After a quick breakfast at the Premier Inn, we made our way to City Mill, the official starting point of the South Downs National Trail. As we were a little early, so the National Trust shop wasn’t open, so we had to be a little inventive with the obligatory start photos!
Rather humid, so shorts and t-shirts were the order of the day. The route heads out of town, and after roughly 1 mile, we crossed the M3 motorway via a footbridge, and then we were into the countryside, with the dull roar of the motorway ever fading into the distance as we progressed. Soon, we passed through the village of Chilcolm and up some steep tracks, passing lots of mountain bikers, and onwards towards Cheesefoot Head, very famous for Eisenhower addressing American troops during WW2.
A quick pit stop for cold drinks and some snacks from a mobile van was very welcome.
Most of the tracks were now stony, hard tracks with very few areas in the shade. We made the most of the gaps in the hedgerow for some occasional breeze. A very strange field with people racing tanks gave us some amusement for a few minutes! Had lots of stops in the shade, taking on water, really hot and humid now.
Lunch was at Holden Farm, an excellent selection of sandwiches, drinks, and ice creams, plus clean toilets and a water tap.
It was tough starting again after lunch. The bags were very heavy for both of us. 12.6kgs for Kim, mine was 14.4kgs. Another water tap at Lomer Farm, it was lovely and cold as well. Lots more hard stoney paths as we ascended Beacon Hill, but the views at the top were fantastic. A long descent into Exton through the fields of crops, and finally to our B and B.
A very tough, hot humid day. Its going to be much of the same again tomorrow…
