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Clarendon Way (part 2) Broughton – Winchester
After yesterday’s aborted attempt at the walk, and on a hot, sunny Saturday, I walked the second half (16+ miles!) of the Clarendon Way, a long-distance walk linking Salisbury and Winchester. This second half starts at Broughton, where the first half ended, and ends in the city of Winchester. It was an arduous, demanding walk for someone of my age (or of any age?)!
The day began with a train from home to Clapham Junction, then on to Winchester and, after an hour’s wait, a 1 hour bus ride to Broughton. I didn’t start the walk until 1:15, ending it just before 7pm!
My memory of the walk will be that it was arduous and a real struggle. On a very warm day and suffering from a groin(?) pain/strain (noticed when getting off the train at Winchester!), it was the opposite of pleasurable. I have also concluded that a walk of 16 miles probably exceeds the limits I should set myself. Also, that walking for over 5 hours with just one 20 minute break at a pub is not a good idea. Lessons hopefully learned.
All pictures taken with the iPhone camera.
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Signal failure!
All trains at a standstill, so I had to abandon getting to the start of the final section of the Clarendon Way walk. Boo.
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Kew Gardens
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Brief History of a Family
None of the usual independent cinemas I visit have been showing much in the way of foreign films recently, so a well reviewed Chinese film at the David Lean cinema in Croydon was worth a whirl. It must be ten, maybe twenty years since I last visited this cinema.
The only son of a middle-class family becomes friends with a fellow student who gradually becomes integrated into the family. In the background is the Chinese one-child policy, and gradually the dynamics within the family change. It’s a slow film – I fell to sleep at one point, but I think only for a moment or two! But overall I was intrigued and enjoyed it. But it’s a bit weird!
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Clarendon Way (part 1) Salisbury – Broughton
On a fine, sunny day I walked the first half (13 miles) of the Clarendon Way, a long-distance walk linking Salisbury and Winchester. This first half starts at Salisbury and ends in the village of Broughton. There’s a lot of long, uphill sections – it was a demanding walk for someone of my age. I was constrained by the need to pick up the last bus out of Broughton to get to Winchester station and hence I couldn’t dawdle too much, having left Salisbury station at 11 in the morning. The last bus was at 4:10pm and only runs on a Saturday(!).
For the second half of the walk I intend catching a train to Winchester and then the bus back to Broughton to resume the rest of the walk towards Winchester, a distance of 14 or so miles.
In the Grey Hound pub at the end of the walk there were locals talking about shooting rabbits and hares – I was clearly in a rural area. The bus journey from Broughton to Winchester was a delight, passing through the attractive countryside as well as tiny hamlets. The bus was driven at breakneck speed on the straight road sections but otherwise had to carefully navigate narrow country roads and lanes.
I nearly trod on a snake – EEK – but what type of snake?
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Nymans – National Trust
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St Swithun’s Way (3) Alton to Farnham
The final leg (12miles) of the St Swithun’s Way long-distance walk was probably the best of the three despite the uninspiring few miles getting out of Alton.
The journey outward was from home to Clapham Junction, then to Alton (by a slow, stopping train), and on the return it was a train from Farnham (it’s on the same line as Alton) to CJ and to home.
A quick half-pint in the Anchor Inn at Lower Froyle was interesting because of the very low beams in the small and dark bar. I captured a video (see at the end of this blog post) of some noisy sheep at a farm just outside Farnham. A young lad was bringing in newly-born lambs (hanging by their legs!), quickly followed by their mums.
Another long day and, like the other two legs, not a great walk. Very little sunshine and a chilly breeze, but no rain and no coat required.
So now I need another challenge, possibly the 24-mile Clarendon Way from Salisbury to Winchester. If I can work out to get from and to the midway point I should be able to do it in two stages.
(All pictures, including the video, were taken using the phone)
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St Swithun’s Way (2) Alresford to Alton
Despite the disappointing first leg of the St Swithun’s Way long-distance walk, I decided to continue with the next leg from Alresford to Alton.
The journey outward was from home to Clapham Junction, then to Winchester, followed by a bus to Alresford. On the return it was a bus from Alton to Hook and train to CJ and to home.
On a gloriously sunny day, the sun was on my back but there was a gale blowing on my face for much of the time. The walk was longer than expected (almost 15 miles!) and by the end I was pretty shattered. Early into the walk a detour was required due to a blocked path at the site of a new housing development I think. On re-joining the path there was an enormous solar farm.
A long, 12-hour day! It’s not a great walk. There’s a fair bit of lane walking as well as field walking. But it was a lovely day despite the wind. I had an interesting conversation with a woman on Alton station – she gave me some daffodils! There’s just the final leg to do, from Alton to Farnham, which is about 11-12 miles.
Pink from the wind! -
St Swithun’s Way (1) Winchester to Alresford
The first part of the St Swithun’s Way long-distance walk was disappointing. On the positive side I had a very pleasant bar-snack at the Cricketers pub in the lovely village (hamlet?) of Easton.
The weather was supposed to be sunny, but there was none. My pictures are disappointing – I blame the lack of sunshine and the over-processing I’ve done to try to get something out of the images. The walk was disappointing, with a lot of road walking, mainly lanes, and it was uphill all the way!
I’m going to reconsider doing the rest of the St Swithun’s Way long-distant path. ie The sections from Alresford to Alton and Alton to Farnham.
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The 10:12 from Clapham Junction (reposted from 2019)
Many times I’ve travelled on the 10:12 from Clapham Junction towards Southampton.
In the last year of my mum’s life, when I had become fed up with the drive, I would catch this train to visit her in her care home. I’ve also used it to carry on beyond Southampton to Brockenhurst and eventually Lymington, one of my very favourite places. From Lymington you can walk or catch the little ferry to Hurst Castle, you can walk around the coastal path, and you can catch the larger ferry to the Isle of Wight. I love ferries, large and small.
Over the past 12 months I’ve also caught the 10:12 in order to reach the starting points of the four sections of the Itchen Way walk – Southampton, Eastleigh, Winchester (twice).
On most of these train trips, I’ve bought a coffee and KitKat from the on-board trolley service (I’m a creature of habit), and on most of these times I’ve been served by the same East-European lady with the lovely smile. And though I remember her, she probably doesn’t remember me.
On Tuesday I set off to start the last leg of the Itchen Way walk. I was standing on the Clapham Junction platform, waiting for the 10:12, when an express, non-stopping train shot past, but with its hooter blaring. The next thing I know is that station staff are active, moving waiting passengers away from the platforms. Someone had jumped under the express train. Chaos followed as trains were suspended in order to deal with the emergency. I abandoned any thoughts of doing my walk. Two days later I tried again, this time without incident.
I guess that forever, when standing waiting for the 10:12, I’ll spare a thought as the express train shoots through, for the person who had had enough.
(The post image was AI generated from the post text – amazing!)
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