A Challenge on Foot… perhaps by cycle too…

My husband and I decided to walk the TPT after we had used a couple of sections to train for a sponsored walk – the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

We started in Southport and walked to Aintree one Sunday and then Aintree to Widnes another weekend after that we were hooked.

Born and bred in Liverpool we were fascinated that this Trail went under and over roads we had travelled on a thousand times and hadn’t realised the Trail existed. It was then we decided to continue doing sections between 10 – 15 miles each time. So over a 2 year period we completed the Trail doing our last two sections in March 2010, this time we did 45 miles over a weekend – 25 miles on day one and 19 miles on day two. Finishing on a bright sunny afternoon and a well-earned portion of fish and chips.

We would drive to where we had finished the previous time and then get public transport back, apart from one time when we had just completed 12 miles and then couldn’t get a bus back and had to walk 7 miles back to get a train! On another occasion we had timed the buses but the bus we had planned to get had broken down and we had to wait another hour for the next one that was then delayed!

Each section either rural or urban had its own fascination. We have met hundreds of people all using the Trail for different pursuits, from dog walkers, to joggers, cyclists to those exercising their horses. We were stranded in Braithwaite after walking 18 miles – but Bill and his wife – a TPT volunteer- gave us a very cold drink and then Bill kindly dropped us at a B&B.

We have since cycled from Southport to Stockton Heath and plan to complete the Trail on our bikes, over the next 12 months.

We have encouraged others to use the trail and we have also become Volunteer Rangers ourselves and regular walk or bike between Warrington and Hale in Liverpool.

Best moment – the fish and chips in Hornsea after completing 215 miles and the achievement of knowing we have walked Coast to Coast!

Tessa Mannis – now one very proud Volunteer Ranger