The Walk
One step at a time, I carried their light
through grief and into hope.
The Walk
From Hampton Court to Glasgow – A Journey of Love and Light
Distance
~800KM
Starting
May 2025
Duration
5 Weeks
Why I Walked
What began as a dream between my son and me — to walk from Hampton Court to his university in Glasgow — became a way to honour both him and my husband after they were tragically lost in the Titan submersible disaster in the summer of 2023.
Stages of the journey & historic sights:
1. Hampton Court to Oxford
From a royal palace to a city of spires
- Hampton Court Palace
- Runnymede
- Windsor Castle
- The Chiltern Hills
- Oxford
2. Oxford to Stratford-upon-Avon
Walking through the English heartland
- Rollright Stones
- Chipping Norton & Cotswold villages
- Stratford-upon-Avon
3. Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham
Industrial roots and canal paths
- Henley-in-Arden
- Birmingham Canal Navigations
- Victoria Square & Birmingham Cathedral
4. Birmingham to Manchester
Legacy of revolution and reform
- Lichfield Cathedral
- Trent & Mersey Canal
- The Potteries (Stoke-on-Trent)
- Manchester
5. Manchester to Carlisle
Through ancient roads and northern hills
- Peak District paths
- Lancaster Castle
- Hadrian’s Wall (near Carlisle)
- Carlisle Cathedral & Castle
6. Carlisle to Glasgow
Crossing into Scotland’s story
- Gretna Green
- Lochmaben Castle
- Glasgow Cathedral & Necropolis
- University of Glasgow
Reflections
The walk taught me what no book ever could:
- Resilience is quiet.
- Grief has no rules.
- Strangers can carry you.
- Nature is medicine.
Our bodies and minds are made to move, and each step reminded me that it’s not the destination that matters — only that you keep moving forward.
Gallery
Here are some of the moments and memories from the journey — the quiet roads, the kind faces, the places that reminded me of my son’s light.