Gallery

Viewing galleries from October, 2023

Rogate walk on 25th October 2023

The 5 mile walk lead by Pauline and Linda, supported by locals started in the car park of the recently reopened White Horse with one of the largest turn outs of the year and we supplemented our numbers as we passed the front door of a couple of members. There had been torrential rain overnight leading to lots of puddles and mud but it stayed mostly dry for our walk. We took it gently down the main road heading towards Fyning with the traffic slowing down to avoid splashing us. The gentle ascent started on Fyning Lane continuing onto the footpath across wet fields to Terwick, crossing the lane again and across Fyning Common, turning right onto a busy backroad. A bridle path took us up to Rondle Wood, sliding down hill on the mud and wading through the standing water onto the Serpentine Trail where we had our coffee break before reaching Borden. Crossing Gatehouse Lane, we picked up speed downhill on Cumber’s Lane stopping to admire the polo ponies and alpacas. The current A272 was crossed to get onto the old A272 towards St Peter’s church where we trod carefully on the slippery and boggy fields. We made it back to the main road where some walkers went for a pose in a pumpkin field. Our lunch was at The White Horse in Rogate where the Fish and Chips received a special mention as everyone enjoyed them.

Not quite up to full strength yet, others waiting round the corner

Brief sunny interlude in front of St Bartholomew’s Church, Rogate

Ferns adding colour to autumn

Adders? I’m not going to let them subtract from my walk!

Mini lake district

Ah, that's better

We may have taken a wrong turning, but there’s always someone who helps

Down hill slide in the mud

Our leaders showing us the way

Coffee break on the go, standing room only

But a few found seating

Giant fungi, soup for a week or sleep for eternity?

Polo ponies looking for contact

I knew these wellies would come in handy

Here we are gathered together

Squelching across the field

The pumpkin bowls team

Fish and Chips gets our vote

Probably over 5.1/2 miles

Sheet Walk on 18th October 2023

The plan was to have our Annual General Meeting at The Half Moon in Sheet after a short 4 mile walk led by Denis, based on his local knowledge. The route had also been pre-walked by other members and coincidentally, by a Hash Harriers group who had left piles of sawdust at convenient points.

Everything went to plan as we assembled in The Half Moon pub car park, fastened ourselves into our showerproof gear and headed up Mill Lane, taking time to look at the diminutive River Rother. The footpath off the lane took us across freshly mown fields, past a swing that we felt obliged to try out and having passed the stress test allowed us to move on across more fields beside the hedgerows and over the Portsmouth to London railway line. After crossing a busy golf course we reached Farnham Lane and walked under the A3 and at this point we turned off the road, taking the footpath down to Ashford Stream. We then looped back onto Shipwrights Way, up to Downgate Farm, through a copse, crossed Ashford Stream, passed Steep Farm, skirted Northfield Wood where we had a coffee break, and then onto Church Road.

Turning off past All Saints Church onto Hangers Way we walked along the boundary of Bedales School where we learned of some of the alumni before recrossing the A3. Tilmore Road and Reservoir Lane took us back to the railway and a level crossing (some walkers who had got ahead of themselves went to cross the line before being called back!) so we could walk along Long Road and use the level crossing on School Lane. Passing The Church of Saint Mary Magdalen and The Queens Head we turned into the Recreation ground as a short cut back to the rear of The Half Moon for our AGM and buffet lunch.

Showerproof gear on and ready to start

Sauntering across the first field

Leader walking backwards to check his flock

Enjoying the scenery

The tricky stile

Horse whispering?

Look, it’s The White Horse, but we’re going to The Half Moon!

Stretched out across the fields

Style over stile

You put your right leg in….

Ashford Stream

The Coffee break on one obliging tree trunk

Now that’s what you call a ‘pollard’

All assembled on the Recreation ground

It’s unanimous!

Just over 4 miles

West Marden walk on 11th October 2023

Maureen and John led the 5.6 mile walk from The Victoria Inn at West Marden where we pre ordered our lunches. We were blessed by the early morning drizzle finishing before the walk to leave us with warm, dry weather, albeit cloudy. Having parked up, counted us all there, we headed up the hill taking the first path north on the edge of Lostlabour Copse, through Bottom Copse and across the fields. We were promised great views, even with a peek at the Isle of Wight, but were only rewarded with local rolling landscapes and wispy mists. A couple of walkers enjoyed the benefits from the carved seat on the corner overlooking the scenery. We made our way to Hill Barn and turned across the field into Robin Wood where we had our coffee break under a broad tree. Continuing through the woods passing seamlessly into Markwells Wood we eventually broke out into the open with views of the railway and across to Idsworth House until we came to South Holt Farm where we turned for home. Crossing fields again we returned into Markwells Wood, then back into the open to Horsley Farm and then the down hill with gravel and clay underfoot back to the main road. On returning to The Victoria Inn, no sooner had we collected our drinks than our lunches arrived thick and fast.

One of the walk leaders getting excited about starting

Tree mirror imaging roots with canopy

The edge of Lostlabour Copse

The art of trimming overgrowing path hedges is concentration and tools, lots of tools

A purposeful lead

Definitely the Isle of Wight on the horizon

Taking a break on the bench carved from a tree trunk

The walkers

Harmonious leaders, united on the way forward

Coffee break with added humour

Are you sure? I could have sworn it was shorter down there!

Well, the Isle of Wight could be over there!

No, it’s that way

Looking back on Old Idsworth valley

Leaving the wood for a glimpse of overseas?

Yes, if I squint I can just see The Isle of Wight

Spindle berries in competition with blueberry nails

Almost finished!

About 5.1/2 miles

Halfway Bridge, Lodsworth walk on 4th October 2023

As we gathered in the car park of The Halfway Bridge Inn, we spotted a lone walker from another group that had cancelled their walk and welcomed him in, with a quickfire introduction of all our names that he had no chance of remembering. Luckily, we all respond well to ‘what’s you name again’ as we have to do that ourselves occasionally! The 4 mile walk started from what was the original front of the pub, up the hill past cooking apple trees which were confirmed by the taste method, followed swiftly by extruded tongues with a slight delay, to then enjoy the benefit of a hewn seat with great views south to the Downs. Church Street led us to The Street where we turned south, enjoyed the brief vibrant red hue of the Virginia Creeper before taking to the footpaths and the first two of our five stiles. The team photo opportunity was taken in the field overlooked by Lodsworth House followed by our third stile and fields to cross Heath End Lane before descending through woodland and skirting fields to another branch of Heath End Road. Turning onto the north bridle path on the edge of Heathland Copse we stopped off for our coffee break and birthday celebration chocolates while decoratively draped on a fallen tree trunk. The bridle path took the refuelled walkers up to Heath End Farm for the short road walk back to Lodsworth, down The Street before turning down Vicarage Lane to St Peters Well, a field and across Eel Bridge where we turned again to follow the Lod back to the Halfway Bridge. A relaxed atmosphere at the Halfway Bridge with an enjoyable lunch finished off our adventure.

Should we walk first or head straight into the pub?

It’s early October so too early to be ‘walking backwards for Christmas’, but you never know

Yep, that’s a cooking apple all right

Enjoying the view from a sculpted bench

Climbing up the hill

Perfect Virginia Creeper colour

The contractual obligation team shot with finest poses

Enjoying the sunshine and leaning into the hill

It’s no good, litter just has to be picked up

Descending through the fern to get back into the sunshine

Verdant plants, perfect sky, and the walkers aren’t bad either

Branching out for our coffee break

View from further up this huge tree trunk

So big it now has two silver birch trees growing from its upturned root

Quick, look up there - is that a pixie hiding in that tree??

St Peter's Well Cottage, once home to explorer, adventurer and author Sir Ranulph Fiennes

St Peter’s Well, supposed to cure eye ailments, would you bathe your eyes in that?

Striding down to Eel Bridge

The Lod at the bottom of the valley

Just under 5 miles

Midhurst walk on 27th September 2023

Linda and Pauline led our 4 mile walk from Midhurst’s North Car Park in a new format where walkers joined and left during the walk. A leisurely stroll down The Causeway took us to the Cowdray Ruins then past the sports field and polo fields to Cowdray Café where we found another walker to join us. Crossing the A272 we made our way up Easebourne Street and into Glaziers Lane, past the cemetery and onto the pathway through the maize fields to Wick Lane. Branching off Wick Lane at the corner we sauntered at the edge of the field, turning round to admire the view across the valley to the South Downs before entering the woods of North Heath. The coffee break was at the Birds Nest availing ourselves of the rustic seating and enjoying the first of the birthday treats of the day. Desperate to benefit from our sugar rush we strode through the evergreen woodland into the coppice trees towards Scotland Knob when we took the path heading down the hill, along the edge of North Heath woodland picking our way through the gullies and sand deposits made by last weeks rain. At the bottom of Winters Lane we bade farewell to one of our walkers and headed across the fields to retrace our steps to Glaziers Lane. At the Cowdray Café we came across a stray walker to scoop up and take to the Red H in Midhurst to celebrate our local walk with lunch and a second birthday celebration treat.