Guided Walk Sunday 20 October 2019 - Exploring ghosts of the past

16 walkers enjoyed a 4 mile stroll on a rare dry Sunday morning.They were admirably guided by Trustee Kim who had researched the history of the line in Martyr Worthy.She was supported by Trustees Jackie, Jim and Mike as well as Railway Historian Chris.Particular thanks to Keith and Jenny Sloan who let us visit their garden which is on the track bed.Their garden contains a wealth of artefacts from the Mid Hants line that went from Alresford to Kings Worthy.The main part of the walk was the mile section of the old railway in Martyr Worthy which has a flat surface accessible to all and incorporates 3 benches installed by the trustees and an information board at Couch Green.One of our forthcoming projects is to provide disabled access from the car park at Couch Green recreation ground.We then proceeded down Bridget’s Lane past the War memorial to Martyr Worthy Church returning to our starting point along the Itchen valley.We passed close to the site of the bothy which was owned and regularly visited by Sir Edward Grey who was Foreign Secretary in 1914 at the start of the Great War.He was a keen fisherman and bird watcher who keenly enjoyed the area.He even brought Theodore Roosevelt, President of the USA, to visit the area.The walkers enjoyed the historical aspects of the walk.Chairman of The Watercress Way, Jackie Porter, said “It was great to share the developments made by The Watercress Way and to inform people of the history of the line. I am grateful to Kim and Chris for their informative commentary.”We then went to The Plough Inn at Itchen Abbas for a deserved drink and lunch.