Tue 18th May - Day 32, Weston to N of Congleton (19 miles)

After a clear night with no condensation in the tent it was a fine sunny day, I started at 08:00 & finished at 20:00 doing 19 miles but I did have 2½ hrs for lunch & 1½ hrs for tea!

The first part of the morning I continued following the South Cheshire Way for 5 miles to Hassell then went along the minor road for a mile to Hassell Green where I took the canal tow path into Rode Heath.

I stopped here at 12:00 to have my sandwiches on a seat by the canal, another walker, Peter Thompson, stopped to talk, he was 66 and was walking to help get over his triple bypass operation.
He had finished his walk and was just going to the pub for a sandwich, so I joined him for an orange juice. He lived in the village and invited me back to his house so I could charge up my phone & use any other facilities, it was 14:30 when I left.

I took the minor road out of the village along Rode Pool and turned onto a footpath at Rode Mill to get onto the A34 where I rejoined the South Cheshire Way, I saw my first fox of the trip here as it ran along the hedgerow.

Crossing the road I went by Little Moreton Hall, a moated 15th-century half-timbered manor house and then the path joined the canal and became the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk.

The canal went through Congleton and I stopped at the Queens Head for a meal, I took my time, there was no campsite to aim for tonight again so I intended to walk until I found somewhere secluded or it started to get dark.

In the end I stopped 4 miles further on just before some lock gates, near to some moored boats, where the path was wider, it was 20:00 and while I was pitching my tent one of them made me a mug of tea. I only pitched the inner tent because if I had put the flysheet on the guylines would be in the path.

Just in case you think I am having a nice & easy time I currently have 3 blisters, 2 new ones & 1 recurrance.

I think I have underestimated the total mileage for the trip because my halfway 550 mark was about 40 miles into the Pennine Way & I won't get to start it until Thursday. Never mind, the spirit is still high, it's amazing what a spell of good weather & meeting pleasant people can do for you.

538 miles completed.