ONE CHILLY, BLUSTERY MORNING IN MARCH

Wayfarers Walk 6

After a good night at the Swan and a full English early the next morning, the landlord kindly drove us up to the the car park where the previous day's walk had putatively ended.  We were grateful to avoid the climb on foot.  You can see how remote the car park is.  Fine views though . . .

We then set off along the ridge of the hills.  It was clear that this was Newbury racecourse country.

As if further proof were needed.

The footpath then led over Watership Down. 

Not a very interesting scene, especially since the wind was now distinctly blustery and chilly and all the rabbits were presumably nestled in their warren.  After the downs, the path led up to some lovely old beeches.

After which it became distinctly bleak and the wind even more penetrating.

 

We paused only to lay our stones on the cairn.

When we did eventually come into the shelter of some trees, it was clear they had suffered in the winter storms.

After a pleasant walk through a short dale, we were supposed to follow the footpath and run across the notorious A34.

We elected to take a detour along a permissive path and through a farmer's underpass, although it looks as though the flood waters would have prevented this a week or so ago.

Safely on the other side, we now we came across this memorial stone.

Back over the hill, the path led through a pleasant hazel grove.

Where we passed the castellated entrance to Highclere Castle, the home used as Downton Abbey.

The views were quite extraordinary along the whole of the day's walk.  The countryside appeared to stretch for 30 odd miles in almost every direction without a sign of any townships.

Finding a spot out of the wind (and no pub!), we stopped for a short break to eat sandwiches.

 

We passed through the highest point of the Wayfarers Walk (about 260m) and now in Berkshire, just after this.  Strangely, in this remote spot, there had once been a house - now just a chimney stack.

Although maybe not so strange - here was a new house, in glorious isolation.

Where do they go, if they run out of Sugar Puffs?  Or, worse, Marmite?  From here, the beacon was becoming visible.  Some horses on the hillside.

A vehicle gate with horse access.  I don't think I had seen one of these before.

But before emerging from the woodland, we had one further obstacle to negotiate.

And then we were there.  But where?  There were no signs, no structures of any kind, apart from this seat.  (And no champagne either, if you look closely!)

 

 And no signs of life apart from the sheep.

 

But our taxi soon arrived to take us, chilled to the marrow, but triumphant, to the nearest rail station for the journey home and on to our next adventure.

(to be continued)

SPRING IN OUR STEP

Wayfarers Walk 5

Here we are at the start of this leg - where we finished last time.  I put this in because it was such a lovely morning and such a contrast with last time, when it was miserable, cold, pouring with rain and flooded.  You can see the sandbags still there in the background.

And we didn't even get round to seeing the village last time.  It is a pretty little place, birthplace of Sarah Ferguson.  The Queen Inn is the pub where she and Andrew used to meet (and maybe canoodle).  Here's one of the thatched cottages.

 

A local craftsman building a new bus shelter.

After crossing the M3, 

 

we found we were three quarters of the way through our journey.

 

But, although it was sunny and warm, and although the way was lined with daffodils and primroses, and there was vernal blossom in the hedgerows,

 

 it could still look autumny in the fields.

And, although the storms seem a thing of the past and the floods are receding, we still found our way blocked at the next village, Deane.

 

Which was a pity because, from a distance, it looked pretty.

We eventually found a way past.

Some blossom on the outskirts of the village.

 

 Cottage with weasel and crocodile.

Some more blossom.

The path from here was not very distinct.

An Iron Age fort and tumulus.

 

From here we decided to deviate from the route and walk along the ridge.  It was just such a glorious day with views across tens of miles of open country.

 But the drop down the other end was rather precipitous.

But this path led to a nice walkway through trees along the side of the road

 

into Kingsclere, where we stayed the night at the old Swan Inn.

  

This is the dining/bridge room.

DUMB AND DUMMER

Wayfarers Walk 4

We continued on from Arlesford in continual rain, alongside the swollen stream.
 

The 13th century mill now looks somewhat precarious straddling the stream.

 

The no fishing notice is still there.

I wonder who Hambone Jr was, and why he's buried beside the river.

The path was often obstructed.  And still it rained.

But the snowdrops brightened our way.

The view of the valley.

The view across the hills.  Still raining. 

And a long muddy trudge up Abbotstone Down.

Finally at the summit.  Not stopped raining yet.

We broke for lunch in a bus shelter which was not yet waterlogged.
 

Then passing a nice house with more snowdrops

and sheltered in the Queen Inn at Dummer until the taxi arrived from the station.

A long walk, made longer by rain.  Did I mention the rain?