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.

• 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

• 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

• 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