Going on holiday usually involves a long journey at the start, but not for this trip!
I’d chosen a basic campsite about 8 miles from home which my son and I would walk to, camp overnight and then return home the following day.
Day 1
We set off late morning on a familiar footpath. It was much warmer than I’d expected, and the weight of the camping gear slowed us down.
Despite walking and running around much of the area for many years, it wasn’t long before our walk took us down footpaths I’d never used before. Some of them were rather overgrown; I was thankful for wearing long trousers to protect against the nettles and brambles. Unlike my son…
We reached our lunch stop, a local village pub, before opening time but fortunately there was a shaded area we could sit under as it was turning out to be a very warm day. As soon as it opened we ordered cold drinks, along with sandwiches and chips.
After lunch we walked around the edge of a wildflower meadow. Bees and butterflies have been noticeably absent this year but this field was full of them. I was so distracted that I forgot to check the route and we ended up going the wrong way for a few hundred metres.
Further on we were stopped in our tracks by a herd of jumpy inquisitive cows. I don’t mind walking through fields with cattle in if they keep their distance. However these cows were jostling around the stile and my son and I were both in agreement that we didn’t want to risk it. This meant a diversion around a field full of knee high clover, climbing over a barbed wire fence and then a walk along a windy country road with no verges. Never mind!
Another mile or so and we reached Wallingford, the town nearest to our campsite. We stopped at a cafe for more cold drinks, walked beside the River Thames and then followed the Ridgeway long distance path to reach the camping field.
Our campsite was a flat and empty field; perfect! It had basic facilities – portable toilets, cold water showers and the option to buy a fire pit and logs for the evening. We set up our tents and then headed back to the local town for a meal in one of our favourite Italian restaurants.
Afterwards we treated ourselves to some breakfast pastries from Waitrose before returning to the campsite. It was a lot busier when we returned but we still had lots of space around our pitch.
As dusk fell, we collected a fire pit, logs and kindling and then attempted to make a fire. All around us, campfires were burning brightly but ours was a smoky disaster. In the end, some lads from another pitch came over and gave us some firelighters. These sorted out our problem immediately and we were able to enjoy the delights of a campfire, before retreating to our tents.
Day 2
I slept relatively well, although woke several times in the night. If only someone could invent a sleeping bag that doesn’t get all twisted up!
After our breakfast pastries we packed the tents. Despite being a dry evening they were covered in dew so were wetter and heavier than the previous day. My shoulders and back were also aching from the rucksack, so I was glad we didn’t have too far to walk home.
We retraced our route into Wallingford and found a cafe. My son had breakfast number 2, whilst I enjoyed a cappuccino.
After leaving the town we walked through the village where Boris Johnson now lives. He has been spotted in various discount supermarkets locally and out ‘running’ but he was nowhere to be seen on our visit. I’m still not sure what I’d say to him if I saw him.
A little further on I rang my partner and asked him to pick up some takeaway sandwiches and meet us at a nearby beauty spot. To reach it we battled more overgrown grass and crossed several crop fields. It wasn’t the most inspiring part of the walk, but the thought of our lunchtime baguettes spurred us on.
An hour later we sat at the top of Wittenham Clumps, admiring the view and eating lunch. It’s one of my favourite local places, and one of the few hills in south Oxfordshire. The view takes in the River Thames, the Berkshire Downs and acres of countryside. Once it also took in the old Didcot coal fired power station towers, but these were demolished a few years back. A blot on the landscape, albeit one I was strangely fond of.
The last hour home was a trudge. My rucksack straps were rubbing, and our walk took us through the new build housing estates that are springing up around our town. Even my son joined in with the ‘I remember when this was a field’ conversation.
It was great to arrive home, have a cup of coffee and rest our shoulders. Our trip seemed much longer than a day and proves you don’t have to travel miles to have an adventure.
Challenge complete!
Go on an overnight backpack from home – complete July 2024. Pop over to see the rest of my 60 things to do before I’m 60 list.