Hildasay to Home: How I Found a Family by Walking the UK's Coastline

Hildasay #2

by Christian Lewis

The No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller

Walking saved his life. Now it will help find him a family. In the follow-up to his Sunday Times bestselling Finding Hildasay, Christian Lewis takes his next steps – along the coastline of Britain, and on the road of life.

Since his time on Hildasay, Chris’ adventure has only gotten wilder. No one was more surprised than Chris when, in November 2020, he had an unlikely (seemingly destined) encounter with fellow adventurer Kate. The two turned out to be kindred spirits and – even more astonishingly – Kate made the bold decision to join Chris on the walk of a lifetime. Day in, day out, as they trekked the coastline down from Scotland together, their relationship grew, and soon the couple were thrown in at the deep end when their first child – baby Magnus – arrived.

But, away from Scotland, Chris’ struggles with mental health returned. The solitude of Hildasay seemed far away, and he unravelled once again.

Through injuries and setbacks, with Jet the dog ageing and baby Magnus growing by the day, the adventurous family of four had to find their feet and come together to complete this epic challenge. They’ve navigated the east coast of Scotland, through Yorkshire and East Anglia, and struggled on to the Jurassic Coast where Chris slowly came back into himself.

In Hildasay to Home Chris finally crosses the finish line back in Swansea with almost half a million pounds raised. He reflects beautifully on all that he’s learned and the family he’s found for himself along the way.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Biography, Walking, Memoir, Audiobook, Autobiography

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 28, 2024

Reviews

[Anna Sinclair · Rating 1 out of 5]

God, where to start with this book?

The author has to be one of the most selfish man who has absolutely zero self-awareness or emotional intelligence.

Highlights of my argument are these:

1. Got his girlfriend who he knew for barely any time pregnant while on a massive journey and they both kept going. This is my main point and it made me so angry. Especially since she’s so “educated and professional” and yet neither have apparently ever done any sex-ed… ever!

2. He kept walking in water boots when he could have easily asked at any point during his tour of the north east of Scotland for help. Literally every time he gets help from passer-by’s or followers to give him a fixed tent or a meal he’s grateful. Dude, literally just ask for new walking boots!!

3. When he walks his dog in Dundee at night to raise awareness of homelessness he literally lets Jet walk on a long lead. Don’t do this! Use some common sense when you know drunk Dundonians are about. OMFG!

4. His girlfriend who has done multiple solo journeys to dangerous countries apparently can’t spend one night street sleeping next to him apparently? Like dude, she’s literally survived almost being blown up in Afghanistan. Show her some respect.

5. His writing is so repetitive. I wished so much for description of people and coastlines and instead we got the same couple of lines over and over again about Jet, Kate and Magnus and then a list of towns and villages.

6. Do I really have to say this? When your girlfriend/fiance is having an emergency during labour… Do not crack jokes, do not run around like a headless chicken, do not be useless and for fuck’s sake, do not make everything about yourself!!! She literally gets emergency treatment and yet you don’t give her any time to recover, constantly leave her on her own with the baby when she’s trying to recover from a horrendous post-partum experience including problems with breast feeding and then have the nerve to abandon her again once the walk is done so you can write your stupid book! And then have the audacity to make her proof-read the fucking thing.

7. I feel bad for your daughter but maybe she saw the kind of man you are and decided GTFO is the best thing possible.

8. We get it, you like camping. No, do not come back to Scotland. Stay oot. Get a real job and grow up. Ugh.

[David Canford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Chris’s first book. This one not as much, but the first one was always going to be a hard act to follow. I’m glad he found Kate and happiness but the walk seemed to take a ‘back seat’ with vast sections of the coastline not mentioned. I appreciate the English coast is more built up than Scotland, but I wished he’d spent more time writing about it.
I admire his approach to life - having the courage to refuse to jump on the ‘hamster wheel’ and instead do what inspires him.
A few things I found irritating, such as him walking the east coast of Scotland in wetsuit boots. I’m sure if he’d posted on social media that his walking boots were ruined and he couldn’t afford new ones, someone would have sent him some. He also bemoans spending tens of pounds each day on parking at National Trust sites in England - why wouldn’t he have got an annual membership which would have been much cheaper overall?
There are episodes showing our worst side - for example, young men smash a bottle on his head in Essex. But, gladly, there were way more numerous acts of kindness from complete strangers.
His achievement is immense - the UK may be a small country but its coastline (including its islands which he also walked around) is long: over 19,000 miles, almost as far as walking around the entire world! Chris must rightly be very proud of what he did and all the money he raised for charity.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worthy follow up to Chris Lewis's first book. An inspiring story, he completes his trek round Britain's coast and gains a family as well as raising a huge amount of money for charity. I will continue to follow their adventures on social media!

[Emma Boylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed hearing about how he met his partner on the walk and how they managed their relationship during that time. Also lovely to hear more stories from his walk. Looking forward to hearing about what he does next.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting follow on from Finding Hildasay, in which Chris writes honestly about his mental health and how the walk up the coast to Shetland aids his recovery. This book is very much about, having got that far, destiny sees him meeting Kate, a like minded lady, and how the remainder of the walk seals their relationship and builds their family. And it's far from plainsailing! His rediscovered love for life comes through, but not as much as his sheer love and joy in his family.

[my.bookshelf.87 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Finding Hildasay. I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first. The author had a second book deal to fulfil in a short period of time; I feel this was reflected in how rushed it felt...

[Mrs Rachel Newson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this second instalment to this story. It was a different book to the first, but grabbed me into it in a different way. This book seemed to primarily explore the development of relationships, overcoming challenges and an exploration into the mindset behind this, with the places visited as more of a backdrop to this story. That’s not to say it didn’t leave me feeling I wanted to be there in some of the places described. I was a little disappointed, as someone who lives on the Suffolk Coast, to see most of the East of England skirted over, but I would be wouldn’t I? But seriously, it is a lovely book, which leaves you hoping that there will be more adventures to cover in future books.

[Steve Butterworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great story, nothing could live up to the first book which covered his previous life and how far the walk had helped him after starting out on it with literally nothing. But this is different story, one of building a family whilst walking round the coast, a very different challenge but just as inspiring. Look forward to following whatever Chris and good family get up to next

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the second book, finding out how Chris and Kate met and managed to finish the walk around the UK coastline through the 2nd Covid lockdown whilst forming a relationship, having a baby and building a life together. Shows true determination and grit.5 stars

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read and fitting follow up to previous volume. An amazing achievement one man's journey leading to a happy family.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful follow up book that completes the extraordinary journey of an ordinary family. So lovely to hear Chris read it, it moved me to tears several times. Thank you for allowing people like me to be part of your wonderful charity walk …. quite missing the daily catch up as you walked.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cliche phrases were annoying, but the story is great. Wonderful and thoughtful.

[Jayne Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an incredible, inspiring book of an amazing journey . It is a wonderful book of a very courageous man and his family journey and raising money and profile of a worthy charity . Beautifully written with the right amount of humour. Highly enjoyed and recommended

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a remarkable book. One written from the heart where one man walks to several locations around the British coastline. From one end of the country to another. To heal, to help himself and to find his place in the world.

Its written with raw honesty from the start. Christian tells us of his plans, his wish to raise money for SSAFA the armed forces charity and his battle with depression. This is not a sad book however. It’s hopeful, poignant and utterly inspiring.

This is no ordinary walk with descriptions of how pretty somewhere is, or the numerous landscapes he passes through. It’s so much more than that. This is a man who writes about carparks and has me gripped with how he talks about them and what they charge. He notices details that not many people do and shares his insights into his mental health along the way.

There are around 50 spots on his walk. I felt tired just thinking about it. It was wonderful to discover places through his eyes. Despite quick visits and the fact he was very tired of course, there are wonderful musings and insights into what he sees. How lovely spots such as Whitby are becoming too popular for their own good. The very beauty people are drawn to is being ruined by the very people who admire it.

What I found particularly inspiring was how he never gave up. And how many people, strangers, up and down the country became his strength and support. And what about the emotion? The whole gamut is here.

You also get to meet Jess the dog who is, in fact, the star of the show (sorry Christian and family). A book to think about.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, I'm a bit torn. I saved this book especially for my holiday, eager to continue the journey I'd started in the first book, which I thought was brilliant.

But, like another book I took with me on this trip, I'm left feeling a little disappointed. The main issue for me was all the whining! I get it, leaving the stunning Scottish coastline for some of the more populated parts of England must have been a change, but it felt like the landscape itself got lost as a character.

The first book was full of wonderful descriptions of where Chris was, and I loved hearing about the people he met and called his friends. In this one, as he's joined by his partner, we lose that a bit. Even the South West Coast Path, a place I’ve recently walked a few miles of, gets little more than a complaint about car park prices.

At the end, Chris actually breaks the fourth wall a little and admits the book was a bit rushed. It was a surprising moment, and it made me feel like my thoughts weren't so far off.

What Chris achieved is incredible. Walking the entire UK coastline is an absolutely amazing feat. I still have so much respect for that. I just wish this second part of the story had engaged me more.

I didn't come away from it feeling like I'd traveled with him. I wasn't inspired to visit any new places based on his descriptions. And that, for me, is a real shame.

[Jane Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored Finding Hildasay which was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and was really looking forward to the sequel. It did not disappoint. I loved the continuation of Chris Lewis’s walk round the coast of Britain and was delighted that he met the love of his life on this walk. It’s an inspirational and thought-provoking story of how one man set off on a journey which changed his life in so many ways. I was fascinated to learn the survival skills the author picked up on his journey, and the heartwarming stories about the people he met who helped him on his journey for no reward whatsoever. It’s a cliche but this book really did restore my faith in human nature, although it was frustrating to learn that this lessened as he reached London and the south east.
My main reason for giving the book four stars as opposed to five was that I would have liked a little more description of some of the landscapes and places he visited. There were sections of the book where he just listed towns he’d passed through, I would have liked more information on some of these places. But that is a minor quibble. I can’t recommend highly enough the story of Chris Lewis and his phenomenal achievement. It’s just remarkable.

[Jon S · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay book, not as good as the first - from memory - with it being too brief on details about the locations, locals and travels, and - somewhat understandably - was more focused on his newly developing family.

Have to say though some very stupid choices were made during this second half of the trip - starting a family on the road and such. As lovely and romantic a talented it makes, to me it took the shine of the intimacy and travel focus of the first book, and grinded my gears from a lack of forward-thinking.

Also this book seemed terribly rushed compared to the first, with - near enough - the East coast of South Yorkshire through to the South Coast (Cambridgeshire/Norfolk, Kent), being merely mentioned in passing as the focus of the book shifted to his newly developing relationship and days of his child's labour.

This feeling of a rush throughout the second book is practically confirmed by the author in the writing, as he didn't keep much of writings throughout the second half of his journey, and was forced to crunch writing it into less than a month after the event was completed.

[Gillian Rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

The trials and tribulations of English car parks

What a journey! I don't think as a tourist visiting many of the places Chris and family have mentioned in his book that the car park charges would be the ones that stick in my mind the most. I felt his pain and also realise how some of England's most beautiful places have become so commercialised over the years. Probably a necessary counter balance for the very fact that tourists descend in their droves and some sort of maintenance is needed. On the other hand, there are some seriously generous souls out there who have gone above and beyond for Chris and family to complete this challenge. I've followed their journey for a long time and have every admiration for the sheer resilience and grit shown in
overcoming many obstacles. I only wish this book had been longer and perhaps a hint to publish the diaries at some point in the future. Good luck for the next adventures and I hope Ben Fogle manages to capture those too!

[Ellie T · Rating 3 out of 5]

As another reviewer said, this is a very different book from Finding Hildesay and unfortunately I didn't love is as much as Finding Hildesay. The writing felt a little less honed (which may be because he wrote it in a rush at the end in order to meet the publisher's deadline).
The achievement of walking the entire coastline, including all the islands was a huge one but apart from the addition of his romance with Kate, it all felt a bit of a slog. I suspect though that Mr Lewis' mental health might not have been too shiny having completed the challenge he'd been working towards for 6 years with no real clue what life held for him next.
As before, I loved hearing about the kindness of strangers and I think Mr Lewis must be a lovely man because a lot of people went out of there way (sometimes a long way out of their way) to help him.
This felt a bit like a book that was written because he needed money rather than because he wanted to share his story.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book and have recommended it to do many people. So I was looking forward to this second part. Whilst it was nice to read about Chris completing the journey and meeting the lovely Kate. I don't think this was as engaging or well written. Part of the joy of the first one was hearing about the landscapes, the history of the places and the people but this second book lacked that kind of detail and in fact at times he just hurriedly reels of a selection of places he had walked through without anything!
I also don't think Chris came off as well personality wise in this second book. At times acting in selfish ways when he had responsibilities.
To be fair I suspect the publishers were hassling him. But in hindsight taking a little longer and a delayed publication date rather than rushing to put it out to catch the tail of the public interest would have been better.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this sequel to Finding Hildesay.
The author attempts to finish his walk around the entire UK coastline. He meets Kate and discovers family/home with her and his beloved dog Jet (and eventually Magnus). Kate is an impressive walker as well, continuing much of the trip with Chris despite numerous challenges.
I would have given this 4 stars (as I did the first one) except for the writing which shows how rushed he was to meet his publishing deadline. Perhaps the publisher should take some responsibility for not providing a good editor, or understanding that he would need more writing time.
3.5 for a fascinating story, and kudos to Chris for his achievements.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably rightfully this book is more about his family than anything else. It's a more personable "interesting" book than the first one, and I think the writing style has improved a bit.

Feels like the "guy wanders the coast" element is lost a bit, and though it sounds silly to say I missed some of the stark grimness of that.

Understandably, by this point the charity and fame aspect was much more developed, and that comes through in the book where he is often a mini celebrity in his encounters with the public. Again, not something that he can really do anything about, but personally not something I want to read about.

[Karen Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've followed the adventures of Chris, Kate, Magnus and Jet for a few year's now. Keeping up to date via social media about their daily walks and raising money for a phenomenal charity close to my heart SSAFA. Having read the first book and throughly enjoyed it. I couldn't wait for the second book to be published and as soon as it arrived I devoured it. An absolute pleasure to read and throughly recommended. An amazing family and can't wait to read more about this epic Wilderness family in the future.

[Ros Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had followed Chris, Kate and Jet for some years online so I was interested to listen to this book. I had loved Finding Hildasay. Also really enjoyed this, but slightly less than the first one. Maybe because I knew the story already or maybe because the story was slightly less interesting in terms of the actual walk, but this is a love story and still highlights one man’s journey from despair to hope. I won’t spoil it for those who do not know his story. Still a really good listen -Chris narrates it himself on Audible.

[Mr Kevin Ayrton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really personal and emotional experience. I have lots of admiration for Chris and Kate with what they endured on this final stage of this very personal challenge. The bond that has developed between Chris, Jet, Kate, and their som Magnus brings an emotional experience in reading this book. My thoughts are with you, Chris. We are indeed in a very financially orientated world that lacks compassion. You were able to overcome that and found many of your followers who gave you support when you needed it most. It shows that there is still good in many people.

[Mrs Fieldmouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn in this review. I enjoyed the story of Christian's journey and later that of his family- but at times found myself infuriated by the narrative which was repetitive and sometimes verging on moaning. Yes - the camping laws in England are doubtless frustrating. This point was made at least once on every page. Yes- walking around the UK with a newborn baby is of course going to take longer and be more challenging than on your own. His first book seemed a little more wholesome - this book was, at times a little entitled. I am as relieved as he was that the journey is complete.

[Mrs B Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an inspiring story everyone should read. Also, an emotional read if I’m honest! I did have a little tear when I finished knowing what Chris has been through (or reading about it at least) the challenges he faced to get him across that finish line and the unexpected events that happened to him along the way. It makes you realise that actually, we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff and as long as we have food, shelter and people we love, we have everything we need.

[Joseph Fisherp · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I have given the first instalment a much deserved 5 stars, this second book seemed very rushed with much of the same phrases repeated throughout, which made it rather tedious. The content is still good, but differingly to the adventure packed first novel, it is more based around finding a relationship and the practicalities of that while walking the coastline!
The achievement is amazing but honestly the second novel was not gripping and far less enjoyable.

[Mark Crowther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant second book

I read the first one a while back, and i always wondered if there was going to be a second one (when the first book went to print, he hadn't yet met Kate)

So i was glad when the second book came out, brilliant read, wrote really well (even if he wrote it in about 6 weeks)

Would maybe like a third book to be released in a few years time as a sort of catch up with them all.

[MISS R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

This book has a bit of everything. Hardship, determination, love, sadness, strength, friendship and history. I just love both of Chris’s books. They are inspirational & I’ve found them both really thought provoking & powerful. What a guy, what a dog (💗) and now … what a family x