Midhurst Footpath Companions
Walking in Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey.

Gallery


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Thursley walk on 13th March 2024

This was Tim's walk from 21st February which was called off as it rained all morning. This day was better, still damp in parts, but passable. Seven brave walkers set out towards the A3, luckily finding a tunnel to get to the other side. The area around Cosford House has a very musical history with Roger Taylor living and recording nearby for many years. The track took us past the very nice Cosford Farm and into out first water hazard. Luckily we had a way around the problem and with an easy walk through the woods we found a footpath that took us up into the hamlet of Bowlhead Green. A 6 bedroom house is available for £4.5m, but the average for the area is a mere £1.5m. A walk up the road took us to the drive for Emley Farmhouse, mid 16th C, now a National Trust property available for rent. Luckily it was empty on the day and we took the opportunity to sit on the wall for our drinks break. Refreshed, we descended into the valley and turned up the track to Hole Farm. From here we again ascended to the highest point of our walk, which happened to be another tunnel under the A3. Several fields took us to St Michael and All Angels Church, containing the grave of the Unknown Sailor who was murdered back in 1786. Also there is the grave of Derek Lutyens, (nephew of Edwin Lutyens) who died in a flying accident near Farnborough during WW1. At the exit of the churchyard there is a small hut, formerly a Dame School until formal education became compulsory during the 1880s. At the end of our 5 mile walk we had an excellent lunch in The Three Horshoes in Thursley village.


Liphook walk on 6th March 2024

The Liphook walk, led by Jean (with some kind assistance from Isabel) started out with the morning mist still very much present. We ducked under the A3 and found our way to Bramshott Churchyard, with  hundreds of graves of Canadian soldiers, most of whom had died of Spanish Influenza at the end of WW1. The flu was incredibly deadly, especially amongst the young. Sometimes a soldier could be fit and well at breakfast, but the flu could take his life before the end of the day. 

We moved on up the road to Rectory Lane before turning down a narrow gulley to  reach Bramshott village.  A walk along Tunbridge Lane took us to a footpath that ran past Bramshott Court and eventually to Passfield Manor.  By crossing the B3004 we entered the road to the delightful village Conford where the Victorian village hall provided a good stopping point for a drinks break. Our route then led past Conford Park House, with its extraordinary sculptures in the grounds and on to the dreaded mud. We had all been warned that wellingtons were the preferred footwear and even a bit of fence climbing did not totally avoid the problem. However we recovered enough to find the B3004 once again and then back to Bramshott, via Bramshott Vale House. We passed Boris Karloff's house before once again walking through Bramshott churchyard.  After passing over the Memorial bridge we regained our cars and then journeyed to The Deers Hut for an enjoyable lunch.


Walderton Raffle walk on 28th February 2024

Denis accepted the challenge to lead the largest walking group this year in a 3.75 mile short walk so we get back to the pub in time to have lunch, play skittles and have our annual raffle before the pub closed in the afternoon. We assembled in The Barley Mow pub car park at Walderton having driven through numerous large puddles and water running across roads. We walked up the main road to where the River Ems crossed the road, headed up Cooks Lane to pick up Monarch’s Way. Although overcast, it was dry to allow us to enjoy the views of Walderton Down as we crossed the fields adding some flints to the stone pile before entering the Inholmes Wood, leaving the Monarch’s Way. The route took us down one side of the valley and up the other surrounded by wild garlic in Woodbarn. Leaving the woods we stopped at the seat carved from a tree trunk to have our coffee break. Continuing west, we watched a herd of deer, walked past Watergate, crossed the road and were pleased we turned south rather than climb Watergate Hanger. Recrossing the road we entered Watergate Park and got back to the path down to Cooks Lane and back to the pub. A huge thank you to The Barley Mow for allowing us to play skittles on their alley, providing a lovely buffet and giving us the space to hold our raffle. Having lead the walk, Denis demolished the competition to win the skittles event.


Thursley non walk on 23rd February 2024

We agreed to meet at 12.00 just in case the rain had stopped. Sadly it hadn't. The route was going to be in some previously damp gulleys, so the morning walk was abandoned and we were forced to take shelter in the nearby Three Horsehoes public house.  The possibility of a short walk in the afternoon was mooted, but the rain once again beat us. However the 13th March walk has  unexpectantly needed filling (careful examination of the group photo attached may explain why), so Thursley is where we should be again, weather permitting!


Stansted Park long walk on 16th February 2024

Lindsay and Jay proposed a dry 9 mile walk from The Slip car park across the Broadway from Stansted Park. The five of us skipped nimbly around the ponds in the car park, entering Stansted Park main drive up past the house on Monarch’s Way encountering horse riders, dog walkers and a particularly unpleasant smelling slurry tanker. A mislaid camera recovery slowed the pace and we decided we liked that pace as we wandered down Woodlands Lane on the road before turning north at the base of Watergate Hanger. When we were opposite the drive to Watergate House we scampered up the hanger staying in the woods, stopping for coffee and long tales before walking on to Oldhouse Lane where we enjoyed a down hill section of road. At the base of the Hanger we turned north again into woods heading towards West Marden. At this point we had been ambling gently too much which necessitated a change in plan, especially after stopping to watch the Highland cows so we adjourned to the Victoria Inn where they did us proud for lunch. After lunch, the pace slowed further to aid digestion as we headed up the road into Westmarden Copse across fields, over Oldhouse Lane to the edge of the woods at Wythy Piece. At this juncture a voting process worthy of the Russian Duma elected to take a shortcut that had not been prewalked and rewarded us with a very muddy footpath all the way back to the drive at Stansted Park. Stomping of boots failed to dislodge the mud clinging to boots and clothes as we retraced the start of the walk back to the car park. The walk was reduced to just over 7 miles thanks to Lindsay and Jay’s excellent map reading skills.