Safe Walking In England

I am immensely grateful to John Sparshatt of the Long Distance Walkers Association.

http://www.ldwa.org.uk/index.php

John has confirmed that I can walk from Portsmouth to Oxford on various off-road paths:

Solent Way to Brockhampton
Wayfarers Walk to Abbotstone
Oxdrove Way to Badiley
Three Castles Path to Ellisfield
Thames Valley Circular to Goring
Thames Path National Trail to Oxford

A total of 208 kms. I then join up with the Oxford Canal for safe walking on a variety of canals as far as North Cheshire. From there I am virtually on home ground and should be able to find my own way.

John's route confirms that given to me by Marilyn Meeks of Hants Council, except that John recommends the use of the Thames Valley Circular to cut off a big loop in the Thames Path.

John even sent me an overall map of the route and a list of which Ordnance Survey Maps I will need for the trip.

So that is my safe walking route through England more or less sorted. All I need now is similar recommendations to cut out the use of roads, wherever possible, as I make my way up through France. In the next few days I will be publishing more details of my planned route in France, in the hope that I will receive lots of advice, based on local knowledge, so that I can refine the journey further, especially in the interests of safety.