The Nelson Way by Les Ham
This 424 mile long distance walk described in detail in both directions encompasses a reminder of Britain's naval heritage and England's finest sailor Horatio Nelson. It follows a route from Burnham Thorpe in Norfolk (Nelson's birthplace), linking locations associated with Nelson, along coastlines and rivers, across broads, through villages, towns and cities, over heathland, across fields, through forests and over hills. The route is presented in 17 sections, and, within further shorter sub-sections, which allows the walker to choose a part or direction of the walk. Its 210 pages contain 43 illustrations and 18 maps. Leaving the rectory where Nelson was born the route goes round the Norfolk coast before passing Nelson's former school. It then goes across the Norfolk Broads to Gt Yarmouth, a town Nelson knew well. The route maintains a nautical theme as it goes along the Suffolk coast and into Essex. After crossing Essex it joins the Lea Valley navigation affording an excellent route towards Greenwich. Much Nelson history is to be seen in Greenwich including the Painted Hall, where Nelson lay in state prior to his funeral. Proceeding along the south bank of the River Thames the route crosses over the Millennium Bridge and goes up to St Paul's Cathedral, in the crypt lays Nelson. The route passes through Trafalgar Square and leaves London alongside the River Thames. Passing Richmond the route goes on to Kingston. Using the Thames Downs Link path it crosses Surrey to Box Hill and Burford Bridge Hotel, a place where Nelson stopped for a while on his last night on English soil before the Battle of Trafalgar. The walk finishes at HMS Victory (Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar) in the Historic Naval Dockyard in Portsmouth. It links the walker to the unfolding story of Nelson and highlights the locations that Nelson knew.
The preface is written by Anna Tribe OBE - Nelson's great, great, great granddaughter.
The detailed route follows public footpaths, sometimes lanes and roads. The route is described in both directions:
Section 1 Burnham Thorpe, Burnham Overy Staithe, Wells-next-the-Sea, Blakeney, Cley-next-the-Sea, Sheringham.
Section 2 Sheringham, Cromer, Overstrand, Mundesley, Bacton Green, North Walsham.
Section 3 North Walsham, Stalham, Hickling, Potter Higham Bridge, Acle Dyke, Berney Arms railway station, Great Yarmouth.
Section 4 Great Yarmouth, Belton, Somerleyton, Lowestoft.
Section 5 Lowestoft, Kessingland, Southwold, Dunwich, Thorpeness.
Section 6 Thorpeness, Snape, Chillesford, Shingle Street, Bawdsey Ferry, Landguard Fort, Harwich.
Section 7 Harwich, Ramsey, Bradfield, Manningtree, Dedham, Boxted, West Bergholt.
Section 8 West Bergholt, Great Tey, Coggeshall, White Notley, Terling.
Section 9 Terling, Fuller Street, Chatham Green, Pleshey, Good Easter, Willingale, Chipping Ongar, Epping.
Section 10 Epping, Epping Forest, Enfield Lock, Tottenham Lock, Three Mills Bow, Greenwich.
Section 11 Greenwich, Millennium Bridge, Trafalgar Square.
Section 12 Trafalgar Square, Westminster Bridge, Hammersmith Bridge.
Section 13 Hammersmith Bridge, Richmond Bridge, Kingston Bridge.
Section 14 Kingston Bridge, Berrylands, Epsom, Ashtead, Box Hill.
Section 15 Box Hill, Shere, St Martha's Hill, Bramley, Hascombe, Wormley, Thursley, Haslemere.
Section 16 Haslemere, Liphook, Rake, Chalton.
Section 17 Chalton, Rowlands Castle, Emsworth, Hilsea, Southsea, HMS Victory.
Walk described in both directions
ISBN 1-4120-5475-3. Price £11.49. 210 pages. 43 illustrations. 18 maps.
Available from booksellers or direct from the publisher
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