South Downs Way Day 1 - Winchester to Exton

A poor night filled with nightmares and struggling with a very soft bed, but I felt excited and ready to go when I woke. I'd opted not to have breakfast at the hotel, which was fine but quite old school and expensive. So instead I packed up and walked into town to go to an independent cafe for some avocado toast that ended up being considerably pricier than the hotel.

It might have been expensive, but it was delicious, with the avocados decorated with extra (and surprising) flower petals. It also meant I got the chance to watch and listen to the two delightful young waiting staff flirting with each other. It was all going well, lots of smiles and arm touching, till the young man gave the young woman instructions in how to do bicep curls correctly. ‘All right gym boy’ and a crushed red face ensued.

I went from the cafe to the cathedral. This added a little extra distance to my day's walk, but I really wanted to see the space again. My lovely friend Sophie got in touch this morning with a fantastic poem by Rilke that she thought would speak to me. It spoke to me so thoroughly that as I walked into the cathedral there were tears running down my face. I choked at the kind lady on the door that I'd just like to be able to go in and sit for a bit and she waved me through, alarmed I think, meaning that twice in two days I didn't pay the £13 entry fee. I present it to you as a money saving strategy. You've got to make the tears really convincing though. I have often thought that the stones of these wonderful ancient places will have felt a lot of emotion. And they're very good at holding it, and reflecting back calm. So after a little while I felt much more settled, and I was able to start the day properly feeling strong.

I walked down the main road, past a remarkable number of travel agents. Are the people of Winchester keen to be on the move? And towards the commanding statue of King Alfred, and finally the Town Mill which is where the sign marking the official start of the walk is situated.

It doesn't open till 10, so I was hanging around for a few minutes whilst waiting for the gates to be unlocked, and chatted to Isabelle, Katie and Sully, who had been staying at my hotel last night too. They are walkers as well, having done adventures in the Alps as well as at home, and they have plans to tackle the SW coastal path, as they're from Exmouth. One of the joys of walking for me is to meet new people, and it was great that I bumped into them before I'd even begun the walk proper.

I sadly couldn't give the old mill the time it deserved, as I was itching to get started. But I ducked inside to have a quick look at the mechanism and to note that Turner had done a sketch of it when in his twenties. Nowadays it doesn't have the random bits of classical sculpture dumped in the water that he depicts, as if by some irresponsible Roman flytipper.

I roped in some passers by to take a photo by the start board, and finally got going.

The first section ran alongside the river Itchen, which was extremely high and running very fast. Were the mill to be functioning today it would be grinding super effectively.

And then the path climbed quickly away from the city, pulling upwards rapidly, and testing my untrained CV system somewhat. It crosses the M3 as it climbs. I quite enjoy walking over a motorway, contrasting my slow pace with the racing traffic, and imagining the lives of the people intently getting to the next place fast.

Although I managed to take a wrong turning when leaving the city, (it wouldn't be a normal walk without me having episodes of not knowing where I'm going) for the rest of the day the path was marked extremely clearly, both with signage and underfoot. As I passed the hamlet of Chilcomb I met a couple of riders and Jess, who was walking leading a pony called Bonnie. I asked if she was a Shetland, and Jess kindly explained that she was an American miniature. She's six years old and 40 inches, and very friendly. And then I heard that she was a champion miniature mare. I was most impressed.

I continued pulling up Telegraph Hill, breathing heavily but not reducing my pace, thinking about a friend who used to talk me through these tough bits on previous walks. I was pleased to find I was quite capable of doing it on my own without encouragement, and it felt like a small triumph. As the path skirted round the edge of the hill there was a clear choice of path. The clearer one was the chalk path, but running alongside it was a more diffuse muddy path. I always choose a muddy path instead of the apparently more straightforward chalk, because that easier looking path can be unpredictable and very slippy, catching you out. The mud might appear to be harder going, but you know what you're getting, and it’s genuine. That's one for the lovers of symbolism out there.

At the top, I could see the main road and the car park for Cheesefoot Head. And to my left a welcome patch of sunlight, and to my right a squall. Before I had time to work out from which direction the weather was coming, the squall was upon me, lashing rain and gusty wind. I put on what my formula 1 fans would call my 'full wets' and trudged on, with my slightly too large rucksack cover threatening to pull me upwards as it filled with wind.

Cheesefoot Head is an area of special scientific interest, and is a natural amphitheater. It's used for music festivals as the landowners have diversified from farming. In the Second World War it was used by General Eisenhower to address over 100,000 allied troops before D Day. I had questions about how they all heard him given there weren't generators and sophisticated sound systems in 1944. The information board couldn't help me. But these queries were overridden by my excitement at having some sun and blue sky for the first time. I had to point it out with my muddy pole.

The SDW runs alongside the Allan King Way for a while. This was devised as a commemorative path for a longstanding member of the Hampshire Area ramblers association, running from Portchester to Winchester. What a great memorial. I passed up the opportunity to lounge on a chaise longue style bench, as I had lunch in my sights.

Holden Farm houses various small businesses, including a campsite and excellent cafe. And even better, a cafe that was open. Jen and Abi served me an exceptional toasted cheese and gherkin sandwich and my first coffee of the day, whilst we talked about inspirational walkers. They mentioned a man that they'd served last year who had done the Appalachian Trail, and how impressed they'd been by him. It was a similar encounter some years ago that started me off on the whole long distance walking enterprise. A fleeting meeting that fundamentally changed my life.

I enjoyed my lunch in the company of Ann and David, who were repeating part of the South Downs Way as training for doing St Cuthberts Way later in the year. I did a little of that last year, and was envious of them doing it all and ending up in Lindisfarne. Definitely on my list. We discussed rucksack sizes and bladder hydration systems, the sorts of things that make walkers beam with interest and make normal humans politely baffled at best.

The second half of the walk had some big views opening up to the south west. Maybe to Southampton? Certainly there was water visible in the distance together with a series of towers.

As I was trying to work out what it was I could see, I paused to chat to Sam and Tina. They were having a preventative blister plaster break, and we shared our plans for the next week. They are completing the walk in 7 days instead of my 8, raising money for the HoneyBees preschool in East Sussex. I hope that they will put their justgiving page details on the messages below. I'm not fundraising this year - maybe their preschool could benefit if anyone reading this is feeling generous. They took details of this blog, and kindly got in touch later to tell me of flooding on the path I'll take tomorrow. Again, proof that distance walkers are the best sort of people. I hope our paths will cross again.

The SDW runs to the side of Beacon Hill, giving some big vistas. I could see much further than this morning, but the drama of the views was as much about the skies and the clouds as the landscape. All very dramatic.

As was the descent from the hill, where I didn't have the choice of a muddy path, but had to commit to the chalk one at a perturbing incline which absolutely doesn't show on this photo.

I gingerly picked my way down into the village of Exton and to my B and B for the night. I was pretty tired, very much noticing that I've not done a 13 mile walk with full pack since early November. And foolishly I was thirsty, I hadn't drunk enough today, which is a rookie error, given I had plenty of water with me. It meant that I arrived feeling shaky, which I need to be careful about tomorrow.

I have stayed in a lot of accommodations over the last three years on these treks. But I think Crossways at Exton might win the prize for the best. It is a self contained cottage with its own kitchen, and with the most generous amount of food provided. It meant that instead of going out for dinner, which would involve another walk, I could cook myself some food whilst wearing the fluffy dressing gown provided. And there's a heated towel rail for drying clothes. Absolutely excellent.

I've been pleased with how I've managed today. There have been some sad moments, but the messages of support that have been coming in during the day, either from this blog or directly from friends have been hugely helpful, making me feel I've got a squad behind me. But I think the very important thing from this first outing since my life changed, is feeling that I can do this really on my own if I need to, and that I can rely on myself. I've deliberately not listened to much on my headphones, but instead tried to be present whilst the feelings came and went, and noticed that they don't last forever. As the poem that Sophie sent me this morning said:

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.

Just keep going. No feeling is final.

Stats

Distance travelled - 13.6 miles

Total ascent - 1186 feet

Calories burned - 2043

Local tipple - many cups of tea and glasses of water

Dinner at Crossways B and B - a melange of breakfast options: Baked beans, mushrooms, eggs, toast, yogurt, home made oat cookies.

Still plenty left for breakfast tomorrow!

Video of the day

https://www.relive.cc/view/v8qk5EAAy3O