Walking tall: One man's epic journey from Marsden to London
John Meagher had always dreamt of walking from his hometown along his beloved canals. Last year, he finally got the chance. We caught up with him to retrace his intrepid 254-mile journey.
Growing up in Manchester, just a stone’s throw from his local canal, John has always felt an affinity with our waterways. “When I was younger, my parents had a house by the canal,” he tells us, “I always used it for walking, cycling and running, so I’ve enjoyed making the most of the canals for a long time.”
It was during these formative years on the canal, that an idea began to take shape. “It just came to me one day,” John recalls, “A long walk from Manchester to London, following the canals all the way. I saw it as a challenge, physically and mentally, and it just seemed like a good endeavour to try.”
John with partner, Jackie, en route to London on the Macclesfield Canal, near Bollington
As an adult, John moved to Marsden, but his dream of making the trek to London never faded. “It just changed from Manchester to London, to Marsden to London,” he says.
He and his partner Jackie are both keen walkers and following retirement, John finally decided to embark on his gruelling trip. Early last year, he began to prepare, building up his stamina by taking increasingly long walks along the canal, often carrying a dumbbell in his backpack.
At the same time, John was also caring for his elderly mother, Molly. When she sadly passed, several months before he was due to depart, John’s dream of walking from Marsden to London took on another dimension. “She left one of our gran’s rings to my cousin Hilary, down in London,” he explains, “so I decided the best way to deliver the ring was to walk it there myself, in memory of my mum.”
John (left) was joined by friend Mike Jones (right) for the first four days of his trek
In June 2023, John set off, taking his first of what would be an incredible 632,309 steps, along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal near the mouth of the Standedge Tunnel, the longest, highest canal tunnel in the country. It would be the first of many incredible sights, as over the next two weeks, John made his way from Marsden to London, walking up to 50,000 steps a day
From Standedge Tunnel, John’s route took him along the Peak Forest Canal, then the Macclesfield Canal, then onto the Trent & Mersey and Coventry Canals, before joining the Grand Union Canal and the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. At various points, he was joined by partner, Jackie. Claiming to be “too old for camping”, John planned his trip carefully beforehand, spending each night in a hotel or Bed and Breakfast.
Along the way, John was struck by the sheer beauty of our waterways and the ingenuity of pioneers like James Brindley and Thomas Telford. “The engineering behind the canals is utterly amazing,” he tells us, “If you think they were carved out of the landscape with picks and shovels and sticks of dynamite, the endeavour of the people that built them is incredible.”
John celebrating with cousin Hilary and friends at Trafalgar Square in London
After 16 days and 254 miles, including one well-earned rest day on the penultimate day, John finally arrived at his destination, Trafalgar Square in London. There, he was met by a small welcoming party of family and friends, including, of course, cousin Hilary well prepared with Champagne glasses. In the shadow of the statue of King Charles I, where, traditionally, all distances from London to the rest of the country are measured, he handed her his mother’s ring. A fitting end to such an epic journey.
“I’d like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who works for the Canal & River Trust,” John told us, after completing his challenge. “Whether it’s paid staff or volunteers, they do such a magnificent job in keeping our canals and waterways open. Without them, this journey, for body and soul, would not have been possible.”
Never one to stay idle for long, John has already completed another adventure, a daunting 11-day, 145-mile trek from Slough to Bristol, along the Kennet & Avon Canal. He is now planning his next long-term challenge, to walk all the canals in England.
If you’ve been inspired by John’s story, why not take on a walking challenge of your own? There are countless routes to choose from across our network, to suit all ages and abilities. Who knows, you might even bump into John along the way.
