About this blog

The journey from John o'Groats to Land's End took place in 14 sections, starting in 1996 (a week or so each year). The idea came to me in 1995 and I completed the British JoGLE Watershed in June 2009.

I was joined by a number of relations and friends from time to time. Most notable among my walking companions were my son Tim (7 sections) and nephews Peter and Jonny.

After walking the first section in 1996 I discovered that Dave Hewitt had already pioneered the Scottish Watershed (to Cape Wrath) in 1987, and had published his excellent account Walking the Watershed in 1994. We have been in touch since then, and he has been a great encouragement.

A simple definition of the watershed is that any rain falling to the left of the path finishes in the North Sea or English Channel, and anything to the right flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea or the Bristol Channel.

I believe that this was the first walk along the full length of the British JoGLE Watershed. I became aware just after I completed the journey that the late Mike Allen walked a slightly different version (from Land's End to Cape Wrath) between 1988 and 1994, so he will have covered the same ground apart from the most north-easterly 220km.

There have subsequently been several walks and publications about parts of the JoGLE watershed, including Peter Wright's 2010 Ribbon of Wildness account of his Scottish section walked in 2005, which has brought the subject of watershed walking in the UK to a wider audience.

I hope you enjoy this blog. I'm planning to publish a full account in 2013/4. A summary of the walk appeared in The Angry Corrie volume 76 in 2009.

Malcolm Wylie.

Monday 14 August 2006

Day 105 - Sherborne and Telegraph Hill

Today, it was just Peter, Keith and me walking. Helen once again found a camping place ahead on the Watershed. We made an early start as I knew this would be Peter's longest day.

The morning was a good mixture of largely traffic-free roads and footpaths, with a couple of minor trespasses thrown in - one of which was mildly challenged on exit (Frith House). The other was through a wood above Sherborne (see photo).

After lunch with Helen and Thomas near St Antony's Leweston School (map 194), we had a less interesting walk, nearly all on roads. The monotony was broken by the Holm Bushes, a path up Telegraph Hill, and seeing some unexpected llamas peeking over a wall at us.

We camped on a hillside at Woolcombe Farm (595055), and then drove into Evershot for  a rather splendid meal at the Acorn, which had been recommended by Keith (who lives reasonably close, in Dorchester). After supper Helen and Thomas returned home.
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