Steppin’ Out

ROUTE 1066 – Saturday 17 October 2026

In the days since I announced my ROUTE 1066 walking challenge I have had a lot of requests for further information on my preparation and planning. I will be walking somewhere between 15 and 20 miles per day for 24 days, so a good level of walking fitness is required: I have done two long treks in the last week, one with my wife Rachel along our next section of the Thames Path from Reading to Henley-on-Thames, and I will post a Blog on this in due course. Equipment-wise I have splashed out on some new walking trousers, having worn through a couple of older pairs on my exploits earlier in the year, as well as some new ‘dry bags’ for my kit – so I hope to look the part and to keep myself and my gear as dry as reasonably possible whilst on the trail.

One of the most enjoyable elements of the preparation has been the route planning for my ROUTE 1066 trek. The idea of following in the steps of William of Normandy (remembering that he was yet to become ‘the Conqueror’) came to me earlier in the year when I attended one of the Castle Fields fundraising evenings that featured a speaker from Berkhamsted’s History Society. I had known, ever since I moved into the town more than three decades ago, of William taking the surrender from the Anglo-Saxon powers-that-be in Berkhamsted in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings, but I knew very little about the complexities of his journey and the events that he encountered on the trail. The History Society talk got me reading, and thinking perhaps of following in William’s footsteps – and whilst many sources vary in their detail of his route there is a degree of alignment in many of the accounts. I am sure that the historians reading this may question the path that I have planned, but here goes:

Perhaps the most exciting revelation that I made in my early planning was that nobody seems to have completed this circa 360-mile journey on foot since William and his Norman Army did so 960 years ago – at least so far as I have been able to ascertain! Frankly there must be a very limited number of folk who would even considering taking on such an undertaking, especially in November: indeed – in Rachel’s words – I must be somewhat bonkers to find the challenge attractive. Thus inspired I set out to plan the 24 days of walking. The OS App is a vital tool here: for my £29 a year subscription – I can plan any route in great detail, and so I have been able to put together daily walk plans that seek out the most scenic paths whilst staying as true as possible to William’s route, to the extent that the historical record permits. Here are a couple of examples from Day 1 of my proposed path:

You will see that I can plan to a very detailed level, at whatever scale is required, and so measure the distances, gradients and cumulative ascents with a fair degree of accuracy. Having completed the route planning exercise, over several iterations, I am now estimating a walk of 361 miles, with just under 20,000 feet of climb, taking me around 143 hours (including breaks) over 24 days. I have now started to schedule my overnight stops and, whilst I will probably arrange my lodgings for the first week well in advance, I will be booking most of the later accommodation just two or three days ahead of my arrival: that way I can be fleet-footed and adjust my route if illness, injury or severe weather intervenes.

The final piece of the preparation is perhaps the most time-consuming: namely the promotion of my walk. I will say a little more on this in a later post, as this aspect of my planning is still coming together, but for now I would just like to thank my daughter-in-law Jemima for coming up with the ROUTE 1066 name, and the logo design to match – I’ve had some great feedback on this branding, so thank you Mima!

And finally, for today, a big round of thanks is due to all those who have contacted me since the announcement of my ROUTE 1066 challenge. My efforts are all about the cause, about the need to SAVE CASTLE FIELDS, and to protect, now and forever, this important historical site, and I will talk some more about this campaign in another Blog shortly. But, on a personal level, the words of support that I have received mean a lot: with my experience of long-distance walks over the last five years I should be confident, but I admit to a fair degree of apprehension on this particular quest. I think this is down to the likely November weather – I have become more adept at dealing with heat on my recent Camino treks, as opposed to prolonged periods of mist and rain. We will see how things work out. I also acknowledge the huge support that the Berkhamsted Castle Trust and the Castle Fields campaign team are contributing to this venture, particularly in the local publicity around my walk – this all adds an additional layer of excitement to the challenge, and I will certainly give it my all when the starting gun sounds in just over a fortnight’s time!

Thank you for following my ROUTE 1066 journey – re-tracing the steps of William the Conqueror in 1066 on his 360-mile campaign trail from Pevensey Bay, via Berkhamsted, and on to Westminster Abbey for his coronation.  If you are following my Blog, enjoying the ramble, and would like to learn more and to help us to SAVE CASTLE FIELDS for future generations then please click on this link:

Castle Fields comprises a 30-acre site overlooking Berkhamsted Castle, where William took the Crown of England in 1066: the fields are threatened by development – unless the Trust can raise £500,000 by Summer 2027.  Already nearly £300,000 has been donated, so please help us to reach our target by pledging £39 to sponsor your own 3×3-metre square of the land in order to preserve the legacy of this historic site for today and for all future generations.

THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING MY ROUTE 1066 WALK, AND FOR HELPING TO PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF CASTLE FIELDS

My Blog heading today ‘Steppin’ Out’ is the shared title of many different songs – by artists as diverse as Joe Jackson, ELO, Kool & The Gang, and Joan Armatrading, to name but a few. I am opting however for a blues number: Steppin’ Out is an instrumental piece written and first released by Memphis Slim in 1959 and subsequently popularised by many a renowned blues artist and guitar hero – Eric Clapton has produced a fine version, but on my playlist I am going with the Gary Moore rendition, from his posthumous 2021 album ‘How Blue Can You Get’.