Coastwalk

Hunstanton → King's Lynn

Distance: 15.6 miles
Ascent: unknown
Duration: unknown

Trespassing
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For the first (and so far only) time on this circuit of the country, a van pulled up alongside me and the driver asked what I thought I was doing.

"Walking," I replied.

I knew full well: the concrete track I was on wasn't marked as a public right of way, and I didn't much fancy the alternative of pounding the tarmac of the A149 bypassing Snettisham, Ingoldisthrope and Dersingham. (Aren't these Norfolk village names fantastic!)

The way I usually tell the story is that I was on the Sandringham Estate, but if I'm honest I'll admit I was not. I was on farmland.

My reply seemed to stump my enquirer. Eventually he found another question: "Where are you going?".

"King's Lynn."

The nightmare scenario flashed before my eyes. Not that I'd be arrested, but that he'd offer a lift or escort me off the land and the day's miles would be in vain, that I'd be forced onto the A-road after all (Heacham, Wolferton, Castle Rising) rather than continue across the fens (Wootton Marsh, Vinegar Middle, South Outmarsh).

In the end I think the brevity of my answers did the trick: he wasn't going to get more interesting conversation out of me and I seemed harmless enough. He let me go. ("Stick to the river bank next time".)

But as I dragged my feet the last two miles along the bank of the Great Ouse into King's Lynn I wished he hadn't. I was exhausted, and still had to find my way back to the car. Biting off more than I can chew is getting to be a nasty habit.