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Grayswood walk 30th August 2023

We met up at Grayswood village hall car park for Tim and Jane’s 5 mile walk, crossed the village green down Lower Road towards Clammer Hill Road and onto the footpath behind gardens. We skirted Frillinghurst Wood. Breaking out into a field gave great scenic views until we came out onto Prestwick Lane before turning off through a fruit tree orchard and some automotive excitement. There were a few locations for foraging blackberries that we found it difficult to ignore. We walked the edge of a field with sheep back into the edge of Frillinghurst Wood where some forestry work gave us plenty of seating for our coffee break. At the tee junction we branched off to Frillinghurst Farm to enjoy their Jacob sheep and tramped across fields and woods, fought our way through ferns until we came to a peaceful pond. Turning right towards Imbhams Farm more woods and ferns were encountered until tarmac of Clammer Hill allowed us to speed up back to our starting point. A quick drive into Haslemere saw us diverting into The White Horse for lunch.

Starting out across the village green

Clammer Hill

Walkers clamoring for attention

The views make it worthwhile

Meet the Shaun family

Blackberry foraging

Follow the leader?

or line abreast?

It says here on the treasure map

A civilised coffee stop

Time for more blackberry foraging?

I think we can take this as a sign

Ferns as far as the eye can see

The tree’s reaching out to get us

but we got away

Wild flowers and rolling countryside

A haven of peace

Hello Jacob, I’m Tim

Celebration at the White Horse

Just over 4 miles

Elsted walk on 23rd August 2023

Celia and Miguel’s 4.5 mile walk started at the Three Horseshoes in Elsted on a gloriously sunny day with views across the South Downs. In uplifted spirits we crossed the stubble field, through a copse, across a stream and skirted another field to come out onto the Treyford to Elsted Marsh road. We ambled through Newhouse Farm, smartly sidestepping the large tractor heading out to remote fields and paused to look at the young Partridges strutting and pecking.

There were a few stops to rest in the shade of the tall hedgerows to cool down, and have some water before we reached a shaded corner where we relaxed for our coffee stop on the edge of Didling. Fortified, we walked down to Manor Farm when one of us realised we had failed the ‘leave no trace’ ethos by leaving their well-travelled walking stick behind. The rest of us took the opportunity to relax in the shade a bit more while said walking stick was recovered. The South Downs were a constant reminder to the south of us what amazing countryside we reside in as we crossed fields heading to Treyford. We milled around expectantly for cats to cross the road to heed the warnings but they must have been off hunting smaller prey. Taking the road towards Redlands, we passed the old Treyford church graveyard and soon picked up another footpath taking us up the hill where we could feel our lunch calling.

The al fresco lunch on shaded tables with the Downs bathed in sunshine, great food and drink all accompanied by a peep of chickens was a lovely way to finish a walk with friends.

Skirting a stubble field

The shepherd herding his flock

Partridges in a corner wondering which one was going to make it to the Pear Tree

A bit steeper than the undulations we were promised

But the views of the Downs are worth it

Flowers between the beds of Thistles?

One hesitant sheep just before it decides to follow the flock down the hill

Enjoying the shade and a photo

Enjoying our coffee break even more

Leading the way

Leading the way Sun, fields, Downs…..what more could one ask for?

Never mind the cat crossing, leading a walk is like herding cats

Planes steak across the sky while we streak down the hill

All smiles on the final leg back to the pub

A delicious repast

Let’s sneak off just in case they ordered chicken pie

Finchdean walk on the 9th August 2023

The five and a half mile walk from The George Inn at Finchdean took us up Ashcroft Lane where we picked up the Sussex Border Path footpath by the hedgerow of a field heading north on a gentle climb with a few stops to get our breath back and catch up. We stopped at a couple of places to admire the sunflowers and wild flowers that the South Downs Farmers’ Group had planted in corners of their fields to attract pollinating insects. One of our walkers must be a bit of a flower as a butterfly to landed on him in confusion. We skirted Oxleys Copse overlooking the old field system, past The Folly with Idsworth Down falling away to our right and views across to Ditcham Park School, West Harting Down, and Uppark in the distance. The sky was clear to allow us to see across to the Isle of Wight at one point. The peak of our walk was above Chalton Down where we crossed a stubble field to shuffle down the steep drop at Chalton Down through hazelnut bushes, wild flowers and brambles, pausing to watch the mainline train thunder past on its way to Portsmouth. At the bottom, we got back onto a road to cross over the railway line, pose for our team photo and stop at the start of the Huckswood Lane track for our coffee break. Refreshed, there was a slight incline up to the edge of the disused quarry where we continued on the Staunton Way by turning south descending to Compton Down Road which we crossed coming to the rear of The Church of St Hubert at Idsworth. The church of St Peter was first rebuilt in 10th Century. Its small tower and Chancel were added in the 12th or 13th centuries and the south wall was rebuilt in its new position in 16th Century. In 1864 the wall paintings on the north wall were discovered which included the conversion of St Hubert to Christianity which led to the rededication of the church to St Hubert. We dallied in the church and the wild meadow too long, so elected to continue on the road back to Finchdean and The George Inn for an enjoyable al fresco lunch in great company.

Feels as if we are starting off under a cloud.

Is that the Isle of Wight I can see?

Knee deep in flowers and pollinating insects

Striding along, heads in the clouds

No, there’s The Isle of Wight

Looking for Spitfires

Views across to West Harting Downs

On the skyline on The Staunton Way

Like a scene from a Western movie, but we lost our horses

Isabel leading us to Chalton Down

Descending Chalton Down

The London to Portsmouth train brings us back to reality

Butterfly landing on a flower or hitching a ride?

Eleven walkers gently inclined

All bunched up ready for church

Did you know this is called Old Goats Beard?

Wall painting, c.1330 of St Hubert converting to Christianity in St Huberts Church.

St Huberts Church at Idsworth, once a settlement until 14th C, but probably the plague wiped out all the parishioners.

Do you know there’s a wasp in your glass? You hum it and I’ll sing it.

About 5 miles

Tilford walk on 2nd August 2023

Tim and Jane’s 4.7 mile walk got off to a delayed start due to a road closure on the way to the Duke of Cambridge pub near Hankley Common which tested a combination of sat nav and blind faith abilities, but we all made it. We set off in the dry past Hankley Golf Course club house on the sandy soil to Stockbridge Pond to take in the view and then the left turn onto the byway. Crossing the main road our route took us straight through Stonehills, Tilford Common, and Chuter’s Firs when Tim took us off onto a small path that lead to the National Trust Café at Frensham Little Pond. Gentle spitting of rain while we ordered our selection of beverages and cakes turned into full rain by the time we finished, but we had already sat under cover for our coffee break and then donned our rain gear in the dry for the second part of the walk. The rain persisted, puddles formed but the walking remained easy so skirting around the puddles proved straightforward. The main road was crossed again as we entered Hankley Common and onto Greensand Way across the golf course to realise we had better wet weather gear than the hardy golfers. Arriving back at the Duke of Cambridge we removed our wet waterproofs, rushed to the bar to wet the insides, enjoyed our lunch, toasted and sang Happy Birthday to a strapping young lad (!?) in our walking group.

All assembled in the dry

Come on, keep up!

Not on our left they aren’t

So, what's that puddle called?

Stockbridge Pond

Lily pads on the pond

Making our way across Tilford Common and litter collecting too

Coffee break in the dry

Sailing in the rain

Short skirting around puddle

Full skirting around bigger puddle

Time for lunch and birthday celebrations

The 4.7 mile route

Selborne Walk 26th July 2023

John and Maureen led the 4.7 mile walk from Selborne, a Hampshire village just inside the Southdowns National Park and synonymous with Gilbert White, the naturalist whose book ‘The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne’ (1789) has never been out of print and is allegedly the fourth most published book in the English language. No pressure on John and Maureen then!

We met up behind The Selborne Arms, were herded together and endured the pain of climbing uphill by straight away ascending the Selborne Hanger on the zigzag path attributed to Gilbert and his brother, we suspected there may have been some volunteers as well. The view at the top was enjoyed while we got our breath back and debated over the giant golf balls at RAF Oakhanger. On the common we encountered a tree clearing operation and recovered a warning sign that was put back up for fellow users of the common. Crossing the Common on Selborne Hill we turned right to stay on the edge of the Common and met up with some other walkers that shunned us as we were obviously not their type. The coffee break was not far from Wood Pond. Afterwards we continued to skirt the edge of the Common when we arrived at Gracious Street where some of us debated whether to continue by bus. At Grange Farm we left the road, descended to the main road, crossed over and continued to a gully where we dropped down to Hangers Way and made our way up to St Mary the Virgin church which is a Grade I listed church that dates back to the late 12th century. The church was open so we had a visit and found Gilbert White’s humble grave outside. We returned to the high street, passing the plaque for Sullivan Black, the fictional author of the rediscovered ‘Unnatural History of Selborne’, and an amoral and disreputable contemporary of Rev Gilbert White, described as a Libertine, opium eater, drunkard, duellist, gambler and wastrel. This provided a challenge for us as we headed back to the Selborne Arms to wine and dine and fail miserably to attain any of Mr Black’s attributes.