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Archive for November, 2018

Exploring Guildford – Day 5

Posted in around the UK, Castles of UK and Ireland, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, long distance walks - solo, project 101, The Pilgrim's Way; Winchester to Canterbury, Travel, walks around the UK, tagged alice through the looking glass, explore guildford, guildford castle, guildford history, long distance walks england, travel diaries, travel writing, walking the Pilgrim's Way, women solo walking on November 29, 2018| 5 Comments »

mapmywalk, the pilgrims way, walking the pilgrims way, long distance walks england, backpacking, women walking solo Saturday 25th August 2018 Day 5 – (day in Guildford to explore) 4.68 kms / 12,773 steps elevation 65 meters

exploring guildford, walking the pilgrims way,

I had a lovely 5 km amble around Guildford this morning.

The town is located near the site of the “Golden Ford” an established crossing place; it is this Ford to which Guildford owes its name. An ancient track-way which ran along the North Downs descended to this river crossing. The first written record relating to King Alfred about Guildford dates from around AD 885.

Retracing my steps from previous visits I walked up the fantastic cobbled and pedestrianised High Street where I passed the Abbot’s Hospital; founded in 1619 by George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury as a gift “out of my love to the place of my birth”. Built as a shelter for the elderly poor of the town – 12 single men and 8 single women, it’s not open to the public for touring, but if the door is open do pop in to the edge pf the courtyard for a glimpse of the courtyard. It’s a stunning building and I enjoy popping in whenever I’m in Guildford.

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Abbot’s Hospital built 1619

Abbots Hospital built 1619

The High Street contains some fantastic old buildings, the Guildhall with it’s marvellous clock.

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the Guildhall and it’s fabulous clock

I passed the Three Pigeons Pub; a mid-18th century pub with a fabulous facade modelled on a late 17th century house in Oxford.

The Three Pigeons, Guildford

the three pigeons guildford

Further up the High Street at the junction of Upper High Street, is a statue of George Abbot looking not quite down the High Street.

George Abbot; Archbishop of Canterbury

Abbot’s Hospital

On my way back down the High Street I stopped off at the Holy Trinity Church where George Abbot is buried. There was a choir practising for a concert that night; Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’….I wish now that I had made the effort to go watch. Missed opportunity.

Holy Trinity Church

Practising for Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’

I strolled along the Town Path, a narrow lane that takes you out towards the castle.

There’s a wonderful sundial featuring Edward and Eleanor (1272-1307) on one of the buildings in Castle Street.

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Edward and Eleanor sundial Guildford

A visit to the castle is a must, with fabulous views across the town. Built shortly after the 1066 invasion of England by William the Conqueror, today the Keep is the most substantial section that remains. It is however not mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book so was probably built later. The gardens are a kaleidoscope of colourful flowers and plants.

Guildford Castle

Saxon Guildford

I searched for the Alice Through the Looking Glass sculpture eventually and found it within a small garden in the perimeter of the castle grounds; a memorial to Lewis Carroll who stayed in his sisters’ house; The Chestnuts from 1868 until his death in 1898.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

alice through the looking glass

The Chestnuts

I walked downhill and passed through Castle Arch; constructed in 1256 by John of Gloucester , King Henry III’s master mason.

Castle Arch Guildford

Castle Arch

As I strolled along Quarry Street I passed the Guildford Museum so popped in for a short visit…..the museum forms the gatehouse and annex of Guildford Castle and houses as fantastic collection of artefacts with over over 75,000 objects, dating from c.500,000 BC (the Lower Palaeolithic) to the modern day.

Guildford Museum

Guildford’s Pagan Saxon cemetery

I had planned to walk along the River Wey to find the Alice and the Rabbit sculpture, so set off, first visiting St Mary’s Church where they were preparing for a wedding. Sadly no pilgrim’s stamp.

St Mary’s Church, Guildford

design on the carpet

stained glass windows at St Mary’s Church, Guildford

I crossed the medieval town bridge, constructed with wood in 920, it has stood for 7 centuries (albeit partially destroyed in 1900 by a flood),

Guildford Bridge

and found what I was looking for…what a delight.

Alice and the white rabbit

the rabbit flies down the hole

Along the way I passed St Nicholas Parish Church which didn’t appear to be open. It’s a marvellous looking building and a church has stood on that site since 1300.

Another delightful sculpture is at the bottom of the High Street; The Surrey Scholar by Allan Sly, unveiled in 2002.

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The Scholar, Guildford

After a few hours I made my way back to the airbnb and spent the rest of the day, preparing a good meal, repacking my backpack and resting…a long sleep was beneficial.

Here’s a link in case you’re interested in finding out more about the Abbot’s Hospital
https://www.abbotshospital.org/

In all, Guildford is a fascinating town with a wonderful history and so much to see. Although I have visited Guildford a few times in the past, I was glad of the opportunity to spend some more time there. It’s such a fascinating place.

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In case you missed Day 4 of my walk along The Pilgrim’s Way

I’ve made a short video of my day in Guildford

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Farnham to Guildford – Day 4

Posted in around the UK, Castles of UK and Ireland, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, historical houses of the uk, long distance walks - solo, project 101, The Pilgrim's Way; Winchester to Canterbury, walks around the UK on November 22, 2018| 3 Comments »

mapmywalk, the pilgrims way, walking the pilgrims way, long distance walks england, backpacking, women walking solo Friday 24th August 2018 Day 4 – Farnham to Guildford : 24.17 kms /49461 steps elevation 228m

I awoke refreshed after a peaceful sleep and comfy mattress. It’s so quiet here, all I can hear is the soughing of the trees and the background noises of the house.

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the view from the bathroom

I walked towards town along the roads along which I had arrived last night….they looked very different in the bright sunshine LOL I also wondered how I had managed to navigate the road in the dark without falling on my face.

I. Do. Not . Feel. Like. Walking. Again. Today. 😂 😂 😂 But I must. So onwards. But first a visit to Farnham Castle.

Farnham Castle Oh My Gosh…stunning. Definitely worth the time taken to explore….as with Chawton I’ll write a separate blog about the visit…meanwhile here’s a sneak peek

After spending a good 30 minutes exploring the castle from top to toe, I made my way down the Blind Bishop’s Steps – 7 paces by 7 paces… Bishop Fox’s steps down the side of Farnham Castle. Very cool.

From the 7th century Farnham belonged to the Bishop of Winchester, and developed to become a town by the 13th century.

From the castle I strolled downhill into the town centre, passing the amazing 17th century alms houses built in 1619 by a man named Andrew Windsor

Alms Houses built 1619

At the junction instead of turning left to follow the route, on impulse I decided to turn right and walk the length of the main road. Enroute I discovered the museum in Vernon House….fabulous place. Wow.

King Charles I stayed at Vernon House in Farnham on his way to his trial and execution in London in 1649. They even have King Charles I’s night cap that he wore whilst staying at the house on his way back to London.

the night cap worn by Charles I when he stayed at Vernon House

Leaving the museum I made my way over to St Andrews church. There has been a church on the site of St Andrews since the 7th century, and the building contains 9th century foundations. The present building dates from the late 11th century.

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A quick explore and then I made my way back through town and following the guide set off towards the station.

Farnham appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 and has an amazing history. I definitely would like to spend a full day here the next time I walk the Pilgrim’s Way….the next time? LOL hmmm

Just on 11:45 andddd I’m Finally on my way 😂 😂 😂 4.5 kms walking exploring Farnham and I’m now 2 hours behind schedule again. Here I join the North Downs Way.

The North Downs Way from Farnham

After a few hours of walking during which I passed Moor Park House…wow, pretty amazing, passed Farnham Golf Club (The Sands), I eventually stopped in the middle of a vast nature reserve to add my dna to Surrey’s soil. (I’ll leave that to your imagination LOL) I spied a bountiful hedge of blackberries; I ate and ate and ate till I was full. Whilst I was resting a little old man came toddling by in a black raincoat. I asked him “aren’t you awfully hot in that raincoat?” to which he replied “I don’t trust the weather!”. We both laughed. “British weather eh! Can’t trust it”. He asked where I was going, so told him I was following the Pilgrim’s Way (albeit having taken a bit of a diversion to walk along the North Downs Way which was quieter). He then proceeded to give me a 20 minute history lesson that ranged from Seale Church to Thomas Becket to a church in France dedicated to Becket and St Martha’s Church in England which is the only St Martha’s church, but thought to be corrupted from Thomas Becket, Saint and Martyr. So I’m now a lot wiser. Bless his socks 😊😊

After that I visited the church in Seale which is just awesome and where I found a pilgrim stamp for my passport. In 1487 the village of Seale was called Zeyle and the church dates from the 12th century.

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and from there picked up the Pilgrim’s Way again which I have since regretted as it runs along a steep up and down, very narrow, very busy, very bloody winding road with cars whizzing by every few seconds. HORRIBLE. 😭😭 I also visited the amazing St John the Baptist Church in Puttenham and finally I reached Puttenham: I rested just outside the village of Puttenham and wished I had a car. 😂😂😂

It was a gorgeous day and I had no desire to walk any further 🙄🙄🚶🚶🚶 ah well. Onwards I guess. Guildford is unlikely to come to me 🤔🤔🤔

I passed the Watts Gallery Artists’ Village a bit too late to visit and much as I really wanted to visit Watts Cemetery Chapel, I was simply too tired so plodded on. The route took me along ‘Sandy Lane’ which was as it’s name suggested……very sandy, and extremely hard to walk along! urgh As the day was drawing to a close I finally reached the outskirts of Guildford and stopped off at Ye Olde Ship Inn, St Catherine’s Village

Ye Olde Ship Inn, St Catherine’s

for supper…a delicious vegetarian calzone that really lifted my spirits….. walking the pilgrims way, farnham to guildford, long distance walks in the uk, solo walking for women, farnham castle, the north downs way, churches of england, domesday book town of the england and then it was a longggggg walk into Guildford and to my airbnb.

Today was a hard hard day. I got wet, and I climbed more hills than I ever wanted to….but I saw some amazing places, visited an extraordinary castle, saw a few fabulous churches and some wonderful old buildings. Further scenes from today’s walk along both the North Downs Way and The Pilgrim’s Way. Occasionally they diverge. So many beautiful places. I managed to get a few stamps in my passport as well 😃😃

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The AirBnb turned out to the worst venue I have yet stayed at on AirBnb. But I was booked in for 2 nights, so I had to just grin and bear it. I didn’t have the energy to start looking for a different place. Fortunately I had the house to myself so the comment made as I was shown to my room, didn’t transpire….”I hope you don’t mind but you’ll have people walking through your room to reach the bathroom”. Uhmmm what???? yes, I do bloody mind….you’ll have to make use of another area. The ‘bedroom’ was a walk-through landing between the stairs and the bathroom and NOT a proper bedroom at all. It was dirty, the stairs were dirty, the carpets were dirty and the host had made up the top bunk…hello?? I’m 63!! walking the pilgrims way, farnham to guildford, long distance walks in the uk, solo walking for women, farnham castle, the north downs way, churches of england, domesday book town of the england

I spent 2 nights and a day in Guildford; I’ll do a separate blog for Day 5 in Guildford.
I’ve created a short video with images of the route

In case you missed Day 3 of my walk along The Pilgrim’s Way

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Farnham Castle Keep

Posted in Castles of UK and Ireland, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, long distance walks - solo, project 101, The Pilgrim's Way; Winchester to Canterbury, Travel, tagged castle of the uk, domesday book villages, farnham castle, https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/farnham-castle-keep/, walking the Pilgrim's Way on November 22, 2018| 1 Comment »

I was so excited to visit Farnham Castle that I left the AirBnb earlier than I left my previous venues. Walking back along the roads towards Farnham in the daylight was soooo much easier than the night before…..LOL

farnham castle, visit farnham castle, castles of the uk, the pilgrims way, walking the pilgrims way, long distance walks of england, women walking solo, history of england, domesday towns of england

imagine walking along here in the dark!! it wasn’t fun

The castle was just a short 15 minute walk and I was soon immersed in ancient history.

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I LOVE visiting castles and towns with an ancient history and my walk along The Pilgrim’s Way gave me so many wonderful opportunities to explore ancient churches, Domesday Book villages and of course castles. A huge boost to Project 101.

Founded in 1138 by Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, grandson of William the Conqueror and brother of King Stephen, all that remains is the keep…which is way impressive. The Castle was the home of the Bishops of Winchester for over 800 years. farnham castle, visit farnham castle, castles of the uk, the pilgrims way, walking the pilgrims way, long distance walks of england, women walking solo, history of england, domesday towns of england

The Bishops’ Castles and Palaces – in today’s terms, the medieval estate earned million of pounds each year. The bishops could afford to build on a lavish scale and many did; churches and colleges, castles and palaces. The bishops travelled widely, visiting their manors and their parishes. They frequently made the two-day journey between London and Winchester. Farnham, lying halfway between, providing a convenient stopping place between London and Winchester, would have been a good place to rest overnight.

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The history of the castle is phenomenal and well worth exploring. Don’t miss the historical exhibition at the entrance.

English monarchs, from bad King John to Queen Victoria have visited or stayed at Farnham Castle.

Climbing the stairs gave me a thrill as I imagined what it must have been like in the days when it was first built. farnham castle, visit farnham castle, castles of the uk, the pilgrims way, walking the pilgrims way, long distance walks of england, women walking solo, history of england, domesday towns of england

climbing the steps of the castle keep

I spent a good 40 minutes exploring the grounds of the keep and so enjoyed the historical exhibition.

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The gated entrance – The Bishop’s Palace, Farnham

The castle keep is managed by English Heritage and free to visit.

The Bishop’s Palace is open for fascinating historic guided tours on Wednesday afternoons (from 2pm to 4pm, with the last tour starting at 3:30pm). You can reserve your space by calling 01252 721194.

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Four Marks to Farnham – Day 3

Posted in around the UK, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, Fun Stuff, historical houses of the uk, It's my life, long distance walks - solo, The Pilgrim's Way; Winchester to Canterbury, Travel, walks around the UK, tagged domesday book villages england, long distance walks england, long distance walks uk, pilgrimage in england, solo travel, solo walking for women, The Pilgrim's Way; Winchester to Canterbury, travel blogging, travel writing, walking the Pilgrim's Way on November 15, 2018| 4 Comments »

mapmywalk, the pilgrims way, walking the pilgrims way, long distance walks england, backpacking, women walking solo Thursday 23rd August 2018 Day 3 – Four Marks/Alton to Farnham : 18.8 kms / 40,128 steps elevation 125 meters –
This should have been a lot more, but for some reason map my walk stopped working well before Farnham and I didn’t notice till I stopped for pizza.

Started off early today so I could visit the Jane Austen house museum and church in Chawton. Wonderful. 3.02kms / 7,731 steps

Chawton was an absolute delight. I walked along to see the house where Jane’s brother Edward lived after he was adopted by the Knight’s and subsequently inherited. Unfortunately the house wasn’t open for visiting, but the church was amazing. So incredible to think that she, Jane Austen, walked through that very entrance all those years ago. Quite extraordinary.

St Nicholas Church Chawton

The Jane Austen House Museum is so poignant and it was amazing to have been able to visit it. I enjoyed a quiet stroll through the house, having arrived just before a large group fortunately, so I was able to take some lovely photos. From there I walked back to the main road and took the bus to Alton. My time in Chawton had eaten up a substantial part of the morning and I had along way to go, and it was raining…..I’ll do a separate blog about the house

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Jane Austen’s House Museum, Chawton

I found a fairy house 😊😊😊 Saw this in Chawton after a visit to Jane Austen’s House.

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a fair house in Chawton

In Alton my sleeping bag and I parted company. I’d managed to sort accommodation for the 3 outstanding nights, so sent it home. Never has the expression ‘a weight off my shoulders’ meant exactly that!! It cost more to post it than what I paid for the blessed thing. 🤔🙄🙄

I stopped for lunch in Alton before visiting St Lawrence Church. It was raining when I left the AirBnb this morning, but the sun came out just after midday, so I was looking forward to a good day. I felt more energetic today than yesterday.

lunch in Alton

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Today I ‘hit the hills’ OMG…up and down and down and up in a never ending climb. I saw some fantastic houses and stopped off in some stunning churches, but holy moly….the camino wasn’t like this..although Spain got quite hilly, it wasn’t till after I had been walking for 6 days!!! I had a chance to aclimatise! Truly this day wore me out 😦

The villages along the route are a delight!! So many quaint little houses; those picture-postcard houses you see…..just stunning.

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In Holybourne I stopped off at the Church of Holy Rood, dating back to the 10th century. Unfortunately it was closed but there was a lovely big pond or “bourne” nearby with a bench, so I stopped, took my shoes and socks off and stretched out for an hour while I chatted to my daughter back home. The joy of whatsapp 😉 It was so peaceful and relaxing with chimes hanging from the branches of the trees gently tinkling in the breeze and ducks and wild birds flitting about. Heaven. Before I left I briefly meandered through the village….stunning houses…oh my gosh.

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The church in Holybourne

my resting spot for today

Then back to the route which was a varied as you could imagine……

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Just before Upper Froyle I saw there was a pub (off the route – a long way off the route!!); The Hen and Chicken, at the bottom of the hill and decided to stop there for lunch. I arrived ordered a coke and a plate of hot chips. The coke was delivered quite quickly and then I waited and waited and waited….no chips. Eventually I went up to the counter and asked when they were likely to arrive…only to be told by the dim-witted girl behind the counter who was too busy flirting with the men who were arriving during the 45 minutes I waited…that Oh I didn’t realise you wanted food!! FFS. How often do you have to say “and a plate of hot chips please” for it to penetrate the fog? I was so angry. Not only was I still hungry, I had wasted nigh on an hour and I still had to climb back up the blasted hill to return to the route! Gahhhh.

I very grudgingly retraced my steps and soon reached Upper Froyle where I stopped at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary. There has been a church on this site for over 1000 years, and parts of the building date from the 1300s. The interior is beautiful. I absolutely love these old churches and am quite addicted to visiting them.

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary

Not long after that I walked past Pax Hill (Peace Hill): near Bentley was the family home of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout movement, and his wife, Olave

Paxhill –

Bentley was the next village up where I stopped at the 12th century St Mary’s Church for a bit of respite. I quickly popped into the church then sat in the yard for a rest, after which I walked along the path to see the ancient yew trees mentioned in the guide book. Phenomenal. The life-span of Yew trees stretch back into pre-history with some of them reaching a girth of 6m or more.

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awesome Yew trees

double-canopy ancient Yew trees propped up in the churchyard in Bentley

After that I went on a fruitless jaunt to find something mentioned in the guide book, and ended up doing a completely wasted effort and a lot more walking than I wanted!!

I passed from Hampshire into Surrey quite late in the day; the sun was beginning to sink towards the horizon

19:26 sunset on day 3 – I was hoping to see more sunsets actually, but mostly it was cloudy

shortly after this I saw another sign: St Swithun’s Way and got really excited…totally forgetting that I walk at a pace of 4kms an hour when I’m not exhausted, and don’t have a heavy backpack on!!! Sob Sob It took over an hour before I reached Farnham

Farnham!!!! – still a way to go

Not long after passing this sign I crossed the county boundary from Hampshire into Surrey….

looking back ……I crossed from Hampshire into Surrey under that tree at 19:40

I passed a group of cows having dinner and was soon in the precincts of Farnham.

….till the cows come home

I had a fantastic, albeit very tiring day – saw awesome churches, gorgeous historical houses, got 2 stamps for my passport and went on a couple of fruitless jaunts to see things mentioned in the guide, that I couldn’t find….even the locals had no freaking idea what I was talking about 😳🤔🤔🤔

And then: Farnham – Finally!! I reached Farnham!!! I couldn’t believe how long it took. Making my way downhill I sat down, or should I say almost sank onto the floor in exhaustion, in Pizza Express at exactly 9pm. I don’t usually drink coke, but I can tell you that I desperately needed a sugar rush…. it was a hard day (who knew England had so many bloody hills!!!) I’d been walking in the gloaming since 20:11 literally right after I took the photo of the cows 😂 😂 😂 but thankfully I had my reflective night gear on so I was visible along the gravelled, very uneven, unlit, and steadily darkening roads – I didn’t see a soul for well over 2 hours before I got to Farnham and for much of the way I stumbled along in the dark 🙄🙄🙄 But I made it. I passed Farnham Castle on the way in, it looks awesome. Will have to visit tomorrow.

While having pizza I did a google map search for my accommodation and discovered that earlier when I arrived, I had unknowingly walked right past the place where I was to stay for the night 🙄🙄 and I was so tired I couldn’t bear the thought of having to walk back up what was a steep hill. After pizza, I decided to get a taxi to my AirBnb and getting to bed 🛏️ as soon as possible…but it was not to be….I called for a cab to take me back up the hill. There was a 45 minute wait and it was already 9.40 pm so I pulled on my big girl panties and started walking back uphill. But when I got to the turn off it was absolutely pitch dark and I couldn’t see a thing. So in desperation I phoned the cab company again and I think the controller could hear the despair in my voice coz she sent me a driver immediately. However, when he got there he refused to drive me coz the roads were gravel and he didn’t want to damage his car. 😩😩 ffs.

Anyway after 5 minutes of serious persuasion he let me in the cab and driving slowly we trundled up the hill and to my destination… Arrived just before 11pm. 😳 Holy moly. Ridiculous. Thankfully my hosts had been out for dinner themselves so were still up and happy to wait for me to arrive! So embarrassing.

My bed for the night.

my delicious bed 🙂 – AirBnB delivers again

I was so relieved to finally get to my Airbnb I would have slept in a stable, but fortunately I had this gorgeous bed to fall into. Quick shower and into bed 😴😴😴😴

Goodnight all. Catch up with you tomorrow.
A short video of Day 3 along the Pilgrim’s Way

In case you missed Day 2 of my walk along The Pilgrim’s Way

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Jane Austen’s House Museum

Posted in around the UK, Domesday Villages of England, historical houses of the uk, long distance walks - solo, project 101, The Pilgrim's Way; Winchester to Canterbury, Uncategorized, tagged chawton domesday book, Domesday Book villages visited for Project 101, historical house of the uk, jane austen, janes austens house museum chawton, travel blogging, travel writing, visit jane austens house on November 15, 2018| 2 Comments »

Before setting off to Alton for the start of Day 3 along The Pilgrim’s Way, I visited Chawton to visit Jane Austen’s House Museum.

jane austens house museum, visit jane austens house chawton, walking the pilgrims way

Jane Austen’s House Museum seen from inside the garden

I left the AirBnB fairly early and since it was raining quite heavily I took the bus to Chawton. After a short walk I soon reached the village. The museum was still closed, so I walked through the village to see the church where Jane Austen worshipped and the house where her brother Edward lived after being adopted by the Knight family.

The church is quite a walk from the village centre, but certainly worth the walk. After he inherited the house he offered the cottage on the estate to Jane and her Mother and sister.

St Nicholas Church, Chawton

Stepping through the door of the church was quite awesome….and rather weird to walk in the same space as what Jane Austen had walked all those years ago. The church is quite beautiful and I enjoyed my time there.

St Nicholas Church, Chawton

Chawton House was unfortunately closed, so I retraced my steps to the village and visited the Austen house. I was the 2nd visitor of the day so was able to meander and enjoy the house in peace and able to take photos.

Austen family tree

The house is so lovely. Jane lived here with her Mother and sister from 1809 till May 1817. To see the chair and desk where Jane sat to pen her novels was spine-tingling. In her bedroom is a replica bed of the one she slept in

a replica of Jane’s bed

as well as many artefacts and poignant items from her life. There are letters

copy of a letter written by Jane

and a beautiful quilt made by Jane, her Mother and her sister Cassandra. There are 3000 diamonds hand-stitched in all.

the quilt made by Jane, her Mother and sister Cassandra

A visit to Jane Austen’s House, one of England’s historical houses is so very much worth the diversion

I’ve created a short video of my visit

Chawton is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book as Celtone, so I was delighted to be able to add this to my list of Domesday Book villages visited for Project 101.

After I left the house I walked back to the bus stop….it was still raining. I soon reached Alton where Day 3 of my journey started.

In case you missed it, click the link to read about Day 2 of The Pilgrim’s Way

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Alresford to Four Marks – Day 2

Posted in around the UK, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, It's my life, long distance walks - solo, The Pilgrim's Way; Winchester to Canterbury, walks around the UK, tagged Domesday Villages of England, long distance walking, long distance walks in the uk, solo travel, The Pilgrim's Way; Winchester to Canterbury, travel writing, walking solo for women, walking the Pilgrim's Way on November 8, 2018| 3 Comments »

mapmywalk, the pilgrims way, walking the pilgrims way, long distance walks england, backpacking, women walking solo Wednesday 22nd August 2018 Day 2 – Alresford to Four Marks : 20.02kms / 46,970 steps elevation 260 meters

After a really good night sleep despite the hardness of the floor, I rose early, had a leisurely cup of tea, some breakfast of granola and fruit. Dressed and washed I packed up, folded all the loaned camping items up neatly and returned the room to pre-Cindy, then making sure the kitchen was clean and tidy, just after 09:30 I locked up and made my way around to the front of the church to explore the interior.

St John’s Church was probably first built before the Norman conquest and is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

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St John’s Church – New Alresford

The interior of the church is so beautiful and well worth a visit.

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Alresford, mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book is now a pretty Georgian Market Town and I wish I’d had more time to explore.

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Before I left I had a quick walk along the High Street to the far end, bought a packet of dried banana slices (oh my word, they are delicious and provide a lot of nourishment) then making my way back to the route I set off…… ahead of me was a day of 11 stiles!!!

10:44 The Cricketer’s, Alresford: So I haven’t gotten very far 😂. Pepe, Gemini and I are having a rest 🙄🙄 and I’m having a drink of OJ.

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The Cricketers, New Alresford is right on the route of the Pilgrim’s Way

Orange Juice for energy

I left the church about an hour before and stopped at The Cricketers Pub for a drink coz I’m already tired and my shoulders where the straps drag on my bones are hurting like all hell. I must remember to get cushioning before my next long walk (🤔🤔🤔) To my delight the chap in the pub is from Pietermaritzburg in Natal, South Africa, so just had a lovely chat. They’ve been here since 2000, the year before me. Awesome.

I’ll be heading onto St Swithun’s Way once again and on my way to my next destination. Fortunately its a shorter walk today. hmmmm.

Bishops Sutton: Perhaps I should have walked to London!! 😂 😂 😂 It would have been quicker. I spotted this in Bishop’s Sutton today. I’ve been trying to take a similar photo as the ones in the Pilgrim’s Way guide book, so was delighted to see this.

domesday book bishops sutton, walking the pilgrims way, winchester to canterbury along the pilgrims way, long distance walks uk, solo walking for women, explore england, walking the pilgrims way to canterbury

56 miles to London……quicker than 130 something to Canterbury LOL

Turns out that the father of a friend of mine from instagram lived in Bishop’s Sutton as a young boy!!

Bishop’s Sutton – mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book

Walking the Pilgrim’s Way sentence by sentence. Following a guide book is a new departure for me and I am not enamoured of the idea. It’s too cumbersome – but The Pilgrim’s Way is not as well marked as the Camino, so it has to be done🙄🙄🙄

To give you an idea, I took 4 photos of one sentence, thought you might find it amusing. “At a four-way junction go left by a post box to pass a white house.” 😁😁 Wait? what will we do if they repaint the house a different colour?? I have quite literally followed the guide sentence by sentence. If I read too far ahead, I get confused and forget what I’m supposed to do 😂😂😂 But besides getting lost (ish) in Old Downs Wood, I did alright.

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I left Alresford quite late this morning and stopped quite a lot along the way. Of the distance and time travelled, I’m sure at least 3-4 kms was having to retrace my steps 3 times and I took about 2 hours for rest stops.

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14:36 I stopped in Ropley for tea and cake

Quite frankly I was tired and really struggled today. It was also quite humid. Sadly no churches today for my pilgrims passport stamps. I saw a massive solar farm and wondered again why our Government is not promoting this more.

st swithuns way, walking the pilgrims way, winchester to canterbury along the pilgrims way, long distance walks uk, solo walking for women, explore england, walking the pilgrims way to canterbury

a massive solar farm….surely the way forward?

I’ve managed to sort accommodation for the outstanding 2 nights, so tomorrow I’m going to post my sleeping bag home. It’s just adding too much extra weight.

Day 2 along The Pilgrim’s Way was a lot more arduous than Day 1 and I climbed over more stiles than I ever want to see in my life again ever!!

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I arrived in Four Marks at about 17:30 and my lovely hosts fetched me from the local Garden Centre…truly I doubt I could have walked much further.

I stayed at a fantastic AirBnB tonight, they even washed and dried my clothes. Bonus

my bed for the night in Four Marks – AirBnB

Today was tough…..looking forward tomorrow since I will be visiting Chawton where Jane Austen lived for a time.

After a lovely scalding hot shower and hair wash, I slipped between the covers and before long I was in dreamland….Goodnight!

I have created a video that you might enjoy of the day

In case you missed Day 1 of my walk along The Pilgrim’s Way https://notjustagranny.co.uk/2018/11/01/winchester-to-alresford-day-1/

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Silent Silhouettes 1914-1918 in 2018

Posted in around the UK, gratitude, It's my life, tagged blood swept lands and seas of red, centenary, lest we forget, silent silhouettes, silent soldiers, world war one on November 6, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Lest We Forget silent soldiers, silent silhouettes, world war one, blood swept lands and seas of red, centenary, lest we forget,

As part of the many events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War, a number of Silent Silhouettes were installed in different parts of the country.

I first saw these ghostly figures in London at St Pancras station one day as I was in transit from work to home.

Silent Silhouettes

I saw a few more as I was walking The Pilgrim’s Way in August.

Puttenham –

Silent Silhouette – Puttenham

Chaldon

Silent Silhouette – Chaldon

Limpsfield

Silent Silhouettes – Limpsfield

A poignant and fitting reminder of the huge sacrifice that was made by ordinary people; people who believed in freedom and King and country….and who can forget the extraordinary Poppy installation at the Tower of London in 2014, as people from around the country came together to plant over 803,000 ceramic poppies in a breath-taking vista; Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

silent soldiers, silent silhouettes, world war one, blood swept lands and seas of red, centenary, lest we forget,

Planting the final Poppy at the Tower of London 11.11.2014

Currently on at the Tower of London is the amazing ‘Deepening Shadows’ ritual; an evolving installation with the Tower moat gradually illuminated by individual flames. A powerful symbol of remembrance.

I’m planning on attending the Remembrance Sunday service on Whitehall at the Cenotaph this Sunday 11.11.2018 as we mark 100 years since Armistice Day in 1918…a day that officially, albeit not actually, brought The Great War to an end…the war to end all wars…..

except it didn’t and hasn’t.

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Buying vegan and avoiding plastic

Posted in around the UK, Health, lifestyle, me and Peanut, plastic pollution, tagged avoiding palm oil, avoiding plastic packaging, avoiding soya, https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2014/jan/30/kenya-turns-flip-flops-into-art-in-pictures, plastic pollution, pointless plastic packaging, supermarkets using unnecessary plastic, united nations report on plastic on November 4, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Buying vegan foods and trying to avoid dairy products and palm oil as well as plastic packaging presents something of a challenge, and requires some inventiveness for preparing meals. I’m learning a whole new way of shopping and cooking.

These days shopping takes a bit longer than in the past….I spend a fair amount of time reading food labels. If it contains palm oil I have to look for an alternative…not always available. I recently had to bypass my favourite soups while shopping; Heinz cream of Tomato, cream of Mushroom and peas and lentils (contains dairy). Instead I bought mostly tins of plain ingredients and dried products and will make them myself, sans the ‘cream‘ of course. I made my first dhal for supper with basmati rice recently… Apparently it smelt delicious 😋 😋

Despite it being the first time I had made dhal, it was actually really yummy. I had a look at a few recipes online and in my usual style, tossed in this, that and the next thing… pretty much whatever I could find in the cupboard in terms of spices…I also roasted some sweet potato wedges in olive oil and herbs which made a really interesting contrast to the dhal. My 2nd attempt wasn’t quite as successful and I burned the lentils coz I didn’t have sufficient water in the pot LOL I ate it anyway….waste not, want not and all that!!!

It’s been an interesting exercise to see how much of what I wanted/needed I could buy without buying anything in plastic. I think I was about 70% successful. It’s incredible difficult. Even if you buy something in a cardboard box, when you open it, the contents are usually packaged in plastic. urgh. So annoying.

Buying fresh fruit and vegetables is the aspect that confounds me the most….why on earth do the supermarkets still have to pack bananas, apples, oranges, broccoli, cucumber, cabbages, potatoes, peppers etc etc in plastic bags, trays or wrap. It’s COMPLETELY unnecessary and just adds more and more to the plastic pollution blighting our landfills and oceans. Apparently a number of brands have signed up to a pact to reduce plastic…..by 2025!!!! Why so far in the future? With 8 Million Tonnes Of Plastic Dumped in the Sea every Year, that means an extra 56 million tons in the next 7 years!!!. There are so many alternatives available already that I’m pretty certain they could reduce their unnecessary plastic packaging immediately.

I was delighted to learn about The Clean Kilo, the UK’s largest zero-waste supermarket; A Gap in the Market.

I recently tried a different type of milk; Oatly and it’s delicious, even in my early morning tea. I’m trying to avoid soya products due to the destruction of the Brazilian rainforests, as well as palm oil due to the destruction of Indonesia’s rainforests and the orangutans that live there. These forests are being torn down for palm oil, pulp and paper plantations threatening endangered species such as orangutans with extinction. It’s horrendous. “Without proper safeguards, the soybean industry is causing widespread deforestation and displacement of small farmers and indigenous peoples around the globe”. The EU’s hunger for soy is causing destruction in Brazil.

I’m afraid I was largely ignorant of the ecological impact of my lifestyle. It was only after coming to the UK, and particularly more recently, that I’ve become aware. I do agree that the number of people, consumerism and materialism have played a massive role in the destruction of the planet. Sadly, I don’t see that ending any time soon. But, lobbying to make changes, signing petitions and raising awareness by talking about it, as well as taking daily action will make a difference. I’m always reminded of the starfish on the beach. I believe that, although our actions are tiny, they do make a difference and they set an example that other people will follow. There are a number of brilliant initiatives taking place around the world that will collectively have an impact. Even grassroots initiatives like the people in Kenya who are collecting discarded flip-flops and creating beautiful artworks. I feel for the 3rd world countries who don’t have the same infrastructures we in the western world take for granted. I just fear that the large corporations are not making enough of an effort. I’m going to start writing to every large company in the UK and urge them to take stringent actions now, rather than phase it out by…. Whatever arbitrary date they come up with.

We really do have to take urgent action NOW. On a more personal note…..my first grandchild is on the way and I want to make sure I don’t leave a planet decimated because of my lifestyle. And a major plus is that I’m saving a lot of money, my shopping bill has reduced quite a lot coz I’m not buying as many products as I did before.

In case you missed my previous post on plastic pollution

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A gap in the market

Posted in around the UK, Health, Interesting articles, other peoples blog, plastic pollution, tagged ban single use plastic, environmentally concious, https://www.thecleankilo.co.uk/, non recyclable products, plastic free shopping, plastic pollution, the clean kilo, the clean kilo birmingham, uk plastic pact, unnecessary single use plastic, zero waste supermarket on November 2, 2018| 1 Comment »

The big UK supermarkets have allowed a gap in the market for innovative, eco-conscious companies to step up and BE THE CHANGE.

The Clean Kilo has opened it’s doors……

The Clean Kilo strives to be as close to zero waste as possible – and getting closer all the time.

The store is the brainchild of Tom Pell. He and his partner Jeanette long felt that they “needed to do something about the amount of plastic which ends up in the environment.” While thinking about ways to reduce the amount of plastic used in our daily lives, they came to think of the obscene use of unnecessary plastic for food packaging and the idea for The Clean Kilo was born.

I hope that more of these independent stores open up around the country.

https://www.goodnet.org/articles/uks-largest-zero-waste-supermarket-has-opened-its-doors

I say bravo to these people, and wish the very best of success. Yes, some of the named brands have signed up to the UK Plastic Pact….but their target date is 2025!!! By that’s 7 years away and by that stage 89 tons more of destructive plastic will end up in the oceans. They need to stop wrapping fruit and vegetables in plastic NOW!!!

Companies like Tesco, Sainsburys, Iceland, CoOp, Aldi, Lidls, Morrisons, Waitrose are all going to lose customers because of their stubborn refusal to stop wrapping fruit and vegetables in unnecessary plastic. They’ll post a year-end loss and sob into their plastic bags. #bansingleuseplastic

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