Raynor Winn wakes up in the tent in which she and Moth camped on the beach. She quickly realizes that the tide is coming in higher than they anticipated. She wakes up Moth, who lifts the tent above his head as they scramble to get to dry ground. Winn is impressed, as Moth has been ill. They are 36 days into their hike and almost halfway through it.

Raynor and Moth are crouched under the stairs of their home while people outside are trying to evict them. Winn proposes that they walk the South West Coast Path after spotting a copy of Five Hundred Mile Walkies. They have been together since Winn was 18 (she is now 50), rebuilt the farm they currently occupy, and raised two children together. They recently lost a court case.

The narrative flashes back to when Raynor and Moth lose a court case after a three-year legal battle. Their troubles began when Moth agreed to a business proposition with Cooper, a close friend. When the business venture failed, Cooper claimed that they owed money on the debt. Their savings were eaten up in legal fees.