Here are my photos from the 2019 Shotley Peninsular Challenge
https://www.flickr.com/photos/john_pp/albums/72157710874889207
No video this year as I didn't take sufficient battery power.

More lost and found...

Life Venture titanium mug containing plastic cup with coffee and spoon inside

Cap with Essex County badge

Lost and Found

Has anybody on the event lost a pair of black running trainers. I have picked up a pair on the final section of the route.

Please contact the organiser if they are yours...

I would like to thank Essex & Herts LDWA for another superb challenge, especially all of the volunteers who for long hours saw to our needs at the checkpoints, including us slow ones finishing in the early hours at night. The scenery was fantastic, especially Flatford Mill, Constable is one of my favourite painters, so to stand at the spot where the Haywain was painted was superb. The Orwell bridge looked impressive at dusk and the Shotley Peninsula was magic at night with Felixstowe and Harwich on the other side, with the distant noises of the container cranes and the Hook of Holland ferry coming in.

Rob

Here are my photos from Saturday's Shotley 50. No video this year as I forgot to take spare batteries. https://www.flickr.com/photos/john_pp/albums/72157688566007525

Thanks to all for a great walk, particularly the volunteers on the checkpoints. The weather was near perfect, I was not expecting the views that the route provided.

Link below is to some photos that I took. Make of them what you will,

https://photos.app.goo.gl/j5FkNznvkyygZBqf1

Andy

Just tried to print the Route Description (Word Document) but it's hard coded for a peculiar page size. When you change it to print on A4 it doesn't format properly as the page numbers are coded into the document rather than being done with headers & footers.

Gone through the GPX track below found the changes and errors in it and hopefully a good fit to the route (eventually)

That is giving a figure of 49.8, so will be over 50 by the time it is walked. I get the following stage mileages

CP1 7.7 Miles
CP2 12.1
CP3 16.5
CP4 20.0
CP5 23.7
CP6 29.2
CP7 36.5
CP8 40.0
CP9 44.7
Finish 49.8

I plotted it on OS maps. I made it 50 miles

The route is on the group website under the route descriptions tab. It looks to have changed a little from previous years as CP 1 is now just outside Brantham. Any previous gpx will still get you there - just by the previous (longer) route!

Interestingly, however hard I fiddle with OS mapping, I can barely get the mileage to reach 50 miles and certainly not 52.7, so I'm concerned I may be missing something!

Does anyone know if the 2017 route description and gpx file is available yet ?

Hi Kane,
here's a link to the gpx file that Neil Bromley sent me back in 2015.
I thought that I recorded the route on my Satmap during the walk but I can't find that file at the moment.
This is from my Onedrive. You should be able to save it to your computer.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Asd4IWPtg5AzjFoPz8ytV-WsIgWu

Hi,

Please can someone provide me with a GPX file for the Shotley Peninsula route (Brian confirmed the route is the same as previous years)?

My email address is: kane.wiles@gmail.com

Thank you in advance.

Kind regards
Kane

The wonderful world of coincidence!
I received an email from Brian Adcock last night giving some background to scenes in my Shotley 50 video.
"Out of interest the nice lawn you mention (just after leaving the RHS playing field) is the garden of Griff Rhys Jones. He's never tried to get the FP diverted in the 35 years he's lived there.
The river overflowing at Flatford doesn't usually happen so early in the year. The area from Flatford to Dedham is a flood plain and during the winter is sometimes completely flooded.
Those responsible for the fly tipping were caught. Neighbours heard a lorry going past in the early hours, blocked off the track with their vehicles and phoned the police."
The coincidence is that, while reading this week's Radio Times, I notice that Friday's (16/10/15) Gardeners World features Griff Rhys Jones's garden!

Well done John and Merrian. Great images and video of a great weekend!

My photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/john_pp/albums/72157659354105871

My video: https://youtu.be/M434SLLT_bs

Photos

More photos

Lost Property - Ladies glasses (green), men's sunglasses, compass. All left in hall.

Contact organiser

Hi All,

Is anyone staying in Ipswich tonight who would either be kind enough to give me a lift to Holbrook, or want to share a taxi tomorrow morning ? 07939 278273

Many thanks
Annabel

The weather forecast for the coming weekend is surprisingly optimistic.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday

Settled conditions becoming established with mostly light winds. Pleasantly warm in sunny periods, but chilly overnight with some localised ground frost and patchy fog. Cooler onshore winds Monday.

There is also the advantage of what should be an impressive full moon. However anyone wanting to observe the full lunar eclipse will have to stay up on Sunday night - Monday morning as well!

Is there a gpx file of the Shotley Peninsula route?

Hi David,
Sounds like good advice, thank you, I much appreciate it

Nicky,

Good luck with your first 50 mile event. I will also be walking the Shotley Peninsula and like you, am looking forward to it.
The best way to tackle any long distance event is to not think of the total mileage, but to just concentrate on the section you are about to walk. I.E. checkpoint to checkpoint.
The biggest challenge is always mental as opposed to physical and when you break it down into bite sized pieces you begin to realise that the ultimate challenge is achievable.
Eat well at checkpoints and drink plenty.
Enjoy conversations with other walkers and the miles will fly by.

Remember, it's just a walk, although it is slightly longer than what others consider sensible!

Hi, have signed up for this at the end of the month. Feeling nervous/excited. Have never walked this far before. I'd be grateful for any tips.

Having secured further parking spaces close to the start there are now 20 places still available.

Eric Rolfe's pictures.

Absolutely fantastic event, really enjoyed this even with the heat and the hard ground and sore feet. Great views and wonderful route. The extra checkpoints were really appreciated and the food super especially the sausage at the end, what a great way to finish a great day) - Big thanks to all.

Many thanks to Neil Bromley for the GPX - kept me on course...I tracked the changes also so if anyone requires in future please let me know,

Lovely route, crystal clear directions, frequent checkpoints and excellent hospitality - a great event, many thanks to everyone involved. My feet packed up on me at 31 miles, but never mind, there's always next time!

A great challenge walk, we really enjoyed it. The weather was just right. Hard ground and tough on the feet and legs though.

Special thanks to Essex and Herts Group, plus some of the other usual LDWA suspects (?) who supported us so well at every checkpoint -and without whom, there would be no event !! This is one of those "typical" - i.e. excellent - LDWA events that are the benchmark of what our organisation does so uniquely well

Thanks to all of you.

Its the first time I have done the Shotley and I had a great time. Feet said that's enough pal at 42.6 mls but so what. Loved the walk and will be back next year. How about the other direction next time. The amount of times I have driven over the Orwell bridge and looked at that minor road underneath and thought to myself "I,ll park up down there one day and look around, and then suddenly there I was looking up at the bridge was brill.

It's no wonder that the Almighty was so obliging, since 4 of the check points were in churches or church-yards. The font at Erwalton made a very useful table for my orange squash!

Thanks Essex and Herts group for not only a fantastic route and food at checkpoints (saltwater at the church much appreciated) but thanks for whoever spoke to the almighty regarding the weather.

Smashing event!

To Dispel any rumours regarding the go ahead of the Shotley due to the hot weather, I can confirm it is definitely on. The forecast is 21 degrees for Saturday!

Peter, no I haven't found a definitive one but I have an abbreviated one (key turns mainly) based on the 2011 event which I'm happy to pass on if you contact nhbromley@gmail.com and promise not to sue me if you go off course!

Neil B

Please can anyone advise if they have a link for a GPX for the Shotley Peninsula 50

Many Thanks

Hi - I meant thanks to Essex/Herts [someone just pointed my error out]. Thank you for a well designed & pretty walk.

I'd like to add my thanks - very much enjoyed this event - very pretty and very little road walking. Nightjars in Pin Mill wood, and several owls hooting in the night. Delightful walking along the sea wall with the moonlight on the water. In fact marvellous to be supported by a nearly full moon. Holbrook creek in moonlight - oh - it was really pretty. Thank you Bed/Bucks for all the organisation and support.

Thanks to all organisers and marshalls, fantastic walk n countryside.Weather held out despite forecast! Highlights swans flying overhead on the banks of the orwell, hearing their wings flapping and the beautiful double rainbow by the folly,(freston tower, oldest in England!) ............lowlight falling in big patch of nettles (mainly because of enjoying amazing flapjack and not watching my step...........!!) Still grinning and only one blister!

Brilliant walk - thoroughly enjoyable route which kept my interest throughout. Minimal field edges (which is my pet hate as its boring!).
Well supported and a lovely day out. Totally overdressed and cooked in my woollen lined long sleeved top!

Thanks Essex & Herts, thoroughly enjoyed this one. The route description was spot on, the checkpoints were great (in particular Pin Mill and the history lesson). The weather was kind to us giving lovely scenery. Definitely one to revisit. Thanks to all who made this happen.

Thanks to Essex & Herts for putting this one on again - much the same weather as 2008 with the addition of that double rainbow, one of those magic moments that make up for any number of tedious slogs through downpours. :-)

Superbly organised as usual, and £11 for nine checkpoints (six of them indoors) is outstanding - I've been charged more for less than half that number before now.

Photos available at Shotley 53 Gallery.

Yes, it was a good walk, though wonderful scenery and well supported with an unprecedented number of checkpoints. Besides The Haywain, Felixstowe was lit up like a shuttle launch pad: spectacular. Thanks Essex and Herts: I?ll be back next year.

Another Big well done to the Essex and Herts group for another excellent 50 mile challenge event.

Great route, excellent checkpoints with helpful and friendly checkpointers and the route description spot on.

The weather was good and non of that Cromer mud.

A very different 50 to any other i've walked before.

Well done and a big Thankyou for a very enjoyable weekend

I enjoyed this event a lot. It has an excellent route - I would never have realised just how interesting it would be, from looking at the map of the peninsula beforehand. Plenty of good checkpoints - the one in Shotley Church was a pleasant surprise. The rain miraculously held off, and we had a clear night and nearly a full moon, which greatly helps. However, the warmth and humidity during the day on Saturday was quite astonishing. I cannot ever remember experiencing conditions like this in September.

A really good 50 mile challenge walk. Well done Essex and Herts LDWA