I was tremendously proud of my Marathon Walk achievement, supported by Karl and his gang, in June 2017. My walking activities continued, with an annual 1,000 mile target, achieved with mostly a daily 3 miles or so, and interspersed with the occasional (monthly-ish) hike in the double-figures of miles.
For some while, I'd wanted to follow the suggestion of my good friend James to complete a midsummer overnight marathon. Marriott's Way is a splendidly friendly local walk, being the site of redundant railway lines and which has been converted to a well-known walking and cycling route. I've walked various sections of it at different times of the day; it's an especial pleasure in hotter summer days, as much of it is through tree-lined shade.
Our plans to do a through-the-night walk were originally mooted some time before, but were thwarted by various circumstances - including Covid. However, finally, in June 2023 we finally got our act together. James has been my good friend and 'hiking big bruv' for many years, being originally a colleague from our local theatre group, and I can think of nobody I'd sooner have with me on such an outing: completely trustworthy, highly experienced with such 'expotitions', as Winnie-the-Pooh would put it, and always comes armed with first-rate coffee.
Marriott's Way is marketed as a marathon distance, with way-markers (decorated with metalwork from the original railway lines) at each mile. In fact, the way-markers are more like 0.9 miles apart, and the total distance is a little over 24 miles.
We started from the Norwich end of the trail shortly before 8.30pm, with a little while to go before sunset. We took photographs of each other at alternate way-markers, stopped for the aforesaid excellent coffee (freshly brewed on small camping stove) and pork pies at Whitwell Station, roughly halfway along, and emerged blinking like owls into a summer morning at Aylsham just after 7.30am.
The experience was a really special one. The sounds and atmosphere of a summer night are quite remarkable; the occasional glimpses of sheep, deer and confused pigeons; watching the progress of the sun and stars as we emerged between trees and open land. Plenty of time for chat and for silence, and to feel the land beneath our feet.
We took the bus back from Aylsham to Norwich, where my husband collected us; James picked up his car from our house and went back home to sleep, while I went with my husband to enjoy a full English breakfast, and then crashed out for the rest of the day!
