On 24 March 2012 Arry Beresford-Webb started her Dragon Run in Cardiff. She ran 1027 miles around Wales in 40 days returning on 5 May 2012, the day the Wales Coast Path opened. On her arrival in Cardiff she handed over the baton to Dave Quarrell who then walked round Wales in 11 weeks and 5 days. Thus the Dragon Walk was born, that is walking round Wales via Offa’s Dyke and the Wales Coast Path. Since then many people have completed the Dragon Walk in both directions including walking with a donkey.
This is the story of our epic 12 year adventure walking round Wales.
Rules for Coastwalking
Over the years I have read a number of blogs about people undertaking long distance trails and they seem to follow a series of rules. As we walked round Wales I formulated my own:
Always follow the designated path
Yes but that’s not always the best way to go. I consider the official route to be more of a concept than a just following a dotted line. I don’t mind taking liberties with the path if I can see a way that is easier, safer or just more fun; as long as the Trail isn’t compromised.
Taking a boat across an estuary is allowed if there is a scheduled ferry service
This doesn’t apply to us as there are no ferries.
Walk it in strict order
Except that isn’t what we have done. We have skipped sections (to return to later) and generally walked clockwise but, where it was more convenient (or when the bus didn’t stop), we walked anti-clockwise.
It’s a journey not a race
All of this happened many years ago so I have forgotten a lot of the details. Fortunately many of the walks were written up in the Lower Wye Ramblers newsletter and I have taken a lot of what follows from that.