Stage 1: South Downs Waywards on their Way - Winchester to Exton
And we're off! It turns out that if you make a spreadsheet and put some dates in the calendar, things actually happen. To be precise, walking has happened: the South Downs Waywards are on their way. Last weekend was a washout so our original plans for tackling Stage 1 of the route had to be postponed. A rare 'upside' to Lockdown means that calendars are fairly empty right now; thus it was easy to rearrange for this weekend. Husbands were bribed for drop off and pick up, and we put our best feet forward for a 7 am start along Winchester's River Itchen. Rookie error: may have set off too early It was not quite light as we set off; In her determination to guard against any possibility of wandering the Downs in the dark, Hearth-mother may have over-estimated how long it would take to walk 12 miles (actually 13 by our count). Wooded weald The A272, the A31 and the A3 all cross cut the chalk ridge trail and the gentle hum they generate is barely perceptible but always t