The final stage took us along the edge of Dartmoor, over the Tamar into Cornwall and down to the coast for the last push to Land’s End. Three years after I was told I might never walk again, we walked the length of Britain.
Stage 9 at a glance
- Dates: 3–23 September 2019
- Route: Bickleigh – Crediton – Hittisleigh – Okehampton – Lewdown – Launceston – Minions – St Neot – Bodmin – Indian Queens – Ladock – Truro – Stithians – Porthleven – Marazion – Lamorna – Land’s End
- Distance: about 159 miles (1,065 in total)
- Steps: about 390,000 each – 2,501,968 for the whole walk
- Walking days: 16, plus 5 rest days
- Weather: sunshine, sea air and a soaking finish
Three years on
We left Bickleigh on 3 September, three years after my accident. I don’t remember it – I only know what I’ve been told. Back then, I was told I would never walk again. Three years later, I was over 900 miles into a walk down the length of the country, thanks to everyone who helped me get there.
Devon’s lanes are lined with ten-foot hedges, so Ian had to hold the camera over the top to show me the edge of Dartmoor. The Crediton Lions threw us a welcome evening, complete with the town mayor, and Radio Devon interviewed us – a farmer we met later that day had heard us. We followed the Tarka Trail into Okehampton.
Into Cornwall – and nearly stopping
On the Granite Way, along the north-west edge of Dartmoor, we dropped below 100 miles to go. On 8 September we crossed the River Tamar into Cornwall – “Kernow a’gas dynergh” – our eighteenth and final county.
By then I was exhausted, physically and mentally. The next morning I couldn’t get out of bed, and I didn’t know if I could carry on. After six more hours’ sleep, I woke up knowing I’d come too far to stop.
Minions, moors and 1,000 miles
Over Bodmin Moor we reached the village of Minions – and yes, there were Minion stickers everywhere. The Bodmin Lions guided us along the old A30 and over Goss Moor. Near Ladock, on 15 September, we passed 1,000 miles, with old diving friend Ian “Rosie” Rose and his family walking with us.
Arriving in Truro, the Lions had arranged for the town crier to lead us to the cathedral, ringing his bell – “Hear ye, hear ye!” Mum and Dad were waiting, and we celebrated with the best pasty in town.
Back to the sea
From Stithians the hedges finally got lower, and at Porthleven we reached the sea, past old tin-mine engine houses. The coast is my happy place. On the South West Coast Path to Marazion it took nearly three hours to cover five miles, but I didn’t mind. We met people along the way whose lives had been touched by brain injury, and learnt that in the UK, the rehab you get can depend on your postcode. That stayed with me.
On our penultimate morning we were live on BBC Radio 2’s Sunday show, and Ian’s phone kept pinging with donations all the way along the coast past St Michael’s Mount: stick, stick, step, step, beep, beep. Ian’s daughter Kira walked the whole day with us, with Mum and the Penzance Lions joining too.
Land’s End
We walked the last day, 23 September, just the two of us – how we started. It was pouring with rain and blowing a gale, so we cut inland rather than risk the cliffs, and there was one final stile, twice as tall as me. Then we saw Land’s End in the distance: stick, stick, step, step, splash, splash.
Our arrival was announced over the Tannoy. Friends and family were waiting, drenched. I had tunnel vision for the signpost – 140 days, 1,065 miles and 2,501,968 steps after we stood at the one in John O’Groats. I touched it, turned to Ian and we had a long, emotional hug. Nobody could tell what was rain and what was tears.
My brother Mark had driven down overnight, in shorts. Dad was hiding inside, out of the rain. And after 1,065 miles of looking, I finally got my first proper Cornish scone.
What it all added up to
- 1,065 miles in 140 days
- 2,501,968 steps each
- 7,184,742 steps in total, including everyone who walked with us
- £14,879 raised for brain injury recovery
Finishing felt like the start of something, not the end. So many people had told us their stories along the way, and so much still needs to be done. That’s why 3 Million Steps carries on today.
Tips if you’re walking this stretch
- Use the old railway trails – the Tarka Trail and Granite Way – to escape Devon’s narrow lanes.
- Budget extra time for the South West Coast Path. It’s beautiful but slow and steep.
- Have a bad-weather route for the final day; the cliffs near Land’s End are exposed.
Local facts we picked up along the way
- The Granite Way follows an old railway line along the north-west edge of Dartmoor.
- “Kernow a’gas dynergh” means “Welcome to Cornwall” in Cornish.
- The South West Coast Path, at 630 miles, is England’s longest National Trail.
- St Michael’s Mount, off Marazion, is a tidal island you can walk to at low tide.
Read the whole journey
Start at the very beginning with Stage 1: John O’Groats to Alness, or catch up on Stage 8: Tewkesbury to Devon. See every stage and watch our film on the Our JOGLE page.
Inspired? Set your own challenge, any distance and any pace, and help other brain injury survivors keep going. Find ideas, our info pack and sponsor form on our Fundraise for us page. If you or someone you care for is living with a brain injury, you can apply for funding here.
