Camino Inglés UK - Day 3 - Dummer to New Alresford

Day 2 began with a revelation. There is a point to Basingstoke - it has taxis. More significantly, ones that arrive to pick you up bang on time. Basingstoke, you have earned a special place in my heart; and from here onwards will be known as Taxitown. Our good driver from Taxitown ferried us swiftly back northwards to our start point in Dummer. My trusted companion, aka the Billy Goat, had booked us an Air BnB right on the Camino route on the south side of New Alresford. Our task for the day was simple. Just walk the 14 miles cross country back to where stayed!

The Queen Inn


Standing outside the Queen Inn in Dummer it was cold. Bloody cold for a morning just 6 days shy of May. With gun metal skies above and a stiff east wind buffeting us we regretted not having gloves or hats. Silly, silly error. 


Dummer, apparently, was where Fergie was brought up. Not the big nosed Jock who brought so much success to Londoner’s favourite team Man United, but the Flame-haired ex-royal floozy who was married to the Nation’s favourite Prince!

Looking back towards Dummer

After just over an hour we reached Preston Candover, and one of the smallest churches I’ve ever seen. 




Then a dilemma. Do we detour half a mile to the village shop that allegedly dispensed coffee and cakes? Common sense lost out, so we found ourselves sitting in the rather lovely community store. Everything there was just so so “nice”. So delightfully twee and middle class. If Felicity Kendal did village shops then this would be the model. People traipsed in and out, everyone knew each other. All rather nice. Our seating position was right next to the newspaper rack, so we were able to get an insight to local political trends. Judging by the papers that were picked up, the only surprise was that the customers weren’t goose stepping in to buy them. Yes, the bastions of middle England, the Mail and Telegraph. I bought a copy of the “I” and scurried away before the Blue Rinsette Brigade could be mobilised to chase us out.


Preston Candover Community Store

Preston Candover 

After another 3 miles we got to the sleepy (some might say comatose) village of Upper Wield. Talk about chocolate box. Everywhere we looked there were quaint thatched cottages. The church was open, so passports got stamped.








Now the main slog. The best part of 5 miles along the Oxdrove Way into Old Alresford. The views were quintessentially English along this long straight path. There was a brief stop to air the feet at Upper Lanham Farm before arriving into Alresford. Another church and another stamp.

Old Alresford church




Then the final push into charming (as everywhere seems to be here) New Alresford. The sun came out, everything twinkled. We followed the River Arle and passed some Watercress beds before making our way up into the middle of the town. A fine day’s walking was capped off sitting outside the Horse and Groom in the beautiful warm, life enhancing, sunshine. 









We’re well over halfway to Southampton, but our main concern is now the weather for the next leg into England’s old capital, Winchester.



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