Shot with the Sony camera rather than the iPhone.
Llanrhaeadr waterfall extras
A walk to the Llanrhaeadr waterfall
It’s all very well blogging from an iPhone but it does require a signal and here in the village there is no Wi-Fi in my cottage and a very intermittent mobile signal! Nevertheless with a bit of perseverance I’ve managed to construct this post.
The walk to the waterfall from the village is a relatively gentle hike, nearly 4 miles along a single narrow lane. It’s a beautiful walk marred only by the occasional vehicle. The waterfall is stunning and with all the rain there’s been it is particularly spectacular. The rain also means there’s water pouring down the hills and onto the lane as well as filling the river.
A foggy, Autumn day
Yesterday, on a lovely, sunny day, I drove along a country lane from Headley towards Leatherhead and saw this amazing display of Autumn colours. Today I was determined to have another look and so I took a driver with me so I could capture the scenery. Well it turned out to be a foggy day, but with some help from Photoshop, the pictures taken through the car windscreen have captured some of the beauty.
By the time we had arrived at Polesden Lacey, our coffee-break destination, the fog was more obvious and the resulting pictures look better in black and white. And gosh, wasn’t it cold!
River Wey Navigation
A glorious Autumn day and I was hoping to see some lovely colours, this time walking from Ripley to Send. Success! A bus from Send back to Ripley, followed by a coffee and cake in the always reliable Nest Cafe, rounded off a perfect day.
Click the image below for larger images.
Solent Way (part 1) Milford on Sea to Lymington
Yesterday I walked the first leg of the Solent Way, the stretch from Milford on Sea to Lymington. I tend to dawdle and stop for photographs, so the 8 miles or so took about 4 hours.
Transport went smoothly – a train from London to Brockenhurst and another onto Lymington, followed by the X1 bus to Milford on Sea, and then the return journey after the walk.
I’ve done most of this part of the Solent Way several times over recent years, so it’s very familiar. It’s a flat walk on good surfaces, though the long, shingle walk along Hurst Spit demands a bit more effort. I couldn’t face the walk back along the Spit so I caught the little ferry to Keyhaven, missing out a short section of the Solent Way.
Continue reading “Solent Way (part 1) Milford on Sea to Lymington”
The Solent Way
Having completed the Itchen Way (30 miles in 4 stages), my next walk is the Solent Way (60 miles in 8 stages), starting at Milford-on-Sea and ending at Emsworth.
- Milford-on-Sea to Lymington (9 miles)
- Lymington to Beaulieu (10 miles)
- Beaulieu to Hythe (6 miles)
- Hythe to Hamble (7 miles)
- Hamble to Lee On Solent (7 miles)
- Lee On Solent to Portsmouth (6 miles)
- Portsmouth to Hilsea (7 miles)
- Hilsea to Emsworth (8 miles)
The Itchen Way walk – stage 4
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
A medium-dry sherry, please
I suggested a walk in the woods followed by a medium-dry sherry in a pub with an open, log fire. (It must be 30 years since we last ordered a sherry in a pub!). It wasn’t to be, but we did make the park.
The Itchen Way walk – stage 3
The third stage of the 4-stage walk along the Itchen Way was around 8 miles and took a little under 4 hours. Starting at Winchester, where the second stage finished, it ended at the tiny village of Itchen Stoke (no shops!). It was a generally lovely, sunny day and an attractive walk. A bus to Alresford and then another back to Winchester Station and eventually home, rounded off a lovely day.
The Itchen Way walk – stage 2
The second stage of the 4-stage walk along the Itchen Way was 8 or so miles and took a little under 4 hours. Starting at Eastleigh / Bishopstoke, where the first stage finished, and ending at the city of Winchester, it was a lovely, sunny day and a stunningly beautiful walk.
Continue reading “The Itchen Way walk – stage 2”
The Itchen Way walk – stage 1
I started the first stage of the Itchen Way walk under the Itchen Bridge, having decided to skip the short section at the beginning of the Itchen Way between Weston Shore and the bridge. The images are in sequence from the start to the end of the walk at Eastleigh. It’s not a great walk and hopefully the other stages, from Eastleigh to the source of the River Itchen, will be more attractive / interesting. It was a very, very hot day for a 7 or 8 mile walk and took 4 hours.
[The graffiti was on a bridge on the walk!] Continue reading “The Itchen Way walk – stage 1”
Walking the Itchen Way
The Itchen Way is a 30 mile walk along the length of the River Itchen. The walk commences where the Itchen feeds into Southampton Water, and ends at the Itchen’s approximate source near Cheriton, near New Alresford. I’m planning to do the walk in 4 parts:
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- Western Shore, Southampton to Bishopstoke near Eastleigh (9 miles)
- Bishopstoke to Winchester (7½ miles)
- Winchester to Itchen Stoke (7½ miles)
- Itchen Stoke to approximate source at Cheriton (6½ miles)
Scenes from a country walk
I’ve done several variations of this circular walk from Box Hill and Westhumble station to Polesden Lacey and I know the routes without the need for a map.
I was puzzled by the horse which has what looks like a blindfold. Maybe it’s just some form of see-through protection. As for the ‘bull in field’ – there was thankfully no bull.
A lovely, sunny day with lots of clouds. Just what you want when you’re accompanied by a camera.
