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Chawton Walk on 14th June 2023

Kathryn and Geoff led the 5.5 mile walk following some of the footsteps of Jane Austen and her family starting in Chawton, Hampshire. Passing a duck themed thatched roof we turned down the drive to Chawton House, the 400-year-old Grade II* listed Elizabethan manor house that once belonged to Jane Austen's brother and its neighbour, St Nicholas' Church. The church suffered a disastrous fire in 1871 which destroyed all but the chancel. The rebuilt church was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield and is now listed Grade 2*. The churchyard graves include that of Jane Austen's mother and sister, both called Cassandra The heat and sun was braved by all as we crossed the meadows and fields, enjoying the brief respites afforded by the woodland heading to Farringdon. An early coffee stop in the Farringdon communal garden spurred on the gardeners amongst us on and elicited a solo impromptu fairy dance on the way out. Reminiscences of standing in the hollowed centres of the ancient hallowed Yew in All Saints churchyard were mixed with debates about the uses for Massey's Folly, an imposing but eccentric building with towers and battlements built by another curate of Farringdon, Rev. T.H. Massey. We admired the commemoration tree and round seat for King Charles III coronation. A circuit of the picturesque village of Upper Farrington brought us back to our coffee stop where we turned west, over the main road, down the steep steps onto the disused Meon Valley Railway that was opened in 1903 and closed in 1968. We walked under a bridge, across fields and copse, over the main road again to return to Chawton to enjoy a well earned lunch and refreshments at The Greyfriar.

Shady characters

This roof was made for walking

St Nicholas' Church choral ensemble? Perhaps not.

Braving the sun and heat

Babes in the wood

Drinks stop in a beautiful setting and in the shade!

We want what was in your coffee

Celebration on the coronation commemoration

Out on a limb or just branching out?

Reminiscences aplenty as we leave All Saints

Could have sworn there was a railway line somewhere

Lost our train of thought

The Railway Children

The last field before civilisation

The honourable members of the Sir Lunchalot club

The 5.5 mile route

Duncton Long walk on 9th June 2023

The masochistic five gathered in Duncton for Jay and Lindsay’s 12.7 mile undulating jaunt with a promise of liquid refreshment at the end. At the start we walked the West Sussex Literary Trail to the west of the main road with Jay demonstrating the M. Python technique for stile crossing as we headed towards Ridlington Farm where the signage confused us simple walkers. Following the compacted track through the farm we entered Duncton Common where the trees offered shade from the sun onto the Serpentine Trail, crossing into Lavington Plantation passed one of the Serpentine sculptures as we made our way across the heath. Our coffee break was used to increase the area of exposed legs so we could cool down, and scare the local wildlife. Skirting around Upper Norwood, we came to Lavington Stud Farm. The significant ascent of Woolavington Down where the Ash die back has scarred the landscape got us onto the South Downs Way. Our lunch break was enhanced by the indubitable cerebral development in our understanding of the universe and the English language. The South Downs Way bore us across the main road again, up to Burton Down where we left to approach the transmitter masts at Glatting Beacon. Ticking off the body parts of Scotcher’s Bottom and Denture as we passed, the display of wild Orchids on the path edges and fields added to our enjoyment. The woods at Barlavington Hanger gave respite from the heat of the afternoon including our descent before heading to the Duncton Mill Trout farm. Returning to our start, we adjourned to The Cricketers for cooling refreshments.

Los cinco amigos

Stile crossing in style

That’s not what the map says!

Crossing the Rubicon?

Lavington Common

I’m telling you that lizard I stepped over was this big

Pole vaulting

The Lavington Down warrior pose

Coffee break

The best leg forward

I think that’s what they call a tree

Heading towards the stud

Heading up Woolavington Down

The cure for sausage fingers?

We surrender

Contemplative lunch

Downhill South Downs Way ahead

In our stride

Ear, ear

We were going round the bend at this point

Ooh, those bare legs are so scary!

Almost there

Orchid fields

We made it!

Lavant walk on 7th June 2023

Celia and Miguel selected an excellent walk for us. We assembled on Sheepwash Lane in East Lavant, made our way up the road past the church and pub, eventually turning left onto Chalkpit Lane taking the incline at a gentle pace enjoying the sunshine, Spitfire and scenery. The anticipated reward of a field of poppies that we had seen two years ago was not to be as a wheat crop had been planted. At the viewpoint on St Roche’s Hill, some contemplated a dash up and back on the Trundle but common sense prevailed while others availed themselves of liquid refreshments from a mobile café and the remainder plundered their own stock of refreshments and enjoyed the views over Lavant Down and Chichester. Our sporadic rubbish collecting started again, the prize being a discarded Yankee Candle. The gentle descent started on The West Sussex Literary Trail but got steeper before levelling out as we came closer the River Lavant and the Centurian Way where the old railway line ran. An Egret entertained us with a flying display over a herd of cows that were not impressed. The final stretch of the walk through woodland allowed us to cool off and the cool, clear River Lavant with its streaming reeds could have been the inspiration behind Millais’ Pre-Raphaelite ‘Ophelia. We clambered back into our trusty steads back to Midhurst for a well earned lunch at the Royal Oak to refuel after our 4.7 mile walk.

We were strung out even at the start.

The token poppies

‘Life at a Top Peoples Health Farm’ in Style

An additional walk up the Trundle? Yeah, right!

Coffee or Trundle? What do you think?

View down Lavant Down and Chichester

Yep, it’s a Yankee Candle, vanilla, tuna and chocolate chip if I’m not mistaken.

The straight and narrow with Kingley Vale across the valley

If I flap a bit faster I can take off

Strolling down the hill

Bunched together for our team photo

Celia is the leader of the pack

Can anyone see Ophelia?

The route

Compton walk 31st May 2023

We parked in Compton and rallied in front of The Coach and Horses for our 4.5 mile meander through the countryside. The route took us by Compton Farm, across the field to the woods at East Hanger, enjoying the shade before reaching Bevis’s Thumb long barrow. Tim grew in stature as he regaled us with a colourful rendition of the tales of the giant Bevis and his large dog. We walked the road, dodging vehicles before turning off across fields at Apple Down in the direction of Up Marden. Our coffee break was at St Michael’s Church in Up Marden, a 13th century church with the remnants of 15th century wall paintings, the best being of St Christopher carrying baby Jesus. The boundaries of coincidence were stretched when one of our walkers met another resting walker who was an ex work colleague and the visitors book had homages to the J.L.Carr book, A Month in the Country. After the break we retraced steps down the hill, turned into more barley fields then turning into Grevitts Copse, across another field before the steep climb up to Locksash Farm where we spotted a Meercat and woman footballer, their movements were a bit wooden though. The path north gave rolling views of West Marden and Compton from East Hanger before we passed the school and made our way into the newly refurbished Coach and Horses for an excellent lunch.

And they’re off

Through barley field with South Downs behind

The tale of Giant Bevis and his big dog with a big tail

All the walkers in front of Bevis’s Thumb long barrow

Ewe, that hurt!

A barley seawave under a blue sky

Waist high in barley

A relaxed coffee stop St Michael’s,

Up Marden

Follow the green barley road

We’re smiling now because we can see the hill ahead

Climbing the hill, not so funny now.

Mr Orlov on lookout

Wooden players

Lunch at The Coach and Horses

About 4.1/2 miles

Duncton walk on 24th May 2023

Jennifer organised the 5.5 mile walk, corralling us at The Badgers Inn in Duncton, shepherding us up to the viewpoint over Fryan’s Hanger and then cat herding us to start the walk after admiring the view. We walked west through the woods at the edge of Woolavington Down overlooking Seaford College until we reached the Southdowns Way. Turning off the Way shortly down into the woodland of Tegleaze where we tried our hand at cutting a tree trunk across the path. The serious gardeners demonstrated the worth of their chosen implements to clear the way of intruding plant growth onto the paths. Our morning coffee break was a dispersed affair, each person seeking out their comfortable seat for the break. The return leg took us through woodland and fields at Waltham Down and the edge of Heath Hanger before more woodland at Crown Teglaze where we crossed the Southdowns Way again, by ancient burial mounds. We descended through Stickingspit Bottom past the working Chalk pit and back to the viewing point. There was an orderly scramble back to The Badgers Inn where a delicious lunch was consumed outside in the glorious sunshine.