Early start at Shoreham due to the long trip to our 10am start time at Winchester. We all arrived by 7.45am and Sally was there to greet us and check us onto the coach, which was full, and there were more than several faces we both recognised from last year. We both commented that either we are getting older or it distinctly seemed to be a much younger group than last year with the three dogs and even a small child that we assumed was to be transported all the way on the child back-packing thingy. They sat behind us and as the child started to fidget...as they do.....mummy said, "please sit up straight......just like you do in church, please".
Lots of usual 'no bypass yet' traffic but we managed to arrive on time and at 10am we started immediately, no goodbyes.......just straight off! Winchester was in chaos as our 4 coaches together with lots of proper tourist all being dropped off too and all seemingly at the same time. 
This time, I found a few minutes to search out and take a photo of the new plaque to mark the start/finish of the SDW, it is on the opposite side of the road so you need to dice with traffic to find it. We then all take off en-mas besides the fast flowing river and find the mill, then with a couple of twists and turns, a long house-lined road and we are thankfully out of the city and over M3. It seemed much more crowded on the path with 200 walkers all within a short distance of each other as we cross the field and into the sleepy village of Chilcombe. We sensibly took an early break for our morning snack and thankfully walkers started to thin out, as it was a bit like walking down Oxford Street, well not quite, but you get gist? This day is never going to our favourite for pretty-ness as the Hampshire end has been added fairly recently and Winchester must have seemed a convenient, albeit a lovely city, to start or finish. However, once up besides Cheese-foot Head the views through the morning heat haze were very welcoming.
The acorn way-markers and a nice spanking-new mile-post directed us on to well used tracks crossing the A272 for the second time at Holden Farm before taking lunch break at the 17th century Milbury's Pub. We didn't fancy alcohol just yet but I popped my head in the door to see a meandering queue towards what must have been the bar...or perhaps just the toilets? So we chose to eat just our own sandwich and energy drink. We did hear later from those that had ventured further into the pub that he was a particularly grumpy landlord and 200 walkers turning up was less than welcomed! It was still early and pretty warm as we took some shade before setting off again. A lady in front of us fell over a pothole just after the pub, no harm done but it wasn't to be the only one this walk! On reaching the small hamlet called Lomer Farm we spotted, as you do, two large dragon boats being towed out of a farm yard and being put onto a trailer for towing to., where.......? I should have asked as I have a habit of poking my nose in, but this time I just walked on by wondering what else gets stored in country barns? Lizzy the dog and Clive passed us by, both looking no different from when we saw them on the walk last year. We had a long chat about his recent holiday back to his home in New Zealand and his trip via Perth and the Indian Pacific train across to Sydney.
We meet briefly with the Monarchs way as we ascend gradually before passing through a gate and more sharply ascending Beacon hill, sitting at the top, taking a breather, hugging yet another trig, of course, and admiring the views today towards Southampton. 
Following the SDW around the hilltop we take the path beside the road before descending a very steep, knee jarring grassy path the last mile or so, to the picturesque village of Exton where we pass by the quaint & desirable cottages to join some early finishing walkers in the beer garden of the excellent Shoe Pub. 
We enjoyed a very welcome, finish of the day pint sitting besides the Meon river, supping and in no hurrywhile waiting for our call for the next coach and the longest journey of the week, back to Shoreham, knowing it will get shorter from tomorrow and it's a whole 15minute later start in the morning,as well!