On Saturday I again walked some of the South Downs Way. I left the car at West Meon then took the bus to Cheriton for the starting point. It’s a couple of km from there back to the path, to the west. After crossing the A272, the path slowly rises back onto the downs at Millbarrow. I saw one of the burial mounds up there, near the Milbuty pub. Then it’s great views as I headed east, seeing Hinton Ampner House to the north and the Isle of Wight to the south. From Beacon Hill, there are great views to the north, east and south into the valley. The path then descends into the lush Meon valley to Exton. I then followed the Meon Valley Trail back to West Meon. All in all it took five hours, with 16 miles of the South Downs Way completed now. Here’s a video I made.
Walking
Weekend Walk 9 – Winchester to Cheriton (South Downs Way)
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. 8 – Hythe, Hampshire
On Monday I took the ferry from Southampton over to Hythe, then followed the Solent Way into the New Forest. Here’s the video:
Weekend Walk No. 7
Weekend Walk No. 6 – Bishop's Sutton & Bighton
Yes, Bighton not Brighton, near Alresford in Hampshire. I started out at the church at Bishop’s Sutton, headed north through wheat fields to the village of Bighton, with it’s Norman church and cottages, then back through Sutton wood, over the Watercress Line railway, to the start. Light summer rain the whole way through.
Weekend Walk No. 5 – Curbridge & Burridge
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
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.
Weekend Walk No 3 – Brockwood, Hinton Ampner, Bramdean
With spring coming, and after quite a long wait, it was time for another long walk yesterday. This one is local to me, starting from where I live, taking in the Big Houses of the area – Hinton Ampner House (1793), Bramdean Manor (1740), Woodcote Manor House (c16) and of course, Brockwood Park School (1769)
Rodney Yee home course – Week 7
Week 7 is taking two weeks. It’s a little too much, with around 25 asanas per day. This week is headstands and inversions, so it is incorporating more complete practices, course additions pretty much finished. So I am practising every other day, or every three days, with a few days off last week. I think after this I will settle down to a 5 day per week, 1 hour per day of yoga.
Netley, Hamble, Bursledon Walk
Yesterday’s walk from Netley, through the haunted grounds of Royal Victoria Park, along the coast and across the common to Hamble, across to the east bank and up to Lower Swanwick and Bursledon.
I wanted to see the old asylum which still remains in the park but is surrounded by a long high wall and is now used for police training. Later I found myself trying to work out where the boatyard was from Howard’s Way from the 80s. The series was made in the Hamble valley.
My first video with my Canon FS11!
Twford River Itchen Walk
I want to start making a few videos of my excursions into nature. The idea came during the walk from Southampton a couple of weeks ago. I was going to wait until I had a video camera but thought I’d just start with my normal camera in movie mode. The big problem with that is the audio doesn’t come out so well.
Duncan’s Weekend Walks – No 1
Netley Walk
On the freshly charged scooter to Winchester, the train to Southampton, a free bus to the Town Quay for the start of the walk, (supposedly to Hamble although I didn’t make it that far.)
I started with a look around the Quay, with car docks, ferries and restaurants. Strange shiny dome over the water:
Military and Industrial presence all around, with cargo ships docked nearby and so many car imports. Casinos.
The Solent Way starts here after the ferry from Hythe. I walked through the south of the city, past some of the old town walls, the worlds oldest bowling green and through a park to Ocean Village. Traffic getting quieter in the corner under Itchen Bridge, I went up some crumbling steps, 30 years old, to the Bridge. Haze clearing in the midday sun, Samaritans signs all across the bridge.
Across the river was like the other side of the tracks. The old Vosper yard being demolished and grim old shops, sewerage smell.
A sad old bench along the entire wall of a works building. The security guard asked what I was doing when I took this: ‘Just having a look’:
Glad to reach the shoreline, I continued along the Solent Way to Weston, with its 60s blocks and 30s shelters:
Past the blocks and West Wood is another type of dwelling altogether, Netley Castle, and behind it the ruins of Netley Abbey.
Across the Water the whole way, the oil refinery of Fawley. After looking around the abbey I lay in the shade under an oak tree, a world away from the city and docks and run down suburbs.
Then through the village with bright terraces and cottages to the water again at Netley Hard, and into the Royal Victoria Country Park. The sea wall has crumbled here, material sucking into the sea at high tide, so the Way goes through the park, which was once the site of a huge hospital used from the 1860s until after WWII. Half a mile long! The chapel remains, along with some of the outbuildings, now used for Police Training, including what was the asylum. The chapel is a visitor centre.
This is where I cut the walk short, wandering around the park, watching a bit of a dog show, or agility contest, and then through the marshes back to the village.
Finishing up at the station to catch the train back to Southampton Central. A walk of great variety, seeing so much in a short afternoon’s walking.
The Hamble adventure must wait till next time, probably starting at Netley, walking the remainder of the coast to Hamble, across the ferry to Warsash and up to Bursledon…
Chithurst Walk
We started at Iping Church in West Sussex, heading east towards Chithurst. In the first field behind the church, with horse trial paraphernalia in the middle and close cut grass, a dog joined us, running around and barking excitedly. He came with us as far as the stream whereby he stood in the water waiting for us to do something that usually happens when he stands in the stream.
By now the sun was out. The next field, just before Chithurst was horsey too, with new creosote fences enclosing thoroughbreds, one with a very young pony.
We passed through Chithust just south of the Monastery, heading northe through an orchard of a variety of tall narrow trees, maybe being grown for towns and cities, then into a lovely meadow with views of the South Downs. The soil around here was very sandy, the paths being like those to a beach.
Then it was into the woods, Wick Wood then Hammer Wood. There was a garden open for charity so we had a look but it was more of a garden party, with creepy jazz music and men in cream suits cooking meat. We about turned, haunted by the music through the dark woods, floowing the steep bank. Very old trees. The last of the wood was managed by the monastery, where monks and nuns sit in solitude in huts among the trees. We left the woods where the nuns have their accommodation. Tibetan prayer flags in an English wood.
Then it was up the dark sunken lane and back into the sun, to follow the Lane back to Iping, home of the Invisible Man by H G Wells.
Cheesefoot Head Walk
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.
Hawkley, Winchester, Prairie Walk
In a cold north wind, warmer in sheltered valleys, we walked a loop
from the top of Ashford Hangers to Hawkley. This is an area just north
of Petersfield in Hampshire, north of ‘Little Switzerland’. There’s a couple of little streams, clear
waters, at the foot of the hill, then the path rises to the village,
with its church and small village green. Very old yew trees.
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On the way back, the climb up
the back of the Hangers was good and steep, working our legs and lungs
hard. Some 4x4s had channelled deep tire ravines into the chalk clay.
There were great views over to East Hampshire and to the south from the
top.
After lunch we went to Winchester to get some stuff – bird feed (mainly
for the duck couple who now live in our garden.) She is heavily
pregnant and very hungry. She is very beautiful, a lighter brown than
the usual, and I’ve fallen in love with her. Another female comes by
too, with her 10 or so ducklings. And there is another set of them at
Number 1, one a bright yellow like a chicken chick. C got wire for her
homemade candle lanterns and I got my hair cut. I’m going to a more
expensive barber next time; the cheap ones (not so cheap at £9) don’t
really listen to what you want. At Tesco we got shower smoothies and
bath foams and yoghurt soda bread that it’s hard not to eat in one day.
This evening we watched Prairie Home Companion. I didn’t realise it was
a real show until I looked it up later. It had some charm, but was
mainly inconsequential. Woody Harrelson is very watchable. I am
watching Empire Magazine’s top 25
of 2007. That was number 24. 25 was Venus with Peter O’Toole, that had
a lot more depth. But both basically luvvie movies. I guess critics
like Industry movies, and as such Ratatouille got higher reviews than
it would have done had it not featured a critic.
Dru Yoga Wake up and Sun Saluation this morning on waking. I feel an
energy building up. The temptation is to try to do something about it, but what
happens if you let it run its course?
Moomin Horse
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Sunday, West Meon
James, Deane, Mary and I walked down to West Meon in the overcast light of Sunday afternoon, ostensibly to watch Stanley’s last game of cricket for West Meon Thomas Lord team. None of us were interested in cricket but it was something to aim for in a walk. Stanley is front row, second from right. An Indian in a small Hampshire village. Judging by his bowling the team will miss him next year.
A strong sense of the odd ‘Sunday afternoon feeling’ I’ve often felt, around 1600. It’s a curious sensation of time slowing down, nothing happening in the world, everything as it should be, and slightly eery. Impossible to describe apart from that. Happened watching the cricket.
I kept missing the ‘action’. I found myself watching the villagers and their ways.
9 Aug 1990 – Paris
A good night’s sleep although the road was quite noisy. Breakfast then left our rucksacks in the station lockers. Tubed to Arc de Triomphe then walked the Champs Elysees to Concorde square then to the Eiffel Tower. Walked up the first two stages then a lift right to the top. Best thing I’ve done in ages. Barry forgot to give his room key back. Sitting outside Notre Dame now, which doesn’t look as good as St Pauls.
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We are now in a cabine on the way to Nice. The curvy bed seaty things are weird. 3 girls sharing with us. Played cards for a while and had a bottle of wine. Barry has just been sick in the bogs. Looking forward to the riviera.
Falling Awake 