Stedham Walk on 29th March 2023

The rain from previous days and the morning of the walk promised lots of puddles and mud. Celia and Miguel’s 5.1 mile walk did not disappoint!

We met at The Hamilton Arms in Stedham, welcomed a new walker to the group, donned the wet weather gear just in time for the drizzle to stop. We crossed the green in front of the pub and the main Petersfield road, ducked and dived around the foliage and cars before heading south onto Stedham Common. Minsted Road was crossed leading to the old A272 Woolmer bridge when we headed south again above the full stream into The Severals. Various techniques were used to avoid the mud although Miguel in his all-terrain wellies generally took the direct route. The gorse was in flower and the contrast of dried bracken and pine trees made a picturesque backdrop. Crossing Severals Road brought us back onto The Serpent Trail through pine woods down to cross the Petersfield Road across the field, down the gulley to Woolbeding Bridge on The New Lipchis Way. The bridge is a scheduled monument and a good example of a medieval multi-span bridge, which is largely unaltered, except for the frequent repairs resulting from drivers attempting personal redesigns of both bridge and their vehicles. The New Lipchis Way took us over a field with an oak tree that alone retained its winter leaves to follow the River Rother in full flow. We admired the views of Stedham Mill, Hall and Bridge as we passed. This bridge has a Grade II listing and although the Hall has 16th and 17th Century origins, most of it is hidden behind work in 1845 and later all absorbed into the Neo-Elizabethan rebuild completed in 1915. The knowledgeable gardeners enjoyed the early spring flowers as we made our way back to the Hamilton Arms for a Thai lunch.