Gallery

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West Dean walk on 11th December 2024

Jay and Lindsay kindly stepped in to take over the absent Bernard's walk from The Selsey Arms. We felt it would be a good spot for our Christmas Lunch after an earlier visit in October. Very pleased to say we were not dissapointed. Starting out from the car park we headed up towards Warren Hanger but after crossing a field entered Whitedown Plantation. The path here was very much upwards through the woods but at last we reached the top and had the reward of a walk down through a field to Hylter's Lane. Beyond Hylter's Farm we headed south until we reached some conveniently placed logs at the entrance to Lodge Hill Farm. The opportunity to have a drink and rest was irresistable. Shortly after we came upon a large chalk ball sitting in the hedgerow and after much discussion decided we did not have a clue about how it got there. It turns out it is much more modern than anticipated. If you need to know the answer, search for :-

 https://www.gravelroots.net/sdwchalkstones.html 

We carried on, eventually reaching the Warren Hanger and Hightown Plantation, our route taking us past another chalk ball and under the old Midhurst to Chichester railway line. Crossing the road we took a back route past West Dean College to eventully return to the Selsey Arms where we were delighted to meet up with some long-time members of the club. Pauline had organized a Secret Santa so as well as a delightful lunch, we also went home with an early Christmas present.

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Charlton walk on 4th December 2024

Mark and Jo led the 4.5 mile walk above Charlton starting at the Fox Goes Free liquid dispersal centre.  The prewarning of possible mud ensured we were suitably kitted out in a variety of wellies, boots and gaiters.  A short walk west through the village to the imaginatively named North Lane then took us north on the West Sussex Literary Trail gently rising until we left the Lane taking a footpath up into Charlton Forest.  It was muddy in places with many puddles that we were generally able to skirt our way around, although the forestry vehicles had churned up the tracks in their recent felling operations.  The coffee break was a spread out affair in an opening where logs had been stacked on the New Lipchis Way.  Crossing a field led us to Levin Down where the wind had cleared the skies to the south to give us panoramic views.  The single file descent off Levin Down was steep and slippery where the chalk surface emerged from the soil.  We all made it back down to Charlton Road and back to the Fox Goes Free for an excellent lunch.

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Winchester walk on 27th November 2024

We met up at St Catherine’s Park and Ride car park for our 4 mile walk led by Tim and Jane. Once gathered we headed towards the Tun Bridge where a small number diverted to a café while the remainder scaled the heights of St Catherine’s Hill.  At the top we enjoyed the panoramic views and demonstrated our amazing skills finding our way out of the St Catherine’s Mizmaze.  It is only one of two surviving historic English turf mazes in the country with the path being grooves in the turf.  Flushed with success we admired the British white cattle, walked the ramparts of the Iron Age fort before descending the 333 stairs down to the River Itchen Navigation where we caught up with our friends who had partaken of refreshments.  Staying on the path beside the Itchen we took St James’ Way over St Cross Bridge over the River Itchen and stayed on the Itchen Way trail skirting and wading through puddles until we reached St Cross Hospital.  We stopped to admire the buildings of the hospital founded in 1136 to support 13 poor men too frail to work and to feed one hundred men a day at the gate.  It is rumoured that today you can still received a cup of ale and bread.  It was put to the test and we can confirm the tradition is still going strong, adding some extra vittles to our coffee break.  Staying on the Itchen Way beside the river, we passed Winchester College playing fields and buildings before taking the back roads into the centre of the city to the Cathedral Christmas market where we scattered to buy our preferred lunches from the variety of stalls.

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Liphook walk on 20th November 2024

 Isabel’s 5 mile walk started at The Links Tavern on the old A3 just outside Liphook.  After debating how many layers to wear and donning the appropriate clothes determined by our individual weather crystal balls, we headed up the old A3 towards the Post Office and took the left path at the outskirts of the town.  Crossing fields and the edges of woodland we stopped at the lakes of Foley Manor to watch the bird display before moving on through Stag Wood, crossed a field and back into the woodland of Birch Piece and followed the contours of the land heading south west through marsh and with occasional glimpses of Weavers Down to our right.  When we got to the southern point of our walk we had great sunny vistas across the Down, accompanied by the odd siren from Longmoor Camp.  At this point we milled around for our coffee break and then walked the Sussex Border Path in woodland past Folly Pond onto the extensive groundworks underway near Home Park.  Skirting Wheatsheaf Common we linked up with the historic Shipwrights Way path that guided us back to the Links Tavern where we had a splendid lunch.

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Bosham walk on 13th November 2024

We met up at the Bosham car park for Linda and Pauline’s 4.5 mile walk where the sun managed to break through for most of it.  Starting off on Bosham Lane down to the elevated path above Shore Road with the tide in, listening to the banter of the birds swimming about.  Turning off between houses, crossing Taylor’s Lane we followed the path at the edges of newly ploughed fields, crossing Old Park Lane and carried on beside more fields.  Heading north on more paths, skirting around a copse, we arrived at Old Park where we stopped for a coffee break where the sections of tree stumps provided welcome stools.  With empty thermos flasks we turned West onto Old Park Lane again, but leaving as we approached the ponds and walked past the greenhouses of Walton Farm and spilled out onto Walton Lane before meandering past the local houses to Bosham harbour and the car park.  Lunch was a short journey away at The Berkeley Arms for a fine lunch and hearty rendition of Happy Birthday.

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