Day by day guide to the walk
A Really Goode Walk was a six-week fundraising adventure in autumn 2022 – as Julian Goode walked coast-to-coast across all four countries of the UK to bring in sponsorship monies for Barts Charity and Anthony Nolan, who have helped him so much since his Leukaemia diagnosis in 2019… following an itinerary running from the start in Wales on October 5, to a finishing day on November 15 in Scotland.
Below you can see a detailed day-by-day plan for the different legs of the journey, across Wales, then Northern Ireland, England, and finally Scotland. Three of those followed well-known Trails – Offa’s Dyke Path in Wales, Hadrian’s Wall Path in England, and The John Muir Way in Scotland – while the route across Northern Ireland was planned bespoke between Kilkeel on the Irish Sea coast, and Derry near the Atlantic coast in the north west.
It was very much part of the sociable ethos of A Really Goode Walk that people walked along with Julian, for as much time as they were able to commit. And various members of his family and friends from all over the country were able to join him to walk for a day or two here or there along the way. And on top of that there were numerous people met on the trail, to chat with, walk with – and gratefully accept donations from too in some cases!
Leg 1 - Offa's Dyke Path - Chepstow to Prestatyn
This first section of the A Really Goode Walk route started in south Wales at Chepstow on the Severn Estuary, and ran for 177 miles north to Prestatyn in north Wales, right on the Irish Sea coast.
- Day 0 (October 4): Final packing and travel to Chepstow
- Day 1 (Wednesday, October 5): Chepstow (Sedbury Cliffs) to Monmouth, 18.5 miles
- Day 2 (October 6): Monmouth to Pandy, 16.75 miles
- Day 3 (October 7): Pandy to Hay on Wye, 17.5 miles
- Day 4 (Saturday, October 8): Hay on Wye to Kington, 14.75 miles
- Day 5 (Sunday, October 9): Kington to Knighton, 13.5 miles
- Day 6 (October 10): Rest day – Knighton
- Day 7 (October 11): Knighton to Brompton Crossroads, 15 miles
- Day 8 (October 12): Brompton Crossroads to Buttington, 12.25 miles
- Day 9 (October 13): Buttington to Llanymynech, 10.5 miles
- Day 10 (October 14): Llanymynech to Chirk Mill, 14 miles
- Day 11 (Saturday, October 15): Chirk Mill to Llandegla, 15.5 miles
- Day 12 (Sunday, October 16): Llandegla to Bodfari, 17.5 miles
- Day 13 (Monday, October 17): Bodfari to Prestatyn, 12 miles
- Day 14 (Tuesday, October 18): Prestatyn, rest; and travel towards Northern Ireland via Holyhead, and Dublin
Look back on my progress and send me a message on social media:
Leg 2 - Northern Ireland - Kilkeel to Derry
There not being an obvious trail to follow in Northern Ireland, and having decided that the best coast-to-coast route would be from the south east to Derry/Londonderry in the north west of the country, it was simply a question of planning a viable walk. Starting in Kilkeel, the journey rolled through the city of Newry, and the towns of Portadown in Armagh, Coalisland and Cookstown in County Tyrone, then into County Londonderry via Draperstown and Feeny.
- Day 15 (Wednesday, October 19): Travel towards Kilkeel via Dublin
- Day 16 (Thursday, October 20): Kilkeel to Newry, 18 miles
- Day 17 (October 21): Newry to Portadown, 19 miles
- Day 18 (October 22): Portadown to Coalisland, 15 miles
- Day 19 (October 23): Coalisland to Cookstown, 8 miles
- Day 20 (October 24): Cookstown to Draperstown, 13 miles
- Day 21 (October 25): Draperstown to Feeny, 12 miles
- Day 22 (Wednesday, October 26): Feeny to Derry, 15 miles
- Day 23 (Thursday, October 27): Derry, rest; and travel onwards to England via Belfast, Stranraer, Dumfries and Carlisle
Leg 3 - Hadrian's Wall Path - Bowness to Newcastle
This third section was the history lover’s dream – the 84 miles in the wild north of England taking in a host of Roman forts and other archaeological features. Starting on the Cumbrian coast at Bowness-on-Solway, the route headed east over six days to Wallsend… with an extra five miles added on to reach the North Sea coast at Tynemouth on the last day in Newcastle. From there it was an easy trip up the East Coast Main Line to reach Scotland for the final leg on the John Muir Way.
- Day 24 (Friday, October 28): Travel towards Bowness-on-Solway
- Day 25 (Saturday, October 29): Bowness-on-Solway to Carlisle, 14.25 miles
- Day 26 (Sunday, October 30): Carlisle to Walton, 11 miles
- Day 27 (October 31): Walton to Steel Rigg (Haltwhistle), 16.75 miles
- Day 28 (November 1): Steel Rigg to Chollerford, 12 miles
- Day 29 (November 2): Chollerford to Heddon on the Wall, 15.25 miles
- Day 30 (November 3): Heddon on the Wall to Wallsend, and Tynemouth, 15 + 5 miles
- Day 31 (Friday, November 4): Rest in Newcastle and onward travel to Dunbar in Scotland for the fourth leg
Leg 4 - The John Muir Way - Dunbar to Helensburgh
The final leg of A Really Goode Walk headed west from the North Sea coast at Dunbar to Helensburgh on the Firth of Clyde, taking in Scotland’s beautiful capital and lots of other historic towns and villages in the Central Belt. It was 12 days of walking, plus a midway rest day in Falkirk… before the final push north of Glasgow to the finishing point – and some post-Walk celebrations!
- Day 32 (Saturday, November 5): Dunbar to North Berwick, 15 miles
- Day 33 (Sunday, November 6): North Berwick to Prestonpans, 16.5 miles
- Day 34 (November 7): Prestonpans to Edinburgh, 10 miles
- Day 35 (November 8): Edinburgh to South Queensferry, 15.5 miles
- Day 36 (November 9): South Queensferry to Linlithgow, 14 miles
- Day 37 (November 10): Linlithgow to Falkirk, 8.5 miles
- Day 38 (November 11): Rest day – Falkirk
- Day 39 (Saturday, November 12): Falkirk to Kilsyth, 13 miles
- Day 40 (Sunday, November 13): Kilsyth to Strathblane, 13 miles
- Day 41 (November 14): Strathblane to Balloch, 18.5 miles
- Day 42 (November 15): Balloch to Helensburgh, 9 miles
- Day 43 (November 16): Rest and onward travel via Glasgow back home
- Day 44 (Thursday, November 17): Back home in Essex – lots of rest!
Look back on my progress and send me a message on social media:
