Day 69 - Saturday 18 January 2003 - Warsash to Southampton

 6 miles walked today

766 miles walked in total (11.10 average)

I started walking today at eleven o'clock.  It was very grey and quite chilly - 8 degrees according to my car thermometer.

The path went from Hamble Point Marina through woodland, where I walked through reddy gold bracken and flowering gorse.  Is there a time of year when gorse isn't in flower?!

Despite the industrial nature of the area, there have been hundreds of people out and about - walkers, fishermen, kite flyers and yachtsmen.  The path soon left the woods and I had to walk along the sea wall past the BP oil depot, before getting to a shingly beach at Netley.  Today, I think I've walked nearer the sea than I have so far on this walk.  I had the shock of my life when a squirrel leapt out at me - I screamed and then laughed my head off, as I imagined people watching me and wondering what on earth was going on.

Just past Hamblecliffe House, I had to walk through the Royal Victoria Country Park, which used to house the hospital ordered to be built by Queen Victoria.   The pier head is all that remains of the pier where the hospital ships used to drop off their patients.  As the water is very shallow, they had to use smaller boats to transport their human cargo for treatment.  

What my guide book and map didn't mention was the Netley Chapel, which is an absolutely stunning building with a huge dome.   I wondered if the hospital had been converted into this structure, but couldn't find any information.  And, unfortunately, the chapel is only open on Sundays until April and I couldn't get in to investigate.  I think though that I'll have to have a drive down here one Sunday to take a better look.

I detoured slightly inland through Netley village to go and have a look at Netley Abbey which must have been enormous in its day.  The weather had changed for the better by now and the abbey was very picturesque with the sun on it.   It was quite an eerie place though - it's run by English Heritage, but there's no admission charge and, consequently, no staff and no people around.  Quite spooky in fact.  Maybe the horrendous smell of dog poo in the grounds has put any visitors off!

I followed the path back out to the sea into Woolston (home of Vosper Thorneycroft shipbuilders, my current employer) and strode up the steps onto the Itchen Bridge to cross into Southampton proper.  That was very exciting as it was very gusty - glad I didn't have a hat on!  It was all I could do to avoid being blown off the bridge into the water below.

I decided to save the ferry to Hythe for the next time I walk - my feet were killing me (yet more blisters) and I was starving!  I popped into the pub for a cider - no food unfortunately as it was full of footie fans watching Man United v Chelsea on Sky Sports.  The Southampton game was an evening kick off - otherwise I'm sure I wouldn't even have got a seat!