A HARDY trio of walkers have trekked the 51 mile Coleridge Way in one go to raise money for charity.

Two years ago, Combwich teenager Millie Cadmore gave her Dad, Paul, a map of the Coleridge Way for Father's Day.

The popular walking route, named after the influential poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, runs from Lynmouth in Devon all the way to Nether Stowey.

The present was given with the idea of Millie and Paul completing the walk together once Millie finished her GCSEs in 2021.

But given it was such a strange year with the pandemic, the pair decided to move it forward and walk the entire route non-stop raise money for UNICEF.

And so it was that Millie and Paul set off from Lynmouth just before 10am on Wednesday, July 22 with a close family friend and a pit team.

Millie said: "We walked through a beautifully sunny Exmoor picking up a stray Collie on the way that we could not shake off until Porlock, 16 miles in.

"Our fabulous road crew energised us with pasties and we refilled with water before heading onwards to Webbers Post and the 20 mile mark."

Heading in to the evening, the trio reached the halfway point at Cutcombe.

"With our energy levels heightened thanks to some sausage and chips, a change of socks and our blisters fully dressed, we continued on wearing head torches through fields with hundreds of sheep across Lyre Common, looking for the Coleridge quill sign for the right direction as we went," Millie said.

The trio were spurred on by donations to the JustGiving page and supportive messages from friends and family.

Millie continued: "Knowing there were people thinking of us was we walked was a real motivator and a fine companion to have.

"As the night progressed our pace dropped below 2 ½ miles an hour and our legs and feet really started to test our resolve."

At dawn the walkers found themselves in Monksilver, 37 miles down with just over 14 to go.

To make matters worse, a wrong turn meant the group accidentally ended up in Williton rather than Sampford Brett, adding an extra mile or two to their journey.

Millie added: "The 24 hour point passed but this did not matter, on we walked with a morning supply of bacon sandwich at Bicknoller.

"We then passed Alfoxton, back on local tracks and up a thankless Dowsborough before a final walk down to Nether Stowey and our end point.

"As we walked for well over 24 hours and covered the distance of two marathons, we talked to each other about the enjoyment of this being less in the present and more in the looking back at a really resilient effort – pushing ourselves beyond known limits and supporting each other along the way."

Millie said she chose UNICEF because she believes in their work to help children attain better health and education around the world.

She initially set a fundraising target of £750 but went on to raise more than £2,000.

The JustGiving page is still open, so if you would like to donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Millie-Cadmore-Coleridgeway.