Tag: Allbrook

Here there be dragons, crossing the breach – first published 16 July 2013

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So there I was at the bottom of Allbrook Hill on Higbridge Road, facing an array of confusing signs about ford keys and bank breaches not knowing whether to carry on or bail out. It looked like my Winchester or bust plan might be doomed to failure. In the end I  decided to risk carrying on along the Itchen Navigation and see what happened. Was this to be a decision I would regret? Only time would tell and all I could hope was, if it was totally impassable, I wasn’t too far along the path. Continue reading Here there be dragons, crossing the breach – first published 16 July 2013

Winchester or bust – first published 16 July 2013

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It was Satirday,  it was mid July 2013 and the plan for the day was to walk the Itchen Navigation to Winchester, find the Winchester rhino and get the train home. Obviously that meant an early start and the hope it wouldn’t get too hot before I got there. Not feeling too sure about that I packed my water bottle with ice and water and took my sunglasses as well as my glasses. Seeing properly is relatively important I always find. All in all I felt it was a good plan and I was fairly confident of success. Continue reading Winchester or bust – first published 16 July 2013

The last long walk…almost – first published 26 April 2013

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As April 2013 was drawing to a close I had one more long Moonwalk training walk ahead of me. This was the big one, twenty-six point two miles. The longest walks or runs on most marathon training plans stop at twenty or twenty-two miles. The logic being, if you can make it that far, you can do the whole marathon on the day. This is not something I’ve been comfortable with and, for both my Moonwalks, I’ve trained to the full distance. Whether this is a sensible approach or not remains to be seen but it does at least leave me confident I can finish a marathon. April 26 was the day of the long walk…

Continue reading The last long walk…almost – first published 26 April 2013

Moonwalk training, Winchester at last – first published 12 April 2013

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There’s something about the halfway point in a long walk that always makes me smile. After that I know there are more miles behind me than in front and I’m homeward bound. At the same time, these are some of the most difficult miles. Tiredness begins to set in, muscles begin to ache. This is when the mind is more important than the body and the little things to make me smile are the things that keep me going. Continue reading Moonwalk training, Winchester at last – first published 12 April 2013

Moonwalk training, twenty four miles and a few disasters – first published 12 April 2013

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Most marathon training programmes build up slowly, little by little with regular walks or runs and then taper off in the weeks leading up to the event. Usually the longest walk or run is twenty miles, at most twenty two. The thinking being, if you can run twenty miles you can push through the wall to run the final six point two on the day. This was not the way I saw it. When I started off five miles seemed like a pretty long walk. After walking ten, five was a piece of cake. It seemed to me, if I did the whole twenty six point two before the tapering, it would be easier on the night. In April 2013 I’d made it to the penultimate walk. Continue reading Moonwalk training, twenty four miles and a few disasters – first published 12 April 2013

Walking when you don’t really want to walk – first published 27 January 2013

Chalk Hill
Chalk Hill

The long walks of the Moonwalk training weren’t always easy. In fact there were times when I really didn’t feel like walking at all. Mostly though I overcame this obstacle and got out pounding the pavements despite the inner voice saying stay at home. Sometimes it took a supreme effort of will to get out and keep going. Training for a marathon, even if it’s a walking marathon, is a tough lonely business. The last walk of January 2013 was one of those times.

Continue reading Walking when you don’t really want to walk – first published 27 January 2013

Weirs, alpacas, goats impersonating cows and stinging nettles

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21 April 2015

Even before I crossed the road I could see the green sign was still there and my heart sank a little. Even so, I crossed and peered uncertainly up the towpath. It loooked dry and firm but still I dithered. Last year there was a bad breach where the path looked to be in danger of being washed away altogether. If I went ahead I could come seriously unstuck and have to turn back. The cracked wall was testement to just how bad the flooding had been. The wier was flowing fast, but it wasn’t as high as I’ve seen it. In the end I decided to give it a try. Continue reading Weirs, alpacas, goats impersonating cows and stinging nettles

More bridges, seats, a little garden envy and warning signs

Stoke Lock
Stoke Lock

21 April 2015

The first time I walked the stretch of the Itchen Navigation between Bishopstoke and Allbrook it ended in disappointment. A bridge had been stolen, or vandalised and I had to turn back. It would be a long time before I could walk the whole way but it was well worth the wait. Where the Southampton Eastleigh section is unkempt and overgrown this is well maintained and, as a bonus there are some lovely houses to look at. All in all it was far too tempting to bypass for the sake of a coffee so I crossed the road and set off beside the river. Continue reading More bridges, seats, a little garden envy and warning signs

Homeward bound

Water Farm
Water Farm

Eventually I dragged myself away from my seat overlooking the Itchen Valley and, humming to myself, set off along the lane towards Church Fields. There were sheep grazing on the Water Farm fields. At this point I had a choice of route, down the winding lane to Shawford and onto the Navigation, or across the road and through the southern part of Twyford Village. The Navigation was tempting, mostly because it meant avoiding the horrors of a mile and a bit of footpathless Highbridge Road with cars zooming past at fifty plus miles an hour. The Navigation, on the other hand, would have mud and breached banks. The section between Otterbourne and Allbrook was almost impassable on my last visit. Taking that option could well mean having to turn back. Continue reading Homeward bound