It was 2008 when I took the first intrepid steps from Minehead, in Somerset, heading for Poole in Dorset, six hundred and thirty miles away. Walking the path was a meditation, with nothing to think about except facing and overcoming the challenges presented day by day, whether by the terrain or the weather. I took my time, allowing the stories that came unbidden to percolate and come alive. Even in the most remote and inaccessible places I felt safe and at one with the land.
The stories are a mixture of crime, horror, psychological, supernatural and even wartime dramas. The places are factual but the people, fortunately, are fictitious — you really wouldn’t want to meet any of them on the more remote sections of the path. My hope is that my stories will inform and entertain, not only walkers on the path, but also those open to exploring the hidden realms of human existence through the sentient landscape of the south west coast of Britain.
Some people find some of my stories too gruesome and unsettling. In response to their concerns, I always quote Alfred Hitchcock:
“People who complain about my stories are clearly lacking the sense of humour I had when I wrote them.”
These tales were originally published in four separate volumes and then combined into one bumper issue in 2020. All volumes are available to buy through Amazon in both paperback and digital format.
