In this episode of the Anglotopia podcast, host Jonathan Thomas interviews photographer and adventurer Quintin Lake about his remarkable journey walking the entire coastline of Great Britain. Over five years, Quintin captured the beauty and diversity of Britain’s shores through his photography, documenting the challenges and discoveries he made along the way. The conversation explores his inspiration, preparation, memorable encounters, and the profound impact the journey had on his perspective of Britain and himself. In this conversation, Quintin Lake shares his extraordinary journey of walking around the coast of Britain, discussing the challenges and insights gained along the way. He reflects on the beauty of capturing the perfect light in photography, the rich history of places like Northumberland, and the differences in camping rights between Scotland and England. Quintin also highlights the role of social media in enhancing his travel experience, the importance of both natural and industrial landscapes, and the evolving appreciation of architecture. He shares anecdotes of wildlife encounters, the impact of the pandemic on his journey, and the meticulous process of selecting photographs for his book. Finally, he reveals his future plans to climb and camp on the mountains of England and Wales, emphasizing the joy of exploration and discovery.
Producer’s Note: You’ll want to watch the YouTube/video version of this episode if you can, as Quintin shared a ton of pictures with us that he gave us permission to put into the video (we’ve also set up a gallery you can browse as well, see links below)
Links
- The Perimeter Book – Amazon Link
- Quintin Lake’s Website
- Quintin Lake’s Walk Blog
- Gallery of Pictures from the Walk
- Quintin Lake Instagram
- Turn right at Land’s End: The story of his 7000 mile British coastal walk
- Notes from a Small Island
- Kingdom by the Sea
- UK National Trails
- Mountains of Britain
- Land’s End to John o’Groats Walk
- Thames Path Walk
Takeaways
- Quintin Lake walked the entire coastline of Great Britain over five years.
- His journey was inspired by a meditative walk along the River Thames.
- Preparation for the walk involved both physical and mental training.
- The journey was broken into manageable stages, often using historic counties as guides.
- Quintin faced significant challenges, especially in the rugged terrain of Scotland.
- He encountered many memorable people along the way, including a farmer in Dumfries and Galloway.
- The experience changed his perception of Britain and its diverse landscapes.
- Quintin’s photography captures the beauty and drama of Britain’s coastline.
- He emphasizes the importance of being present and contemplative while walking.
- The journey taught him resilience and self-knowledge through overcoming physical challenges. Capturing the perfect light is essential for photography.
- Northumberland offers a rich tapestry of history and beauty.
- The right to roam in Scotland allows for more freedom in camping.
- Social media can enhance travel experiences by connecting with locals.
- Industrial landscapes hold as much value as natural ones.
- Architectural appreciation evolves over time and is not static.
- Photographing transient landscapes captures moments that may not last.
- Selecting photographs is a meticulous process that requires careful consideration.
- Wildlife encounters can lead to unforgettable moments in nature.
- Future adventures can continue to inspire and lead to new discoveries.
Sound Bites
- “I’d been a travel photographer for about 25 years and I’d always associated inspiration with the exotic… And then about 12 years ago, I got meningitis and was physically very limited… when my strength came back, I decided to do a kind of meditative slow walk down the River Thames… And the pictures were some of the best I’d ever produced.”
- “The Norwegians have this great expression, the doorstep mile, the hardest part of any journey is taking the first step. I’m a great believer, just kind of go.”
- “It was 10 times harder than I imagined it would be in the end. But at the beginning I had the naivety of thinking, you know, I just started from London, walking down the South coast and it seemed quite low stakes.”
- “I truly had a cosmic experience… I walked to Holy Island, those six kilometers in moonlight… I’ve got these strange pictures of these things in moonlight. And then I camped on the bay there where the Vikings landed on the north of the island in the sea grass.”
- “My first day at Gretna Green into Scotland, I was pulling this ‘I’m lost’ line when the farmer beckoned me over. But all he wanted to know is if he could advise me the best way across his field, if I needed any food and if I wanted any water.”
- “I’ve never understood why people don’t visit kind of nuclear power stations with the same reverence as cathedrals. To me, I don’t see a difference there. They are the kind of modern wonders and they’re kind of extraordinary and they’re visually extraordinary.”
- “I strongly resist the idea of Britain being entirely a sort of historical palimpsest… the fascinating thing is that you have these layers of history of Norman Tudor, the whole thing, it’s all there, wherever you look, but then you also have these modernist things.”
- “There were five otters that just walked past me. I had my hand on the jet boil stove and I just gently turned the sound down and just kept completely silent and they walked past me.”
- “What I hope it achieves is the kind of lived experience of what it’s like to do a walk like that. That you can walk through a firing range and see blown up tanks. Then you can walk onto a beach and see a bunch of kids windsurfing. Then you can see some piece of classic picturesque England with thatched cottages and pubs and people with dogs.”
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Quintin Lake’s Journey
- 03:04 Preparation for the Epic Journey
- 06:27 Breaking Down the Walk
- 11:34 Memorable Long-Distance Walks in Britain
- 14:44 Personal Transformation Through Walking
- 20:15 Encounters with Strangers
- 22:57 Changing Perceptions of Britain
- 25:39 Challenging Terrain and Beautiful Landscapes
- 27:36 Capturing the Perfect Light
- 30:05 Exploring Northumberland’s Rich History
- 31:24 The Right to Roam: Camping in Scotland vs. England
- 33:02 The Impact of Social Media on Travel
- 35:21 Contrasting Subjects: Nature vs. Infrastructure
- 38:36 The Evolution of Architectural Appreciation
- 40:44 The Transience of Industrial Landscapes
- 42:07 The Process of Selecting Photographs
- 46:28 Wildlife Encounters on the Journey
- 48:30 Navigating the Pandemic During the Journey
- 50:37 Daily Routines on the Trail
- 54:41 Future Adventures: Climbing England and Wales’ Mountains