Overview:
These 2 legs will use a combination of car share and public transport. There is an overnight stay (all pre-booked) in Eastleigh.

The walk follows the Itchen for some of the way and it could be damp and muddy in places, especially after rain (hopefully it will not be flooded!!).  We will probably be home after 7pm on Monday night, but it depends on buses etc. The walk does not have any large climbs, but there could be some uphill sections.

NB this walk will not have been recced.  The information about facilities etc has only been researched via the internet and could be inaccurate. In addition, the walk has only been plotted "virtually" so everyone will need to be a bit flexible if things go wrong!

13 walkers have already signed up for this. It may be possible to add extra walkers but it depends on car share and hotel availability.  Car share costs are estimated at £22.50 each (all passengers pay £20 to the driver of the shared car and £2.50 to Dick who will help with the shuttle).

Travel: 
Car share leaves Ashford at 9.00am on Sunday morning, 21st September. Everyone drives initially to the Barfield Park and Ride in Barfield Close, Winchester (SO23 9SQ).  It is free to park on Sunday.  We all go across the road to the leisure centre where there is a café and loos.  After a break, all the drivers take their cars to Bishopstoke Car Park in Bishopstoke Road, Eastleigh SO50 6LA (free to park all day Sunday).  This car park is a very short distance from the Camino route by the Itchen and 1.6 miles from the Premier Inn.  One car comes back to the start of the walk with the drivers and parks for free in the Barfield Park & Ride (NB the driver of the car that returns to the start needs to leave their overnight stuff in one of the cars in Eastleigh).

At the end of the walk on the first day (Sunday), we arrive at the Bishopstoke Car Park. The 3 cars with all the walkers all drive the 1.6 miles to the Premier Inn car park and park there till Monday morning (they have confirmed that there should be space for our cars and we park free of charge).  During Sunday evening, one car drives back to pick up the car in Winchester and both come back to park in the Premier Inn (this has to happen as the car cannot be left overnight in Winchester).  

On Monday Morning, all the cars at the Premier Inn will drive to Bishopstoke car park to start the walk (£8 per day charge per car).

At the very end of the walk, we use public transport (probably a number 2 bus) to get us all back to the Bishopstoke Car Park for the journey home. The bus journey will be about 1 hour.

Details of Leg 8:
We start with a short walk north, to where we left off the Camino previously. We then head south, staying fairly close to the River Itchen for most of the way.

Lunch will be at a cafe called Platform 1: https://www.platformone.uk/platform-1-shawford. Unfortunately we cannot book a table so we may have a stand-up lunch, but they have confirmed that they will be able to serve all of us. You can bring a packed lunch if you prefer but you cannot eat this in the cafe! The Bridge Inn (the original choice) only does full Sunday lunches starting at 12 noon.

Possible places to stop are:

• Winchester Cathedral grounds and the Abbey Mill after about 0.5 miles
• St Cross Church and Hospital (Pilgrim stamp) after about 2 miles
• Platform 1 (hot & cold drinks, sandwiches, burgers and cakes), it has a Pilgrim stamp.

Details of Leg 9:
Possible places to stop are:

• The White Swan Pub (Pilgrim stamp) after 3.5 miles
• Woodmill Coffee Kitchen - small pilgrim stamp (after about 4 miles)
• God's House Tower (closed Monday to Wednesday)
• Tudor House and Garden (to get the St James's Way badge if you have a stamped-up passport)
• Platform Tavern Pub (Pilgrim stamp)
• St Michael's Church (Pilgrim Stamp)

Lunch will be decided on the day - we will have had a large breakfast so we will probably have a coffee and snack (or full lunch, or pick up something for later) in the Woodmill Coffee Kitchen (closes 14.30) and then have something else when we get to Southampton (see how we feel on the day). Cafe Thrive looks like an option 1.3 miles from the end of the walk.

Facilities:
There are toilets in the Leisure Centre at the start of the walk on Sunday and the cafes en route will have toilets.

Leaders: Mike and Della