Buriton Morning Walk 18th September 2019

Pauline's walk started by the pond in the Hampshire village of Buriton known in the past for its award winning Hops, Chalk & Lime mining and Cricket. The walk went uphill through a wooded area, cut across fields and then took a gentle climb to the edge of the Queen Elizabeth Country park. After stopping to admire the views we circled back to follow the South Downs Way past the old Chalk quarries. They were once a hive of activity, now with little disturbance the area has become a rich habitat for natural chalk based species of plants, fungi, insects, birds and small mammals. A steep downhill on the Milky Way path, past Buriton House built in 1910 by Lothian George Bonham Carter because it’s said, his wife didn’t like living in the Manor House as it was part of an active farm with all the smells and activities that farming brings with it! Taking a path towards the Old Hop Kiln, decommissioned from use in the late 1960’s, later converted into homes, this building housed the drying of hops before their journey to the breweries. During the hop-picking season village children would be given time off school to help the scores of people who came to the village to work in the hop fields. If anyone is interested in finding out more about Buriton there is an excellent website - just click HERE . The walk continued to the Manor House and Church and back to the pond where the pit ponies used to be washed off after a hard day working in the Chalk quarries, the pond today is calm and a lovely recreational asset to the village. After four and a third miles, the last stop of the morning was the Five Bells pub where a delicious lunch was enjoyed by all. With many thanks to Pauline for photos and information and additional photos from Paul.