Log No 304. Sun 4th May 2014 - Stubbington to Emsworth, 22 miles (4662 miles walked)

Carl was walking with me again today for the morning as far as the ferry terminal in Gosport and I was able to leave my rucsac at Carl's as he was going to bring it out to me when I got to the campsite.
So it was to be a nice easy day and the weather was also good.

It was a late start, leaving the house at 09.30 and walking along the sea front at Lee-on-the-Solent and on to Gosport, passing a couple of guys setting up their powered hang gliders, it just looked like they had a big fan attached to the back of their rucsac/harness.

We also passed a Hovercraft, a Diving and a Submarine museum.

My route now should have been to go inland up the west side of Portsmouth Harbour to Fareham then across to Havant.

You probably wouldn't think it, unless you looked at the map closely, but Portsmouth is on an island, Portsea Island, and rather than bypassing it I decided to take the short ferry across and continue on the Solent Way along the sea front.

I followed the crowd off the ferry to go through the shopping centre and onto the quayside and round to Old Portsmouth.

There were a lot of people about, the good weather and the May Day holiday weekend contributing, and I was constantly weaving a way through.

There were more museums along here, including The Royal Marines museum.

The Solent Way continued up the east side of Portsea Island but I took the opportunity to go onto Hayling Island with the even shorter ferry crossing.

A footpath / cycleway, The Wheelwright Way took me up the west side of the island to Langstone Bridge and back across to Havant.

I picked up The Solent Way again over the bridge and followed it briefly round one of the many channels of Chichester Harbour.

It seems odd to call this Chichester Harbour when none of the channels go into the town, the nearest one goes as far as Fishbourne.

I got onto the A259 for the last stretch through Emsworth to the campsite at Southbourne, Carl & Heather were going to find me somewhere along the road to reunite me with my rucsac.

They actually missed me when I had called into the Co-op in Emsworth to get supplies at 16.30

It had been fine to have some company on the walk again and good to see Carl & Heather again.

An easy flat 22 miles with no weight on my back in 7 hours.