Ewe with a view

After walking the dogs first thing, Mr DawnAgain and I took advantage of the good weather and did our first pub walk for many a year, our thinking being that we could do with some more exercise. We left the car in the National Trust car park on Harting Down and walked along the South Downs Way to the 16th century Royal Oak at Hooksway. The recent rain had made the going somewhat clayey and slippery in places and our boots became heavier the further we walked but the sunshine gave us some lovely views to spur us on. We also saw buzzards, red kites, skylarks, deer, and lots of sheep.

At the pub we left our filthy boots outside and went in for a couple of beers and a nice lunch of steak pie in Mr DawnAgain's case and mushroom and chestnut pie in mine, followed by delicious apple crumble. After an hour's rest and recuperation we set off again for the second half of the circular route, the weather having taken a turn for the worse with strong winds and cloud. We walked as fast as we could in order to beat Storm Imogen who was clearly blowing in and, despite a wrong turn resulting in a detour eventually taking us through Buriton Farm itself rather than skirting round it, we made it back to the car in the dry and headed home for a very welcome cup of tea.