Milland walk on 6th September 2023

We all rose and gathered together at The Rising Sun for Jean’s 4.5 mile walk in Milland. Our numbers were swelled by three new walkers eager to walk and talk or vice versa. Regrettably, our supply of regular photographers were absent, sorely missed and the consequent lack of visual stimulation in the write up lamentable.(Author is being unduly modest - please ignore. Ed) A gentle start along Fernhurst Road took us to the footpath towards Mill Farm before the pond until we came out onto Milland Road which was originally a Roman road. No stashes of Roman swords or artefacts were found which was disappointing, but we took to the footpaths again anyway across fields to the site of a Mill and Mill pond where we debated whether this was the origin of the village name. A gentle rise across a field made us realise how hot and humid it was and to appreciate the coolness of the woods where we stopped for our coffee break. The shade of woods continued until we took a detour to look at a scruffy Milland Place. It was rebuilt by Herbert Pelly in 1900 after a fire demolished the previous building in the 1890s and subsequently owned by Viscountess Massereene and Ferrard. Both the Kaiser and Winston Churchill were guests of the Dowager Lady Massereene and Ferrard at Milland Place before the First World War. The Kaiser played racquets despite his withered arm. It was later purchased by a Polish couple who opened it up as a hotel after WWII, before they ran it as a care home until 1988. At this point it was sold and refurbished into an 18 bedroom hotel, before being sold again to its current owner. We returned to intended route, admired their pond and bridge before returning to Milland Road. Turning off to the west we got a glimpse of Hugh Gaitskell’s old house when we encountered some sheep that were keen to usher us out of their shade. Crossing more fields in the direct sun, skirting round Hulls Copse, we parted company briefly with some of our walkers who went for the shortcut back to the pub due to the heat. The rest carried on across fields down to Rake Road with a small detour past Marsh Wood, New Barn Farm and Cook’s Pond until we sped up back on Rake Road to the Rising Sun where we enjoyed our al fresco lunch in the shade.