05 - Walk

Several months back I was merrily cycling home when I suffered a bicycle blow-out. Back tire and inner tube had been shredded by a broken bottle outside the Farmhouse pub on Grange Farm. Didn't have any gear with me so ended up walking home, a long and tedious 6 miles made worse by pushing a dead bike. Perambulating back, it occurred to me that I could, when the clocks had gone forward, try different methods of getting to work. Somewhere on the shortlist was this one: W.A.L.K. Heck: after all, it's only 7 or 8 miles. How long could it possibly take?

Here I am, Friday morning, out of bed at an hour that would unsettle a milkman, and saddened by the news that Ben Fogle won't be joining me. A sip of tea, a dash of dithering -- iPod or not? -- and off I set at 6:55am. Up through a bosky Broomhill Park (see photo) since it's a route only do-able by foot, and oh what a beautiful morning it is.

Right turn into pedestrian-friendly Dale Hall Lane and onto Henley Road, the idea being to cut across Christchurch Park. Hold up, the arboretum gate is locked? Ditto the entrance opposite Ipswich School? What is this, Central Park?! Now 7:15am and little option but to skirt round the south into the town centre.

Cutting past The Regent, there's a small-ish crowd evidently queueing for tickets. "Who is it?," I say. "JLS," they reply. "Oh," I say, none the wiser.

By 7:35am I'm passing under the viaduct built by Colonel Tomline for his Ipswich to Felixstowe railway line, and it's a further 15 minutes to reach the Shell garage on Woodbridge Road. I've now been walking for the best part of an hour. Biking to this point usually takes me 10 minutes. Hey ho.

There's the Route 66 stop on Woodbridge Road by the Rushmere golf course, and my spirit sags whenever a cyclist whips by. Into Kesgrave and the road is getting busier as I trundle past Kesgrave Fisheries, Kesgrave Cars and the Kesgrave Kitchen. Cut in by The (Morning) Bell, through a lane to Ropes Drive and on to Fentons Way, which goes on, and on, and on. Like Blur said, This Is A Low.

On to the cycle path close to the Farmhouse by Through Jollys (seriously), and I've never been so pleased to see the unadopted road that is Grange Lane, which is hard going on two wheels. I can see the BT radio tower! Auto-pilot for the final push, over the pedestrian bridge by the Martlesham Leisure Club, and round the back of Kingpin into the main gate of Adastral Park. Done it. Bloomin' done it.

Gently glowing, I flashed my site pass at 08:55am, pretty much two hours to the dot since I set off. Far as I can tell, this mostly tallies with average (male) walking speed, i.e. 3.5 mph or thereabouts. Most pleasant to make a fresh cuppa and park my bum down in the office chair.

NB I caught the shuttle bus back. You can take these things too far.

Cost - free
Duration - 120mins (06:55-08:55)

Pros - er ... keeps you fit?
Cons - two hours to get to work?!