Road walking and more road walking, but sometimes coast walking is like that. In this instance it is about keeping to the route closest to the coastline, so having walked for 15 minutes down the A588 we must ignore the sign to the quieter roads of the Lancashire Coastal Way and carry on down the road.

And so and so on for the next three miles – fortunately it’s not a very busy road.

I find myself searching for things to look at – stop for a while by a small business selling camping pods and garden studios and then later work myself into a rage about one use vapes and the problems they cause for our environment. These new vape pens (which used to be rechargeable) are a form of hazardous waste, as among other dangerous chemicals they also include lithium. It’s estimated that around 1.3 million disposable vapes are littered or binned each week, that’s 10 tonnes of lithium a year, the equivalent to 1,200 electric vehicle batteries. Most people don’t know that they should be recycled.

Four miles later we are directed off the main road onto a minor road leading to the village of Pilling – hoping for a cup of tea. Not to be – despite the fact that this is obviously a celebrated village, there is no cafe to be found anywhere and the local community centre, which we’re told may harbour tea and cake, is closed.

………………………and the pub looks like it’s been shut for a long time. Ah well……………….

On the outskirts of the village we walk past a very inquisitive pony and I share my apple – it is snapped up in a flash.

Thankfully the route now heads back towards the coast and at a spot named Fluke Hall, we turn left to walk along a grassy path running besides Preesall Sands. I wonder who is doing the watching…………

Horse riding is allowed and seeing these two riders getting ready for a gallop along the sands I feel a little sad that I will probably never do this again – too stiff and a bit scared of falling off and breaking something.

It doesn’t take long before the houses of Knott-End-on-Sea come into view – it is from here that we will be taking the ferry over the Wyre Estuary to Fleetwood.

And here it comes – we walk carefully down the wet slippery jetty, pay our two pounds a head and prepare to enjoy the ride.

It takes three minutes to cross and we have enough time for a cup of tea in Fleetwood before the return journey. I was here in 2016 – dots have now been joined!

Distance: 9 miles