The Two Saints Way: 92 Miles Across Staffordshire and Cheshire

The Two Saints Way was exactly the adventure I needed.

This five-day hike across Staffordshire and Cheshire wasn't about chasing big miles or proving anything to myself. It was a chance to get back into multi-day hiking, test my gear, carry a heavy pack again and remind my body what it feels like to live out on the trail before I head off on the GR5 this summer.

And honestly? It couldn't have gone much better.

The weather was absolutely incredible—five days of hot sunshine, beautiful countryside and plenty of opportunities to slow down, appreciate where I was and enjoy being back outdoors.

The Route

The Two Saints Way is a 92-mile (155 km) pilgrimage route linking St Chad's Church and Well in Lichfield with Chester Cathedral. The trail passes through a mixture of canal paths, forests, fields and country roads as it winds its way through Staffordshire and Cheshire.

I started my journey at St Chad's Well at 10.10 am and finished at Chester Cathedral at 3.23 pm five days later.

As always, I walked solo.

Total Stats

• Total distance: 155 km (92 miles)

• Daily average: 31 km / 18.45 miles

• Total steps: 202,364

• Average daily steps: 40,472

  
  

Start and Finish Times

• Earliest start: 6.27 am (Day 3)

• Latest start: 10.10 am (Day 1)

• Earliest finish: 2.50 pm (Day 4)

• Latest finish: 7.30 pm (Day 1)

Accommodation

• 3 nights wild camping

• 1 night in a hotel

Costs

I tried to keep this trip as affordable as possible by carrying plenty of snacks, wild camping where I could and limiting unnecessary spending.

Total Costs

• Total trip cost: £262.55

• Average daily cost: £52.51

Excluding Travel

Total cost: £218

Average daily cost: £43

Accommodation

• Total: £143

• Most expensive night: £85

Food

• Total: £78

• Average per day: £15.61

Travel

• Total: £44.50

• (I was collected by my parents at the finish.)

Miscellaneous

• £3.20 for a pint of blackcurrant and water at a pub… which still feels outrageously expensive!

Subjective Scores

I always like to rate my adventures afterwards because it helps me compare trails and understand what I enjoyed and found challenging.

😀 Enjoyment: 78%

The weather massively influenced this score. Sunshine makes almost everything feel better and I absolutely loved being back on the trail.

😫 Fatigue: 34%

The heat definitely zapped my energy at times, but overall I recovered well each day and never felt completely exhausted.

⛰️ Ease of Terrain: 26%

This is a relatively easy trail in terms of terrain and would make a fantastic route for anyone wanting to get into multi-day hiking or get back into the swing of things after some time away.

Challenges

The biggest challenge by far was the heat.

Temperatures climbed into the high twenties and low thirties during parts of the walk, which made hydration and managing energy levels much more important.

The other challenge was navigation.

Some of the urban sections were surprisingly tricky and I found myself needing to rely on my phone and GPS quite a bit. A few public rights of way also seemed poorly maintained or difficult to follow, leading to some additional steps and a few unplanned detours.

Highlights

There were so many highlights from this trail:

• Five days of glorious sunshine.

• Beautiful countryside through Staffordshire and Cheshire.

• Plenty of opportunities to resupply with food and water.

• Excellent wild camping opportunities.

• Finishing at Chester Cathedral.

• Returning to a place that holds special memories from my Wales Coast Path – Anglesey adventure.

I also loved how manageable this trail felt. It was challenging enough to be rewarding, but not so difficult that it became overwhelming.

A Reminder About Hiker Fitness

One of the biggest takeaways from this hike was being reminded that there is a huge difference between being fit and being hiker fit.

I've been training consistently and felt strong throughout the trip, but my body definitely knew it had been carrying a heavy pack for multiple days.

For me, hiker fitness usually kicks in after around 10 to 14 days on trail. That's when my body fully adapts and long days start to feel much easier.

This hike was the perfect reminder that I don't need to be in peak thru-hiking condition before the GR5.

I simply needed to get back out there, test my systems and remember how good it feels to spend consecutive days walking.

Mission accomplished.

Fastest Known Time

I've also submitted my GPS data to the Fastest Known Time website for the Women's Unsupported Record on the Two Saints Way.

At the time of applying, there wasn't an existing women's record, so I thought—why not?

For me, setting FKTs has never really been about being the fastest. It's about putting women's names on the map and encouraging more women to have a go themselves.

If another woman looks at this trail and thinks, "I could do that," or even, "I could go faster than Sarah," then that's fantastic.

Please do.

I want to see more women out there taking on these challenges.

What's Next?

The Two Saints Way was the perfect shakedown hike before the GR5.

I've filmed the entire experience and there will be two videos coming to the Tough Girl YouTube channel soon:

• A short, fast-paced vlog giving an overview of the adventure.

• A longer, more immersive video with plenty of trail footage and reflections from the journey.

Thank you so much for following along with this adventure.

I hope these posts, stats and reflections help if you're considering walking the Two Saints Way yourself.

Onwards to the next challenge… and very soon, the GR5.