Meet the walkers taking on Britain’s mainland coast, and why Wellington became their recovery base

Wellington has become an unexpected home-from-home for a couple attempting one of Britain’s biggest walking challenges, as they prepare to restart their 7,300-mile route around the coastline of mainland Great Britain.

Zoe Langley-Wathen, 54, and her husband Mike Langley, 73, set off on October 4 last year from the western edge of Poole Harbour, aiming to walk the entire mainland coast with a simple rule: no ferries, and islands only where there is a bridge or causeway.

But just seven days and 60 miles into the expedition, Zoe suffered a stress fracture in her foot, forcing an abrupt halt to a journey expected to take around two years.

“The plan was to keep it as a continuous ‘thru-hike’, so stopping that early was heartbreaking,” said Zoe. “But we also knew there was only one sensible choice: let the bone heal properly and come back stronger.”

With their South Somerset home rented out for the duration of the challenge, returning home to recover was not an option. After several weeks of sofa surfing, a friend offered them a flat in Wellington, where they have been based since November while Zoe recovered and rebuilt her fitness.

Now, after months of rehabilitation and training, the couple say they are almost ready to return to the coast. They plan to leave Wellington on 1 February and restart the walk on 4 February, picking up their mission to raise funds and awareness for air ambulance services and mental wellbeing through the use of adventure for all ages.

Mike has also played a central role in keeping the comeback on track. While Zoe has focused on rehabilitation, he has been out several times a week since arriving in Wellington, scouting for suitable routes, clocking up training miles and mapping out walks that build stamina without overdoing it. And he admits the training hasn’t been limited to footpaths: a well-earned pint has sometimes followed too, along with friendly conversations with locals in the pub. “We’ve met some brilliant people here,” he said. “Wellington’s been a really welcoming place.”

The pair are fundraising for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance but say their time in Shropshire has also strengthened their commitment to shining a light on the work of air ambulances across the UK.

“Air ambulances don’t just serve one county, and we wanted to better understand the wider picture,” said Zoe. “That’s why we visited the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity airbase recently. It’s important to connect the dots and highlight how vital these crews are wherever you live.”

Zoe, founder of HeadRightOut, is also an ambassador for AdventureMind, an organisation promoting the use of adventure to support good mental health and wellbeing at any age. She believes their stop-start experience has reinforced the very message they set out to share.

“This entire journey is about resilience,” she said. “Sometimes the brave thing is pushing on, and sometimes it’s knowing when to pause, do the healing and start again. Adventure isn’t about being fearless; it’s about facing the issues and continuing, in whatever way you can, safely and with purpose. I know I’m more able to deal with setbacks because of my adventure experiences.”

During a training walk at Dothill Nature Reserve, the couple struck up conversations with local walkers, including one, Chris, who suggested Zoe share their story with the media after learning the couple had become part of the Wellington community during their recovery. It also surprised them to bump into a fellow coastal walker. They have since become friends and visited with Alan and his wife, Yvonne, at their home in Admaston, where he shared his knowledge of walking the full perimeter of mainland Great Britain. Alan sent them away with a goodie bag, including hi-vis vests for the notorious road walking, and OS maps covering the Scottish Western Highlands.

“From the market hall to the cinema, and from the church to the pubs, even local roofers and refuse collectors, the Wellington community has touched us with its friendliness and warmth,” said Zoe. “We arrived here at a low point, and Wellington gave us exactly what we needed: local support, good walking routes for training, and plenty of encouragement, cheering us on to get back to the start line.”

Mike, a retired carpenter and former publican, is aiming to become the oldest person to complete the route as a thru-hike. The couple have continued training side-by-side while Zoe has worked back from injury, documenting their progress through writing, photography and social media as HeadRightOut: One Coast Any Age.

Zoe is also the author of 630 Miles Braver – Midlifing on the South West Coast Path (2025), and says she hopes their story encourages people, particularly in midlife, to step outside their comfort zones in the outdoors.

“People talk about gap years as an activity for young people,” she said. “We want to prove that adventure has no age limit, and that you can choose a new chapter at any point in life. There’s a perfect long-distance walk for newbies to start on, right here in the county – the Shropshire Way.”

As their Wellington stay draws to a close, Zoe and Mike say they are looking forward to returning to the coast but will carry with them the kindness they found in Shropshire.

“We’ll be leaving Wellington on 1 February,” said Zoe. “But a part of us will always feel connected to this place. It’s where we turned a setback into a positive restart, and we’re grateful to everyone who has helped us get to this point.”

Follow their progress on Facebook and Instagram at @HeadRightOut. For donations and more information, visit headrightout.com.