04/09/15 - Completing the South Downs Way

Distance - 19 Miles
Geocaches - 5
Start - East Meon
End - Winchester
Highlights - Old Winchester Hill

Last Night
Finally allowed into the Ye Olde George Inn at 6pm.  It was Ok - it gave me an hour to regain my strength after yesterday's 20 miles and someone had kindly left the Times in the Beer Garden.

The pub is lovely and unusually stocks Badger Beer.  I've previously only seen this on cans of shandy (made with real Badger Beer) and at the St Stephens Tavern in London - one of my favourite pubs.  I try the First Call, which is even better than Tanglefoot.

I continue to read Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods".  In a moment of serendipity, Country Walking magazine put on facebook the chance of winning tickets to the UK premier of the film - to be released next week.  I upload a photo of my pint and my book, exclaiming "What are the chances?".

I then blog till my battery dies (really, the charger wouldn't have added that much weight) and then read some more.  Get to the chapter where Bill rips into people taking technology onto the trail and says that "Exactly no-one is interested in reading your daily updates".

Sheepishly put the dead laptop back in my rucksack and check out the second pub in the Village, the Izaak Walton.  More down to earth than the George, it as a thriving darts team (I had to move) and a decent pint of Ringwood Best Bitter.

The Walk


Day 6 and the last day on the South Downs Way.  I catch myself in the full length mirror whilst dressing.  Not only are my Sub anti-chaffing pants ridiculously tight but I also have welt marks on my shoulders from my rucksack.  Maybe I was right not to get too loaded with the laptop charger.

Legs need a bit of encouragement to get going and I stock up on snacks and mints at the village stores before getting going.  I have a treat in store today, as there is civilisation on route.  Exton may be too soon to stop for a drink but at 12 miles, there is a wonderful big blue cup of joy on the OS map at Milbury's.

I am so looking forward to that.

Pleasant walking through Whitewoold fisheries, watching proper fly fishermen do their stuff and then the first climb of the day up Old Winchester Hill.  17 miles from Winchester.

The views are outstanding and I also like the car park.

Easy Going if you drive up it

Southern Views from the Hill Fort

Northern Views

Downhill all the way to Exton, an exceedingly pretty little village.  I meet another SDW'er going in the opposite direction and he is spending the night here, having set off from Winchester at 9am.  He is lucky, but it's not even lunch time.  Surely, he could have got some more miles in?  Still, its not a race.

Cattle at Exton

Exton Church

From my fellow walker, I know that I have about 3.5 hours of walking to go.  My legs are grateful for that news, especially as I have Beacon Hill to summit.

Surely, this is the last of the hills?

Beacon Hill

1pm and I arrive at Milbury's.  I am delighted to break up the walk with a pint.  The pub is a hotbed of South Down Way activity, with several other walkers making use of the facilities.  One even has a shell on the back of her rucksack.  Is this for the SDW or a remnant of the El Camino de Santiago?  Either way, my rucksack looks bereft in comparison.

Licking my lips, I enter the pub and see there are three real ales on.  I go for the "Ale of Wight".

And I know things are going bad when the barman does a three glass pouring trick, trying to get a pint out of all the froth.  "Don't worry, he tells me, it'll be fine when it settles".

I am and it isn't.

What a let down.  Cloudy bilgewater with bits floating in it.

Still, I have paid for it

I chuck the last third away in the flowerbeds and try a Kronenbourg.  No-one can get kegged lager wrong can they?  Milbury's can.

Any future SDW'ers reading this blog - see if they do bottles.

Gutted, I rucksack up and head off for Winchester.  I'll be able to get a decent pint there, as I know the City.

The last couple of miles of the SDW are not massively inspiring.  I appear to be using my hands to help my legs move, so I am grateful when Winchester comes into view to provide the motivation needed to get me over the line.

Winchester Ahead

I think long and hard about taking another break but I keep on plodding.  Over the M3 and into the town.

There doesn't appear to be a natural end to the SDW.  The guidebook indicates it is the Youth Hostel, other people I have spoken with suggest either the last marker or King Alfred.

For me, its my pint at the wonderfully located Bishop on the Bridge.

Not the End

Not the End

The Wonderful Bishop on the Bridge - River Itchin

Toasting the SDW with an ESB

Winchester is a fitting end to 100 miles of walking over 6 days.

The South Downs Way is over and I'll look for next year's challenge.