Day:148 3/8/95 Lee-on-Solent to Portchester

Weather: Sunny & very hot.

Distance: 28 km  ( miles)    Total Distance:  miles

I woke to what was evidently going to be another very hot day.  Breakfast was fine, better than what it might have been considering the landlady also ran the Happy Shopper corner shop next door - I was expecting economy sausages etc.  I left the car there and started the walk on the sea front.

I was soon on the shingle beach and walking outside more MOD property.  I was unsure if I could get access all the way around Browndown but it was fine.  Rounding Gilkicer Point by the life boat station I could see what I thought was the Royal Yacht Britannia making her way from Cowes into Portsmouth.

I walked to the end of a golf course and asked two groundsman about access.  There was MOD property preventing my way along the coast but was told that although there was no official footpath between the course and the MOD property I was OK to walk it.  Back on the coast I found myself on a promenade.  I saw a man with a bike watching the boats come and go.  He confirmed it was Britannia and proceeded to tell me about the local maritime history.

I cut inland again and into Gosport, walking between a defense establishment and a naval research establishment.   Crossing into Gosport town I tried to find the TIC to ask about transport and rights of way.  I found McDonald's and got out of the heat for a milk-shake. I eventually found the TIC who were not too helpful except to tell me about more MOD property coming up than rights of way.

Out of the town was along roads mainly.  I briefly got back to the coast at Hardway which made a very pleasant break. I discovered for the first time this holiday how refreshing larger shandys were in a pub on the front. The landlord apologised that the prices had gone up to £1.77.

Back through the village and onto the A32.  This was one of the hottest sections I had ever walked.  I stopped at one stage just under the hedgerow on the side of the road,  just to get out of the sun.  It was not until fairly near Fareham that I managed to get off the main road and onto side roads again.  Just after that I was attacked by the powerful smell from the local sewage works.  I stopped again to get out of the sun and drink some water on the recreation ground.

At Cam Hall there was development work going on, seemingly to make a leisure complex.  The golf course was finished as was the footpath all around the peninsular.  By the time I reached the housing at Portchester I was parched. I almost stopped at one stage to ask someone watering the garden to give me some waster.  There was no sign of a corner shop.  Seeing the curlew pub near Portchester castle was a very welcome sight.  Time for another larger shandy.

It was then only a short walk up into Portchester.  I got a bus from the town to Farehan and then after another visit to McDonalds - I know where the air conditioning is!  I got the bus back to Lee.  The evening was hot and I made the most of cold showers.  I ate in the Inn-by-the -Sea, a tasty sweet and sour chicken if  little small portion - I was just glad my appetite was small because of the heat.