I would walk five hundred miles...

Amongst other things, when the bell rings for November it's usually time for me to do my annual accounts. So in a spirit of reflection and totting up, eighteen months or so into my Long Walk to all the churches in Peterborough Diocese, here's an interim report on the story so far. For walks 1-28, please look at the post for March 28th 2017 ('Anniversary').

The recitation of village names brings back many happy memories of beautiful and holy places, charming people and aching feet.

In all I've dropped in on, or walked and prayed around, 187 churches, and covered a distance of 905 kilometres, which approximates to 565 miles in old money. If I'm right that there are maybe four hundred churches in the eventual itinerary, well I'm almost half way there. So far it's been a blast...

If you're going to retrace any of these routes, then the usual health warnings apply, and in any case you do so at your own risk. Vaya con dios but also adequately shod and clothed. Take some water, an OS Explorer map and your mobile. A compass is nice. Tell someone where you're going, particularly if you're walking solo or you're like me and not as young as you once were. Observe the 'country code'. Shut gates behind you. Keep your dogs on a lead. Be wary of any cattle you encounter. Be nice to farmers. And vicars. Do not steal the lead from their church roof.

Walk 29:   Croughton - Evenley - Juniper Hill - Cottisford - Tusmore - Croughton ( 30.03.17)
                    ( 22.5 km.)

Walk 30:    Overstone - Sywell - Mears Ashby - Hardwick - Overstone (10.04.17)
                     ( 17 km.)

Walk 31:    Great Doddington - Wilby - St. Mark's Wellingboro' - St Barnabas' Wellingboro' -
                    All Hallows Wellingboro' - All Saints Wellingboro' - St. Mary's Wellingboro -
                    St. Andrew's Wellingboro' - Great Doddington  ( 16.04.17)  (19 km)

Walk 32:    Hardwick - Orlingbury - Pytchley - Isham - Little Harrowden - Great Harrowden -
                    Hardwick  ( 26.04.17)  (20.5 km)

Walk 33:     Irchester - Higham Ferrers - St. Peter's Rushden - St. Mary's Rushden -      
                     Whitefriars - Irchester  (08.05.17)   ( 17 km.)

Walk 34:     Higham Ferrers - Chelveston - Stanwick - Raunds - Irthlingborough - Higham
                     Ferrers  (17.05.17)   (22.5 km.)

Walk 35:     Raunds - Hargrave - Raunds  (23.05.17)    (14 km.)

Walk 36:     Irthlingborough - Little Addington - Great Addington - Finedon -
                     Irthlingborough    ( 12.06.17)  (23 km.)

Walk 37:     Isham - Burton Latimer - Cranford St. John - Cranford St. Andrew - Barton
                     Seagrave - Isham ( 18.06.17)   (17.5 km.)

Walk 38:     Holcot - Old - Walgrave - Hannington - Holcot ( 08.07.17) (17 km)

Walk 39:     Old - Scaldwell - Lamport - Hanging Houghton - Lamport - Faxton - Old
                     (16.07.17)   ( 14 km.)

Walk 40:     Great Addington - Woodford - Islip - Thrapston - Denford - Ringstead  -
                     Great Addington  ( 24.07.17 )  ( 21 km.)

Walk 41:     Thrapston - Titchmarsh - Aldwincle - Lowick - Thrapston ( 01.08.17) ( 18 km.)

Walk 42:     Farthinghoe - Warkworth/Overthorpe - Middleton Cheney - Thenford -
                     Farthinghoe  ( 18.08.17 )  ( 21 km.)

Walk 43:     Middleton Cheney - Chacombe - Coton - Wardington - Thorpe Mandeville -
                     Middleton Cheney  ( 28.08.17 )  ( 21 km. )

Walk 44:     Thorpe Mandeville - Culworth - Sulgrave - Greatworth - Marston St. Lawrence -
                     Thorpe Mandeville ( 25.09.17 )  ( 18 km. )

Walk 45:     Culworth - Eydon - Chipping Warden - Edgcote - Culworth (01.10.17)  ( 18km.)

Walk 46:     Chipping Warden - Aston le Walls - Byfield - Upper Boddington - Appletree -
                     Chipping Warden ( 06.10.17 )  ( 20 km )

Walk 47:      Eydon - Moreton Pinkney - Canons Ashby - Woodford Halse - Eydon
                      ( 29.10.17)   ( 19 km. )

Walk 48:      Moreton Pinkney - Plumpton - Weston - Weedon Lois - Woodend - Blakesley -
                      Moreton Pinkney ( 04.11.17 )   ( 20 km. )

Walk 49:      Woodford Halse - Preston Capes - Fawsley - Church Charwelton - Woodford
                      Halse  ( 11.11.17 )  ( 16 km. )

 Lord
I know you are with me as I journey.
I ask for joyful feet,
A sensitive eye,
And a prayerful heart.
I pray you will comfort me
As my feet grow weary
My eye dims
And my heart becomes sad.
Be with me, Lord,
All the way to the end of the walk.
I ask it in Jesus' name
Amen