Our handcart dreams started with this goat-cart, bought by Ed’s partner from an antique shop.

We researched possible options for walking 1000km over rough terrain and mountains. A German man was making top-quality versions, but they were expensive, and he wouldn’t send us a review version.

So we built one ourselves, thinking of all the axes, sheepskins, woolen trousers, ventile jackets, mozzie-nets, and various luxury paraphialia we could carry with the aid of a wheel.

This is what we made:

It was great fun to build. Hazel, steel, aluminium, ply, and gold paint.

The angles share the weight between the frame and the wheel, so only half the load sits on the carrier, and half goes free-wheeling.

But though it is a triumphant glory, this prototype is not coming with us on the path to Liverpool. Climbing over stiles is too difficult, and the carter has very little access to the world around them.

So we’ve packed very light backpacks instead. We hope Helena Handcart (aka Green Gloria) will prove useful when family come out visiting/walking.

We leave any moment now…