🥾 Walk 372 - Watership Down, Sydmonton and Kingsclere

On Sunday 17th March, fifteen of us, including a few BWs, a newbie and a not-quite-so-newbie, met up for a 9½ mile walk that turned out to be a 10½ mile walk. This walk was a modified version of a walk I'd led last year. The modifications seem to have added a bit more mileage that I'd expected, but nobody complained. We were lucky that the rain held off until we finally reached the car park.

We started off on a familiar route, following the Wayfarer's Walk across the top of Cannon Heath Down and Watership Down. We stopped where once stood an elderly beech tree, which Richard Adams had used in his book Watership Down. It was the tree that sheltered the warren that was the final home of the rabbits. This tree finally blew down in 2004, more than 30 years after the book was published, and has since been replaced by a new beech tree, planted in 2013. (No sign of any rabbits.)

Crossing Nuthanger Down, we left the Wayfarer's Walk and headed down a tree-lined path to Sydmonton. Passing through the estate of Sydmonton Court, we got a view of the Grade II listed manor house, private home of Baron Andrew Lloyd Webber and venue of the annual Sydmonton Festival.

From there we passed Watership Farm and then ascended a steep footpath to Nuthanger Farm, with its raised barn, also featured in Richard Adams' book. (Again, no rabbits.) A short bit of road walking and then we were on the Brenda Parker Way, which is frequently mentioned in our scrapbook.

We chose a spot for our picnic lunch were we had a panoramic view of the downs. This sunny spot being out of the wind was very pleasant. So much so that Dan had a little snooze, stretched out in the sun. We were only able to get him back up by mentioning that our next stop was at a pub in Kingsclere.

The Brenda Parker Way led us into Kingsclere, passing the picturesque Wells Head and through the church grounds, right to the door of The Crown pub. Was Brenda Parker a lover of real ale? Anyway, we stopped at this friendly pub for refreshments, before heading out of Kingsclere by the playing fields. On the way down to the gallops at Park House Stables, a few of the group finally caught a glimpse of a rabbit in a field south of the village.

Crossing the gallops, we took a diagonal, but still quite steep, path up Cottington's Hill. Passing the Hannington transmitter mast, we had one more uphill stretch and then it was down hill back to the car park. See our route on Google Maps.

Thank you to Denise and Liz for providing the photos.

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