Starting on Saturday May 11 2024, Carli’s husband – Karl – will undertake the challenge of walking 1,000 miles around the South East of England, raising money/awareness for our Foundation and the national charity – Cardiac Risk In The Young – that we are proud to work with
The journey will last 75 days in total – 60 days of walking, and 15 “rest” days when Karl will return home to see his children Jess and Ethan – and will begin/end in Southend
The route will take Karl into London, down through Kent, along the coast to Brighton and Portsmouth, up to Reading/Oxford/Milton Keynes, before heading to the most northerly point of Norfolk and then heading back down via the coast and inland to Cambridge before finishing back in Southend on July 24 – on what would have been Karl and Carli’s 20th Wedding anniversary
This huge undertaking is being done for 3 reasons:-
- To do something truly amazing in memory of Carli – the most kind, caring, loving person. Her ashes will accompany Karl on the journey and will be spread at the most beautiful, poignant locations
- To raise awareness of our charity and CRY and highlight the tragedy of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) and how this could possibly be avoided by a simple ECG screening
- To assist Karl in his continual grieving process – the walk is being designed to give him a positive to focus and something incredible to achieve
At each one of the 60 “legs” of the walk, there will be an open invitation for anyone to join Karl on the walk for any distance
Karl will also be relying on the kindness of strangers for places to stay, places to eat and places to see
For such a huge undertaking, Karl has set himself a huge target of trying to raise a minimum of £52,000 – this would enable our Foundation to host 8 screening days in a calendar year (the maximum any family can arrange with CRY) and provide 800 young people (aged 14-35) to receive a free ECG screening
A Facebook page and Instagram page will be created to document this journey (the preparation, and the actual walk)
We hope lots of people will follow this journey, either in personal or supporting us online
Confirmed dates
Saturday 11 May 2024 – DAY ONE – start point from Eastwood Community Centre, Western Approaches, Southend on Sea, Essex, SS2 6TS. The centre will be open from 7am and we will be serving tea/coffee/snacks before the walk “officially” starts at 9am. The route will take us through Belfairs Nature Reserve (arriving at 10am) to Hadleigh Castle Country Park (arriving 11.15am) to Benfleet Station (arriving at 12.30) to Wat Tyler Country Park (arriving 2pm) before finishing at Thurrock Thameside Nature Park at 5pm. Returning home that evening. Estimated walking distance: 18.6 miles
Sunday 12 May 2024 – DAY TWO – starting from Thurrock Thameside Nature Park, the walk will pass through Orsett, Little Belhus Country Park, Cely Woods, Bonnetts Wood, Hornchurch Country Park, Bretons Park and Chase Local Nature Reserve before ending at Romford Railway Station. Returning home to Southend that evening
Monday 13 May 2024 – DAY THREE – Romford Train Station to London Liverpool Street Station – walking through Barking, East Ham, Stratford into the City to then get the train back home for the evening – estimated walking distance: 14.5 miles
Tuesday 14 May 2024 – DAY FOUR – London Liverpool Street Station to Twickenham – a bit of a tourist ‘sight-seeing’ day following the north bank of the Thames – passing through Westminster, Fulham, Hammersmith, Chiswick and Richmond – estimated walking distance: 17 miles
Wednesday 15 May 2024 – DAY FIVE – Twickenham to Orpington – following the south bank of the Thames into Kent – through Richmond Park, Wimbledon, Mitcham, Bromley and then onto Orpington (NB: A part of this section will be intercut by an underground journey across London) – estimated walking distance: 17 miles
Thursday 16 May 2024 – DAY SIX – Orpington to Snodland – Orpington, Lullingstone Country Park, Wrotham, Trottiscliffe and Birling (near Snodland) – estimated walking distance: 18 miles
Friday 17 May 2024 – DAY SEVEN – Snodland to Stanford-Le-Hope. Walking north from Snodland, passing through North/Upper Halling, Shorne Woods Country Park to Gravesend. Ferry ride over to Tilbury and through Chadwell St Mary and Thurrock Thameside Nature Park (where we also ended our first day) before heading to Stanford-Le-Hope and home for the weekend
Saturday 18 May 2024 – back home
Sunday 19 May 2024 – back home
Monday 20 May 2024 – DAY EIGHT – Starting at Strood Station at 9am, the walk will go along River Medway before heading through Borstal, Bluebell Hill, Kits Coty and Boarley before finishing the day at a hotel booked in Maidstone – estimated walking distance: 20 miles
Tuesday 21 May 2024 – DAY NINE – starting from Maidstone, the walk will follow the North Downs Way through Harrietsham, Lenham and Charing before reaching my destination for that evening – Kennington. Estimated walking distance: 17 miles
Wednesday 22 May 2023 – DAY TEN – Kennington to Canterbury – passing through Wye, Crundale, Gormersham, Chartham – estimated walking distance: 15 miles
Thursday 23 May 2024 – DAY ELEVEN – Canterbury to Stelling Minnis – a morning spent exploring Canterbury before leaving midday to pass through Bourne Park, Bishopsbourne, Kingston, Barham, Breach, Wingmore – estimated walking distance: 12 miles
Friday 24 May 2024 – DAY TWELVE – Stelling Minnis to Folkestone – passing through Rhode Minnis, Lyminge, Ethchinghill, Frogholt, – estimated walking distance: 15 miles
Saturday 25 May 2024 – back home
Sunday 26 May 2024 – back home
Monday 27 May 2024 – DAY THIRTEEN – Royal Military Canal, Kent (leg #1) – starting from Folkestone Train Station (CT19 5HB), heading to the coastline before picking up the start of the canal in Seabrook. Walk will end around the Hamstreet area of the canal – estimate walking distance: 15 miles
Tuesday 28 May 2024 – DAY FOURTEEN – Royal Military Canal, Kent (leg #2) – starting from Hamstreet – estimated walking distance: 14 miles
Wednesday 29 May – DAY FIFTEEN – Rye heading through Winchelsea, Hastings to Battle
Thursday 30 May – DAY SITEEN – Pevensey Bay to Seaford – via Eastbourne/Beachy Head/Birling Gap
Friday 31 May – DAY SEVENTEEN – Seaford to Brighton
Saturday 1 June 2024 – back home
Sunday 2 June 2024 – back home
Monday 3 June 2024 – DAY EIGHTEEN – Brighton to Littlehampton – following the coastline mainly and passing through Hove, Portslade, Shoreham-by-sea, Lancing, Worthing and Rustington – estimated walking distance: 17 miles
Tuesday 4 June 2024 – DAY NINETEEN – Littlehampton to Chichester – passing through Yapton, Eastergate, East Hampnett and Tangmere – estimated walking distance: 16 miles
Wednesday 5 June 2024 – DAY TWENTY – Chichester to Portsmouth – passing through Fishbourne, Emsworth, Langstone Harbour arriving in Portsmouth that evening – estimated walking distance: 19 miles
Thursday 6 June 2024 – DAY TWENTY-ONE – Portsmouth to Wickham. The morning will be spent exploring Portsmouth and the Naval Dockyard. After lunch, the walk will pass through Fareham and end in Wickham – estimated walking distance: 14 miles
Friday 7 June 2024 – DAY TWENTY-TWO – Wickham to Winchester. Walking through Bishop’s Waltham and then across South Downs onto Winchester Station to get a train to London before heading home that evening – estimated walking distance: 17 miles
Saturday 8 June 2024 – back home
Sunday 9 June 2024 – back home (Southend Half-Marathon)
Monday 10 June 2024 – DAY TWENTY-THREE: Walk cancelled (family commitments)
Tuesday 11 June 2024 – DAY TWENTY-FOUR: Basingstoke – Frimley. Estimated mileage: 19 miles
Wednesday 12 June 2024 DAY TWENTY-FIVE: Frimley – Windsor (my birthplace). Estimated walking distance: 18 miles
Thursday 13 June 2024 – DAY TWENTY-SIX: Windsor to Henley-on-Thames. Following the Thames Path. Estimated mileage: 20 miles
Friday 14 June 2024 – DAY TWENTY-SEVEN: Henley-on-Thames to Oxford Train Station
Saturday 15 June 2024 – DAY TWENTY-EIGHT: WALK CANCELLED
Sunday 16 June 2024 – day in Oxford
Monday 17 June 2024 – DAY TWENTY-NINE: Oxford Train Station to Tingewick
Tuesday 18 June 2024 – DAY THIRTY: Tingewick to Weedon Bec
Wednesday 19 June 2024 – DAY THIRTY-ONE: Weedon Bec to Wellingborough
Thursday 20 June 2024 – DAY THIRTY-TWO: Wellingborough to Kettering Train Station
Friday 21 June 2024 – DAY THIRTY-THREE: WALK CANCELLED
Saturday 22 June 2024 – back home
Sunday 23 June 2024 – DAY THIRTY-FOUR: Thrapston to Yaxley – estimated walking distance: 15 miles (NB: this route has been kindly planned by a Facebook follower, and keen hiker, Caroline Heath)
Monday 24 June 2024 to Wednesday 26 June 2024 – DAYS THIRTY-FIVE TO THIRTY-SEVEN: Yaxley to Thorney to Wisbech to King’s Lynn to Hunstanton (total: 64 miles)
Thursday 27 June 2024 – DAY THIRTY-EIGHT: WALK CANCELLED
Friday 28 June 2024 – back home
Saturday 29 June 2024 – back home
Sunday 30 June 2024- DAY THIRTY-NINE: Hunstanton to Holkham Park. Estimated walking distance: 16 miles
Monday 1 July 2024 – DAY FORTY: Wells-next-the-Sea to Sheringham. Estimated walking distance: 18 miles
Tuesday 2 July 2024 – DAY FORTY-ONE: Sheringham to Hickling. Estimated walking distance: 23 miles
Wednesday 3 July 2024 – DAY FORTY-TWO: Hickling to Great Yarmouth. Estimated walking distance: 16 miles
Thursday 4 July 2024 – DAY FORTY-THREE: Great Yarmouth to Norwich Train Station (to head home). Estimated walking distance: 22 miles
Friday 5 July 2024 – DAY FORTY-FOUR: walk cancelled
Saturday 6 July 2024 – back home
Sunday 7 July – back home
Monday 8 July 2024 – DAY FORTY-FIVE: Norwich Train Station to Gorleston Pier Hotel. Estimated walking distance: 24 miles
Tuesday 9 July 2024 – DAY FORTY-SIX: Bungay to Kessingland. Estimated walking distance: 21 miles
Wednesday 10 July 2024 – DAY FORTY-SEVEN: Kessingland to Dunwich. Estimated walking distance: 15 miles
Thursday 11 July 2024 – DAY FORTY-EIGHT: Dunwich to Woodbridge. Estimated walking distance: 22 miles
Friday 12 July 2024 – DAY FORTY-NINE: Woodbridge to Ipswich Train Station (to head home). Estimated walking distance: 9.5 miles
Saturday 13 July 2024 – DAY FIFTY: Seafront walk – Shoeburyness to Old Leigh. Estimated walking distance: 7 miles
Sunday 14 July 2024 – back home
Monday 15 July – DAY FIFTY-ONE: Ipswich Train Station to Stowmarket Train Station. Estimated walking distance: 17 miles
Tuesday 16 July – DAY FIFTY-TWO: Stowmarket to Bury St Edmunds. Estimated walking distance: 16.6 miles
Wednesday 17 July – DAY FIFTY-THREE: Bury St Edminds to Ashley. Estimated walking distance: 15 miles
Thursday 18 July – DAY FIFTY-FOUR: Newmarket Train Station to Cambridge Train Station. Estimated walking distance: 21 miles
Friday 19 July – DAY FIFTY-FIVE: Cambridge Train Station to Audley End Train Station (to head home): Estimated walking distance: 22.8 miles
Saturday 20 July – DAY FIFTY-SIX: Audley End Station to Braintree Train Station. Estimated walking distance: 22 miles
Sunday 21 July – DAY FIFTY-SEVEN: walk cancelled
Monday 22 July – DAY FIFTY-EIGHT: Braintree Train Station to Hatfield Peveral train station. Estimated walking distance: 13 miles
Tuesday 23 July – DAY FIFTY-NINE: Hatfield Peveral Train Station to Wickford Train Station. Estimated walking distance: 17.6 miles
Wednesday 24 July – DAY SIXTY: Wickford Train Station to Roots Hall, Southend United. Estimated walking distance: 14 miles
1000mile pilgrimage ends on 24th July at 3pm