Duncton/ Grafham circuit, Local

A very cold morning, -2 degrees back at the car park above Duncton. This time we were going to keep on the west side and head over to Grafham before cutting up to the south downs and back along the South Downs way 
Another piece of the South Downs way jigsaw.

Taking the path we finished on last time, and in the urge to get warmed up, I headed down hill 10m too soon and picked the wrong track. This was not disastrous, but did add around 1 km to the distance as it cut back to the road.

This track came out of the woods at a field on the valley bottom.

taking a road which lead to the college grounds, but with a warning about sat navs, as it only feeds the cottages.

This lane ran along the side of the college playing fields, passing all the cottages. then around the main building - probably the old manor house, before cutting into the woods around the perimeter wall.

This changed into a forestry track, in the chalk.

A strange warning sign on the side of the track as it undulated along the side of the slope...  the surface was quite rutted, but with the frost making it solid.

The track got a little tedious following every contour of the slope in and out up and down.

Fed up with the hard work on the track, we cut down across the short grass section onto the college drive, around the stud farm.

Although the wind howled along this it was much easier walking than on the track.

The drive way ended at a pretentious gatehouse and gate way, before turning around to the church and school.

There was plenty of parking on the side of the road here, with a number of cars taking advantage.

I did like the massive old Yew trees around the graveyard.

A short section on the road then we cut up on another forest track - slightly less rutted, as it cut back up to the side of the ridge, before traversing westward ...  here we entered the Grafham reserve - an attempt to preserve the iron age aspects of the area.

The track angled upwards slanting across the slope in a steady traverse to the top of the ridge. Definitely very crispy underfoot. 

Before long we emerged out onto the top, which was really not much different to the wooded side, except flatter, and with enclosed areas where the reserve was doing restoration efforts.

We continued westward on the ridge to reach the spot height where the literary trail joins.

Time for a break and snack before turning back into the wind and returning along the top of the ridge.

Here it was easier to see the restoration efforts and the isolated paddocks - keeping all but the walkers out.

On this section of the downs there are a large number of "barrows" - ancient burial sites, most with yew trees nearby and generally in the fenced off paddocks.

the track meandered to the left and right of these areas, generally in the trees which helped shelter the way from the wind.

Another wonderful old signpost with a lead cap - there was one on the last walk just up the track from here.

Now everything opened out as we came to the end of the reserve and the fields took over.

On the skyline is the track we followed last time that headed down to the carpark. However there was a track that cut the corner off - to the edge of the woods on the left, and would come out the other side of the quarry we had skirted last time.

The footpath re-entered the woods, very close to the forest track we had followed last time, but instead of veering off to the east cut down more directly., passing by the edge of the quarry - much more in evidence this time.

The final section, back on the the track to the van, reaching the carpark where most of the cars had departed, leaving us to have lunch quietly on our own.

Back home to warm up by the fire.