping, neither "wild" nor in official campsites, I had booked accommodation for whole of this trip; above pubs, in budget hotels and in hostels, so I was hoping my dodgy knee was not going to stop me completing my itinerary, otherwise I could loose money in cancellations.

The majority of the walking would be down the Heart of England Way, which forms a wide semi circle around Birmingham. Now 46 years old I was amused to read in the guidebook that "the Way" was originally initiated in 1980 without the agreement of the relevant councils and landowners due to the lack of progress made in discussions with them. It reminded me of a few difficulties that we had in extending the E2 north to John o'Groats recently. However relations with local authorities and landowners subsequently improved and the Way was opened a second time, this time officially, in 1990 and no doubt contributes to the local economy. 

As expected my day started with rain as I walked to a Costa Coffee for breakfast, joining workmen popping in for their regular orders. Rain was forecast all day. The roads glistened with water, reflecting the street lights in the pre-dawn darkness. I tarried over my coffee in the warm, looking through the rain streaked windows of the cafe.

Eventually I began my walk through the persistent rain under dull skies. I rejoined the Staffordshire Way on the Trent and Mersey Canal. Barges were moored by the towpath, those with wood smoke rising from their stove pipes looked especially cosy. The canal, designed by James Brindley was completed in 1777. It was replaced by the railway in the 19th century, the main line runs close to the canal. Fast trains zizzed by me on my right. On my left the brown waters of the River Trent flowed quickly, swelled by the rain, as it crossed partially flooded farmland. 

Fortunately the towpath only had mud in parts, although I was forced through puddles. My coat was relatively new and still managing to keep out the rain, and my waterproof trousers were also effective. However my boots were worn, although not to the extent that new ones could be justified given the number of part worn boots I owned. I had rather hopefully sprayed waterproofing liquid on them before this trip, but over the course of the day my socks became damp.

Leaving the canal I crossed the Trent on a late 16th century packhorse bridge, a narrow stone construction of many arches. This led me to the grounds of Shugborough Hall. Being a National Trust property I knew there would be a tea shop, so I diverted towards the stately home to enjoy a coffee and cake. I was the only one sitting in the restaurant, probably as potential visitors prefered to stay at home on a cold, wet, dull February day. Only a few dog walkers crossed my path today.

After Shugborough the Staffordshire Way climbed into Cannock Chase, a region of wooded hills and heathland across which people are free to roam. The underlying Bunter Sandstone is hidden under the thin black topsoil but contributes rounded pebbles to the tracks I followed. 

It diverted off the Staffordshire Way to go to the start of the Heart of England Way, marked by a sign in a car park, greened by age. I followed it up a track which followed the route of the abandoned Tackeroo railway line. This was built to service the large Army Camps built on Cannock Chase in the First World War to house and train the many recruits who volunteered to fight. Similar camps were spread around the country. Nothing remains of the large camps on Cannock Chase apart from one of the huts preserved at the Visitors' Centre. Although closed today, I have previously been inside where a line of beds and tables show how the soldiers once lived during their time at the base.

There were a number of sights to view beside the trail. The first was a boulder, a glacial erratic, brought in the Ice Age all the way from Scotland, although as it was mounted on a plinth of stones cemented together it no longer looked entirely natural.

After lunch of a Staffordshire oatcake, a sort of pancake with savoury fillings, I viewed the Katyn Memorial. This remembers the 25,000 Poles massacred by the Soviets in the Second World War. There were many lamps and candles on the stone plinth showing that people have not forgotten this crime.

Just after the Visitors' Centre RAF Hednesford once existed. Here in the Second World War engineers were trained to maintain aircraft, housed in serried rows of huts. After the War, it housed Hungarian refugees fleeing Soviet oppression, another link with Europe. Now only the old roadways remain.

I turned off the Heart of England Way onto the Cannock Chase Heritage Trail in order to reach Hednesford where I have a room booked above a pub. The centre of the town had lines of small shops, "Belly Booze", a betting shop and similar, that looked a little dismal in the rain and the declining light.

I ate at the bar beneath my room. Although emails sent to me before my arrival advised booking a table for dinner, I was the only one eating so there were plenty of tables to chose from! Beside me local people played pool. Pundits on the muliple televisions were discussing the upcoming rugby game, although as there was no sound, other than 70s pop music, I had little idea what they were saying. They silently talked throughout my meal, without occasional spurts of flame from the pitch behind them, so I gave up on watching the match and went to my room where I could hear the couple in the next room having a lengthy disagreement.

E2 European Long Distance Path: Comments

After 205 days and 4507 kilometres (2817 miles) over 6 trips, I completed the E2 European Long Distance Path, including an unofficial section from Galway to Stranraer. An average of 21.5 kilometres a day visiting seven countries (Ireland, Great Britain, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland). I spent 102 nights in hotels, guesthouses and Bed & Breakfast establishments, 15 nights inside hostels and refuges, 49 nights in official campsites and 36 nights wild camping. My 6 trips ranged in length from two weeks to two months long. These figures refer to the eastern route which I followed through England and the Netherlands, there is also a western alternative through Britain and Belgium along which I had walked a little way.

What did it offer? A huge variety.

In terms of landscapes it ranged from the flat fields of the Fens and Flanders, to the mountains of the Alps; the trees of the Jura to the rounded hills of the Yorkshire Wolds. There were beaches and cliffs in Northern Ireland, a hugely dammed delta in the Netherlands and river valleys in Luxembourg. History added another dimension: from the remnants of two World Wars at the border of France with Germany, to the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland. Then there was the food: vol au vents in Flanders, tartiflette in the French Alps, pub food in North East England beneath blackened beams. Accommodation varied from wild camping on the Southern Uplands of Scotland to pretty Bed & Breakfasts in England and hostels in Luxembourg. You need to walk it to experience a little of Europe's diverse offerings.

More information on the E2 can be found at the European Ramblers Association website, the organisation which coordinates the E-paths. I have also provided details of guidebooks etc. on this page.

Links to posts at the start of my walk through each country:

Western Ireland;

Northern Ireland;

Scotland;

England - Eastern variant;

Netherlands - Eastern variant;

Belgium Eastern variant;

Luxembourg;

France - Alsace Lorraine;

France - Jura mountains (Franche-Comté);

France - Alps.

Western Alternative

England - Western variant.

Link to start of each trip:

Trip 1 Western and Northern Ireland;

Trip 2 Northern Ireland, Scotland and north of England;

Trip 3 England, Netherlands and Flanders - Eastern variant;

Trip 4 Ardennes, Luxembourg, Lorraine and the Vosges;

Trip 5 Jura mountains;

Trip 6 GR5 over French Alps;

Trip 7 England - Western variant. 

E2: Abbots Bromley to Rugeley

A short day to the railway station at Rugeley and my trip home.

Catkins.

At breakfast I tried the Staffordshire oatcakes, which I discovered were a kind of savoury pancake. Folded inside were the black pudding and sausages I ordered, and it was served with a garnish of healthy green rocket. All very classy! I left Abbots Bromley by a path between hedges and houses, although attractive it was the wrong one! Instead of retracing my steps I followed a road back to the correct route. That zig zagged over fields to a reservoir, or almost to the reservoir, the paths stayed below the dam on a circuitous route.

Blithfield Reservoir.

I was now in an area where red brick was the dominant building material of houses, farms and bridges. A contrast to the blackened gritstone buildings I had encountered further north. Two buzzards flew high above me. After more fields I reached the village of Colton, which sounded a bit like a mineral to me. I exchanged a few words on the weather with an elderly man cleaning leaves and other remains from the side of the drive to the village hall. We agreed it was sunny but he warned me of showers between 12 and 1 pm. More fields and I reached the Trent and Mersey Canal. There I left the Staffordshire Way and the E2 and walked rapidly south-east to the station where I just managed to catch the 11:50 train, the slow service to Birmingham. 

Trent & Mersey Canal.