Water Vole Way

We were organised yesterday and checked ahead for the weather forecast for today. Finding that it was going to be dry first thing we decided a walk in the morning was the way to go and so then it was deciding which walk to do.

In the end we chose the Water Vole Way which is part of the Itchen Navigation Trail where it is possible to walk from Southampton to Winchester.

This part of the trail starts just down the road from Eastleigh train station.

For ease I took the little point and shoot camera with me but I wish I had taken my other camera and tried to take some better pictures with it, though I'm not sure how much of a better photo of these ducklings I could have managed. They were practically running across the water they were moving so quickly!

There were a couple of places along the 3.5 miles which provided good photo opportunities for G and S. T was otherwise engaged with friends and didn't join us.

The river backs right on to many gardens and this was a particularly sweet one with all the bluebells blazing away in the sun and a bench ideally placed for enjoying all that the countryside scene had to offer.

We saw a few butterflies, heard lots of birdsong and as well as the ducks we saw a lone swan. Whilst admiring another back garden G called out to me 'quick look over here there are two cranes.' Very funny.

At one point I had to stop and tie my shoelace and when I looked up this was the view. I love the faded green of the gate and the smattering of bluebells.

The last part of the walk was along Church Road in Bishopstoke and on the front of one of the houses is a plaque. It's in memorial of a local family who had once lived there and had been passengers on the Titanic.