Southwest England walk
Mark Moxon
Land's End to John o'Groats

Bath
Bath Youth Hostel is modern, busy and a good place to wash your clothes and relax.

Bridestowe
Just outside the pretty village of Bridestowe, this campsite is a very pleasant place to stay.

Crediton
This wonderful B&B is notable because it has a bath, something that's not common in Cornwall.

Land's End
The walk starts at the Land's End Hotel, where I got my photograph taken by the cheesy signpost.

Launceston
I found Launceston not to my liking, but Launceston Castle more than made up for it.

Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton might not be the greatest place in the world, but the Greyhound isn't a bad place to stop.

Pengoon Farm
Pengoon Farm is a pleasant campsite, and is not far from the wonderful pub The Crown, where the beer is excellent.

Penzance
Penzance Youth Hostel is one of the country's better Youth Hostels, and it's a good spot for the first rest.

South Zeal
This is where my tent broke along with my fighting spirit; I just sat down and cried.

St Breward
I stayed in the wonderful Tarny B&B, which has amazing views over the Cornish countryside.

Street
A fairly simple affair that's not always open, Street Youth Hostel is a welcome sight for sore feet.

Taunton
Taunton is a pleasant place to stop, and the Acorn Lodge is a particularly friendly and comfortable B&B.

Tiverton
Tiverton is a handy stop for sleeping, eating, and drinking a few refreshing pints of real ale - medicinal, of course.

Trecollas Farm
A wonderful B&B that made it worth all the effort of crossing Bodmin Moor with a heavy pack.

Tregolls Farm
Tregolls Farm is a really wonderful bed and breakfast, with great food, a lovely setting and friendly hosts.

Truro
By the time I sank into my bed in Truro my feet were beginning to feel the strain of daily walking.

Bearslake Inn
This pretty roadside inn is the perfect place to unwind after a long day's walk.

Bickleigh Bridge
This bridge was reportedly the inspiration for Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'.

Bickleigh Castle
Right by the side of the road is the keep of Bickleigh Castle, with its grand entrance gate.

Bloody Farm Dogs
I had originally planned to take the direct route through this farm, but the farm dogs had other ideas...

Brown Willy
The highest point in Cornwall, the views from the top of Brown Willy are well worth the strenuous climb to the top.

Burley Wood
Burley Wood is a spooky place with its darks woods and ancient earthworks.

Burrow Mump
This conical hill rises straight up out of the flat wetlands, and has a beautiful ruined church on top.

Carn Euny
In this ancient village you can explore a fougou, a 20m-long prehistoric underground tunnel.

Castle-an-Dinas
The views from the summit of these ancient iron age earthworks are well worth the climb.

Cattle Grid onto Bodmin Moor
From this point the walk leaves the road to strike out across the lonely flanks of Bodmin Moor.

Chapel Carn Brea
At 198m high, Chapel Carn Brea is the westernmost hill in England, and the views from here are great.

Chilcompton
The delightfully strung-out village of Chilcompton is one of the few places with signs saying 'Slow for Ducks'.

Clarks Shoes
Clarks Shoes began life in 1825 as a sheepskin-tanning company, before moving into footwear in 1830.

Crossing into Devon
The border crossing into Devon is a fairly nondescript bridge over the River Tamar.

End of Grand Western Canal
The Grand Western suddenly stops: one minute it's there and the next it's not, being cut off by a road.

Exe Valley Way
This is where you join the Exe Valley Way, which takes you all the way to Tiverton.

Galford Down
In 825 AD this was the site of a famous Saxon victory over the Celts.

Glastonbury
The site of ancient Avalon and the grave of King Arthur, Glastonbury is dominated by its amazing Tor.

Gospenheale
The only point of note was this farm, where the farmer and his wife invited me in for a cuppa and a friendly chat.

Gurney Slade Quarry
It's an odd thing to walk through the countryside only to bump into heavy industry, but Gurney Slade is just that.

Idless Wood
Idless Wood is a a pretty forest that's run by the Forestry Commission, though watch out for dog walkers...

Indian Queens
Indian Queens is home to the campsite-cum-garden experience that is Gnome World.

Jamaica Inn
Made famous by the novel of the same name, Jamaica Inn is a disappointing tourist trap.

Joining the Camel Trail
The Camel Trail follows an old railway line, which means it's a pleasantly flat walk.

Kennet and Avon Canal
It's not the most direct route to Bath, but the loop along the canal is a lovely stroll.

King Arthur's Hall
This ancient rectangular earthwork is presumed to have been a meeting place or a centre for worship.

King's Sedgemoor Drain
When the grass is shoulder high, King's Sedgemoor Drain is utterly exhausting.

Leaving the Camel Trail
From here the Camel Trail continues on to Poley's Bridge.

Lewtrenchard
Home of the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould, composer of 'Onward Christian Soldiers'.

Limestone Link
The Limestone Link is the scenic route east to Bath – so scenic that I just kept getting lost.

Long Drove
If there's a low point on this section, it's the two-mile plod along dead straight Long Drove...

Maesbury Castle
Not so much a castle as a mound of earth, the views from the top of Maesbury Castle are lovely.

Marazion
The pretty village of Marazion has the good fortune to look over the beautiful St Michael's Mount.

Meldon Viaduct
The views up towards Dartmoor from Meldon Viaduct are stunning, but it can be very windy.

Middlezoy
The George Inn in Middlezoy is a perfect place to refuel before the long haul across the flats.

Monkton Combe
The pub in Monkton Combe is a great place for a refreshing pint before tackling the canal.

Nancegollan
Near the little village of Nancegollan is a wonderful abandoned tin mine, with a tall chimney and ivy-covered outhouse.

Okehampton
Okehampton is a great place to stop for a rest and a bite to eat.

Pain Barrier
It was around here that a sharp pain shot through my foot, putting my walk on hold for a few days.

Penzance
Penzance is the principal town of Penwith, the district at the furthest point of Cornwall.

Piskies Cove
Piskies Cove is typical of the gorgeous coastal scenery you find along the arduous Southwest Coastal Path.

Ponsanooth
The view from this point south to the village of Ponsanooth is the kind that makes you want to move to the country.

Porkellis
Not far south of Porkellis is another pretty tin mine, right by the side of the road.

River Exe
After wandering along the Exe Valley for a while, you finally meet the River Exe here.

River Tone
The walk along the River Tone is hampered by having to cross irrigation channels every 100m.

Sampford Peverell
Sampford Peverell is the prettiest village along the canal, with a great view of the church across the water.

Sancreed
Sancreed is a small village with a pleasant church, and – as I discovered – friendly locals.

Sennen Cove
Sennen Cove is the first village you pass on the End-to-End walk, though the path skirts above the centre.

Shobrooke
The village of Shobrooke has some delightful thatched cottages, and if you're lucky, thatchers at work.

Slaughterhouse
At this point the route takes you through the heart of a slaughterhouse, a reminder of the reality of farming.

Sourton
Sourton is a small village on the flanks of Dartmoor with a pretty stone church.

Spreyton
Spreyton is a lovely Devonshire village, with its thatched cottages and the Tom Cobley Tavern.

St Michael's Way
St Michael's Way follows the beach east towards St Michael's Mount, and has great views all the way.

Start of Bridgwater and Taunton Canal
Like yesterday, we join a canal at its source, but today's route leaves it after about four miles.

Start of Grand Western Canal
The start of the Grand Western Canal is attractive, clean and as full of wildlife as it is empty of tourists.

Stowford
Stowford is a pretty country village with an impressive stone church at its centre.

Summercourt
The London Inn in Summercourt is a great place to stop for a pint and its collection of old books.

Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove is the last place that you'll meet the sea on the End-to-End, until Inverness in Scotland.

Tarka Trail
In the sun, the Tarka Trail is no doubt a lovely walk, but in the rain, it's miserable.

The Mare and Foal
Although it was closed when I walked past, this looked like it would be a great place to stop.

The Pain Barrier
It was at this point that my blisters suddenly turned nasty, in the most unpleasant way...

The White Horse Inn
If you're lucky enough to get to Bradford-on-Tone in time, grab a pint in the White Horse.

Treworgan
The hedgerows on the way in to the small village of Treworgan are typical of Cornwall.

Truro Cathedral
Truro Cathedral is well worth a short detour, as it is an amazingly intricate building.

Land's End to Bath