Hampshire

Morning Walk

Posted on by Duncan Toms

I went out for a half hour walk at 8 this morning, before work. These be some of the thingies I saw:

Leafy light:

The footpath says CLOSED DUE TO COMPLAINTS. Well hell they can’t just do that, so I went anyway.

Beacon Hill:

Old Winchester Hill (you can make out the burial mounds)

The peacock man’s plane. He takes off from a field by his house, literally a strip between crops.

Not sure what this is about, as there’s no running water around here:

The bluebells are out! The bluebells are out!

Brockwood Grove, new angle:

New beech against the evergreens:

New beech against the blossom:

Wild Swim

Posted on by Duncan Toms

More cycling this afternoon, this time with friends, down to the Itchen for a wild swim. I’m not going to publicise the location, kind of like a secret spot in surfing. All I’ll say is it isn’t too far from the source, so the water is still very clean and clear. Such fun to be in the water! Cool, tingly fun. It being another unusually warm day, and after the cycle ride, I was ready to cool off. I stood in the shallow water above the pool and my feet went numb. When I briefly got out I couldn’t feel them. But that cold didn’t stop me. I used the old ‘Baltic Tom’ (as The Barefoot Doctor called me) method of counting to five then, no matter what, jump or dive in. Jumping was more appropriate in the Itchen, it being less than a meter deep in most places that high up. At the old sluice gate, if that’s what it is, the current was so strong, and walking against it a real effort. By carefully testing, I learnt it was fine to rush though on the current, even head first. After about ten minutes, goosebumps all over, that was enough. We dried off and warmed up in the heat of the late afternoon sun, snacking on nuts, fruits and oatcakes. The cycle home was a killer, especially the last climb up to Brockwood. I even broke my ‘no lower than than the largest front chain ring’ rule to get up that hill. Someone shot some video so I hope to post that soon.

Safety in numbers:

Sam having none of it:

Float, float, float yourself,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

Winchester Ride

Posted on by Duncan Toms

Navigating lanes and tracks, today I cycled a 32-mile loop to Winchester and back, in bright spring sunshine. I took the northerly route via Alresford and the Itchen Valley on the way, taking a detour past Cheriton Wood where the Civil War battle was, and back via the South Downs. It was my first ride of the year. The bike was looking a little sorry after the winter under cover, but after a quick dusting of webs, removing some leaves, wiping the saddle, some air and WD40, I was good to go.

At Wolfhanger Farm, proper free range chickens. I stopped to watch. Some of them were almost playing, darting around, running fair distances.

After Bramdean Common, I took a detour up above Park Dale, along the back of Cheriton Wood, where I’d never been before.

The other side of that hill was the site of a famous battle in 1644 during the Civil War, a major victory for the Parliamentarians with the Royalists forced to retreat, burning Alresford as they fled north. A memorial carving:

After shooting down a track to Alresford, I went to Itchen Stoke. There’s an unusual church – check out those windows and the intricate roof tiling:

And a slightly bigger one in Winchester, through the spring leaves:

After lunch in the city, sitting on the grass enjoying the warm sun, I picked up the Itchen again near the Bishop’s pad:

Then south as far as St Catherine’s Hill where I crossed the M3. Long queues of cars heading for the coast. Just before the motorway was a small travellers’ site, with maybe 6 caravans, some tents and vans. I walked up onto Twyford Down, lamenting the major gash caused by the M3 gorging through it. Then towards Owslebury. A nice font on the old signposts:

I was now high on the downs and with, thankfully, easier riding east past Mill Barrow and passing Hinton Ampner house, way below:

After that it was pretty much all downhill, with a long swoop past Riversdown House. It was good to be out, exercising, seeing all there was to see, pumping up the many hills and delighting in freewheeling down the other side, a big smile on my face.

110312

Posted on by Duncan Toms

Went to Petersfield, got on the bus to Selborne, walked to Petersfield. That’s my idea of fun.

On the bus there was a little boy with his dad and granddad, going to Alton to ride the steam train. Are you having a nice time? Are you having a nice time? The father kept asking. Are you having a nice time? Because daddy wants you to have a nice time. I’m having a nice time, the boy reluctantly replied. Sat just in front, I wasn’t convinced. Then a sudden retch and sploosh, the boy was sick over the window and seat then promptly burst into tears and wailing. This lasted many minutes as granddad got the wet wipes out and tried to mop it up. Once he’d stopped crying, again the boy repeated, I’m having a nice time. By then I’d moved further back in the bus because it smelt of sick up there.

The walk was very good for me. Four hours out in the open, following the chain of hangers south from Selborne to Hawkley, then over the meaty Shoulder of Mutton hill to Steep and Petersfield, through an area called Little Switzerland. The waterfall is always a delight, so near to home.

…

This evening watched The Social Network for the second time. Geeks! Harvard! Jocks! Coding! Not listening! Pilfering! Partying! Blogging! Suing!

…

Steps stepped: 21,340 (A new record)

110304 Northington Grange

Posted on by Duncan Toms

This morning, we went to Northington Grange just north of Alresford. It’s a fine 17th Century house with a monster of a neo-classical shell bolted on to make it look like a temple. It’s a tremendous building to be sat quietly in mid-hampshire.

This gives it the look of some kind of institution or hospital, or a lego building where you don’t have enough of the right bricks, when viewed from either side.

I guess it was trendy, this Greek Revival style, slopped together with Roman Cement. Surely it is very impressive and that is the idea.

If you go round the back, you see some of the original exterior.

It’s a beautiful location, with a lake and open parkland all around. The lake glistened in the late winter sunshine

110219 Owslebury/Marwell Loop

Posted on by Duncan Toms

Took a short walk after the days in bed, but not a lot of energy for it, either of us. We went to Owslebury then walked a loop around Marwell Wildlife Park For reasons I can’t explain, I really wanted to see a giraffe. We didn’t. But we did see some antelope I’d never seen before and an ostrich, through the fence at the back of the park. The footpath basically hugs the edge of the park. Later I read about the very old Marwell Hall, Henry VIII having stayed there and it’s supposed hauntedness.

Starting point, Owslebury church:

Caroline’s muddled boots. Mine looked and felt much the same as we stomped past Little Coney Park:

Peering through the fence at a quiet morning at the zoo. Choo choo:

Nice Park billboard:

Anyone know what these are?

And back to Owslebury:

So we have a large wildlife park twenty minutes from Brockwood. I knew it was there but hadn’t paid it any attention. We’ll go in sometime. They have over 200 species. Part of the walk met the Pilgrim’s Trail a long distance path from Winchester to Normandy. After I finish the South Downs Way, I’d like to walk the UK part of the trail.

Spent the rest of the day in bed. Watched Precious, harrowing and not really that uplifting even at the end.

Steps stepped: 9110. Too many for a not-well Duncan

Weekend Walk 9 – Winchester to Cheriton (South Downs Way)

Posted on by Duncan Toms

Today I walked the very western end of the South Downs Way. I parked at Cheriton then rode the bus into Winchester. From the city centre, the path crosses the M3 then through the hamlet of Chilcomb, up onto the downs. Then across to Cheesefoot Head and Gander Down. I left the SDW to get back to Cheriton, a mile or so off the path. It took 3.5 hours with a lunch stop. I aim to walk the full 100 miles before the end of the year. Here’s the video from today:

Weekend Walk No. 5 – Curbridge & Burridge

Posted on by Duncan Toms

From the Horse & Jockey at Curbridge, near Botley, Hampshire, along the creek in National Trust land to the upper Hamble, finding a fairy tree along the way! Then to Burridge and a development into the fields for rich people near the road and houses getting smaller as you reach the woods behind. Back through more woods to Curbridge.

The fairy area was quite a surprise and left me with a very good feeling.

Here’s the video (which I really enjoy making, even if I might not sound like it!)

Keep it rural!

Weekend Walk No. 4 – Manor Farm Country Park

Posted on by Duncan Toms

Yesterday, Saturday, I took the Vespa down to near Bursledon to continue the walk along the river Hamble. Last time I’d left it at Bursledon, headed north. This took me to the Manor Farm Country Park, a wooded spot next to the river. It also has a working museum farm. The chapel was very sweet, and contained an old hearse. It was in such a quiet place, very peaceful, despite the bank holiday weekenders at the farm nearby. The Hamble was graceful and quiet too, with woods along its banks. Lots of people with dogs. Here’s the video.

Cheesefoot Head Walk

Posted on by Duncan Toms

Not a ‘Head Walk’, whatever that is, but Cheesefoot Head is a viewpoint at the western end of the South Downs, close to Winchester.

I parked the scooter in the small carpark, after a very windy ride. The gales were strong up on the downs but that was the point, to feel the wind high up, warm on a sunny July morning.

I headed south through field of wheat, swaying and flowing in the wind, switching directions, oceanic. At least, I think it was wheat.

It was an open walk, with great views

Sometimes poppies among the grain

Then crossed the A272, heading north along Rodfield Lane, before picking up the South Downs Way, feeling like I was in the grain belt of America

The tone changed as I came upon a field being converted into some kind of tank playground, exposing the chalk beneath. Then it was into the trees to return through Temple Valley to Cheesfoot, with views over Chilcomb down.