A rainy run around Odiham. Lots of pics!

[Retired Member southey]

The weather look perfect so I decided to go for a little trundle around Odiham near where we live,

Its a lovely market village with a very good high street, though no butchers or gunsmiths(the nearest being in Hook?)

Started along the Basingstoke Canal towards Greywell, the little warf leads into the Waterwitch pubs Garden!!

Its a beautiful water way, spotted this Grey Heron, it also spotted me!

The canal looked nice and full, though the path having been washed out a little was hammering my feet

So though the views are lovely,

I decided to go off into a field for a bit,

The river White water is really benefiting from the last few days rain,

Hit a little concrete farm road to get to the main Odiham to Hook road,

Hhhmmmmmm rainy!

The style at the end was interesting! muddy trainers and algy covered wood do not work well!

Off to the ford!

The greens are a great day out for a family picnic and a bit of wildlife watching, you can also rent canoes from the warf in Odiham for £10 an hour

You are here! (the middle of the lower three car parks)

I think I NEED a snorkel for the Jeep this is one of two fords where the river splits to flow around a lovely house and gardens,

I apologise for the pics from here as things got a lot wetter!, this is the lane between the fords, if its flooded you know the houses on the greens aren't having fun!

Part two to follow, THE CLIMB HOME!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Part two the climb home,

The second and larger of the fords isnt so deep as its the main flow of the river and empties well, clear and bright water, lots of signal crayfish in here,

I pootled over this great lift bridge, the bench is dedicated to the old canal Ranger, he has a lovely view

His view, if you carry on up this way you will eventually get to the Greywell tunnel, some info on it here

and on the reason for it being a SSSI here

A mile or so towards home and its all uphill from here

Stopped at a pillbox, brilliant field of view(once they brush is cut back obviously)

Back down to the Junction,

and across the fields,

Then back to the hill,

Maybe a little cut through?

DAMMIT! oh well up the hill we go,

The view is worth it though,(see what i ment re the water )

Maybe there is some shelter in the woods?

Or at least a trig point

But no, no shelter,

the water was streaming down the Beeches, luuuuuuurvley,

A little jaunt back towards home and a warm shower,

Hmmmmm should I take these off before going in to switch on the kettle?

Hope you enjoyed my very rainy day run, will get more pics when the sun comes out to play

 

[Mikey P]

I worked at RAF Odiham briefly and down the road at Oakhangar - lovely area... apart from Bordon...

 

[Retired Member southey]

It sure is lovely, we lived here 7 years ago, and are very happy to find that not much has changed

 

[RonW]

That is wet alright!
But even that has upsides....

 

[Harvestman]

Nice to see people getting out and about in the rain.

Excellent set of pics mate.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Nice to see people getting out and about in the rain.

Excellent set of pics mate.

Cheers matey, I prefer the rainy days more than sunny warm days, it helps to focus you on what's important either accepting the wet, protecting against it or how to win at monopoly!

 

[woof]

Thanks for sharing the photo's Southey. I like to find those old "pill boxes", they were every where when i was small, but mostly gone know, unless on land thats of little use to develepers.

Rob

 

[Retired Member southey]

Me too, the Basingstoke canal has many along its banks and quite a few are in very good order, if you find yourself down this way its well worth a trundle from grey well to the Wey navigation just for the WW2 fortifications alone, the wild life is good too

 

[bushwacker bob]

It seems to rain a lot up north.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hahahaha shandy?