Left home 9am, walking by 12pm.
A hot day! Deep blue sky, fluffy clouds, bright sunshine.
Away from the Itchen valley, the countryside becomes more rolling.
English countryside, with a touch of the exotic! This pair made me smile.
Further down the hill, an old farmhouse basking in the noon-day sun.
The half-tiled walls remind me of Kentish houses.
By 1.30pm the heat was stunning. This photo is taken from the welcome shade of a small tree - a good place to eat lunch.
It was quiet. No birds, no people, no traffic, no breeze. The temptation to have a snooze was almost overwhelming! Before sleep claimed me, I scrambled to my feet, shouldered my rucksack, ventured out into the sun and started walking along the path towards the clump of trees in the distance.
Past the clump of trees, down the hill, cross the busy A32 and into Chawton. The path goes past Jane Austen's home, now a museum.
Jane Austen was one of the themes threading through this walk. A fan of her books, it was fortunate that I'd been here last year otherwise I would have had to stop walking and go in!
Opposite the house is 'Cassandra's Tea Room'. As I carried on walking, I wondered what pithy comment J.A. would have made about the tea room's name.
At the end of the day's walk I returned to see the church. Jane Austen would have attended services here. As it was late in the day, the door was locked. In the graveyard, tucked into a secluded corner near the church, I found the graves of the two Cassandra Austens, mother and sister of Jane. Jane Austen is buried in Winchester cathedral.
Then on to the nearby small town of Alton.
All Saints, Alton
A cool and peaceful refuge on a hot day....
...with a warm welcome!
The sign says:
'Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for He is going to say, "I came as a guest, and you received Me." (Matt. 25:35)'
Passing through the small, busy town of Alton, the path wandered out into the countryside and on to the village of Holybourne, and Holy Rood church.
3.15pm and the bench visible in the bottom left hand of the photo was a comfortable spot to rest my hot feet and to have a drink.
Having settled down on the bench, the sound of buzzing became apparent and came from a swarm of bees collecting at the apex of the cream-coloured aisle.
Inside I could still hear the buzzing of bees as I wandered around slowly, waiting for my eyes to readjust to the dark interior. There was a leaflet about time with the following on it:
'There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. (Ecclesiastes 3, v.1)
The leaflet recommended reflection on how we spend our time. Being a Christian is a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year commitment, and it asked how much time in the day do we make available to God?
Leaving Holybourne, there was only a short distance to the next village of Froyle.
'The Lord preserve thy going out and thy coming in'.
At the back of the church was a large glass case containing some ornate and colourful embroidery.
Close-up of the centre flower
Time, as always, was pressing and unable to find any history of these garments, I left the church. One of the many places I want to return to at a later date. I'd love to know who did the embroidery and when.
Still pondering over the exquisite colours and the amount of time taken to do the embroidery, I missed the footpath sign! As in most cases of map reading errors, I ended up walking a little further. The detour did have one benefit: I got to see this beautiful old building.
The afternoon was hot, and after a short way on leafy lanes, the path came out into open countryside baking in the afternoon sun. I trudged on, getting hotter and hotter, glad of my sun hat.
The path ahead. The wheat is already ripe and the path dry and dusty. The picture doesn't show the view shimmering in heat haze.
Just after taking this photo, a man came jogging over the slight crest of a hill - watching him made me feel even hotter!
Although I had water, it didn't seem to quench my thirst. The hotter I became, the more I thought about a cool, fizzy bottle of Coca Cola! The map showed a Post Office at Bentley and with luck it would be part of a small shop. Would I get there before closing time?
I did, and there was chilled Coca Cola available - and directions of where to find the bus stop to get back to Four Marks! Outside I twisted the bottle cap off. Pfffffstttttt! I drank. The cool, fizzy, sweet liquid hit the spot. Weird - I hardly ever drink the stuff but it was just right in every way.
Back at Four Marks the chippy was open and enticing smells pulled me towards the door. A crispy piece of haddock, golden chips with salt and vinegar, washed down with the rems of the cola. Hideously unhealthy, wonderfully tasty, and it gave me some much-needed energy. Fortified, I drove to Chawton to see the church. By this time it was cooler, the sky had cleared of clouds and everything was bathed in the rich gold sunshine of early evening.
This seat in St Nicholas' peaceful churchyard, in the warmth of the sun tempted me to sit and stay awhile, but it was getting late and time to head for home. I left reluctantly but well satisfied and content with completing another section of the walk.
