I can’t wait!

It is very exciting to see all the other projects that have been inspired by the Games, it is good to feel part of a community of people who are getting involved, whether officially or otherwise!

Anish Kapoor's The Orbit under construction in Oct 2011

The bigger projects are getting a lot of press and causing some controversy, Anish Kapoor’s red tower in the park, The Orbit is a current hot topic (is £15 too much?), and a couple of weeks ago Anthony McCall’s Column was causing concern (at least to the Daily Mail) about danger to aircraft. Got to love a bit of trouble-making

Two projects I am following are the Battle for the Winds, which culminates in a big performance in Weymouth bay, and 5 Rings (The Games We Play), a theme song for the Games (not sure how official this is!)

Battle for the Winds - because sailing events work better with wind

…and about now I start worrying about walk2012 and whether it will come off, will people turn up, will they enjoy it, will the sun shine….

Worry is not helped by my back problem. It turns out that I fractured the L1 vertebrae when I took a tumble snowboarding last month. It hurts, but luckily isn’t a bad fracture so there’s no great risk of nerve damage or anything that would perplex House. Nevertheless it is a sloooooooooooooow recovery and I’m a bit worried about carrying my pack during the walk.

My non-life threatening fractured spine

It does have a cool name though – it is a fracture of the “right transverse progression of the L1 vertebrae.”

A few walkers have asked whether I’ve organised baggage transport between stages. I haven’t, because frankly I like the challenge, I want to keep costs to a minimum, and so it wasn’t high on my priority list. Funnily enough, it has risen up the list quite dramatically now it hurts to carry my own pack!

So, open question …are you interested in chipping-in for a van and driver to move our tents etc from one stage to another throughout the walk? If enough people are interested I will endeavour to sort something out …and if you know anyone who can help us then please PLEASE get in touch

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Anyway this week Felix had enough of my pitiful bleating in the morning and sent me off to the doctors. The doctor was a lovely chap who apologised for laughing at how I got injured, and then poured petrol onto my flames of hypochondria by referring me for an x-ray with a “possible compression fracture” – so now I fully expect the x-ray to appear in the daily papers with the words “miracle survivor of snowboarding horror crash”.

…which is an elaborate way of saying that I didn’t feel capable of a long walk this weekend so we decided to go to Weybridge and write the directions that link the Wey Navigation up with the Thames Path as part of The Games Way. If all was well then we’d get the train to Hampton Court and also write up the bit that goes from Hampton Court through Kingston, and across Richmond Park to Putney.

Here’s (more or less) where we started the walk, Coxes Lock on the Wey Navigation, between Byfleet and Weybridge:

The mill, Coxes Lock, Wey Navigation

Conversation for the day was mostly about Angora rabbits, sheep and our future smallholding. There was also plenty of anthropomorphising the many robins, blackbirds, pigeons, ducks, geese, swans, dogs, Shetland ponies and deer that we passed on our way, with the occasional grunt at humans.

If you walk along many towpaths the chances are you’ll be familiar with the fondness pigeons have for nesting on the rafters under bridges, and the mild exhilaration at successfully walking under such a bridge without being shat upon. Just down from Coxes Lock is a railway bridge and it is moderately populated with pigeons. At this time of year the babies are learning (slowly) to fly, and unfortunately one of them had ditched into the river and was fast learning that swimming is not so easy without webbed feet and oily feathers. Mummy Pigeon was stood at the side encouraging her baby to get across, but it was sinking so I fished the poor sodden thing out of the river. Here it is:

Me and the heroically rescued baby pigeon (my halo is out of shot but VERY shiny)

Felix donated a hanky to the cause and I dried him off a bit and tucked him into my jumper for 10 mins or so to warm up as it was shivering and frankly far too placid for its own good. Once it had warmed up and was getting a bit restless we put it back up under the bridge, over the path rather than the river, and out of the way of inquisitive dogs! Hopefully it will be okay and I will become some kind of folk hero among pigeonkind.

Baby pigeon drying off and warming up after a dip in the River Wey

Our walk continued in the sunshine and we soon wiggled through Weybridge and found ourselves on the Thames Path. It was about a mile back to the train station or 4 miles (ish) to Hampton Court. As the painkillers were working and I knew of a good lunch spot a mile or so along the path, we decided to carry on walking. There are two pubs next to each other, The Swan (a Youngs pub) and The Anglers, which has gone upmarket since I was last there and looked busy so we thought we’d try it out. We were lucky to get a table, this young family weren’t so lucky, but got lots of attention:

The Anglers is a gastro-pub that serves locally sourced duck

The Thames Path is lovely along here and there were lots of spring flowers on show, keeping the bees busy while we fantasised about owning different houses on the oppsite bank.

Forget-me-not

Molesey Lock is clearly a highly desirable location for ducks, geese and swans. They tolerate the poor throwing efforts of kids in buggies and enjoy an abundance of breadcrumbs and dropped ice cream cones. Pigeons and jackdaws masquerade as waterfowl and nobody seems to mind.

Ma Goose and the kids, River Thames

We skipped through Hampton Court, stopping to admire the swathes of daffodils before going through Bushy Park (home of the “other” Diana fountain), and walking across the bridge to Kingston.

Hampton Court daffodils

A few minutes later we left the river and walked uphill to the foot of Richmond Park. The Games Way route goes in at Kingston Gate and leaves via Roehampton Gate so we get to walk right across the park with all its deer…

Pretty Richmond park deer

…and somewhat randomly shaped trees!

Mind the gap

Richmond Park is remarkable for many things – for me there is something totally incongruous about a herd of deer with tower blocks in the background. Jumbo jets slowly grumble their way across the sky to Heathrow and parakeets squawk abuse from the treetops while squirrels squabble on the ground and up the trunks.

Hey, isn't that the guy who saved the pigeon? - what a legend!!

We walked past The Priory, temporary home and rehab centre to the rich and famous on the way to Putney. We also passed by the place where Marc Bolan died, and there is still a shrine there in his memory. Not very glam I’m afraid – I think he would like more glitter.

Marc Bolan shrine

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…and then there was Victoria, who drew the short straw and tested out the Romsey to Winchester walk. She encountered a few confusing directions and one fatal flaw that sent her off two miles in the wrong direction. You know you’ve failed in writing clear directions when you get an email that says “I regard myself as a patient and unflappable tracker, but…”

It has taken me a while to get back to Romsey because I have been documenting all the other stages of the walk. I intended spending this weekend documenting the New Forest to Romsey stage, but I whacked my back snowboarding last week and it is still stiff and painful so I decided that a 15 mile walk is probably unwise. Instead, yesterday Felix and I travelled down to Romsey to figure out how to improve the instructions and save future walkers from the same fate as Victoria, so her valiant efforts were not in vain.

Using Victoria’s notes as a guide we were able to quickly find the spot where things went horribly wrong, which was the route from Knapp to Hursley.

Floral verges of Knapp

The verges around Knapp are filled with spring flowers and the air is thick with buzzing and birdsong. The road we walk up has a real mix of beautiful houses, from some kind of Grand Design to the quaintest thatch cottage. The path, for once was mostly mud-free and covered in pine cones:

Pine cones

With Felix’s amazing acting skills and nature’s soundtrack I have put together this short video of the route from Knapp through the woods to Hursley.

So thanks once again to Victoria, and I am now confident (what could possibly go wrong..?) that the new instructions will be a big improvement!

For the benefit of knitting fashionistas, Dr. Ford is wearing:
Deco cardigan, by Kate Davies, Excelana 4-ply yarn.
Simmer Dim shawl, by Gudrun Johnston, BFL handspun by Liz Ashdowne.
Blaeberet hat, by Felix, New Lanark DK.
Trousers, sandals, models own.

Felix at the tree-lined avenue to Hursley

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Are you loving the sunshine we’re getting? Wasn’t last weekend gorgeous? What fantastic weather to be out and about walking. As luck would have it, this weekend we ended up walking from Wimborne into the New Forest, which is beautiful all year round and especially so in the sunshine because there is sooooo much sky!

Wimborne to Red Shoot - 4th leg of The Games Way

For rationalists amongst you, I am still recording the walking instructions for each leg of The Games Way – just three more to go now, and this weekend happened to be the next one to do. For the more romantic, the New Forest was calling us down from Berkshire to revel in the joys of spring and the first warmth of this year’s sun.

Either way we dumped the car in Wimborne and headed out west along the Stour, backtracking about half a mile on the previous walk to reconnect with the route and head south over the Stour and across meadows before walking eastwards and feeling like we were finally underway.

Locals practice walking on water

Once we’d carefully crossed the A31 we headed down a very quiet road with a few smallholdings and views over to the Minster at Wimborne when we were assaulted with the most incredible smell of roses. We never found the source – it was either something put onto a horse (would you do that?) or there really were roses behind a fence somewhere. Anyhow, it wasn’t long before we were walking along the edge of the river Stour towards Canford Magna school (Dorset’s answer to Hogwarts), when we came across these fine chaps:

Felix got very giddy at this point in the walk

It took a while for Felix to compose herself but a few minutes later her legs felt strong enough to take her across this wobbly footbridge:

Wobbly footbridge across the Stour

The meadow is beautiful along here and it is a popular place for locals to take the dog for a walk. All the trees are looking full of life and bees and birds are busying themselves above our heads.

Spring!

At the waters edge willow trees are brushing the water with their green veil on and ducks are playing hide and seek behind the curtains.

Swanning around on the Stour at Canford Magna

We leave the open meadows for a shady bridleway around Ferndown which (after pausing for lunch) takes us into Ferndown forest and a really well waymarked and accessible section of the Castlemans Trailway. Woodpeckers are busy hammering away but their effort is nothing compared to the frenetic activity of the gangs of squirrels that scurry around a few feet away from us at a tremendous pace.

They are such funny creatures, I love the indignant way they’ll face you down from a branch about 8 feet up, mouth rammed full of nut, eyes full of teenage malevolence with those ridiculous baggy trousers with their bum hanging out. Alas they have a sixth sense for camera activity, and so one photo (but not THE photo) I can’t show you is of a damn squirrel, even though they were everywhere. Here are some trees instead, which had the good manners to stand still for me!

Ferndown forest

…and here is a beautiful young robin who I think would have been happy to accompany us all the way to the New Forest if only we had a few worms…

One of the friendly residents of West Moors

Castleman’s Trailway is largely made up of disused railway line. Consequently it is flat, and in this case gravelled or asphalted which makes for easy walking. In a very straight line. For quite a while. Neither Felix or I are especially good at this kind of walking, so we played sight alphabet and sound alphabet. You know, where you have to see something starting with A, then B, then C… and then when we were done with that we had to hear something starting with A, then B…

Castleman's Trailway - a disused railway line

These are good games, and likely to feature on other walks in the near future. The trick is to resist the urge to cheat – “Quite a nice flower” is not an acceptable Q for example! Anyway the game took us from West Moors to Ashley Heath to Verwood to just outside Ringwood where we met these fellows (or Fallows?!)

Deer at Ringwood

We stopped for for tea and teacakes and the purchase of a new OL22 map (surely the king of all maps?) following the demise of my last copy, and then headed kind of northwest towards the New Forest.

Not so scenic, but this is the route to the New Forest

I guess it was around 5-ish or so as we left Ringwood, and the sun was getting lower in the sky as we broke free of the last signs of civilisation and into the huge expanse of gorse, trees and ponies that is the New Forest!

Near Rockford Common, New Forest

Felix and I are *very* relaxed about the direction we head in the New Forest, which is just as well really because there are a myriad of paths that go in all directions, and to be honest one gorse bush looks rather like another and experience tells us that ponies make pretty unreliable landmarks.

New Forest pony

We are however, remarkably talented at sniffing out a pub, and it’s no coincidence that this leg of the walk finishes at the Red Shoot Inn in Linwood. After an hour or so of walking across the land, following our noses, we hit the road about 100m short of the pub. Sadly the taxi couldn’t pick us up for an hour or two, so we were forced to stick around and try out a couple of their own-brewed beers and a chilli jacket potato. Result!

…and so it was that we were stood outside in the New Forest gazing up at a fingernail moon with a couple of bright planets hanging nearby and the clearest sky filled with stars and recognisable constellations. We could hear laughter from the pub, and several owls hidden away hooting on their hunting horns ready for the nightshift. This is the photo I can’t show you, this is something you *can* see, but really have to feel for yourself.

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Stage 3 - Wareham to Wimborne

I have found this leg to be the trickiest one to plot. When I walked the full route a couple of summers ago I stayed on the South West coast path to Swanage, Studland, and then took a ferry across to Poole before going up the Castleman’s trailway to Wimborne. I loved Swanage and Studland, but I wasn’t really happy with taking a ferry, and with the notable exception of Upton House, the walk through Poole to Wimborne was not as good as I wanted.

Graham Faithfull, a fellow twitterer (@stourevalewalker) suggested going through Wareham Forest as an alternative route, and so I replotted the route. The last time I tried this route with Felix it wasn’t much fun – Felix was stressed about her PhD and I was throwing up in a field after eating something dodgy!

So we set out with some trepidation from Wareham, walking along the old walls before dropping into water meadows and heading north to Wareham Forest.

Reflective horse beneath Wareham walls walk

This leg is a very rural walk through woodland and farmland. There are no shops or pubs until Sturminster Marshall so it’s important to pack a lunch. Luckily Wareham offers plenty of choice!

On the way to Sturminster Marshall

The joy of this particular stage of the walk isn’t so much the spectacular views, although there are some great ones along the way. My particular favourite is from the top of Woolsbury hill fort across Wareham Forest. For me, the joy of this walk is in some of the smaller details along the way…

Wareham Forest ants spring cleaning the floor

We found these ants the last time Felix and I came this way, and it was lovely to see them again, busily spring-cleaning the forest floor. They are inquisitive creatures and you can’t stop to watch for long without a shoe and trouser invasion being organised!

Near East Morden we came across a load of snowdrops on a bank around head height. They looked beautiful in the sunlight.

Snowdrops at East Morden

The walk goes across plenty of farmland and at Sellers Farm there’s a bit of a showcase for various tractor attachments across the ages, including this rather impressive looking plough.

Plough!

As well as the snowdrops, there were plenty of other signs of Spring – the birdsong in the forest was a beautiful accompaniment to our lunch, and we saw deer and pheasants timidly pairing up. Rabbits were abundant and the lambs seem to be thriving on the new grass.

Happy, hungry lambs

White Mill is one of the highlights of this walk although we had just missed closing time this time round. We spotted this warning on the bridge by the mill:

Free ticket to Australia!

White Mill sits on the river Stour, which runs east to Wimborne and beyond. Wading in the water and successfully spearing several small fish was this fine bird. I’m not sure if it is a white heron or some kind of egret – any ideas?

Heron/Egret on the Stour

A little further along was a small squadron of swans.

Swans on the Stour

These three found a great spot for the weekend, unlike a pair we overheard bickering earlier. Apparently they had booked a romantic weekend away together at the travel agents, and had been promised something like this:

What Swann travel agent described to his clients

…but when they got there, they found that their “exclusive, quietly situated luxury pond for two” was actually this:

...and what they found when they arrived!

We arrived in Wimborne a little weary and ready to eat, so we got a taxi back to Wareham and ate at the Old Granary, right where we started the day. So much better than snacking out in the services on the way home!

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Feather

Alternative route to Corfe Castle

The tide was very high at Lulworth Cove and a couple of times I got caught with a boot in the water. Luckily my boots do a fine job of keeping the water out and I was able to squeeze around the edge of the cove to the wooden steps without getting a soggy sock. That wouldn’t have been a good start!

Lulworth Cove

Like in my last report the paths were muddy and I was soon slipping all over the place – I really need better boots, although my Meindl’s were pretty expensive and look good, they are useless on a muddy slope and my movement and confidence is reduced from that of a nimble mountain goat to that of my gran just after her hip replacement.

It wasn’t long before I reached the first, and hardest climb of the day up the cliff. Fortunately there was nobody else about to hear me puffing and swearing my way up the giant steps before collapsing in giggles of relief at the top. It is a brutal start to the day, but at least it gets the hardest bit over with and you can start to appreciate the amazing views. One of my favourite things on cloudy days is the way the sunbeams shine like a spotlight onto the surface of the sea. I like to imagine an octopus is out there doing Saturday Night Fever on the dancefloor.

God's disco

The path goes downhill right back to sea level before another longer, higher but slightly easier ascent above Worbarrow Bay. It is around here that you realise that the warnings about ammuniton are probably real and you really do want to stick to the marked path.

Tank on Lulworth Ranges

The cliff edge is precariously close in places and the drop is breathtaking and if you are like me with heights – knee-buckling!

Looking down the cliff to the gorgeous colur of the sea and a bit of fossil forest

The alternative route diverts off at the top of Worbarrow Bay and instead of going down and up (and down and up…) we stay on top of the ridge all the way to Corfe Castle. It is a much easier walk and the sense of space is exhilarating with views of Lulworth castle and Poole harbour off to the left and the Purbeck coast to the right.

View down to Worbarrow Bay from the ridge

I met Dad, his partner Wendy, and his daft sprnger spaniel Milly along the ridge by Grange Arch, which appears to be a folly looked after by the National Trust. Dad and Wendy had set out from Corfe so our paths would cross and we could walk back together. Plus they brought lunch and coffee with them – result!!

Wendy and Milly on the ridge to Corfe

We parted at Corfe Castle where I picked up the Purbeck Way to Wareham along another muddy, slippery path, but very well waymarked. Once off the ridge there was no wind and it soon became apparent that spring is in the air, with catkins and primroses and a general greening up of the environment.

Wendy, Dad and Milly with Corfe Castle behind

Birds were signing away in the trees and undergrowth, a toad was sunning itself on the path, and the lambing season is well underway. A proper Disney moment

Lambs

There is a small amount of road walking on the route to Wareham but it is along pretty quiet roads, and you get to walk past one of these:

Yes kids, this was as close as we got to a mobile phone in the 1980s

There is some lovely heathland around Stoborough which I imagine would be a great spot for a wild camp, but there are plenty of campsites around too, and this day’s walk stops at Redcliffe farm campsite by the River Frome.

River Frome Stoborough, camp site for Day 2

Walkers who prefer a guesthouse have no more than a mile further along The Games Way on the towpath to the very pretty town of Wareham. Strongly recommend you avoid the hairdressers though – this poor lass wishes she’d gone somewhere else!

Bad hair day!

I am really pleased with this modified route – apart from the two monster climbs at the beginning of the day, the walking is easy and there is very little scope for getting lost. We would reach Corfe Castle in time for lunch, and there will be time to wander around before doing the last 5 miles towards Wareham.

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In truth the directions are only slightly more than:

1. Keep the sea on the right, land on the left
2. Walk forward
3. Repeat.

…so I thought I’d provide some pictures to give a better idea of what’s in store for you.

Day 1 – Portland to Lulworth Cove

Chesil Beach, Portland

It is a flat, gentle start from the National Sailing Academy and then along the new Rodwell Trail (or the old railway line as it was known when I was growing up!) into Weymouth. We stroll through the town to the sea front and along the promenade past the Jubilee Clock. On leaving Weymouth we soon hit the first of several hills of the day:

Looking back to Weymouth

The path continues along the clifftops, over stiles, through fields and some wooded areas for a few miles, eventually turning us out at Osmington Mills and The Smugglers Inn. This cracking pub is right on the South West Coast Path and is an ideal spot for lunch.

The Smugglers, Osmington Mills

The path carries on over the cliffs and if you are walking at low tide you may spot one of several wrecks poking through the water:

Shipwreck!

Beyond Ringstead Bay the hills become much steeper and you get a real appreciation of the rollercoaster nature of this beautiful coastline:

The ups and downs of the South West Coast Path

You may recognise this photo. If ever there was a cliche picture of this stretch of the Jurassic coast this is it …and I bet you will find it irresistable too!

Durdle Door

Day 2 – Lulworth Cove to Corfe Castle

Campers will have spent the night just short of Lulworth Cove. Walkers staying in guesthouses will have continued down this path to their well-earned bed.

Lulworth Cove

We skirted around the edge of the cove and rejoined the coast path. It goes right past a fossilized forest (which you can actually walk through) and across Lulworth ranges, which is open to the public on set dates by the MoD. This has the toughest hills of the entire walk, which you will soon discover!

Worbarrow Bay

This coming weekend I will be trying out an alternative route along a ridge above Worbarrow Bay which is a bit further inland and a more direct way to reach Corfe Castle. It means leaving the South West Coast Path a little earlier, but it saves a few miles and a few hills. If we end up sticking to the coast you won’t be disappointed, the views are spectacular.

Keep away from the edge!

The route takes us past Kimmeridge and onto Swyre Head (great spot for a packed lunch) and Kingston, with the superb Scott Arms. From there we make a beeline for the unmistakable Corfe Castle.

Corfe Castle at sunset

Observant followers of this blog will notice that our day 2 ended up at Corfe Castle, and not Wareham as described in the official route. Hence the reason for seeking an alternative route – once we reached Corfe we ran out of daylight and to be perfectly honest, energy after all those hills! Besides, Corfe Castle feels too significant to simply walk past.

Alternative route to Corfe Castle

The alternative route is marked in red above. If anyone knows the area, I’d love to hear your opinion about which way to go.

Mark and Felix

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Andrew Knowles: BT Storyteller for the London2012 Olympic Games

So it was that last Friday Andrew and I found ourselves at the viewpoint at Portland Heights with Simon Clemison, presenter of Spotlight for BBC Southwest.

View from Portland Heights: Chesil beach with Weymouth to the right

The filming process is very interesting to take part in. Firstly we get acquainted and Simon makes lots of notes about the walk and how it came about. Then he explains roughly how the piece will be structured and we start filming.

…or we would if the camera worked! It turns out that the quality of BBC filming comes at a price, and that price is tempermental cameras that are very fussy about dust. This doesn’t phase Simon, despite having driven from Plymouth to film us. A phone call to “support”, a new tape, and a bit of fast-foward and rewinding, and we are back on track.

It’s a couple of takes for Andrew and I to point down to the start of the walk and then start walking. Then Simon interviews me, followed by Andrew, and within a few minutes most of the talking on camera is complete.

Simon Clemison from the BBC with me (in the hat)

Simon pays an awful lot of attention to the sun – in order to keep the lighting constant, otherwise it becomes difficult to edit together. We spend quite a bit of time filming our feet walking, and then we drive down into Wyke Regis and film us walking along part of the Rodwell Trail (it used to be called the old railway line when I was a kid).

Passing dogs and an elderly couple all got roped into the filming, and the sun continued to shine which always makes Portland harbour look beautiful. A man digging for bait just added to the atmosphere!

Digging for bait, with the National Sailing Academy in the background

The finished piece is here – I cannot tell you how excited I am about being able to search the BBC News site for “Mark Stanley” and finding me …and my tiny tiny ego!

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Fresh on the excitement of being named as number 3 in Country Walking Magazine’s “12 great walks for 2012″, here is the route broken down into day stages for campers. Shortly I’ll post up a similar breakdown for walkers who prefer the comforts of a B&B guesthouse.

The end to end route of The Games Way is the same for camping and B&B, but the days have slightly different start and end points in a few places.

Day 1: Portland to Durdle Door. 14 miles.

View Walk2012 – 1: Portland to Durdle Door in a larger map

This day is pretty much all along the South West Coastal Path and is very easy to follow – just keep the sea on the right and the land on the left and you’ll be fine. Be warned though, there are a couple of steep climbs, but not as tough as Day 2! We camp just short of Lulworth Cove – if you prefer there is a YHA hostel in Lulworth and a couple of small hotels and restaurants. The campsite has a pub/restaurant onsite and plenty of other facilities.

Durdle Door

Day 2: Durdle Door to Wareham. 18 miles.

View Walk2012 – 2: Durdle Door to Wareham in a larger map

Easily the toughest day of the walk with a series of steep climbs along the coast path. You will be well rewarded with some spectacular views and a fossil forest so it is worth the effort. For me the view from Swyre Head is the best view in Southern England. …and then you get Corfe Castle thrown in too We pass 2 campsites, one just after Corfe Castle, and one just short of Wareham, which is the one I propose to use.

Day 3: Wareham to Wimborne. 18 miles.

View Walk2012 – 3: Wareham to Wimborne in a larger map

Away from the coast and the route is less signposted as we make our way through Wareham Forest and eventually along the river Stour to Wimborne. There is a 5-star campsite option, but £30+ a night feels a bit steep so I’m proposing a more cost-effective site.

Day 4: Wimborne to Red Shoot (New Forest). 17 miles.

View Walk2012 – 4: Wimborne to Red Shoot in a larger map

A mix of river, pasture and disused railway to Ringwood, and then we head off into the gorgeous New Forest, camping at Red Shoot with a popular pub/restaurant on our doorstep. I love this bit of the walk.

If enough people sign up for the walk in July to make it worthwhile, we will divert to Lyndhurst and have a fantastic night in the care of Girlguiding UK at Foxlease House. This adds a few miles to the walk but that just means more time in incredible countryside with wild ponies, birdsong and flowers – an incredible sensory feast.

Bolderwood, New Forest

Day 5: Red Shoot to Romsey. 17 miles.

View Walk2012 – 6: Red Shoot to Romsey in a larger map

More fun in the forest and a crucial stop at the Royal Oak in Fritham (for me it’s the best pub in the New Forest) before hitting Nomansland and heading east towards Romsey and the river Test. There are NO CAMPSITES in or near Romsey, so it is either wild camping by the Test or in Ampfield Wood, or a comfy bed in a B&B in Romsey.

Note – if we do go to Foxlease House in Lyndhurst there will be an extra day of beautiful walking from Lyndhurst to Nomansland, and then a shorter walk from Nomansland to Romsey the day after.

Day 6: Romsey to Winchester. 15 miles.

View Walk2012 – 7: Romsey to Winchester in a larger map

Romsey to Winchester is (as our route-tester Victoria James is painfully aware) is the trickiest stage of the walk in terms of following the route directions, not least because it involves a couple of spells in the woods and it is easy to get turned around and lose the route. That said, it also has some of the prettiest riverside walk as we follow the river Itchen into Winchester.

As with Romsey, there are no campsites in Winchester. I will be speaking to the good folk in Hampshire Council to see if they can help me find somewhere suitable, but failing that it will be another B&B night I’m afraid.

Winchester Cathedral, start of St Swithun's Way

Day 7: Winchester to Bishop’s Sutton. 12 miles.

View Walk2012 – 8: Winchester to Bishop Sutton in a larger map

The next 3 days see us follow St Swithun’s Way from Winchester to Farnham. It is mostly over farmland although the first day includes some gorgeous water meadows too. Felix and I walked this leg on the day of the Royal Wedding and we met some lovely people in The Ship at Bishop’s Sutton, including a lady who worked for Ordnance Survey, a chap who’d just run a marathon and and a very friendly german shepherd! Through them we got permission to camp in a field by the river and we propose to do the same in the summer. Failing that, there is a campsite (Two Hoots) with wooden pods a couple of miles further on which sounds good too.

Day 8: Bishop’s Sutton to Bentley. 17 miles.

View Walk2012 – 9: Bishop Sutton to Bentley in a larger map

This stage of the walk is almost entirely across farmland and the rolling hills of Hampshire, interspersed with a couple of copses and small settlements. Despite being in Hampshire the walk is surprisingly remote and it is a good idea to bring your food with you as there are few options. That said, Bentley has a pub with food but it is a bit out of the way of the proposed wild camp site. When Felix and I did this leg we were too tired to divert to the pub (yes, really) so we just pitched the tent, ate some cous cous and slept like the dead!

Day 9: Bentley to Puttenham. 12 miles.

View Walk2012 – 10: Bentley to Puttenham in a larger map

St Swithun’s Way finishes at Farnham and we pick up the North Downs Way by the train station. Hint: The Mulberry does a FANTASTIC brunch, extremely restorative

There is a definite change in nature of the walk once we are on the North Downs Way. It heads due East and so there is a good sense of progress. As with St Swithun’s Way there is a lot of farmland and a few woods, including a charming fairy tree. I feel the landscape is somehow more open and there are times when you can see for miles and miles.

It would be quite easy to walk until Guildford, but at Puttenham there is an eco-camping barn next to a fine pub called The Good Intent, whereas there is no camping at Guildford.

Day 10: Puttenham to Weybridge. 21 miles.

View Walk2012 – 11: Puttenham to Weybridge in a larger map

It sounds long, but it is a very easy and pleasing walk following the Wey Navigation all the way into Weybridge. The scenery is beautiful and the Wey Navigation is steeped in history. The campsite is the Caravanning and Camping Club’s site in Chertsey – if anyone in the group is a member then we can get a lower rate

Day 11: Weybridge to Putney. 17 miles.

View Walk2012 – 12: Weybridge to Putney in a larger map

We take the Thames Path to Kingston and then skip with the deer across Richmond Park and Barnes Common before rejoining the Thames Path at Putney Bridge. Sadly there are no camp sites here and I can’t recommend wild camping so I think it will be a guesthouse (or 5-star hotel if you prefer) for the last night of the walk!

Day 12: Putney to the Olympic Park. 15 miles.

View Walk2012 – 13: Putney Bridge to Olympic Stadium in a larger map

Ah, the final day of the walk, and the only day that is virtually all on pavement. We take the Thames Path through Battersea, Pimlico, and along the South Bank past Westminster, crossing over before or at Tower Bridge to go through Wapping to Limehouse Basin. Here we pick up Regent’s Canal and then cross Victoria Park in Hackney to the Green Way and the Olympic Park. Ta-da!

Olympic Stadium

As a project manager I like to think I have a pretty good relationship with time – it kind of comes with the job description. Nevertheless I am always stunned at how quickly a year can pass. It doesn’t seem possible that 2011 can have whizzed by so quickly. In a minute it will be spring and then KAPOW! – the Olympics will be here and we’ll be walking and then it will all be over and I’ll be feeling a bit lost, and then it will be Christmas again and I’ll be wishing I hadn’t put “2012” in this website address!

2012 is a HUGE year for walk2012 of course – it is the year when a group of us finally get to walk the complete route during, and in celebration of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

I am very excited about sharing the route with everyone, and fingers crossed the walk2012 guide will be a useful resource for walkers for many years to come. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to the walkers who have road-tested the guide. Thank you to Colleen who has been a regular commenter on this blog, and has tested out the final stage of the route and offered some good tweaks to the route. Thank you to Victoria, whose adventures in Hampshire were the subject of the last post. Thank you also to Anne, Latimer and Terry, who are also testing out the guide for me.
One of the big surprises of 2011 was the interest in getting the route available online and on mobile phones. I remain massively grateful to Curly for his Android app called Mapcial, which has the walk2012 route on it, and to Phil and the brilliant Social Hiking site.

Felix has been a terrific co-conspirator this year and with her PhD completed it has been lovely to go walking together again. Her photoshop skillz have been invaluable in helping make the walk2012 guide cards look so good (the directions are 100% my fault!) Felix also got me these amazing walk2012-themed cufflinks for Christmas:

walk2012 cufflinks

I hope you are celebrating the New Year with friends and/or family and/or fancy dress. Alas no fancy dress for us this year, but there is the Pembrokeshire coast …and gin! Wishing you all the very best for the coming year and I look forward to walking with you in the summer.

Happy New Year!

Cheers!