Seventh day on the road (and unfortunately it was actually on the road) and my target was to at least half the 50k distance between Groomsport and Portaferry. I succeeded in covering 28k to the outskirts of Ballyhalbert.
The Ards peninsula is best thought of as a very large cul-de-sac. Though not without charm and some lovely views when the weather is being kind (as it was today), however, the place does seem to foster some of less pleasant cul-de-sac dweller attitudes. I have never seen so many and such a variety of “fuck off this is my property” signs. TWABPS (Trespassers Will Always Be Prosecuted Signs) were everywhere – trespass is a civil offence but I suspect that “Trespassers will be Sued” doesn’t have the desired undercurrent of threat. There were variations of course, “It is an Offence to Use This Driveway to Reverse Your Car”, “This is Private Property”, etc.
The result is that the traveller on foot is largely restricted to trudging the A2 road. From Groomsport to Millisle this is not so bad because the road has a footpath. There is also the little 2k jewel of a coast-edge walk around the National Trust managed Orlock Point – though again the property owners nestled around the western entrance to the area make finding it a challenge. The track is a winding narrow path that at one point takes you through a cave arch sporting a sign that is not legible from the photo but it reads “rocks can fall at any time do not linger in the arch”. This will disappoint to all those who were looking forward to taking their picnic in the urine fug of the dripping underpass, all the same I do find the term “linger” a bit endearing.
Once past Orlock point a further 3k of the A2 gets you to Donaghadee, where I bought an expensive cup of tea and rearranged the montage of Compeed plasters where my right foot sole used to be. From my tea-spot vantage I could peruse the product Donaghadee’s shipbuilding elite, they may have none of that Belfast Titanic ambition – but then their effort is still in one piece.
After Millisle the A2 gives up any concession to non-vehicular travel and progress can be made only by playing chicken with the property-owning local drivers whose only scruple about hitting a walker is that your broken body might be tossed onto some other property owner’s private property.
Perhaps I am being too hard on the peninsula, you can see that the A2 does flirt alongside a number of fine long beaches that could be walked if you were not in a hurry. However, the population of the world can be divided into two classes “Sand Yippee people” and “Sand Yuck people”. Sand Yippee folk get all moist and excited at the prospect of the feel of sand between their toes and believe that everyone would be better connected with their souls if they spent some time enjoying the delicious splash of sea-edge paddling. Sand Yuckers on the other hand view beaches only as vats of abrasion material some of which will inevitably find its way into body crevasses and creases best kept excoriation free, their view is that humans are not oysters so grains of sand do not make pearls, they make septic ulcers. I’m basically a Sand Yuck guy.
Another 23k to Portaferry tomorrow, if my feet hold out.
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