The John Clare Walk
The Footstep Challenge "in the Spirit of John Clare"
With his remarkable story as inspiration the John Clare Walk recreates, “in the spirit of John Clare", the poet’s trek northwards from High Beach in Essex to Helpston, the village of Clare’s much loved first home and the site of Clare Cottage.
Using Ordnance Survey maps and following carefully set routes the John Clare Walk evokes a spirit of this remarkable poet’s trek, passing through the Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire landscape. Much has changed since Clare’s day, the landscape unrecognisable, and part of the 21st century challenge is to follow strict public paths, restricted fields, and new urban areas, once common open land, now a cement landscape.
Target: 195,360 steps - John Clare’s journey home was some 195,360 steps.
Day 1
Distance: 22 miles - 58,080 steps
Ordnance Survey - Map Nos: 174 & 194
Set walks: Forest Way, Three Forests Way, Stort Valley Way, Harmcamlow Way, Hertfordshire Way
-
01.
Epping Forest Field Centre, High Beach, Essex
Ordnance Survey Map - 174
Grid Reference - 41/98
OS Set Route - Forest Way -
02.
Upshire
Ordnance Survey Map - 174
Grid Reference - 41/00
OS Set Route - Forest Way -
03.
Epping Green
Ordnance Survey Map - 174
Grid Reference - 43/05
OS Set Route - Three Forests Way -
04.
Roydon Hamlet
Ordnance Survey Map - 174
Grid Reference - 41/07
OS Set Route - Three Forests Way
-
05.
Roydon Hamlet
Ordnance Survey Map - 174
Grid Reference - 39/09
OS Set Route - Stort Valley Way -
06.
Roydon
Ordnance Survey Map - 174
Grid Reference - 40/10
OS Set Route - Harmcamlow Way -
07.
Stanstead Lodge
Ordnance Survey Map - 194
Grid Reference - 41/11
OS Set Route - Harmcamlow Way - crosses Hertway just before Thunrderidge -
08.
Thunderidge
Ordnance Survey Map - 194
Grid Reference - 35/17
OS Set Route - Harmcamlow Way
-
09.
Wadesmill
Ordnance Survey Map - 194
Grid Reference - 35/17
OS Set Route - Hertfordshire Way -
10.
Tonwell
Ordnance Survey Map - 194
Grid Reference - 33/17
OS Set Route - Hertfordshire Way -
11.
Stapleford
Ordnance Survey Map - 194
Grid Reference - 31/16
OS Set Route - Hertfordshire Way
Day 2
Distance: 22 miles - 58,080 steps
Ordnance Survey Map Nos. 208 & 225
Set walks: Ouse Valley Way, Pathfinder Great Long Distance Walk
-
01.
Tempsford Bridge near Roxton
Ordnance Survey Map - 208
Grid Reference - 16/54
OS Set Route - Ouse Valley Way -
02.
Roxton
Ordnance Survey Map - 208
Grid Reference - 15/54
OS Set Route - Ouse Valley Way -
03.
Chawston
Ordnance Survey Map - 208
Grid Reference - 15/56
OS Set Route - Ouse Valley Way -
04.
Wyboston
Ordnance Survey Map - 208
Grid Reference - 16/56
OS Set Route - Ouse Valley Way
-
05.
Eaton Socon
Ordnance Survey Map - 208
Grid Reference - 17/59
OS Set Route - Ouse Valley Way -
06.
St. Neots
Ordnance Survey Map - 208
Grid Reference - 18/61
OS Set Route - Ouse Valley Way -
07.
Little Paxton
Ordnance Survey Map - 225
Grid Reference - 18/62
OS Set Route - Ouse Valley Way -
08.
Buckden Marina/Offord Cluny
Ordnance Survey Map - 225
Grid Reference - 21/67
OS Set Route - Ouse Valley Way
-
05.
Godmanchester
Ordnance Survey Map - 225
Grid Reference - 24/70
OS Set Route - Ouse Valley Way -
06.
Huntindon/Cook's Stream
Ordnance Survey Map - 225
Grid Reference - 25/71
OS Set Route - Ouse Valley Way -
07.
Houghton
Ordnance Survey Map - 225
Grid Reference - 28/72
OS Set Route - Pathfinder Great Long Distance Walk -
08.
Kings Ripton
Ordnance Survey Map - 225
Grid Reference - 26/76
OS Set Route - Pathfinder Great Long Distance Walk
Day 3
Distance: 30 miles - 79,200 steps
Ordnance Survey Map No: 227/235
Set Walks: Nene Way, Hereward Way
-
01.
Barnwell
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference - 04/84
OS Set Route - Nene Way -
02.
Oundle
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference - 04/87
OS Set Route - Nene Way -
03.
Ashton
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference - 05/88
OS Set Route - Nene Way -
04.
Warmington
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference - 07/91
OS Set Route - Nene Way
-
05.
Eaglethorpe
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference
OS Set Route - Nene Way -
06.
Fotheringhay
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference - 05/93
OS Set Route - Nene Way -
07.
Nassington
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference - 07/97
OS Set Route - Nene Way -
08.
Yarwell
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference - 07/97
OS Set Route - Nene Way
-
09.
Wansford
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference - 07/99
OS Set Route - Nene Way -
10.
Sutton
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference - 09/98
OS Set Route - Nene Way -
11.
Roman Villa
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference - 11/97
OS Set Route - Hereward Way -
12.
South Peterborough
Ordnance Survey Map - 227
Grid Reference - 19/98
OS Set Route - Hereward Way
-
13.
Castor
Ordnance Survey Map - 235
Grid Reference - 12/98
OS Set Route - Public Footpath -
14.
Crickety Park
Ordnance Survey Map - 235
Grid Reference - 14/99
OS Set Route - Public Footpath -
15.
Bretton
Ordnance Survey Map - 235
Grid Reference - 16/00
OS Set Route - Torpel Way -
16.
Park Farm
Ordnance Survey Map - 235
Grid Reference - 15/00
OS Set Route - Torpel Way
-
17.
Burmer Wood
Ordnance Survey Map - 235
Grid Reference - 14/01
OS Set Route - Torpel Way -
18.
Foster's Coppice
Ordnance Survey Map - 235
Grid Reference - 13/01
OS Set Route - Torpel Way -
19.
Simon's Wood
Ordnance Survey Map - 235
Grid Reference - 12/03
OS Set Route - Torpel Way -
20.
Oxey Wood
Ordnance Survey Map - 235
Grid Reference - 12/03
OS Set Route - Torpel Way -
21.
Helpston
Ordnance Survey Map - 235
Grid Reference - 12/05