Breach Farm Cottages to Brown Candover (Wayfarer's Walk 8)

The way south

Having now nearly recovered from the jetlag produced by the long journey back from New Zealand, I thought I had better get out walking again to maintain the momentum developed while we were there.

I picked up the route of the Wayfarer's Walk at Breach Farm Cottages and walked up the road to pass Breach Farm - or rather, Breach House as it now is, with fine gates and a peacock in the drive beyond.

The passes through a bit of woodland and soon turns left onto a long track more or less due south between large fields. Initially the track is quite enclosed (see photo above) but it soon opens out to a wide vista of freshly sown brown fields. After a while there is a disused chalk pit on the right.

A bit later, the open fields are interrupted by a pleasing lines of trees. The sort of thing David Hockney has been painting in recent times.

At Lone Barn House, the route turns left and is shown on the map as Church Lane, but in reality is a pleasant narrow track ....

 .... which climbs for a while, levels out and then descends to pass beside St Peter's church at Brown Candover.

This Gothic revival church, in the Perpendicular style, was by TH Wyatt and dates from 1845 (Pevsner).

From here, the route follows the road through the village for about half a mile. It is a straggling place, but with some nice houses. I snapped Robeys Farmhouse through a seasonal gap in the beech hedge. It seems a  handsome Georgian building and I was surprised not to see a mention in Pevsner.

I decided to call at halt at the point where the village ends, noting a reasonable place to park for next time.

Conditions: blue sky and sunshine, about 18 degrees C.

Map: Explorer 144 (Basingstoke, Alton and Whitchurch) and 132 (Winchester)

Forward distance: 3.5 miles; distance now traveled 30 miles.

Rating: three stars. Great to be out on such a lovely day, but the walking was of only moderate interest: mainly through farmland with no real views. Brown Candover provided some relief.

Sightings

It's always wonderful when the butterfly season begins, and today there were some Brimstones, a couple of Small Tortoiseshells and a Holly Blue.

Flowers of the day

I have been reading about photography in an effort to improve my skills and one interesting message I have picked up is that is boring to photograph flowers from above.

So although Lesser Celandine has been flower of the day in late March in previous years, I think this is easily the best photo so far. I don't seem to have previously had a Violet.