Another 8 miles completed ..

We decided that the food was so good at The Shoe Inn (Exton), that we'd walk back from a point on the SDW near East Meon to the Shoe for our second stretch i.e. going in the 'wrong direction'.   The first picture is of Andrew, Honor and Monty setting off from Coombe Cross looking cold ... and a bit reluctant.  
Almost immediately we passed Meon Springs where there are several pools where you can do fly fishing.
Then we started to climb Winchester Hill.  Beautiful views in all directions as the next few photos show. Apparently you can see as far as the Isle of Wight on a clear day.  Up at the very top was an Iron Age hill fort site. 
The next picture is of the view coming down the other side towards Exton.  On the left of the picture you can see that they are growing vines on the land here.

Then after a couple more miles we arrived back at The Shoe where we tucked in ... leaving the dog outside to whine.  Must call Bark Busters and see what can be done!

Refuelled we were ready to do a few more  miles, so we found a taxi to take us several miles east of East Meon so that we could walk back to the car.  Very excitingly this took us onto the next Ordnance Survey map no 120 "Chichester".    Feeling very chilly, Honor wore my flat cap.

After a round of Yum Yums, mmm, I drove us all back to London in the AudioFuel car while everyone else dozed off satisfied that a total of 20 miles had now been notched up.

The start of the South Ups

A few miles into our 'new year resolution' Honor asked me why is it called The South Downs .. when it's all uphill.  It should be the South Ups .. and so the name of this blog.


Honor and I plan to walk all 100 miles of the South Downs way in 2011.  Today we completed the first 12 miles starting from the doors of Winchester Cathedral at around 8.30am with the bells pealing as we set off.


We are raising money for a very special charity called The Place2Be.   If you were able to spare a few pennies per mile, we would be very grateful.  Here's our Virgin Money Giving fundraising page.
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ClareandHonorCrean.


Please watch this footage which explains what the Place2Be does - it will take you 3 minutes and 15 seconds. There are so many children out there who need a place2be - a place where they are safe to confide and find help.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMMFkX7iZfA


Winchester is such a beautiful place to visit.  We drove down on Saturday so we could spend some time looking around the city.  We spent quite some time admiring the Cathedral.

And then of course quite some time looking at the shops ... stickers for this term's prep diary from Accessorize.  And alot of eating:  Honor ate the biggest hamburger ever seen for lunch.  And we both tucked into a big tea ... followed by pizza for supper.   Here's the homework diary, created this evening.

After a good breakfast at our hotel the next morning, we set off from the Cathedral, over the M3, on to Chilcomb, up to Cheesefoot Head, then just beyond we met with Honor's godfather Alastair who has a a weekend house nearby.  With five miles or so under our belt we were in need of a break, some chocolate cake from the rucksack and some spirit boosting from Al. 

The next few miles sped by as Al regaled us with his latest excitements: how he helped to advise Tom Hooper on various 'royal' aspects of the brilliant new film The King's Speech; and how he got his OBE in October last year.


We stopped off at a pub called the Milbury's where there is a tremendously deep well (300 ft so my guidebook tells me) and 250 year old indoor treadmill.  Alastair and Honor dropped lumps of ice down the well to see how long it took to hit the water .. a good five seconds. 

Not long after that Alastair departed and Honor and I were left to grit our teeth for the last four miles on to Exton.  We were starting to feel very tired and with my muscles aching badly from riding on Friday (very foolish!), I was worried it was going to be me, not Honor, who threw in the towel.


All credit to Honor .. she got us walking like penguins, creeping like lions, swimming like fish, trotting like horses until we eventually made it all the way to Exton and the Shoe Inn.  We felt we deserved every mouthful of Honor's roast sunday beef, and in my case delicious scallops with artichoke puree.