Itchen Valley Country Park again

21 February 2009

As I didn't have a lot of time I elected to test a circular walk that would take in the Water Meadows of the Itchen Valley Country Park and the Itchen Way which runs along what used to be the tow path of the old Itchen Navigation Canal.

Gorgeous weather. All sunny and early spring warm with still that deep late afternoon golden glow just before the the sun goes down. The meadows are lovely - without the the cows - and will be more so when the green comes to tree and field. The cows will be back by then ...

My route took me from my front door to the Country Park (about 1 mile) where I went into the Visitor Centre to buy some honey (as I'd run out) and out the back door to walk down the slope to the bridge over the River. Rather unfortunately, the pathways alongside the River are "Private" and would make wonderful waterside walking. Oh well, there is another water course that runs through the meadows with footpaths over them. The ground is flat and the paths are well-marked out. Do be aware that beef stock are turned out into the meadows over the summer until October, and as well as being curious beasties they can churn up the ground. Wear good waterproof boots and gaiters, or wellingtons.

On this day, the ground had been rested and the going was very good. When I got to the far side of the Meadows from the entrance I had the choice of continuing around the perimeter of the Meadows or climbing the stile and walking along the Itchen Way. I chose the Itchen Way as that was my intention, and I was glad I did. Looking down into the Meadows from the Way, the signs didn't lie about the mud and standing water along the path.

This part of the Itchen Way runs past the airport, although you can't actually see into it. There are some little areas where the watercourse is level with, or even slightly above the lie of the path which can make the way a bit muddy. As long as you have good footwear, this is barely a mild inconvenience.

I am planning to walk the Itchen Way from Riverside Park all the way to Winchester one day in the summer. It's signposted as being 12 miles. The Way does extend a little further at either end, having its beginning in Cheriton, which is the source of the River Itchen, and ending in Woolston in Southampton.

There is a single irritation about the Itchen Way at this point where it runs alongside and under the M27. However, it is soon over and the motorway can be left behind by climbing over a stile into the water meadows on the other side and following the path through, and over the bridge pictured above. The White Swan pub is visible across the expanse. At the further end is another stile back out on to the path. By following the path round, over another bridge and through a smaller field, under Mansbridge Road and over the old stone bridge, you turn back on yourself this time on the other side of the river and the path will take you straight to the White Swan. They also have an excellent carvery.

After calling at the White Swan, the walk continues back under Mansbridge Road, past the old bridge and into Riverside Park. Home for me from here is about 1/4 mile.

The walk was very pleasant, if a bit gloopy here and there and will work as an excellent longer local walk - if I can brave the cows ...

Pipers Wait to Telegraph Hill

20 February 2009

I have obtained a fab little book full of great little walks that can be combined and turned into great big walks. I have listed it in the sidebar, but for present reference it is called "A Walk Around the New Forest" by Norman Henderson. It is a "Walk Around", too, around the perimeter of the National Park, a perambulation if you will, made up of 35 circular walks. The walks are not always within the boundaries of the National Park, as it now is. Some walks take in outlying footpaths, bridleways and by-ways within Wiltshire and Hampshire.

Where I have used this book for my walks, I will not include directions except as they pertain to my personal experiences recorded here, as the directions contained in the book are concise and I could be guilty of plagierism - no thanks. The walks in the book also detail the map references for car parks where applicable.

The view above is from Black Bush Plain overlooking the hangars of Bramshaw Wood near Pipers Wait Car Park, looking over Plaitford Common towards Romsey. As far as I can tell.

The car park at Pipers Wait is fairly small and the space was further hindered by a great pile of old lorry tyres which had been dumped there, whether by design or fly-tippers I don't know. I do know I had to move one to be able to turn my car around.

The walk is approximately 5 1/4 miles circular. As well as Pipers Wait and Bramshaw Telegraph it also takes in Eyeworth Pond and the plains of Longcross and Black Bush.

It was a beautiful sunny day at first, possibly the first day of Spring, and walking in the sunlight it was tempting to remove my fleece to just leave my T-shirt. I was glad I didn't as I came up through Claypits Bottom as the clouds came over the sun and it became a little chilly.

I did see a deer, which shot across my path near the stream in Crow's Nest Bottom. At the top of Pipers Wait there is a strange-looking hill covered in gorse and trees that doesn't look quite right. In fact, it's a rather cleverly disguised reservoir. Rabbits seem to like grazing the lawn around the base of the hill.

The walk across the open plains was lovely, as the sun deigned to show herself again for a while and the views across them to the further surrounding countryside of Wiltshire and Hampshire were always changing as now sunlight, now shadow passed over, mottling the landscape. In the picture above, the blue cast to the further view is due to its lying in the shadow of clouds at that moment.

Back at the car park I was accosted by a hopeful yearling. Disappointed, it mooched despondently away to munch sadly at some holly leaves after which it wandered away down the path into the woods. I was left to hot tea and Jaffa cakes.

Not a walking entry - an apology for absence

7th February 2009

My last walk was the day before yesterday, cold and grey and a blessing after the last fortnight. I followed a local route which I extended for a little way along the Itchen Way up towards the airport. Owing to the late afternoon and the light starting to dusk I turned back and found a delightful path across the water meadows which are part of the Itchen Valley Country Park. It made me feel very much that I live right on the edge of the countryside. Why would anyone choose the rat canyons of the city centre to living in the suburbs? I really feel my good fortune!

Now, you may be asking: where are my snow pictures? The recordings of the snowy walks I should have taken?

Well, thanks to the deterioration of the main cable carrying my telephone line I have been unable to access the internet. A nice man from the telephone company came and moved my line to the newer cable and now I'm back on track.

As for the snow pictures, I missed the opportunity for walking and photography due to frozen roads, accidents, sliding to a halt and then the "fun" (not!) of playing bumper cars with the traffic at 7 in the morning. The road became blocked (by the way, this is about 400 yards from my front door) by skewed cars and a stranded bus, with the emergency services having the same difficulties and only attending accidents where people were injured. What was quite interesting was my being the liaison between the police and the public, as I had called 999 and was in contact with a very pleasant woman who relayed information to me as she got it. In the end, those of us able to leave our cars at the side of the road were advised to do so and head on to wherever we were going.

The next day and driving through a blizzard coming home after work again at 7 in the morning, I ended up at my parents' house because they don't live on an "up and down" road that turns into a ski run at the slightest hint of snow.

So, why did I not get out to walk in it anyway, even around the local area with its parks and woodlands? I'm a night owl so my sleeping is during the daylight hours, and when not sleeping I was waiting for telephone calls and engineers.

Thank you for listening to my tale of woe. I am now on holiday and looking forward to getting out there again.

Whitefield Moor and Rhinefield

13 January 2009

For route details click here

Another self-plotted walk taking in some lovely views, as you can see from the photo, lots of mud, open plains, lots of trees and a lesson in fitting gaiters to make them properly waterproof.

The weather varied from very dark cloudy to bright sunshine and managed to choose to rain right when I chose to stop for a sandwich and a flask of tea. How does the weather do that?

I parked at Whitefield Moor Car Park. Be aware that there is a donation requested at this car park as at Blackwater with again a minimum suggested amount of £2. I was determined to go over White Moor this week so go I did, and an excellent walk it is too.

The land undulates along narrow paths between heather and bracken, currently asleep for the winter, passing between gorse bushes and alongside small copses. The first of several streams along the route is Silver Stream where the water is so clear it's like looking through clear glass to the stony bed. All the streams were swollen from yesterday's rain which made for a bit of fun later on. However, there is a good footbridge over Silver Stream and then the path rises up to pass either side of the copse on Holm Hill. From here are beautiful views such as the one above.

This path will eventually carry you on to Wilverley Plain but my way turned back on itself northwards leading down to another unnamed stream, which is crossed via some strategically laid logs. Here is where a walking pole comes in handy if you're none too sure of your balance. Ahead the path looks muddy but is pretty firm underfoot. Today there was a little streamlet formed along one of the little pathlets and at one point a tiny waterfall into a tiny pool.

On into Ferny Knapp Inclosure which has a lovely green path along the eastward path my route followed, between tall pines on the left and "Christmas" trees to the right. Out of the Inclosure once more and down across moorland to a river and a bridge ... umm, well, the bridge is sort of in the river ... The water has so overflowed the banks that the grassland around the bridge is flooded. Fortunately the ground is firm underfoot and a way to the bridge can be found if you are wearing good waterproof boots. The bridge itself is excellent being extended across the wide reach of this river which appears to be unnamed also.

On the other side of the bridge the path resumes, climbing uphill to a gate into Clumber Inclosure from where the route passes Rhinefield House Hotel and follows the line of the fence. There is another fascinating red brick building in the grounds about which I have not yet been able to find any information, but which I think may be Tudor in origin.

The path comes to Rhinefield Ornamental Drive and follows this a few yards to the cycle track that passes Rhinefield Cottage. The map I have is either out of date or in error, showing fences where they are not in Rhinefield Sandy's Inclosure and not showing fences where there are such. However, the ford is where it is supposed to be and with the Black Water being full from yesterday's rain the ford was running quite high. Confident with my gaiters on I strode forward. And water dribbled into my boot. Thanks to my lovely socks, the damp didn't last long as I walked on.

The sky was becoming ominously dark at this point but I'd decided I was going to stop for a break in Blackwater Arboretum. So I did, at a picnic table beside a Leylandii. And it began to rain ... Fine. I drank my tea, picked up my sandwich and strode on, nothing daunted, and ate as I walked.

Across the Drive and Blackwater Car Park and into Poundhill Inclosure, on to a cycle track heading south east and soon left on to a grass track down to a gate into a small enclosure of lawn and gorse with areas of strange grass mounds. I don't know what they are either or what causes them. I thought they were to do with water, but they were firm underfoot. Maybe they're fairy dwellings ...

At the south east corner of this field a bridge goes over Fletchers Water and the route passes between trees and gorse out to Fletchers Green, a lovely expanse of heathland popular with ponies. It seems that people other than "the commoners" turn their ponies out into the Forest. I met a woman with halter and food in a bucket. She asked me if I'd seen any ponies. Umm ... well ... There were loads of ponies all over the place. What was I to reply? So I said, "There are some ponies over there". Apparently, the ones she was looking for weren't any of those. And so we parted.

I cam to another stream, got more water in my boots (grrr! beginning to curse my gaiters!) and dropped my map in the water. What with that and the holes and tears already formed through much use, I really must buy another one - maybe one of those nice all-weather ones.

And I must learn to trust my compass! I was not supposed to end up on the track through the caravan site, even though it was easy enough to find my way into Aldridge Hill Inclosure from there, because it's Aldridge Hill Caravan Park. I should have turned immediately right after the bridge before the stream I dropped my map into and got my feet wet in, and headed due south to pass the cottage that way. Heigh ho!

The walk through the Inclosure was pleasant and even the side path down to Ober Water was good underfoot. As I was not quite finished with my walk yet (I could have gone over the bridge and straight up back to the car park) I decided to follow the lovely, purposely-laid walk around Ober Water. By this time the clouds had scattered and a lovely warm late afternoon sunshine was gleaming through the trees.

At the end of the walk, I crossed over Puttles Bridge and walked up the gravel path winding up to Whitefield car park from the west. To my left the ground was heather-thick and there amid the heather was a female roe deer in her winter grey. She was hard to spot, only her white rump gave her away. Even harder to spot was the male, a young buck with new velvet antlers, standing in front of a grey-barked tree, watching me as I walked up the path. Him I only spotted by his white muzzle and black nose.

And so back to the car, where I fiddled around with the gaiter stirrups until I had a good fit that pulled the bottoms of the gaiters right down to the heels, instead of sitting on the top edge of my boots where the water got in.

Then boots off and another cup of tea with a satisfied sigh and a Mars bar.

Winter Days Diary - My Back Yard