Stairway To Heaven

Posted bynickletjogPosted inDiary

CAMINO INGLÉS – Day 6: Saturday 29 August 2026 – EASTLEIGH to SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS (7.5 miles)

God’s House Tower, at Southampton Docks, where the English section of the Camino Inglés officially terminates

Our final day of the English section of the Camino Inglés dawned grey, and the rain was falling steadily this morning as we contemplated the walk from Eastleigh into Southampton. Worse still, Karen was suffering from the week’s blisters, and so Rachel and I were dispatched as the team’s representatives to complete the walk – Karen and George, from their Winchester home, will finish the trek another day soon. But we soon had reinforcement in the form of Jenny, a friend of mine from the Camino Portugués earlier in the year – she lives nearby and nobly joined us, despite the elements, for the rather wet ramble from Eastleigh to the docks.

A sodden southward slog through the overgrown path along the banks of the River Itchen marked the first half of today’s walk, to Mans Bridge: then the rain abated briefly as we followed the path through Riverside Park – before another downpour as we reached our destination in the centre of Southampton

So, after deploying our waterproofs, Rachel and I took the train back from Winchester to Eastleigh, meeting Jenny at the station as planned, before retracing our steps to the Camino path by the Itchen. The rain prevented all but a few photos of our first few miles, but here goes.

Meeting up with Jenny . . .
. . . and contemplating the way ahead
Cattle gazing on the Itchen water-meadows . . .
. . . then we we made it into the partial shelter of the woods
This stream bed, newly damp, has clearly been deprived of water during the drought . . .
. . . though the waters of the river’s main channel seem plentiful now
At Mans Bridge we took shelter under the road crossing, before a welcome coffee at The White Swan tavern
Spirits revived, we continued on an easy path through Riverside Park . . .
. . . and a break in the rain was most welcome
Black swans, as we approached the Itchen estuary . . .
. . . where the river is now tidal
Entering the city . . .
. . . past St Mary’s Stadium . . .
. . . where mounted police were deployed for the afternoon fixture against Millwall
Rain again, as we entered the ancient city walls . . .
. . . and teeming by the time we got to Bargate
The medieval Holyrood Church was badly damaged during the blitz of 1940, and the remaining shell is now dedicated as a memorial to lost sailors of the Merchant Navy
Near the finish line now, at the third granite mouteira (after Reading and Winchester) . . .
. . . and a quick trip to the quayside . . .
. . . before a rather damp celebration at the finish line by God’s House Tower – our final port of call after 68 miles on the trail

Thus ends our Camino Inglés – or at least the English section thereof. We said our goodbyes to Jenny, found the station and soon reconvened over a cuppa at Karen and George’s home in Winchester. I will shortly put together some facts and figures, and some reflections on our week’s exertions and post another update here in the next couple of days – once we have had the chance to put our feet up and dry off a little!

Standing in the dock at Southampton . . . a little pensive perhaps at the prospect of resuming our Camino Inglés in northern Spain

Most folk will be familiar with the song ‘Stairway to Heaven’, and the title makes for a fairly grandiose Blog heading to mark the completion of the English section of our Camino walk. The number has become the signature hit of the UK heavy rock group Led Zeppelin, having been written in 1970 (and released the following year) with lyrics by lead vocalist Robert Plant to music from the band’s aficionado guitarist Jimmy Page. The piece is in three sections, with a slow extended acoustic beginning that gives way to a passage of electric instrumentation before the full-blown up-tempo hard rock crescendo cuts in – preceding Plant’s a cappella closing phrase ‘And she’s buying a stairway to heaven’. Hailed as one of the greatest rock songs, the anthem has been covered by many artists (including Dolly Parton), and over half a century later continues to endure as one of the all-time classics.

Dream on!

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