Putting on the agony, putting on the stile...

We used to be indecisive but now we’re not so sure. All through a week of gales and torrential rain we were debating the big question – to walk or not to walk?

Finally, Friday evening, the Met Office website was consulted, a decision was made and the walk was on.  Under leaden skies, eight of us set off from Uttoxeter to complete the last 2.8 miles of our allotted stage to Hobb Lane and then continue along the Staffordshire Way to a renowned hostelry in Abbots Bromley.

The first part of the walk was difficult, long grass made crossing fields a bit like wading through soft sand.

The recent wet weather meant it was very muddy and slippery underfoot and we spent a long time searching for an ash tree which was no longer there!

 When we reached Hobb Lane around 11a.m. it seemed such an insignificant country lane to be our final destination, so we were pleased to be pressing onward into Bagots Park - part of the ancient royal Needwood Forest and Phil Drabble country.

The next stretch was easier to walk, with less wet grass and fewer stiles, the “fields of gold” enjoyed by Shenstone are now just seedy stalks awaiting harvesting. We made good time only pausing when two of our group inadvertently touched a barbed wire fence and were shocked to discover it was live!

We climbed hills, we crossed streams, we read the map, we followed hedges and we talked a lot too. In the end our perseverance paid off when the village of Abbots Bromley appeared on the horizon, faced with one last steep hill into the village we got up it by thinking about the chips we might order for lunch and debating how many stiles we had actually climbed, some made it 32 and but others thought it nearer 40. We also tried to work out how many calories we might have burned off in the last three and a half hours walking and negotiating obstacles.

Walking down Schoolhouse Lane in Abbots Bromley we came upon a “Finish” line painted on the road giving us a perfect photo opportunity to "finish" our walk!

Then we were back on the village green where we had left two cars earlier so there was just time to change muddy boots before taking up our reserved table in The Goat’s Head at 1pm, delighted and relieved that not a drop of rain had fallen.

Trentham NWR has now completed its stage of The Staffordshire Way. Over the three days, eleven members took part and three of us walked all the sections. We relished the challenge and enjoyed seeing parts of the Staffordshire countryside that were unfamiliar and, just as importantly, had two very enjoyable lunches.

We had a couple of mishaps along the way, but Sarah carried a first aid kit for all of the fifteen miles and the only casualties were two broken nails!

Good luck to those groups who still have to walk and to the doughty members undertaking the Long Walk.  May the sun shine on all of you!

Blog post by Sarah

Photos by members of the group