Saturday 30 September 2000

Shahid Shad, Mark Shephard and Philip Bustin

We started from SU718186. Walked through Queen Elizabeth Country Park under the road along the South Downs Way in an easterly direction. Glorious sunshine. I was in my shirt sleeves most of the day. We left the South Downs Way near Hyden Wood and had lunch at the Bat and Ball (telephone 02392 632692) where cricket was first played SU677167 (5.4 miles).

After lunch we turned to the north and returned to the South Downs Way near Mercury Park but now heading east back towards the car park making a slight detour to see the view from the top of Butser Hill.

Sunday 1 October 2000

Started 10:30 from the pub car park on the A3023 just before it crosses the Langstone Bridge to Hayling Island SU719048. Walking east along the Solent Way along the north shore of Chichester Harbour. We went around the mill pond in Emsworth crossed the river using the A259 bridge south, through the Marina with its crazy flats. (These are on stilts so they do not have a ground floor). Cut east across the neck of Thorney Island to Chidham and had lunch in a pub there (SU786040).

Following 2 Cheadar ploughmans' and a pork chop (slow), we turned back to where we started. Part of the route we had already passed through once but a lot of the time were slightly to the north. Passing Phil's old school (now a house) and sports field (now just a field) in Nutbourne. We walked around the other sides (ie the ones we had not used on the outward journey) of the two mill ponds in Emsworth. By now the tide had reached its peak and was just on the ebb. However it still lapped the sea wall in places but we all returned home dry shod.

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