The fourth and final stage of the 4-stage walk along the Itchen Way was around 8 miles and took a little under 4 hours. Starting at Itchen Stoke, where the third stage finished, it ended at the tiny village of Cheriton. On a generally warm and sunny day the best bit of the walk was at the very start, where the river was present and the sun was out. After that there was not much of the river to be seen until the trickle at the very source of the river.
This is a part of Hampshire I’m unfamiliar with. It is absolutely beautiful, with lots of thatched cottages and tiny villages. The 67 bus from Winchester, towards Petersfield via Alresford, is a real joy if you can get to the front seat on the top deck!
Possibly the source of the River Itchen
Traveller hint #1: Before travelling, as well as checking if the trains are running / on time, it’s also worth checking that the underground line you intend using is running. We didn’t and it wasn’t.
On the train to Dorking I really got into James Rhodes’ Fire On All Sides – this is going to be a great read. I took a dozen books to the Oxfam bookshop and bought three (A Gate at the Stairs – Lorrie Moore, The King is Dead – Jim Lewis, and the non-fiction The Death of Expertise – Tom Nichols). I deserved the coffee and pain au chocolat at the very pleasant Dorking Deli. Incidentally there’s an amazing bike shop just a couple of doors down. 