by Biddy Collyer on 16 Apr, 2022 - 2 comments

The straight line from Lowestoft and St David’s Head is easy to draw on a map, not so easy to find footpaths to match. This was why the original route through Herefordshire followed the Wye Valley Way for much of it. However, there was a dearth of way stations. None in fact. That is why […]

by Biddy Collyer on 07 Aug, 2021 - 0 comments

Lorie and I had set four days aside with the expectation of waymarking from St Ives through to Watford in Northamptonshire. As usual, my expectation of what we could achieve was outweighed by the reality. We reached Raunds! Way short of Watford. The incessant rain didn’t help either, turning the footpaths across the fields into muddy […]

by Biddy Collyer on 01 Jul, 2021 - 0 comments

Via Beata – Report on a coast to coast cycle ride by Paul Appleby (Editor’s note: John and Paul raised £6,700 to date for the national charity Emmaus which has 29 centres across the UK, including one in Ditchingham, Suffolk) Summary “The two of us – John Pinnington and I – cycled around 470 miles, […]

by Biddy Collyer on 23 Mar, 2021 - 1 comment

The way-station at Great Moulton in Norfolk was one of the earliest to be put in place. It stood in the grounds of the South Norfolk Guest House, which was then owned by Simon and Heather Moss. When the guest-house changed hands, a few years ago, the new owners asked us to relocate the way-station. […]

by Biddy Collyer on 10 Dec, 2020 - 0 comments

Dr Kevin Burgess is continuing his trial runs along the Via Beata route. This time he covered the distance between Great Moulton and Quidenham.  He stopped at the Prodigal Son way station at Banham where Steve and Gill Eggleton live. Somewhere along the way he encountered some rather noisy chickens. Kevin is planning to run […]

by Biddy Collyer on 12 Nov, 2020 - 2 comments

Thank goodness that last year we finished the draft route for the Via Beata through to St David’s Head. The plan had been that this year we would go back over the parts of the route from Brandon to Wellingborough that had not yet been waymarked.   Covid-19 put paid to our plans until September […]

by Biddy Collyer on 29 Jun, 2019 - 4 comments

What a wonderful way to finish the routing of the Via Beata! What made it so special were the people that offered Lorie Lain-Rogers and I such amazing hospitality, together with those who were able to walk with us at this last push! My prayer is that this is just a forerunner with people opening […]

by Biddy Collyer on 07 May, 2019 - 1 comment

Together with my walking companion Lorie Lain-Rogers and a local supporter, Christine Smith, we completed another section of the Via Beata at the beginning of April.   Starting in Hay on Wye, the first two days route-writing was easy as we decided to follow the Wye Valley Walk from there to Builth Wells, making two […]

by Biddy Collyer on 09 Jul, 2018 - 2 comments

On Thursday 21st June Steve and Gill Eggleton and Keith Drewery set off early in the morning to install the art-work and benches at Leamington Hastings in Warwickshire.         The art-work was made by the Via Beata team from Banham. The painting on the figures was done by youngsters at ‘Intents’ Christian youth […]

by Biddy Collyer on 09 Jul, 2018 - 2 comments

A couple of weeks ago, Lorie Lain-Rogers and I set off to find a route from Worcester Cathderal through to Hay-on-Wye, this time using a caravan.  This gave us more flexibility than using the motorhome as previously. I had studied the long distance paths in this area and used three of them.  The Three Rivers […]