Sandy to Winchester in seven days... Sunday 17th May: Day-one.

The “Walking with St Swithun team” began the first leg of their trek at the at St Swithun’s Church, Sandy morning service with a special blessing for the five pilgrims by Rev Derwyn Willimans and Rev Janet MacKenzie.

The walk organiser Jeanette was well prepared with her Alzheimer’s collection tin strapped to her back-pack. We set out from the church at 8.45am and headed towards Station Road, past the Bell public house and down onto the Biggleswade-Sandy common. Then, across the river Ivel and past the Quarry Lakes.

walking their dogs. We soon approached Biggleswade where Jeanette seized her first of many opportunities to publicise the walk and take further sponsorship. Having passed Biggleswade the weather took a turn for the worse and a downpour ensued as the river Ivel split and we followed the path of the river Hiz. Langford Mill looked in magnificent order and it seemed but a short time before the rain petered out and the sun returned. Soon after Ros envisaged tea and cream cakes for the first time we stopped for our paked lunches at The Boot beer-garden in Langford. Before continuing we made a slight detour to Langford Garden Centre for a comfort break, and Jeanette took the opportunity to push for sponsorship from the locals passing and raised a few more pounds from some very kind people getting in and out of their cars. We continued the walk passed the Langford fishing lakes, along the Hiz and onto Henlow Grange. This is a lovely time of year to walk, the crops are sprouting and young foals and lambs are in abundance. The route took us along the path of the river Hiz, and on passing over the A507 just west of Arlesley Railway Station we veered west from the river and headed across the fields to Ickleford where we left the fields and took to the roads on to Hitchin, where we met our hosts, Colin, Gale & Chris.