Sometimes Commando likes to take me on magical mystery drives and surprise me. In January 2014, after his ten mile marathon training run and my very short walk around Hum Hole, he had a plan to make sure I got my full quota of walking in for the day. He took me to a familiar place for some very different views. Continue reading A Sunday Surprise – first published 19 January 2014
Early in December 2013 Pete, who runs Care For a Walk, happened to mention he’d walked the Itchen Navigation and there was a new, metal bridge at Withymead. Of course that meant I could, in theory, walk the whole Navigation. I say in theory because, in December, the chances were the stretch from the White Swan to Eastleigh would be too boggy to walk at all, if not actually flooded. Of course I was itching to go and have a look but, with the last fraught weeks at work and Christmas, I hadn’t found the time. Once Christmas and my job were behind me though I finally had my chance. Continue reading Winchester walking, ice and mud – first published 29 December 2013
24 May 2016
So there we were on the Itchen Navigation somewhere between Shawford and Compton Lock with a bull blocking the path ahead. Just as we were about to turn around and walk back to Shawford to catch the train home the bull took a few steps, reaching for some more succulent leaves. Suddenly there was a gap between his huge posterior and the edge of the path. It wasn’t the widest gap and, being mostly filled by bull, it looked a little dicey but it was now or never.
I turned to CJ and said, “let’s go. Quickly but don’t run.” Continue reading The final miles
September 2013 and Sirona and I were feeling refreshed after our snacks at College Mead Lock. We crossed the little bridge. A short distance along, the track of the Navigation comes out onto a path beside the railway. Ahead the trail continues, it’s narrow, overgrown and crumbling so it was time to leave the Navigation again briefly. Continue reading A beetle, caterpillars and house envy – first published 11 September 2013
25 February 2016
Usually, I visit Winchester on foot, at least in one direction. This time, of course, I’d driven there so there was no train to catch or long walk home. There would be a walk though. With narrow, congested streets, a confusing one way system and very limited car parking I’d decided to park in Twyford. That meant a nice three mile walk each way. Continue reading Goodbye Winchester, a riddle, a writer and a lot of interesting buildings
My first attempt at walking the whole Itchen Navigation could easily have ended in Shawford. It was a hot July day and, even after a rest and a cool drink in the pub, I was feeling tired and overheated. Dithering as usual I’d left the pub and, after a little look at Victor’s famous bridge and a long look at the station that could so easily take me home I turned, quite reluctantly to the Navigation. The path ran through a cutway beside the pub. The sign said Winchester three miles, that didn’t sound so bad, not much more than the walk to work. Continue reading Shawford to Winchester, not so simple – first published 16 July 2013
13 July 2015
Back in March I paid my first visit to the viaduct and, as CJ loves all things train, I was sure he would like it. Before long we were walking up the slope and CJ, his walking stick still in his hand, looked ahead and said “cinders and ashes,” quoting Thomas The Tank Engine I believe. We set off across the viaduct with me pointing out the benches and the lovely colourful woodcarvings in the shelters where the linesmen would have stood to let trains go past. Continue reading Viaducts and more dredgers
13 July 2015
Pretty soon we were back to where we would have been without the castle detour, looking over Blackbridge at the wharf that is the start of the Itchen Navigation. The river still looked very low to me and it wasn’t long before we found out why. I’d been hoping to take CJ over the 1760’s built Wharf Bridge, the oldest bridge on the waterway, and onto the Navigation path as far as Tunbridge. When we walked onto Domum Road the gate to the bridge was barred and a sign told us the river was being dredged. I couldn’t help thinking that dredging equipment was going to make a real mess of an already uneven and at times precarious path. Continue reading Plague pits, locked gates and dredgers
10 March 2015
When I was training for the first Moonwalk my route was always the same except I added a mile each week. Usually I prefer a circular route but the need to add that mile made it impractical so I’d walk in the general direction of Winchester, add half a mile then turn round and walk back. For months and months I went out in all weathers and the only real variation, except when I got lost, was the last half mile of each walk. Oh, how I looked forward to that half mile of new ground and the excitement of finding something different to look at.
Continue reading An old walk, a new footpath, an almshouse and a cathedral
10 March 2015
On Tuesday morning with no idea where to go I sat staring at the map looking for inspiration. This would be the first walk of my week off and, as far as the weather forecast was concerned, the best day to be outside. Lots of places looked interesting and I was toying with the idea of taking the Red Jet to the Isle of Wight until I realised I didn’t have a clue what to do once I got there. In the end the best I could come up with was a return to Winchester to take care of some unfinished business. Continue reading Unfinished business in Winchester, The Hockley Viaduct