January 7, 2014

Made up largely of saltmarsh and mudflats, the Wash is a bay on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire.

It is one of the largest estuaries in the UK and is fed by the Rivers Witham, Welland, Nene and Great Ouse. A National Nature Reserve, it is one the country’s most important winter feeding areas for birds.

Wash path, between King's Lynn and Sutton Bridge
Wash path, between King’s Lynn and Sutton Bridge

I find myself attracted to The Wash and its littoral. There’s a lot of space here, room to breathe. It’s an empty quarter of kinds, not many people venture out onto the paths that cut across the marshes and flats. As a walker-adventurer, one is largely on one’s own.

Sounds enticing eh?

Well, maybe. Let’s face it, this is not a landscape for the easily bored, there are no valleys, hills or woods in which to frolic. Not much to break the never-ending straight lines of the horizon. It goes on and on and on. No, maybe this is not a place for everyone…

So, the aim of the expedition is to walk around the Wash, from King’s Lynn to Skegness.

I won’t try to cover the Norfolk coast side of the Wash as I’ve already hiked this route as part of the Grand Norfolk Hike.

Map of the Wild Wash Wander route
Map of route

Proposed stages

  1. King’s Lynn to Sutton Bridge
  2. Sutton Bridge to Fosdyke
  3. Fosdyke to Boston
  4. Boston to Somewhere*
  5. Somewhere to Skegness

*to be determined at a later stage

No particular date to finish the expedition, could be this summer, next year, next decade, never.

Hey Ho! Let’s Go!