D202: RUNCORN to LIVERPOOL
Tuesday 7th April 2026
Today miles: 18.6 Total miles: 3343.6
After a rest day yesterday in which I ate and drank too much I returned to Runcorn feeling fully rested and a little bit hung over. I’ve booked an additional night at the travelodge and today I just have to walk back to the hotel. Within minutes of setting off I crossed Runcorn Gap via the Silver Jubilee Bridge and joined up with the Trans Pennine Trail. The route runs close to the estuary and crossed Stewart’s Brook via a picturesque bridge. Half an hour later I arrived in a small village named Hale. Unexpectedly I spent the next hour wandering around the town trying to learn what I could about an interesting man named John Middleton.
John Middleton (grew) up in Hale in the late 16th century and only stopped growing when according to contemporary accounts he reached 9ft 3in tall. There’s an apparent life size statue in the village centre and an epitaph in the village graveyard, I visited both these locations and also spoke to a couple of knowledgeable locals. If the accounts are correct this would make John Middleton the tallest person to ever live. There’s some great stories about him, didn’t care whether they were true or not, still very interesting. Leaving Hale I walked down a narrow country lane which led to Hale Head Lighthouse. There’s then a pretty two mile walk along the edge of the estuary until I reach the perimeter fence of Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
Occasionally the path would divert away from the farmers fields and take me down the embankment and onto the shingle beach. I was around ten miles into my day and decided to take a long break in the sun. I settled onto a patch of grass and after eating I had a one hour snooze. Soon after restarting I reached the South Eastern fringe of Liverpool city. The route is as expected heavily industrialised and I’m forced away from the coast and had to work my way through several industrial estates. The route rejoined the estuary at Garston Channel. There’s a cycle track along the estuary which runs all the way to Liverpool Docks. The track is very close to urbanisation but because it’s in a slight dip and separated by a small strip of woodland it felt like Countryside walking. I loved the last few miles of walking into Liverpool.
The cycle track meets up with a pedestrian path named the Trans Pennine Trail and then sticks close to the coastline. There’s a great wide promenade all the way to my hotel. I admit that I did visit a few pubs on the way, including a Wetherspoons, obviously. A great day, with fantastic weather and occasionally spectacular views.
