A very creditable 18 on this walk. Those inveigled into coming by the promise of snowdrops were not disappointed, I think. There were clumps throughout the walk - in churchyards, on verges, in woods, even once in a field. Also some crocuses, the odd adventurous primrose and (on the extra loop) a cherry plum in full blossom.

There was generous amounts of sunshine too: not wall to wall, but more sunny than not. This gave everything a lovely springtime feel, which the birds responded to. I heard my first chaffinch song of the year (several times) and my first (three) greenfinches. Wrens, dunnocks and robins were also belting it out.

On the approach to Freefolk a local resident kindly informed us that the pub had been “ruined”, which was encouraging. In fact it has been modernised. We had booked two tables of six, though for a second week in a row I cast a longing look outside, where a group of runners was enjoying drinks in the sunshine. But my booked table was in the conservatory, which was also bathed in sunshine. Actually a bit too hot for a time.

Our food came quickly. The other table, inside the main bar, was mysteriously waiting for their meals when we left an hour later. Not sure what went wrong there, as the pub was not busy, and we hope they emerged before nightfall. The menu is not extensive and not vastly imaginative, but the meat and fish eaters on our table were happy. The vegan lasagne, however was minuscule and lacking in protein. Frankly it would have made a good starter.

I had forgotten to bring bread, but when we got to the River Test we persuaded a non-luncher to part with a morsel of his bagel (his only sustenance for the day…) to try to tempt the trout out of their cover. It floated downstream untouched. Later, approaching Whitchurch, we crossed another footbridge where the trout were all lurking within suspiciously convenient reach. Bagel man was not in sight so they went hungry.

In my splinter group we decided to go straight to the silk mill for tea, getting there about 3pm. The vegan lasagne eaters here caught up with their calories with a nice chocolate fudge cake. After tea there was subversive talk about “looking round the village” and “going straight to the station”, so only three of set off to do the extra loop. Briefly on this expedition we met two independents using our written directions who said they had done “nearly all” of the walks on the website.

Those who did not do the loop missed a treat, as it was delightful. The snowdrops in Whitchurch Cemetery were perhaps not as spectacular as I remembered and the route twice passes under the hideously noisy A34, but otherwise it was tranquil and calm, bathed in lovely low sunlight, passing more snowdrops and visiting an ancient church with traces of 800 year old frescoes.

I later discovered that three sandwichers also did the loop (they and some others were on the 4.14 train). The three of us were just a bit too late for the 5.14 and so sojourned in the very cosy White Hart (where we met one of the lunchtime runners who was incredulous that we had walked “all the way” from Freefolk, a distance of about 2.5 miles). We got the 6.14, having had a full and varied day out.

14 assembled on a sunny day. It didn’t take long for before the hares left two tortoises behind. Wherever the hares went, it wasn’t the same way as us but they did eventually catch us up back in Whitchurch .They said they encountered a closed path on the way into Freefolk. We tried not to look smug.

In Whitchurch, most had picnic lunches by the millpond (don’t bother feeding the ducks, the fish steal the bread) two ate in the White Hart and at least one in the mill café.

Most then continued on the afternoon loop. More path trouble here. First we had to climb over a padlocked kissing gate and later negotiate a (not very) ‘closed’ bridge. It wasn’t in great shape but not impassable. The most dangerous thing about it was the bar we had to clamber under or over after crossing. Health and safety gone mad. And the church we’d come to see was shut. We got the 16:23 back.

Thank you for putting the walk on for the

nationalmillsweekend

10

sunny warm breeze with some fluffy white clouds

Looks like a rail replacement bus beyond Woking this morning

anyone doing this walk pls?

I am interested in doing this walk jfk However there seems to be a problem with trains to Clapham Junction and weather seems a little off putting

5 for this walk cloudy damp but not really raining Slightly muddy underfoot. A brief stop at the Watership Down Inn. No tables but we could have eaten at the bar. However we decided to press on. Reached Whitchurch in time for the 14:52