10TH AND LAST DAY - EXTON TO WINCHESTER

Start of last day - Me and Carolin(Philip took photo)

Worth the steep climb up from Exton

We have come from the far far trees and beyond!

I hope Philip is checking the map!

Nearly there, really this time!

Please let me stay here a few more minutes!

Turned left up from river and there it is!

HOORAY!

Intrepid finishers: Carolin, me and Philip

Us with our welcoming committee!
Gabrielle, Ray, Carolin, Lesley, Val (my sister), Me and Philip

8th May 2011:  Philip and I were up early, but the hotel staff were not!  Sunday breakfast not until 7.30am, so we had to wait around a while. Checked out in good time to get to Winchester quite easily before 9 am as the traffic was light, and we used the B roads from Exton. We parked by the College to meet Carolin, but also for us to look round Philip's old school and if he could catch up on old teachers and friends.

Carolin arrived exactly on time at 9.30 am.Philip then drove us all to Exton to park, where we finished yesterday. We started walking about 10 30am. It had been raining all night, so the paths and roads were quite wet. We were still having the occasional shower,  so it was pac-a-mac wearing day, on and off.

I started walking quite well, but the first hill, to Beacon Hill, out of Exton was very lengthy, some of it steep. There were also a lot of cyclists doing a race, who were on the same road as us at this point, so it was difficult to get into a stride. But some of the cyclists were also struggling up this steep hill and they had more than 100 circular miles to do!

It was annoying me a little that  'temporary walkers path' signs was making our map reading difficult, and I felt sure, in some places, that we were walking further than we should have done. The signs had separated 'walkers' from 'cyclists' and 'horse riders' and in one place, the cyclists got the 'through route' which was on our map, and we had to walk the other two sides of the triangle around the road (hard going on the feet going up hill too!).

We turned away from the road, at a bend and went on a farm track towards Lomer Village, and had a more pleasant walk. We sat in a clearing to have a rest and water/snack break, and suddenly a high wind hit us, so we did not stay there long. The farm we came to was called Windy Farm - how appropriate! We soon came back to another hard road walk, with crop fields either side of us. We reached the 'Millbarrows' and the Millbury Pub at a cross roads. This pub is supposed to have an old treadmill but we did not want to stop to investigate. It was inviting also to think of having a cool lager, but it was full of a motor car convention crowd, so we made use of the facilities and moved on (we had already just eaten and had a drink anyway).

 At Lane End, we came to the end of our road walking bit,  and went along another farm track to Holden Farm, where we crossed the A272, to go on a north-westerly route above Winchester. Going up Ganderdown, we began to get some fabulous views, but the contours were closer together and I had to stop several times to rest my legs and feet. Just turning back and standing admiring the view, and the distance we had come, gave me a rest and a different stance, as well as taking in the beauty all around.

I was definitely finding this the hardest day in terms of my swollen feet - no problems with my fitness in general - I wanted to walk faster, but was struggling with the the blisters - even though my sore toes were  covered with 'compeed' plasters, it was the feet swelling that made the boots too tight. I tried loosening them, but that made it worse. So Carolin and I decided to sing a marching song, and began with 'O when the saints...'! It kept my pace going, up yet another hill, for probably about 30 yards, then I was hobbling again. This went on nearly all the way from then on.

When we were way above at Chilcombe Down, the trail evened out, but continued undulating, until we were with earshot of the 272 again and knew we were close to the end of the walk! But first we had to come down to cross the A272 - not easy - walk down through Chilcombe, on the hard roads again, with some roads sloping up and down.

One more field to cross, 'Oh when the saints, go marching in....oh when the saints....go marching in..' Stop, I had to stop. We took a break, ate some more food and had a drink, before the final bash up the final hill and down towards the bridge crossing the M3 and into Winchester. I felt a bit emotional. Philip kept saying, it isn't far now, for about 45 minutes! (My phone had rung or text beeped several times, asking where were we, for about one and half hours before we actually arrived, by our welcoming committee!) However, by now I was really hobbling and struggling to walk, and could not wait to get sight of King Alfred's statue. When we came to the city walls and the river, I felt relief, but also wondered how much further did we have to walk. It seemed to go on forever...the river was beautiful, flowing fast, the swans grooming, the trees in bloom.

Climbing up away from the river bank, turning left on the road, and suddenly there was the statue! The best sight in the world at that moment. We instinctively cheered. Our welcoming committee spotted us coming down the road and popped open the Champagne! Photograph time by the statue, with or without everyone in it. A final photograph with us all, champagne glasses in hand, (taken by a kind passing stranger), of Gabrielle and Ray, who welcomed me with champagne and arranged dinner, my sister (Val) who brought herself, some flowers, and her friend Lesley, and of course, Carolin,Philip and me. It was an exciting finish! and what a relief! Just time to find our hotel and wash and brush up before our celebratory dinner. It was a perfect ending!