LEJOG: Truro to Queens Indian

I got up early making tea and porridge, which I consumed while I packed my stuff up. I had arranged to have bacon sandwich with one of owners of the bed and breakfast, which he had prepared in his garden. I sat chatting to him but when he offered a cup of coffee, I declined and headed off with another bacon sandwich as a parting gift.

Heading out of Truro was easy, a quick walk though a small park and under a railway viaduct and then on to a road heading North to the village of Idless, on the way I saw a bunch of white geese in a front garden, they took a dislike to me and headed towards me hissing. A little while later I saw a group of Canadian geese and when they saw me they all turned around and ran away, looking quite funny with their waddling running style.

After Idless I headed to St Clements Woods, struggling to find the correct way in, the public footpath marked on the map was at a 2 metre high rock cliff. A man told me that this entrance had been closed for about 40 years and the correct way in was via a carpark a little to the North. He was correct and I was soon headed through the woods which were quite large about 2km North to South. Having got lost in woods before I just headed in Northerly direction until I found the North boundary and followed this to the North East edge where a road led to the village of Trispen. Walking along the road was hot, the day was heating up and promised to be a got one.

The village shop did not have a coffee machine but a woman told me that if I passed her home later on she would make me one. I sat down for 15 minutes before heading out of the village to a farm called Trevella. As I was passing onto the buildings a Cavapoo started barking at me, I approached it and gave it a stroke, it was very friendly. A that point the women who had offered me coffee came out of the house and invited me in for a coffee.

Her name was Rosie, the dogs was Luna and her husband who was sitting at the dining table in his dressing gown was called Peter. We chatted for a bit and after finishing the coffee I took the opportunity to refill my water bottles. Rosie had lived on this farm for most of her life, except for a period working in London though she was not a farmer.

I headed on though fields, at one point scaring a deer who scampered away from me, I don't know which of us was more surprised. My route took me back towards the A39 walking on A roads to either side of it. The traffic on the road was backed up for along distance, it did not look fun, sitting there in the sun. Heading away from the road I was in the full glare of the sun for a few kilometres, it was hot but bearable. At the small village of Mitchell I sat down and ate my bacon sandwich and took of my shoes and socks, resting for half an hour and replacing some blister plasters.

Next up was another crossing of a major road this time the A30, which was followed by a long stretch of road walking, though the road was luckily tree lined in a lot of places so I kept out of the sun and the walking was quite pleasant. It was a long road, very narrow in places and any fast driver could have done for me but I survived.

At the small church in the village of St Enoder I sat in the graveyard and spread my tent out to dry while I sorted a campsite out for the night, once this was done, it was only left to walk through the villages of Fraddon, Indian Queens and Toldish before reaching the campsite which was right on my route for the next day. Walking through these villages was a mission, it was one long sun drenched road linking them all, it felt like the road to hell and seemed to take forever. I stopped off at The Blue Anchor, the only pub in all these villages and made a detour to go to the only supermarket but eventually I made it to the campsite, which was right on the other side of all the towns along the road. It was an odd series of small towns, there did not seem to be much in they way of shops or restaurants, though there was an airport nearby.

The campsite was great, well maintained and run by a young couple, who had only been here for a year. I managed to wash some clothes, I am sure that the shirt I had been walking in for 5 days smelt like Satan's jockstrap and needed a wash. I felt good at the end if the day, feeling that I have developed some stamina and more walking strength. I no longer feel exhausted at the end of the day despite doing slightly more distance today, the problems with my foot seem to have diminished, so all in all I am feeling more positive than I was on day 3.

I must put some of this down to my walking shoes, Salomen X Ultra 4 Wide Gore-Tex. With the insoles I add they are super comfortable and absorb a lot of the forces from walking. My feet feel quite fresh at the end of the day without any tiredness or discomfort.