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Coastrek, Swanage (2026)

01/07/2021

Day 30:📍Kimmeridge to Poole Harbour 34km / 21 miles

🌟🌟🌟Hurrah!🌟🌟🌟

What a final day! There was sunshine, a staircase of 217 steep, deep steps that nearly killed me, one of the cutest little bays of the whole journey, and acres of pretty wild flowers dripping in colourful bugs of every description 🪲

Determined to stay ‘present’ in the day I took time to watch cartoon-like guillemots dive-fall-flying from their cliffside nesting spots on fishing expeditions in the clear Dorset waters 🐟.

I couldn’t help feeling the mix of excitement to be so close to achieving the goal I set for this brilliant month, and some sadness that my time beside the ocean was coming to an end. I have truly bathed in Mother Nature and can feel the positivity, self esteem, clarity and deep sense of calm gently flowing within me 🤲🧘‍♀️.

But… I wasn’t over the finish line yet!!

As I paused for my second picnic stop of the day, enjoying the protein packed sandwiches Wendy sent me off with🥪, my phone buzzed… a message… the lovely Kaz had arrived at the finish point and was now heading in my direction, to walk the final 5-10km with me.

Grinning, I rushed onwards (n.b. after a month of walking ‘rushed’ is a relative term 😆). Coming over the hill between Swanage and Old Harry Rocks, there she was! What a feeling! And so the end of the end began. We walked, snapped selfies, and at my insistence paused for a drink at a cute pub with a sea view.

And then 🤯. I shrieked, cried, and felt all the feels as my daughter, Emily - a busy London-based science teacher - snuck up on me. She’d colluded with Kaz and Clare, begged work for an afternoon off during term time, and made a mad dash down to Dorset to be there for me and with me👩‍👧. I was utterly speechless and full of love 🥰

And so the three of us walked the final 5km together, enjoying the white sandy beaches of Studland 🏖

I hadn’t thought much about how this journey would end, but if I had I couldn’t have planned a better final hour than the one I was given by the wonderful people in my life 🥰

Thank you all for sharing this journey with me. It’s been a total blast 😊

Fox xx

30/06/2021

Day 29:📍Ossmington Mills to Kimmeridge 24.5km / 15 miles

Dawdling through Durdle

What a penultimate day! Gone again was the sunshine, replaced by thundery storms which left the chalky fields and rolling sea cliffs slippery underfoot 👣

No matter how many times I visit Durdle Door its majesty takes my breath away. The morning’s millpond calm waters gently licked the ancient rock formation, deep inky blues dancing with topaz tips in the shallows 🌊. As I paused, the thick sea mists lifted and the loamy gloom gave way to a cool brightness.

Sadly I had to bid farewell to the dreamy Dorset coastline at Lulworth Cove as the next section of Army owned land was closed to the public for ‘live firing’ 🔫which sounded official enough to force me onto a 14km/9mile tarmac detour! Thankfully the country lanes were pretty and, having made a special trip to walk the Lulworth Ranges in May (so that I can officially say I’ve walked the WHOLE south west coast path), the detour was less hair-raisingly steep than the coastal route 🐑 🌳

With the thrumming dwapb-dwapb-dwapb of massive guns soundtracking my afternoon I enjoyed the pretty Dorset countryside and - rather excitingly- had the first view of Poole Harbour - the end point for my adventure - the end was, quite literally, in sight!

Before I could feel glum about this wonderful adventure coming to an end I was swept into the warm and welcoming home of my hosts for the final night of this mad month - my fellow Trustee Wendy, her husband Andrew , and the real boss of the house - spaniel Toby 🐾. I very gladly allowed myself to be plied with two-too-many glasses of wine, a delicious supper, and luxuriated in the hottest and most satisfying shower I’ve had in several weeks! 🚿

Happy, with a deep sense of contentment, I burrowed deeply under the duvet, excited for my final day of exploring. 😴

Fox xx

28/06/2021

Day 27:📍 Seatown to Weymouth 37.5km / 23miles

Trenchfoot & new treads👟

I woke to a thick wodge of low slung rain cloud. The grassy hills were sodden and after a few minutes yomping so was I 🌧.

The added traction of my newly swapped-in trail shoes - which replaced the ones I’ve worn all this month whose once tyre-like treads had become almost completely smooth after 550 miles - allowed me to go slightly quicker than snails pace on the steep downhill sections; I just don’t have confidence in the strength of my knees and ankles to keep me upright! 🐌

The stiff breeze helped dry the terrain between heavy downpours, and by late morning things were looking brighter… and were made even more so by the arrival of my lovely friend and (almost) neighbour Rosie (and Percy the pooch) who had driven up from Devon to walk a while with me 🥰🐾. We wandered beside the southern tip of Chesil Beach, chatted about portfolio careers, and enjoyed the muggy lull between rain storms ☀️

Alone again I put my head down and ploughed onwards. A tough section on the pebbly beach nearly did for me, but I held it together long enough to reach the flat-ish farmland tracks that skirt behind West Fleet as the heavens continued to pour☔️. Sodden, and lacking a view of the ocean, I could feel every rub and pinch of my different shoes. Pausing to change socks I was alarmed to find I’d developed a gangrenous kind of trenchfoot reminiscent of an extra in the walking dead 🤮.

Twirling my walking poles around my head like a majorette I failed to ward-off the millions of tiny midges swarming around me, and found myself inhaling them along with lungfuls of heavy, humid air. Yum. 🦟

Grateful for a break in the rain to pitch my ⛺️, I showered, shovelled some cake into my mouth, and passed out - exhausted- to the soothing sound of raindrops on ‘canvas’ 😴

Fox xx

28/06/2021

Walk with me… 🌊☀️

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CQqWHopK6ci/?utm_medium=copy_link

27/06/2021

Day 26:📍Sidmouth to Seatown 39km / 24.5miles

Classic Jurassic 🦕

Blimey that was a long slog! While familiarity made yesterday a veritable stroll in the park, knowing just how challenging this morning’s route was messed with my head. I felt fatigued and deflated from the first step and had to battle really hard to keep putting one foot in front of the other. That painful left knee twinged frequently and the corresponding calf muscle felt tight enough to snap 😥

A gentle walk along the beach between and brought my smile and childlike excitement back, with rocks full of and geodes just waiting to be discovered. Walking through the history of our planet is completely fascinating- I’d love to track down a Jurassic geologist (and botanist and entomologist!) to learn more about this incredible coastline 🌍

The day ended with a massive climb to the top of Dorset’s highest coastal peak - Golden Cap. After making it through a couple of pretty but soul destroying hidden valleys I was almost to the top when I saw the wonderful making her way towards me, beaming a big smile in my direction. I’ve been so humbled by the gorgeous generosity, support and love from so many wonderful friends and family this month - I feel so lucky to be surrounded by people wishing me well and some who have really gone out of their way to make this a wonderful adventure, like lovely Clare (no.3!) who arranged a cute cabin to stay in and brought a delicious supper too!

Happy to be with a friend again, I bid farewell to Devon and enjoyed a lovely first night in dreamy 👍

Fox xx

26/06/2021

Day 25:📍Teignmouth to Sidmouth 35km / 22miles

The utter joy of being back on ‘home trails’ and spending time with friends distracted me from the rapidly multiplying pain points which include a bruised hip and shoulder after yesterday’s tumble 😆

Today’s cakeathon began before breakfast with some amazing ‘Brookies’ (brownies on top, cookies on the bottom 😋) courtesy of my lovely colleague and baking wizardess Hayley.

Knowing almost every twist and turn of the day’s trek made it easy to set and stick to a pretty pacey pace! 🏃‍♀️Robin joined me in Teignmouth and we rendezvous’d with Karen (who’d cycled down from Exeter) at the bakery in Dawlish for the first coffee pitstop of the day, before jumping on the ferry from Starcross to Exmouth ⛴

Hannah met us off the Ferry and we wandered on, the soothing familiarity of my local beach spurring me on. We whizzed up the steep path to the cliff top and scooted along the pretty trail to Budleigh Salterton, where we enjoyed a delish lunch and met up with Gen () and her hound Vegemite 🐕‍🦺, and I enjoyed a long overdue reunion with my wonderful colleague Sam and her gorgeous son Harvey👶🏻

Fuelled by good food, and full of sunshine and happy friendship vibes, we sped along the pretty red sandstone coast, enjoying the stunning scenery and catching our breath between steep sections. Final tea and cake of the day in Sidmouth where we waved off Hannah, before finishing with a beast of a climb up Salcombe Hill, almost 40km completed 💪

Joining some gorgeous friends for a wicked bbq chez Hills family was the perfect end to a beautiful day. We sipped rosé, ate good food, laughed (lots!) and I came under good humoured pressure to write a book to memorialise my travels…. Maybe one day! 📚

Fox xx

25/06/2021

Day 24:📍Brixham to Teignmouth 31.5km / 19.5 miles

Day 24 is brought to you by the letter T: Tarmac, Tourists and Tumbles 😩

So, it turns out that insane amounts of physical activity = peak eating goals; who knew 🤷‍♀️. Cake for with every meal has become an actual thing; I mean, who doesn’t want pudding with breakfast?! 😋 I’m in food heaven (and it genuinely makes all the physical pain worthwhile!!). Boom!! 🍰

In other news the walking today was Tedious with a capital T. Brixham to Torquay was almost all Tarmac, often beside busy roads and nearly always surrounded by hundreds of Tourists; a totally different vibe after a few days of really beautiful coastal walking 🌊

Fortunately the afternoon, from Torquay to Teignmouth, was a lot less urban and, excitingly for me, a lot more familiar! This was one of my regular weekly routes during 4 months of intense lockdown training, so getting out there again was just amazing. My body and mind knew exactly what to expect of the terrain so I could switch off and just enjoy it - even the massive hills! 🌿

Only problem with ‘switching off’ was that I didn’t spot the tree root that curled up to grab my toes and so, for the third time this month, I ate dirt. In a painfully slow motion gravitational arc I had time to swear at myself three times before shoulder planting into the muddy path. No damage done, but some serious adrenaline expended unnecessarily! 🩹

Just around the next corner I met another lovely insta friend - Sarah - who gave me lots of lovely positive feedback and good wishes🥰

Enjoying a drink at my namesake pub (The Ness) before finishing the day, I waited for lovely Jo and Vince to pick me up, for a very luxurious night of being well fed and properly pampered (hello radox bath 🛀🏻 🧖‍♀️) 😊

Fox xx

24/06/2021

Day 23:📍Beesands to Brixham 34km / 21miles

☀️Walking on sunshine

I skipped out of the campsite, loving the early morning brightness. Even the toe numbingly flat first 5km didn’t dull the summer holiday vibes 😎

The morning delivered a series of cute seaside spots, from Blackpool Sands (yes, in Devon!), to the hustle and bustle of Dartmouth. Mentioned in the Domesday book and thought to be the sailing point for the Crusades🛡, Dartmouth is a colourful town full of living history. Sadly my cultural tour began at the coop (🥪) and ended at a coffee place, but I’ll deffo be back!

Main news of day 23 was that I mistakenly drained all but 150ml of water from my camelbak 🤦‍♀️. With the sun high in the sky, zero shade, and being mid way between Dartmouth and Brixham on a remote stretch of coast with no villages, cafes, or water points for 2hrs in either direction, I heavily berated myself before deciding that it would be better to make a plan than to make a fuss. I knew I was well hydrated from the morning so set a timer on my phone to take a sip every 20 mins, and continued towards Brixham💧

The h2o situ focused my mind- a steadier pace, zero bursts of energy, & consciously controlling breathing. Pleased to report I’m still alive & didn’t have to break my Britishness by asking any passing strangers for assistance 😬

Met the lovely Emma just before arriving into Brixham. She’s been following my journey on social media and ‘spotted’ me on the trail. We walked the final 30 mins to Brixham before I arrived at my campsite, downed a litre of water + rehydrates and enjoyed one of the best sleeps so far! 💤

Fox xx

23/06/2021

Day 22:📍Thurlestone to Beesands 35km / 22miles

🎶 Heads, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes

The daily inventory of body parts is rapidly becoming a little more sketchy... after 22 days of hard labour my knees may be present but are very much not correct!! Pinched nerves have begun sending intermittent white hot shooting pains under my left patella, making steep climbs an ever slower exercise in sweary determination 😣

Thankfully the scenic South Hams of Devon proffered plenty of inspiration, and miles of gorgeous walking tracks. All the way from sultry South Milton Sands and Hope Cove, through touristy Salcombe and beyond, the sun shone and Mother Nature kicked the wow factor up a notch. The vivid pink spears of foxgloves which have been my constant companions since joining the trail in Minehad bowed as I passed, their heads heavy with fat, floofy bottomed bumblers 🐝

Arriving into the lovely campsite at Beesands in the early evening I felt almost completely spent. Mind and body were soothed by a hot shower and intensive application of high% voltarol gel to all the achey bits (i.e. everywhere 😆), and I snuggled down in 17 layers of clothes, a down jacket, hat, and under the big furry blanket, a deep sense of satisfaction lulling me into a restorative sleep 😴

Fox xx

22/06/2021

Day 21:📍Mothecombe to Thurlestone 13km / 8miles

The longest day of the year was a day of three halves 🙃 : sitting, sogginess, and making a new friend 👯‍♀️

I spent a decadent morning sitting on an actual bed in an actual room with actual walls (after several weeks of tent life, this felt *very* grown up), so that I could participate in a board meeting with the charitable trust I’m a trustee of. ‘Doing good’ really is a wonderful privilege, and the chance to *sit down* for hours was giddying 🤩

The weather didn’t get my ‘happy vibes’ memo, and so off I trudged in the wind and sideways rain, a short but lovely hike ahead to pretty Thurlestone ☔️

The ferry crossing at Bantham was great fun - the ancient info board told me to ring a big old school bell and wave my arms at the boat house on the opposite bank. Feeling a bit of a twerp, I windmilled my poles over my head and walloped the bell. And, hey presto, a cute little launch appeared! The fab female helm had me over to the other shore in a flash, with a fascinating history lesson on Bantham delivered en-route. 🚣🏼‍♀️

Just an hour or so later I arrived in Thurlestone and made my way to Sarah’s place... Sarah was a ‘stranger’ who stumbled across my coastrek stuff on social and very kindly invited me to stay the night. Legend! Turns out we have quite a bit in common, having both lived in Geneva for a few years. After a delish supper, hot bath, and doing laundry, I had *the best* night’s sleep in Sarah’s spare room, with absolutely no regrets about abandoning my tent on a wet and windy Monday evening. 🛀🏻 🛌 😴

This adventure has asked lots of me, but it has also given me a chance to meet some wicked human beings. Thank you Sarah, for your kindness, positivity and openness to welcoming this sweaty stranger into your home 🥰

Fox xx

21/06/2021

Day 20:📍Cawsand to Mothecombe 44.5km / 27.5 miles

A little bit Bridget

🎶All by my self!
🎶Don’t wanna be
🎶All by my self
🎶Ennnn-eeeee-mooore!

Ooft. Waking early to a chilly, grey and wet day without any mates nearby was tough 🌧🥶

Crossing from Cornwall into Devon that ⤴️ Bridget Jones tune stalked my morning. Leaving the urbanity of Plymouth behind, and in sync with my mood, the skies brightened and my soul was soothed by a return to green fields and cliff top views🌿🌊

The pretty twin coastal river villages of Newton Ferrers and (my fave) Noss Mayo are jewels in Devon’s glistening scenic crown✨. A lovely late lunch at the fifth Ship Inn of my journey was made even better by bumping in to my lovely neighbour - Phillipa - whose happy chatter really boosted my positivity, and the unexpected connection to ‘home’ was deeply therapeutic 💆‍♀️

Reinvigorated and bathed in gentle sunshine, the afternoon walk to Mothecombe was an absolute delight. Grassy, mostly flat(ish) tracks were kind to my throbbing feet, whose blisters have been replaced by buniony sore bits and a total loss of feeling in the second toe on my left foot... thankfully I have 9 other little piggies so am not too worried😬

Waiting an hour for the tide to retreat far enough to allow me to paddle across the River Erme at Mothecombe gave me time to reflect on the epic journey so far, and to wonder (again) why I have been so determined to ‘complete’ the trail in an insane 30 days (nb. The official guide book says 5-6 weeks is the minimum). I’m not sure I have an answer but I can see a similar pattern in other areas of life. Perhaps my next challenge will be to not set a challenge, to simply - in all senses- enjoy the journey as it unfolds. Or perhaps I just need more wine 🍷

Fox xx

P.s. final pic is my tent and I enjoying our b&b - drying the tent while I had the chance😅

20/06/2021

Day 19:📍Lansallos to Cawsand 40km / 25 miles

The Dream Team 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Day 19 was big in every sense. Big distance. Big elevation (two ascents of Snowdon 🏔 ). Big milestone to reach the end of my journey through Cornwall. And, excitingly, a BIG team of brilliantly positive trek mates to enjoy the epic journey with!! Me, Clare, Tanya, Tracy and Eivet set off at 7.30am, each noisily excited and quietly apprehensive of the big challenge ahead 🥵

For me, the apprehension was both physical and psychological. Having again woken with a snotty nose and swollen glands I knew I’d find the almost marathon distance a major challenge and was worried that might slow my pace and lead to an even longer day than the 12hrs we anticipated 😥 - a realisation that I’m at the very edge of my physical ability.

But... it turned out to be a fantastic day. We paused for coffee and cake in pretty Polperro, hustled our way through thousands of tourists in Looe, huffed and puffed our way up stupidly steep coastal steps and vertiginous tarmac roads, picked up pace on long and gently undulating tracks, and each gave all our energy and emotions to the trail 🤲.

After 3 intense days on the trail Clare headed home, an absolute heroine, never failing to be upbeat and full of energy, no matter how exhausted she was. Legend! 🥰

The rest of us finished at the Rising Sun pub in Cawsand, having clocked up 26.5miles/43km. After a quick cider & hot supper I hit the campsite, where I pitched in the rain for the first time this trip. Cold and exhausted, a minor emotional meltdown, hot shower, and ‘s Growler* (😉) sent me off to sleep sweetly, desperately trying to not dream of tomorrow’s even longer hike!

Fox xx

*Growler = a big brown blanket!!

Coastrek

01/07/2021

30/06/2021

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27/06/2021

26/06/2021

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