麻豆社

Clare joins Alistair MacNichol for part of his long鈥慸istance walk from Holborn in London to Tong in Shropshire as he recreates the journey made by Little Nell and her grandfather from Charles Dickens鈥檚 novel The Old Curiosity Shop. The 162鈥憁ile route has been meticulously researched by Alistair, who for many years has questioned whether this fictional adventure could ever be mapped onto real English landscapes.

Preparing for the walk has taken him deep into Dickens鈥檚 world: re鈥慹xamining the novel, studying nineteenth鈥慶entury maps, and delving into many decades of Dickensian research. He has even carefully traced Dickens鈥檚 own travels through the Midlands using the author鈥檚 diary entries and letters.

Alistair hopes to complete the walk in eleven days. As a veteran of long鈥慸istance trail walking, including a 1,514鈥憁ile hike from Cape Cornwall to Cape Wrath, the challenge is well within his reach, although averaging a little under fifteen miles per day represents a considerable test.

Clare joins him for part of day five, walking from Wroxton in Oxfordshire to Warmington in Warwickshire, and asks how his twin passions for walking and the works of Charles Dickens have come together in this, his latest adventure.

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor