Weeton to Saltfleet

I finished off what food I had left for breakfast and set off into the darkness of another miserable day. I carried on along the sea wall until I was blocked off by a water ditch, river thing where I made the mistake of heading out towards the sea edge where there was a sluice gate I might be able to get over. I have no idea where the optimism came from but it was unfounded as there was a way over but as usual it was all locked and blocked. Back I went, then further inland along muddy fields to get over a flat concrete bridge to a road. The road seemed like a safer option from there on in rather than risk getting stuck again. They were typically nice and wiggly so I took a track that was shown on the map which turned out to have been ploughed further on so it was back to sticky mud again for a bit. The rain got heavier as I rejoined another wiggly road and started to get hungry but all I had was a gel energy thing which was disgusting and made my throat hurt. I met a guy called Jon as I came to a path onto the sea wall who was a nice bloke from Leeds that goes out that way for the bird watching.

The path was all overgrown so my legs were quickly soaked by the wet vegetation, I wasn’t having the best of days. I walked the path all the way to Paull where I was hoping to find some food but they have 2 roads with 3 pubs and no shop. I walked a much larger wall out of there coming in along a river with an oil refinery or something equally bleak on the other side. The bleakness was added to by the misty rain hanging in the air making everywhere dark and obviously my hunger. I got to a road bridge that I crossed then stuck on that road all the way up to the main drive into Hull. It was a lovely walk. I eventually hit a garage at 3.20pm and got myself some food and drink before carrying on through the endless industry. I came off at Drypool to meet a path where there was a big convenience store, unfortunately it had chuff all in it so I carried on without food provisions for tea or breakfast. Further on, moving through the docks, there were 2 retail parks, neither of which with a food shop in them. After the second one, I walked the front through derelict wasteland to get back onto roads at Hessle and make my way to the place I was going to stay in. Luckily there was a pub as part of it so tea was sorted at least.

 

I was hoping for a better day but wasn’t optimistic. It started with a bourbon biscuit and crisps for breakfast, a proper athlete’s meal. I started walking at half 9 and was at least thankful that it wasn’t raining today. The place I had stayed was right under the Humber Bridge so I had to make my way inland to find my way onto it and over the river. That was easier said than done apparently. After going down quite a few wrong roads I came to the visitor centre (something to do with the bridge but no idea why you would visit a bridge?) and could finally follow signs to get onto the pedestrian access to the bridge and make my way over. I was very glad of the lack of wind but the view was still rubbish because of misty rain. At the other side I came in to Barton because of a waterway but was glad of it when I saw a big supermarket and was able to stock up on a few days worth of food. When I got back to the front, it turned out there was a little bridge over the waterway so I hadn’t needed to come in but I was ok with that. I was along levees once more for a very long time with the occasional diversion through a timber yard or something similarly unsafe looking. The signs pointed me through them though and I managed to not get crushed by heavy machinery or falling wood. I got to East Halton something and came in over a bridge before going back out to the levee again.

 There was a sign saying splash deck closed to the public but nothing to block me so I figured I would be alright, especially as my map clearly showed a footpath going right along there for quite a while. As I started along, there was a car coming the other way which I thought meant that it must lead to somewhere with access. At least half an hour later I came to a fence blocking me off, if it was me I would have put the fence at the start to be clear but hey. Over the defence wall was a path at sea level so I hopped over and walked that past workmen repairing the defences. When I had passed the fence on the other side I climbed back up and over onto what I guess was called the splash deck. Feeling quite pleased to have avoided a detour I carried on with a large and busy jetty in front of me, a Jetty that I could get nowhere near because the very tall, very spiky fence to my right had curved round to be directly in front of me. There was a gate but it was locked and I was screwed. Apparently this was why the splash deck was closed off. I looked for a way around it but there was no chance and I could see that on the other side of the busy road, the other gate was firmly shut and padlocked too. I had to go back, potentially all the way to where I had got onto the splash deck, and I was not happy. As I walked along the top there was a footpath sign heading inland next to the perimeter fence. There was also another temporary fence and a footpath closed sign but I really didn’t want to go back 2miles or more. It was really overgrown with brambles and nettles and I was wedged between a fence and a steep bank. I decided to climb the bank and saw that the fence on the other side looked a lot less dangerous (no spikes) and had come away from the posts at the top.

On the other side was a field of cows so down I went and I chucked my back over, then I had to follow. The disadvantage of a broken fence is that as you climb it, it bends backwards dumping you in the brambles so as a new approach I sort of pulled it down and dived on it to roll over and fall onto the ground the other side. Smooth. That way I did avoid the barbed wire running along still attached to the top though. On the other side of the field was a road going inland which after well over a mile met a road that was actually going in the direction I needed it to. After a village I was walking along a busy pathless road next to an oil refinery, until getting out onto a little road where I passed some lads drinking cans and obviously heading out for the night. I couldn’t help but wonder where though seeing as there was nothing but industry for miles. The map showed a path over to Immingham when there were in fact several paths and no signs. Using cooling towers as a reference point I went in what I though was the right direction. When I got to the golf course I knew I had gone right but I didn’t know which direction I had actually entered it from. Luckily there was a bloke there with his dog finding lost golf balls who directed me to the road. Once through Immingham there was farmland to walk through right by the motorway and unfortunately that was my only option for camping so I set up by the only group of trees for miles.

The following morning was a really still one with the mist just hanging there in the fields. I walked through the fields along tracks and paths until I got to steps up to the road. I thought I was on the main road to Grimsby but it turns out I had come up at a junction and gone down the wrong one going towards a dead end of an industrial estate. The rain started about then as I came off on a road doing a big loop to head in the right direction. I got onto the main road and walked the hard shoulder all the way in to Grimsby, getting right into town before I had the option of walking on a path. On the way through I nipped into tesco express and the girl behind the till pointed out that I had a big bag on my back, I’d been wondering what that was. When I got to Cleethorpes I was able to get onto the promenade and as I made my way out my uncle Paul rang to say him and Sue were coming down to meet me for lunch. As I walked on looking for a café to stop at an American guy cycled up to me and asked if I was homeless because he was looking for 2 homeless people. Apparently homeless people always have a big rucksack, I can’t say I have seen many who do, especially with a tent hanging off it but there you go. He kept asking if I was alright though which was slightly odd if you ask me.

Paul and Sue arrived and I hadn’t found a place to stop so we drove back in and went to the beach restaurant. It was a very welcome break after days of miserable weather and awful walking. Afterwards though, I had to get back on the road. Paul and Sue walked with me for a bit then went back to the car as I got past a holiday village and onto paths through slightly nicer areas. I got to Tetney Lock where fire engines were up to something then went over the bridge and along roads through Northcotes, Marshchapel and other places. The rain was getting gradually harder as I went along the road into North Somercotes, passing a b&b which was really tempting. A bloke was leading his horse along the roads by walking behind it with really long reins. Out the other side of town it was starting to get dark already and I had no idea where I was going to stop. I passed holiday camps but none would take tents and the rain was still getting harder even though I stupidly thought it might let off and stop as the weather had said. When I got to Saltfleet I went into a nature reserve near the road and searched out a camping spot, ending up in a pretty rubbish one, very wet and not too happy yet again.

Advertisement