Happy Anniversary!

4th June 2009

It is one year ago today that my walking hobby took off and I had no idea where it would take me. The weird thing about today's walk was that quite unconsciously, and only because it was "I really need a walk" vs "it's too late to go anywhere really interesting", I decided to go to Itchen Valley Country Park. The very first place I went on 4th June 2008.






And I only realised this when I got to the top meadow and was walking down towards the Woodland Trail.












Odd how things work out sometimes.

Cheesefoot Head to Owslebury - all the way!

1st June 2009

Park at Cheesefoot Head car park on the A272

I couldn't get to Owslebury from the south, so I came at it from the north! There it sits on its hill in the sunlight defying me, viewed from the South Downs/Kings Way.

I'd originally planned to follow the same route at the start as I had taken previously from Cheesefoot Head. However, part of the route goes along a bridleway through MOD land so I chose to do the walk in reverse from that planned so that if the red flags were out I had time to adapt the route at the start, rather than having to cobble something together at the end.

So, I struck out north westward along the South Downs Way towards Winchester with panoramic views to the south and west. The top of the Spinnaker Tower, Portsdown Science Station, the Isle of Wight, Fawley Tower and Southampton squatting by the River.

As the path wound up and around towards Chilcomb, the view north opened up and the Intech Science Centre came into view beside a lovely Down that has no Access.

There's a choice of footpaths down into Chilcomb. I chose a path through the barley field and down through a well sign-posted woodland. Note for the future: going along wooded paths, put on insect repellent!

Chilcomb is very small and very pretty and there is an 11th century Church at its southernmost tip just before the lane becomes a bridlepath and heads up through a gate into the MOD land.

I visited the church, which is tiny and very peaceful. They have a birdgate to prevent birds flying into the church and a polite notice asking walkers to remove muddy boots. After signing the book and taking a couple of photographs I continued up to the gate.

The red flag was down and the gate standing open. I took that as a sign and as I didn't get shot at I guess it was OK. The bridlepath goes up through more lovely woodland with views over the shooting range below and out across a field up to Morestead Race-track, otherwise known as Morestead Road which comes down into Winchester further on. It was about 6.15pm. The tail-end of the rush hour.

Cross the lane (at a run!) and on to White Lane, a footpath that passes through trees and past open fields. It was all beautiful on this particular day as the sun was beginning to fall to the west and the young green crops and grass and trees were shot with gold.

White Lane comes to a crossroad with Pilgrim's Way coming down from Twyford Down. Turn left here and walk past the wide wheatfields and the racehorse hurdles. Continue down between pasture returning to Morestead Lane and cross over into Mare Lane. This is a quiet road through a veritable tunnel of trees all the way up.

I paused at the signpost on to Monarch's Way which here goes down to Twyford Village and then continued on my way to Owslebury.

At the junction of Mare Lane, Whites Hill across from this, and Hatchers Lane crossing them both, there is an excellent path through a large wheatfield. Towards the far side in front of a hedge was a deer grazing and as I was downwind of it I got quite close before it saw me and shot off through the hedge. Which way my path also lay, climbing steeply between another cropfield and a paddock. The deer was now standing in the middle of the second cropfield watching me. I took some photographs and the last I saw of him, he was picking his way through the field back to the hedge.

At the top of the path there were new-planted trees and the path came out across a farmyard, between pony paddocks and further on between a school and a house, coming down to the road through Owslebury.

The village is small and rather ordinary. I continued out of the village eastwards and turned up the lane just beyond the edge of the village. I was looking for the pub and it's quite easy to miss if you don't know it's there. It's a house with the word "Arms" in its name. I only know it's there because it's where we stopped with horse-box and horses many years ago to ride up Fawley Down.

I continued on up the road to find the bridleway which on the map is called Staggs Lane. It comes once again to Morestead Road, which by now was much quieter being around 7pm.

Across the road is Honeyman Lane, another bridleway up through trees which comes to a crossroads with Warren Lane. Over the crossing, Honeyman Lane becomes the King's Way once more, but I chose to turn left along the permissive cycle track past the Old Down Plantations.

I checked out the field where I had once before failed to find the footpath through as it had been overgrown with dead bean plants. Today, the path was clearly marked through the crop.

On along the greenway and out through the gate on to the hard stony path through the fields of corn and rape.

The sun was by now hanging golden an hour above the west horizon. Any clouds there had been were fled. And the green fields were glowing gold in the lovely evening light.

3 1/2 hours and weary legs later back to the car.

Upham to Owslebury - nearly

30th May 2009

I had this walk all planned and then had to alter and cutail it due to cows and lost or stolen trail.

Park beside the duck pond and from there walk back past the church and turn right up the hill until you see a footpath sign and a stile over a fence into a paddock.

This is part of the Monarch's Way, going over another stile into a wheatfield. Follow the edge of the wheatfield and the Way is later met by Widler's Lane. The Way passes straight down through a woodland called The Rookery and then proceeds through a gate across a field to a gate at the top. Today there were young Highland Cattle in the field ...

In the The Rookery there is a footpath that goes off to the right from the Monarch's Path and eventually comes out at a cropfield. Turn left and follow the field edge round until another footpath sign pointing up through another cropfield. This passes some kind of small racetrack or horse exercise area and comes to a T-junction with Rowhay Lane, which forms part of the King's Way coming down from the north-east to join the Monarch's Way heading south east. Turn left along Rowhay Lane and where the Monarch's Way crosses at the gate to the field where the cattle were, turn right up through cropfields. The views open out at the path climbs, eventually reaching another T-junction through a large gap in high hedges beyond which Red Lane runs roughly north to south. Turn right along Red Lane until a four-way junction. Here, cross the junction to a gate through some rough woodland. This is now the Pilgrim's Trail. The woodland is mostly beech and becomes more pleasant further round, with dense woodland on the right of the path and views out over fields to the left. Eventually come down to a gate and out into a paddock with the path clearly marked through the grass up to another gate on to a drive. Turn down the drive to emerge on Lower Baybridge Lane.

From here, the Pilgrim's Trail on the map continues ahead easily through fields to Owslebury. On the ground, the Trail goes up a concrete track between pasture and is then lost. There is a gate into one of the fields - however, this field is horrendously muddy in wet weather and when dried out, is overgrown with rough stuff under which the ground is heavily pocked by cows and unpleasant to walk on. Further up the concrete path is where it seems the Trail is supposed to continue, and Owslebury Church rises tantalisingly close at the top of the hill beyond the fields. However, on the day I tried this route, the Trail was "blocked" off by orange tape right across where the path should be.

Not sure what to do, as there were no signs and I didn't know what was going on, I consulted my map and found an alternative footpath up through a field further along Lower Baybridge Lane.

I turned around, turned right along the Lane and found the footpath over an overgrown stile by a broken footpath sign (does someone want to put walkers off?). This field was no more pleasant to walk upon than the previous one, and - well, those who have been following my progress will know that I don't do cows. They are the devil's herd! And there were some large specimens quietly lolling about right where I wanted to go.

So, what to do? Consult the map.

I decided to curtail the walk as I was getting fed up with all the messing about. I went back down to Lower Baybridge Lane and turning right, continued towards Marwell House. The Lane emerges on to Thompsons Lane. Here I turned left and soon came to Marwell House where a footpath passes between the House and a cottage or farm.

I soon became glad that I'd chosen this alternative, as the footpath continues between fencing on a good path and passes between fields and over a couple of stiles into a cropfield, past a hedge (don't get tempted along the field edge inside the hedge, go past the hedge, the path continues behind it) and through pleasant woodland past more fields, coming eventually to the tarmac part of Red Lane. Left the Lane continues as a restricted byway; to the right you can walk along the Lane or follow a footpath along the field edge parallel to the road. The footpath is OK for a while but becomes overgrown in the latter stages. I found the road the easier alternative, as it is more a driveway to the Farm than an actual thoroughfare.

At its southern end, Red Lane bends round sharply to the right but there is another restricted byway off to the left which passes the end of Rowhay Lane and continues along Popes Road emerging at the main road into Upham. At this junction turn left and walk through this lovely village back past the church to the duck pond.

Lord Swan and the Invasion of the Pretenders

22nd May 2009

The flotilla begin edging their way upriver from the sea.

Lord Swan holds position on the river with his wings raised in warning until it becomes obvious that the flotilla of young pretenders are not going to take the hint. Lord Swan decides that the time for direct action has come. Head lowered and wings lifting aggressively all the way, he sails majestically at near ramming speed at the flotilla.

Overawed by the courage and majesty of Lord Swan the Pretenders drift off seaward, pretending that nothing has happened, that they had no designs upon the upriver reaches, and begin to dabble for food.

Lord Swan cruises back upriver still in battle array and undeniable ruler of the Meon.

Brockenhurst to Wilverley

22nd May 2009

I parked at Long Slade View , overlooking the disused railway and Hincheslea Bog towards Hincheslead Wood. The wind was chilly when I got out of the car but off the hill top it got rather warmer and I shed my fleece. I'd even put my waterproofs in my rucksack because the clouds looked a bit iffy over Southampton. Over the southern part of the New Forest - clear blue skies and warm sunshine. Did I take the stuff back to the car? No.

The walk was lovely, from the bridge through which you pass to Hincheslea Bog, along the olf railway through an avenue of fir trees with views over the lawns to the left and up to Set Thorn Inclosure, and out over Hincheslea to the right.

The route passes through a succession of three bridges which I passed through in the opposite direction during the Sway walk in January. The path took me past the caravan site and eventually to the road between Yewtree Bottom and Wilverley Inclosure. (The railway track is interrupted here and continues later on the far side of the A35.)

I crossed the road and went down to the river. There being deep holes in the river bed, my only recourse was either over a slippery-looking tree trunk or over Wootton Bridge along the road. I took the latter choice, then turned right through a gate into Wootton Coppice Inclosure.

This is a pleasant walk and I left the cycle track for a footpath which bent its way round back to the cycle track eventually. I followed this until striking off right on to a footpath downhill through trees to a gate which opens out to a lawned area by the river, where yellow irises were giving back the yellow of the sunlight. A group of ponies were stood sleepily around a crashed-out mare and an equally crashed-out foal.

I crossed the river over the bridge and came to a side road off the A35. From here I had to follow the road round to the right and then turned left to walk along the verge past the tea rooms and restaurant to the Lyndhurst Road.

A nice man in a red car stopped for me to cross. Beyond is a little gate on to the continuation of the railway route. I passed through this and sat on the edge of the old platform to take on water and fuel.

From here I had originally planned to walk on up to Burley but decided instead to follow the Avon Water until I found a path going up towards Anthony's Bee Bottom. (This path is not shown on the map.) I came to another path heading east back towards Wilverley Inclosure.

Coming down to Station Road, there was a small mare with a dear little black foal which was standing in the road beside its mother, in total innocence holding up and diverting traffic around it.

Across the road, there is a pleasant track past boggy ground which then goes uphill and drops down again to pass under the A35 and again climbs up towards Wilverley Inclosure.

This is a nice place to walk although it has the appearance of being possibly the most obviously managed Inclosure for the pleasure of people. The paths are all clearly marked out, the arrangement of trees in places give it the appearance of an arboretum and there are benches placed around the Inclosure which you rarely get anywhere else in the whole Park.

So on and up and out through a gate on the far side of the Inclosure out on to the Plain. There is deep heather across the Plain and you must stick to the paths to avoid disturbing ground nesting birds. Heading east across the Plain, heading for Horseshoe Earth, the heather eventually gives way to a wide lawn full of ponies.

Across the road and along the path of Horseshoe Earth which I very much enjoyed. It's a low ridge looking North towards Rhinefield over Whitefield Moor; and south over the railway route towards Set Thorns.

The path I chose goes around the edge of Hincheslead Wood and then downhill over a footbridge and under the railway. Here I turned left along the green lawn to strike the path that runs out from Hincheslea Bog again and winds up through the gorse back to the car park.

I got barked at and then investigated by a young pointer that didn't really seem to know what it was trying to achieve. I ate my sandwiches and drove back towards Emery Down and the M3.