The Midlands walk
Mark Moxon
Land's End to John o'Groats

Abbots Bromley
I met my first two girlfriends in Abbots Bromley, and it's still a place of great beauty...

Air Cottage
Well named, Air Cottage has stunning views over Dovedale, onto whose flanks it clings.

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

Bewdley
This lovely B&B sums up Bewdley, a town that straddles the pretty River Severn.

Cam
As my girlfriend was visiting for a couple of days, we splashed out on a classier B&B than normal...

Edale
Edale has a large and bustling Youth Hostel that's a good place to get ready for the Pennine Way.

Gloucester
Gloucester feels like a metropolis after weeks of walking through country villages and farmers' fields.

Old Sodbury
Old Sodbury might sound like a grumpy place to stay, but the Dog Inn is a brilliant pub.

Painswick
Painswick is a lovely village that sports a high-spired church with 99 yew trees in the churchyard.

Pattingham
Pattingham has to be one of the friendliest places I stayed on my entire End-to-End walk.

Penkridge
I didn't stay in Penkridge, opting instead to visit my parents who live nearby...

Tewkesbury
As befits such a lovely place as Tewkesbury, I happily splashed out on this rather pleasant B&B.

Waterloo Inn
A convenient stopover rather than a great one, the Waterloo Inn is a bit of a lonely place.

Worcester
Worcester sports a cathedral, a pretty riverside location and plenty of welcoming pubs.

A50 Uttoxeter Bypass
It took me half an hour to work out how to get past the A50, and even then I couldn't find the correct route...

Arbor Low
Whoever calls this the 'Stonehenge of the North' clearly hasn't actually been to Stonehenge...

Bath
The centre of Bath is stunning, with its wonderful abbey and the rapids of Poultney Bridge.

Brewood
Pronounced 'Brood', Brewood has the kind of Police Station that you'd only find in a small village.

Cannock Chase
This area of woodland and heath has deservedly been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Castleton
The approach to Castleton through Cave Dale, under the watchful eye of Peveril Castle, is amazing.

Claverley
This lovely village is a great place to stop for a pint, just before crossing into Staffordshire.

Coaley Peak
The viewpoint at Coaley Peak is well worth the climb up the steep Cotswold escarpment.

Cold Ashton
The Cotswold Way is strewn with pretty village churches like the one in Cold Ashton.

Colton
When I walked through Colton at lunch time, both the pubs were firmly shut - it was a tragedy!

Dovedale
The walk along the River Dove is a classic, best enjoyed early in the morning, before the crowds arrive.

Dyrham Park
The route goes round the western flank of the Dyrham Park estate, now a National Trust property.

Ellastone
Ellastone is home to a pretty bridge over the River Dove... and a llama farm.

Glacial Boulder
Sitting here, right in the middle of the heath, is a huge boulder, dumped there during the Ice Age.

Haresfield Hill
Another example of the pointless meandering of the Cotswold Way, Haresfield Hill is easy to avoid.

Hartington
Being very close to Dovedale, Hartington is sensibly cashing in on the resulting tourist trade.

Hollins Cross
From the viewpoint on Mam Tor the Vale of Edale is laid out like a planner's model.

Holt
Holt is a beautiful part of the world, with its pretty stone church and residential castle.

Holt Fleet Bridge
Built by Thomas Telford between, 1826 and 1828, Holt Fleet Bridge is effortlessly beautiful.

Horton Court
All you can see of Horton Court from the Way is a lovely church tower and some extravagant- looking Cotswold architecture.

Ilam
I loved Ilam, right up to the point when I realised that this beautiful village doesn't actually have a pub.

Joining the Severn Way
Marking the start of my favourite bit of the entire End-to-End walk, this is where I joined the Severn Way.

Leaving the Severn Way
Sadly, this is where I left the Severn Way behind after four happy days of river walking.

Limestone Way
In Rocester (which rhymes with 'toaster') I joined the Limestone Way and soon got hopelessly lost.

Monyash
Monyash is a popular stop for a cup of tea and a piece of cake at the Old Smithy Café.

Odda's Chapel
It's well worth taking the short detour to explore this late Saxon chapel, was built by a kinsman of Edward the Confessor.

Peak District National Park
Entering the Peak District, which would be my home until well into the Pennine Way.

Penn Hill
Although you join the Cotswold Way at Bath Abbey, it's on Penn Hill that you first feel you're in the Cotswolds.

Randwick
As a place to stop for a pint and a feed, the pub in Randwick is very hard to resist.

Red Lion
With its wooden tables right by a bend in the river, the Red Lion is impossible to walk past without stopping for at least one pint.

Robinswood Hill
The view of Gloucester from the summit of Robinswood Hill is well worth a detour.

Rose and Crown
Arguably the perfect riverside pub, the Rose and Crown makes a detour through Severn Stoke essential.

Shugborough Hall
The residence of Patrick Lichfield and now a National Trust property, this is where my sister got married.

Somerset Monument
The first of two monuments on today's route, the Somerset Monument dates from 1846.

Square Coppice
The charming footpath through Square Coppice was the only overgrown section on the whole day's walk.

Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
I didn't follow the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal very far, but it was a pleasant way to start the day.

Stinchcombe Hill
The winding path round the edge of this hill is one example of why I found the Cotswold Way irritating.

Stourport-on-Severn
Stourport has a delightful park, some lovely locks and a promenade past pubs and ice cream vans.

Telford Aqueduct
This 1832 Thomas Telford aqueduct carries the Shropshire Union Canal over the Roman Watling Street.

The Shit Rink
I got completely lost and ended up having to cut through the only farm in the world that farms shit.

Trent and Mersey Canal
I've lived next to the Trent and Mersey Canal since the age of four, so I'm rather fond of it.

Tyndale Monument
This 1866 monument commemorates William Tyndale, the first man to translate the New Testament into English.

Upton St Leonards
Despite being right next to the busy M5 motorway, Upton St Leonards sports a lovely country church.

Upton-upon-Severn
Upton is a pretty village with some enticing pubs and one of the ugliest bridges you've ever seen.

Victoria Bridge
Victoria Bridge was the largest iron bridge of its day, and it's an impressive sight.

Wotton-under-Edge
It's a steep walk into Wotton and a steep walk out again, but that's the Cotswold Way for you.

Wrottesley Hall
This well-hidden country estate boasts a rather pleasant golf course.

Bath to Edale