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My walk along the Viking Way (on behalf of Malcolm)

In 2018 I lost my Chocolate Labrador, Denver. I struggled deeply with his loss, and over the following year my grief became overwhelming. At 58, I felt as though my life had come to a halt. Denver and I had spent many years walking in the Wolds, so in June 2019 I decided to walk the entire Viking Way over 12 consecutive days—coinciding with Storm Miguel hitting the UK.

Although the guidebook listed the route as 147 miles, the journey ended up being 165 miles due to getting lost at times and staying overnight off the trail. Completing the walk became a turning point for me. It helped me begin to come to terms with losing Denver, and I carried his collar in my backpack the whole way.

A section in Long Bennington is now officially included in the online guidebook and has been named Denver’s Field by the landowner. This thoughtful gesture brings me tremendous comfort.

Viking Way adventure

I walked the full length Viking Way in the summer of 1998 following the waymarks and map reading. It took me around 10 days. I stayed in Bed and Breakfast places en-route my partner (now my wife) met me at some of the stopping stages. It was a fantastic experience meeting lots of different people including school children on an organised walk, motorcycle enthusiasts who were going to ride around Cadwell park, and the Belvoir hunt exercising their hounds on the Belvoir Castle to RAF Cottesmore section. I dipped my toe in the Humber at the start of the walk…

50 Years of walking The Viking Way

We arrived in Lincolnshire (Claxby) in 1975 just one year before The Viking Way. I was 28 and always a keen walker and runner. Working at the local comprehensive school, I became concerned to see how little local students knew about their own environment; most had never heard of The Viking Way. I ran a cross country club at the school and one day I had the idea of organising a relay race along The Viking Way from Caistor to Tealby. Thus was born The Viking Challenge Relay. At its peak it attracted more than12 schools(60 plus athletes) with some…