Kate Chapman enjoys a blissful morning taking on the Sir Peter Scott Walk from Sutton Bridge to West Lynn

​There’s an old saying about not putting off until tomorrow what you can do today.

I think it’s something we’re all a little guilty of, especially with everyday life being so hectic. But as the years keep rolling by, I realise there are still lots of things I’d like to do or experience. I’m not getting any younger - I probably ought to get a move on!

The Sir Peter Scott Way – the 10.6 mile walk which follows the sea wall along the coast, from the mouth of the River Nene, at Sutton Bridge to the ferry crossing at King’s Lynn - is one of those things.

Over the years, thanks to my work I’ve written quite a bit about naturalist and conservationist Sir Peter Scott and the East Bank Lighthouse where he lived for six years during the 1930s. The Grade II* listed building marks the Sutton Bridge end of the route, which I’ve often thought I’d like to walk myself, although up to this point I had never found the time.

I’d been chatting with a friend about taking on a charity hike, but neither of us could make the dates it was on, so we decided to plan our own walk, agreeing on the Sir Peter Scott Way, with it being a good distance and fairly local to us both.

The online guides state the average time to complete the route is around three hours and 15 minutes, while promising us fantastic views of the Wash and north Fens, with plenty of wide-open landscapes.

After pondering the logistics of which end to start (we needed to be home in time for other commitments), we grabbed a lift to the West Lynn end so we could make our way back to Sutton Bridge.

We packed light – only taking essentials like plasters, cash, phones, keys and a drink. We didn’t need any specialist gear and had we found ourselves in need we were surprised to discover mobile phones worked perfectly well, despite being on the edge of the Wash.

Luckily we picked a fine day and it was warm enough just to wear just a hoodie, rather than thick coats. It was a little breezy when we set off at 8.45am, but this was more than welcome later - especially once we were several miles in and had worked up a sweat!

The walk is flat and fairly easy going. A pathway had been trodden down through the longer grass, but about halfway round we caught up with a tractor, mowing the longer sections, making it easier to navigate.

It was very peaceful, although I hadn’t been expecting to see many people first thing on a Monday morning. There were just three dog walkers out and a couple of guys overseeing the mowing.

Other highlights included a few boats out on the Wash and the background noise of birdsong, although I’m ashamed to admit I’m not up on my breeds and can’t be sure what they actually were.

Various books and guides on the area refer to the Wash as the last great wilderness and it’s easy to see why – the skies, fields and greenery go on forever. Our surroundings were lush and green but come autumn and winter I imagine it’s a very different story.

It was lovely being outdoors, getting plenty of fresh air and seeing our area from a new perspective. It took us three hours and 32 minutes to reach our finish line. A little longer than anticipated, but that was probably because we kept stopping every couple of miles to admire the view, take a few photos and have a drink.

It was a blissful way to spend a morning – even more so when we rounded it off with a stop at the Thea Coffee House, in Long Sutton, for a well-deserved lunch after getting a second lift back into town.

I’m happy to report my legs didn’t ache too much afterwards either. If you’re looking for a decent length walk to tackle, or have always wanted to complete the route yourself, I’d highly recommend it as a very pleasant way to spend a few hours.

The route forms part of the King Charles III England Coast Path, which has been created by Natural England.

It’s a national trail that will eventually stretch around the entire English coastline, where it will span roughly 2,700 miles, making it the longest coastal path in the world.

It has recently been extended between Sutton Bridge and Skegness, meaning the majority of the Wash coastline is now open to walkers.