🥾 Walk 32 - East Garston and South Fawley

I didn't make it to this walk as I was on the Weekend Away in the South Downs. The following words and photos were provided by Adam and Jude, who led the walk.

Despite an unpromising foggy start from home, the weather soon picked up and the ten people who came on the walk were rewarded with mostly sunny dry conditions and excellent view (as promised!). Such a turn-out was encouraging as the walk coincided with the weekend away on the South Downs.

We headed north out of the village and were soon climbing gradually onto the Berkshire Downs with gravel track giving way to scrubby grassland. For a short stretch we were alongside the gallops but no thoroughbreds were to be seen, just a cantering rider appreciating the scenery like we were. The middle section of the walk was on open downland with great views all round.

Lunch was taken at the picturesque hamlet of South Fawley where conveniently on the green two more benches had appeared since the pre-walk giving all but one of us a comfortable perch in a sheltered sun trap. Union flags were dotted around the houses but we were unsure what these marked on this mid-February weekend.

The return south to East Garston gently undulated as before, initially passing some large free-range chicken coups whose occupants didn't dare step away from their shelter as a chill wind had picked up by now. After crossing the gallops again we dropped off the Downs and returned to the car park whereon most of us proceeded to the very convivial Queens Arms pub for a post-walk snifter.

Although no GPS recording was made during the walk, the approximate route has been recreated and can be viewed on Google Maps.

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