Byways Breaks

Debbie Hamilton

25 Jun, 2021

Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Appreciate the phone call on the first day. I know pre Covid you said you would have come to the station yourselves. Apart from the taxi driver being a bit perplexed about a pre-paid account getting there was fine.

The forest hill hotel was clean, spacious and the best value for being a chain hotel. I would have no reservations about staying there again. The staff were friendly and welcoming. I had a lovely meal in the evening.

I did as recommended and explored Frodsham that evening. Then picked the trail back up at the war memorial the next day at 8.30 am..

Now I am a novice hiker. I relied heavily on guide book that you included in my package. Sometimes the way markers were not always that easy to follow but there were local people to ask and trust Google maps. I got a bit turned around in the Delmar forest but managed to pick the trail back up.

I got to the hall mid-afternoon. Again the staff were very helpful and friendly. I felt a bit underdressed when I first arrived. I had a T-shirt on and comfy walking trousers. I was hot, sweaty and a bit pink from the sun. I was still greeted with as much cheer and enthusiasm as if I was dressed at my best.

Luckily thanks to your luggage transfer I had a fresh change of clothes for the evening. I sat down to a fantastic veggie 3-course meal wearing my summer dress and feeling refreshed. The room was lovely and decorated well. I had a good night's sleep. The only thing negative is I wished I had not bothered to get their packed lunch.

Here's why. The packed lunch from the best western hotel the day before. I got to choose my own sandwich filling. I chose carrot nice cheese and peppers. The sandwiches were stuffed full of filling. I got a bottle of water, a chocolate bar, a yoghurt, crisps and an apple for £6.99.

From the Hall it was goat's cheese and peppers. Decent sandwich but not jam-packed with filling like the previous day. The sandwich was 6.99.

The whole packed lunch ended up costing 15 pounds. There was a small orange juice in there and an apple and a bit of cake. Comparatively the lunch from the best western was better value and more filling.

Don't get me wrong the grandeur of the Hall is fantastic and feels a bit special but they capitalise on that I think. There were plenty of places on the way to pick up food. I wished I had done that now.

Sue was really friendly when she picked me up in the taxi. She's lovely. As a face who represents your brand, she's a good asset. I felt if I got into difficulty on the walk that she would come and pick me up at the nearest village.

When I got to my next rest stop I really loved the decor and its history of it. The fact that the pub and restaurant was an old school house and where you spend the night was the headmaster's house was pretty cool. I liked the little touches of each bedroom being called after a (fictional) teacher. I was in mr chips from the iconic film Goodbye Mr Chips.

As it was my first solo long-distance walk I learned so much from it and have gained so much confidence from doing it.

Thank you for taking the hassle out of organising the itinerary and the hotels, and transfers it meant I could focus on not getting too lost lol and enjoying the surroundings.