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Read about why I have embarked on a 3-week 400-mile walk across Britain.

Read about why I have embarked on a 3-week 400-mile walk across Britain.

Wait for rain to clear in the morning, feed up at the Black Bull, eager to start walking again. First few miles prove painless and I follow quiet rural lanes and footpaths to Abington, cross the A11 and head towards Royston, hoping to pick up the Icknield Way. However, 6 miles from Balsham my right leg starts to complain again and, after another 2 miles I shelter from a downpour in a garage, then limp on to Whittlesford Parkway station, my speed reduced to a virtual crawl. The reality is striking home and I realize there is no option but for me to break for a few days and let this injury heal. Reluctantly board a train back to London to seek medical advice, which confirms this. The healing has begun, so watch this space – I will be back on the track as soon as possible. 'Walk on - walk more!'

Read about why I have embarked on a 3-week 400-mile walk across Britain.

Seems I cannot walk with my shins like this so rest up in Balsham for the weekend and make a trip to St Mary's at Westley Waterless and learn more about the Icknield Way, which passes through the village and on to Royston, where the St Mary and St Michael line converge in Roston Cave, the goal of my next day's walk. Increasingly intrigued by what I am learning about ley lines and dowsing, I surprise myself with my own experiments with a makeshift pendulum and find that I can indeed detect some sort of resonance from certain sites.

Read about why I have embarked on a 3-week 400-mile walk across Britain.
Day starts well, despite no food now since lunch yesterday. Pick up footpath by Ley Farm, near Stetchworth, and walk for two hours through rural idyll, deer jumping from the trees before me, butterflies everywhere, no people, no tractors, only birdsong. Finally re-emerge at Great Bradley, with my shin splints starting to prove very painful. This just gets worse and limp my way through Carlton and Weston Colville into Balsham, where I call it a day and drop into the Black Bull for food, beer and recuperation.

Read about why I have embarked on a 3-week 400-mile walk across Britain.

Start towards Bury St Edmunds on Pakenham road and met by Philippa from BBC Suffolk and she interviews me about 999 as we walk. On into Bury on old straight track, which I later find may be part of the Icknield Way, an ancient route through this part of the country. Brief tour of Bury Cathedral and out on Little Saxham Road into major downpour, taking refuge in a small church outside Hargrave. After the rain has passed, I pause in The Fox at Ousden, where a man called Craig buys me a pint and a famer called Neil donates £60 to 999! On up to St Mary's at Lidgate, then towards Kirtling and Saxon Street. Stunning evening light and feeling the therapeutic effects of walking, like meditation in action. Spend damp and rather sleepless night camped in beer garden behind a pub in Saxon Street.

Read about why I have embarked on a 3-week 400-mile walk across Britain.

Add an extra five miles to the day by leaving my phone charger behind, but beautiful day, light breeze, patches of cloud and perfect temperature. Pass St Mary's at Rushall and then start across country on footpaths towards Diss. Idyllic rural landscape - Freisian cows, fields of barley, wheat, turnips and broad beans. Side-tracked by picking mushrooms in a field and find myself chased into a stream by an irate bull. On pass Diss, criss-crossing A-road, through rolling Suffolk farmland, heading for Walsham Le Willows, to find beautiful church to St Mary on the ley line. Feel second wind and keep walking, thinking to pitch tent outside the village, but walk until ten and get to Ixworth.

Read about why I have embarked on a 3-week 400-mile walk across Britain.

Early start in light drizzle and I suffer the A road to Gillingham and another church to St Mary. Eat a huge breakfast in the rain, prepared by Marie from her roadside trailer and talk about 999 - 'I'm with you,' she said. 'It's falling apart this country - we need things like this.' On through Gillingham and dip off Old Harleston Road towards the Waveney, passing swans with small cygnets and following avenues of willows swaying in light breeze and relentless drizzle. Feet squelching wet when I reach Bungay, eat in the pub and head on towards Harleston on the old road with no traffic. Now soaked through and first blisters appearing, so relieved to take a cheap room at the Swan in Harleston and recover.

Read about why I have embarked on a 3-week 400-mile walk across Britain.

I finally started on July 20th, after many delays, leaving Hopton-on-Sea at 3.30 pm, the end point of the St Michael and Mary lines on the east Anglian coast. With the wind farm at Great Yarmouth behind me and Land's End, my goal, some 400 miles to the south-east, I walked past the ruins of St Margaret's Church and off towards Somerleyton, 5 miles away. Soon on quiet rural lanes and remembering why I had undertaken to do this - the sheer peace of walking in nature. Came to the first of many St. Mary churches at Somerleyton, then dropped down to the station and set off across the Norfolk Broads, convinced I could do it without using roads. It was not long before I was lost in head-high grass and nettles (see video) and walked 2 miles in a circle before reluctantly following road to Haddiscoe and camping the night.