Where Skylarks Sing: An inspiring story of endurance and the healing power of walking

by Patrick Davies

Reaching a major crossroads in 2021, Patrick Davies did the only thing he could think of – he set off alone with a pair of walking boots and a tent to walk the length of Britain in the hope of finding escape and answers.

To many, Patrick appeared to have it all – a loving family, an enviable career that took him around the world, a rewarding future clearly mapped out. Then everything abruptly changed. He found himself returning to Britain without a job or a home to discover a family reeling from his father’s dementia diagnosis and a country tearing itself apart after Brexit.

In sharing his 1400-mile journey from the southernmost point of England to the northern tip of Scotland, Patrick explores issues of identity and belonging, anticipatory grief and the meaning of home against the backdrop of a world turned upside down.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Travel, Walking, Nature

329 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2023

Reviews

[Nick Turnbull · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written book which describes an enduring walk across Britain, from the tip of Cornwall to the most northern point of Scotland. The author carries everything he needs in a rucksack and battles all weathers alone on the very, very long walk. It’s being done to raise money and awareness for Altzeimer’s disease, which his own father is suffering from. The author wrestles with what the future holds, and the absolute uncertainty of life going forward, as not only is his father’s diagnosis all consuming but he’s reached a professional crossroads after leaving the Foreign Office after many years of service. The prolonged, deep introspection and thoughtfulness will resonate with many readers. Many questions need to be considered about his future, and he is initially threatened and unsettled by not knowing what’s to come. Like most of us he likes a plan and likes to be in control. Over the miles there is a shift in outlook and a rebalancing of what really matters. In today’s world, this book is thought provoking and absolutely relevant. We should all read it and think, think again and then recalibrate our own priorities.

[Elaine Kneller · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring and uplifting book, following the author on his personal journey, both on foot and through his thoughts, worries and pain. Wondering how his father will be when he sees him and thinking about his mother seeing the love of her life change as this disease affects them both. Such a personal and thought provoking book, which instilled the reader with the beauty of nature. Thank you.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed diary on one man’s endurance walk from one end of the country to another.
Patrick has a lovely way with words and descriptions of the details that could only be noticed if travelling on foot.
Very emotional story but a bit too heavy on the Brexit politics which became somewhat boring after awhile!

[Jennie Hempleman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Haven’t quite finished but my goodness it’s so dull and I know nothing will happen in the last 4%!!
Man walks from lands end to John o groats and nothing happens.
2 stars for completing the walk and raising money fur a worthy cause. Other than that there’s nothing else to say of importance.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

an inspirational read

Wow what a rollercoaster of a journey both physically and emotionally.
Well done to Patrick on completing this journey any I look forward to reading the next one.
Thank you

[miss c a shuter]

Uplifting And Moving

When someone you love is ill, it can be heartbreaking. There are some things that you can't change. At those times it is a wonderful idea to focus on something that you can control, something positive that helps others. That is what this beautiful book is about.

[Jo Beckford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I asked my uncle, a veteran of leading Duke of Edinburgh Prize teams out into the Welsh wilderness, for some good books to read about long distance hiking. As a lover of long walks myself, and one who is planning on taking a very long walk in Scotland next year, I was looking for some good accounts to learn from. His answer was quick and concise. Where the Skylarks Sing, he wrote, by Patrick Davies. Finding a paperback copy was, sadly, a bit tricky over here, so I bought the ebook. I settled in on a rainy afternoon with a good brew and a snoozing dog and began… and I didn’t stop until the wee hours. If it hadn’t been for that pesky thing called work, I would have just kept going.
It’s that good. I really wasn’t expecting a book about someone who walks the length of Britain to be such a page turner, but it just is.

The book is a day-by-day account of Patrick Davies’ walk from Lizard Point in Cornwall, all the way up through Wales and then the Lake District, and on via the West Highland Way across to Inverness, and then north to Dunnet Head; all done in order to raise money for Alzheimer’s research. It is an ode to the beauty of Britain found in unexpected places, and an homage to its people, another source of kindness and beauty. What makes the book so good is that it’s not just about the walk, but also about the human completing the walk. Patrick Davies is candid and humble. We get the good with the bad; the highs with the lows, and through it all the nature and weather, the flora and fauna, and the people he meets on the way that all leave their mark on his soul.

This is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves the outdoors, really good memoirs and books about the human condition. I absolutely loved it. I laughed, I cried and when the book came to an end it solidified in me a burning wish to do my own cross country trek sometime soon.

[Thekirkiepirate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read this and 'The Kiss of Sweet Scottish Rain' earlier in the year. I am coming to the conclusion that the best writers on the outdoors are those who have come to long-distance walking later in life, and write with a freshness and honesty that we rarely see from more experienced writers who seem loath to state that there is anything negative about the occupation.

Firstly, I was in awe of someone who undertakes to walk the length of the country, having to keep going day after day. I also liked that this was very much a warts and all account - particularly when dealing with the awful problems he had at the start of the walk, and the bouts of loneliness he encountered at different points. My only negative was his need to continually refer to Brexit. Although I agree with him about the duplicity of the Leave campaign and his disappointment with the result, Brexit is, sadly, something that we now have to deal with. I accept that it was a major issue at the time of the walk - and indeed we are still dealing with the fallout - I found the frequent references to the subject irritating.

However, a wonderful achievement in completing the walk, writing a great book, and raising both money and awareness for Alzheimer's Research.

[Zoe Langley-Wathen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where Skylarks Sing by Patrick Davies is a beautifully honest account, sharing not just the physical challenge but the author's emotional struggle too. His journey, his inner searching for roots and future, alongside his father’s dementia makes this an especially compelling read.

As a long-distance walker myself, I connected with the book on so many levels. I appreciated the descriptive value of the weather, the surroundings, and the shifting level of the author's fears and feelings ... with them sometimes mirroring the rollercoaster gradients of the landscape.

The raw honesty, openness, and pattern of growth held me throughout, and I look forward to reading more by this author. I hope too that Patrick creates an audiobook of this title, as I'd definitely listen again, despite having already read the book. To hear a memoir like this in the author's own voice brings a level of intimacy for the reader/listener, and thus a rich audio experience.

[Valerie Poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

So hard to put down, I was captivated by this book from the first page. Patrick Davies’ walk from Cornwall to the far north of Scotland is hugely inspiring on so many levels. Having a family member who suffers from early onset vascular dementia, I was already moved by his quest to raise money for Alzheimers’ research, but his hike meant so much more as I read on. I loved the descriptions of the scenery, the challenges of the walk, and the history of the places he passed through, but even more, I loved the anecdotes of the kindness the people he met along the way showed him and the support so many offered, not least personal friends and family who drove hundreds of miles to meet him. It is a book of hope when you feel hope is lost. It is a book of beauty where you think you will find none and it is a book of huge personal, emotional achievement. I have read many other long-hike books and this is now up among my favourites. I very much hope Patrick Davies will write about his other walks for Alzheimers’ research.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick Davies walks the southern shore to northern tip of the UK with a detour through Wales to raise money for a charity close to his heart. He has the eye to see the small details as he walks as well as the skill to take the reader with him along the way. I have enjoyed the detail and word pictures.

[Stuart Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book of loss, questioning the future, of one's own place in the world.

Davies is a former UK Deputy Ambassador to the US - this isn't a book about politics, although the author doesn't shy away in his views on Brexit - instead it's a story of purpose when confronted with the mortality of one's own parent.

[Georgie Japp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

A fascinating tale which touches on beauty, people, politics and most importantly on the curse of Altzeimers
Having visited some of the places in Scotland, Patrick's descriptions were so realistic that I relived my own journeys

[Simon Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good man and a good book. An account of a walk from Cornwall to the north of Scotland for charity but also for self-discovery. A little heavy on landscape description at times - I would've preferred more about his interactions with people - but a worthwhile and interesting read.

[Sian Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and inspiring read. Great description of what's involved in a solo long distance walk both physically and psychologically. Without the emotional story arc of the Salt Path but hopefully it won't turn out to be as controversial.

[Suzanne Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this uplifting book. Felt the journey through Scotland was ‘rushed’ from a writing perspective compared to the start the journey, in particular the end.

[Pers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking, ye thoroughly enjoyable book.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good walking book and for a good cause but the constant complaining about Brexit Zzzzzzzzzz.

[Paul Lehane · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a journey..4 stars for the journey..3 for the writing

[Rachel Wiseman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to DNF, was just so over descriptive it detracted from the story

[Sharon Ashcroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming and inspiring. A lovely look at what makes life important with some beautiful descriptions of our wonderful nations.

[Mike Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book really enjoyed it best book by this year