Meon Valley Walk, dead ends, the sea-side & new boots

So i'd decided to do a solo mission on Saturday and attempt a decent walk of roughly 20 miles.  I'd ridden parts of the Meon Valley trail, a trail that runs through the picturesque contryside not far from where I live.  I'd never been to either final part of the trail and figured it would be as good a walk as any.  A quick google search and I found a map of the walk and it indicated a distance of 21.2 miles, perfect distance.  Click here for web page.

Jo dropped me off at the start of the trail at about 8.30am and I said i'd phone her in about 5-6 hours asking for a lift home if I couldn't find a path back to the house!  I started my Garmin and stood around in the car park waiting for it to find a signal, it didn't.  I cursed under my breath and decided to get moving hoping it would pick me up, it did about half a mile down the track.
It's also worth mentioning at this point that I was sporting a brand new pair of Salomon boots i'd purchased before my honeymoon.  Details of the boots here.
And new socks, details of which are here.

The terrain of the walk was very similar to the parts of the South Downs i've walked in the past, which is ideal for a practice walk.  I kept a very quick pace, one I don't think i'd be keen to replicate in the final walk, but I think as I was on my own I wanted to get back ASAP.
I'd made the decision the evening before to purchase an audio book to listen to on my iPhone, I went with the Radio broadcast of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.  I'd thoroughly recommend it, especially as each part (4parts) was roughly an hour long, perfect chunks to tick off as I went.

After 7 miles it became clear where I was and that there was no way this walk was 21.2 miles long, it then dawned on me that it probably was if I went all the way to the end and back again.  I started to consider my options, I certainly wanted to get to the end, but wasn't certain where I'd come out.  I was pretty confident though I could find a route to Titchfield and then onto the sea.
At roughly 11 miles I came to the end of the route, and it was simply that, I was confronted with 10ft high chicken wire fencing in front of me and to the right, and to the left was a train track!
I about turned and found a cut through I've used in the past on my bike, it dissects the local vineyard!  Unfortunately this brings you out onto a road, and although a fairly quiet road, there is no pavement.  A mile of car dodging started as I tried to get to another trail I knew of.
Fortunately I survived, although I did have to leap into the hedge row on 2 occasions.

This trail would keep me off the road for a couple of miles and get me across the motorway, I did know it wouldn't get me to the sea.  So a quick phone call to Jo asking if she could find me a route was made.  A phone call back 10 minutes later saying there was a good 4.7 mile trail from the church we got married to Hill Head on the sea front.  Perfect.

The route down to the waterfront was pretty wet, as this picture of the trail proves!  Fortunately the boots are waterproof!

As a man who has worked in the marine trade for about a decade now, it wasn't long before I could smell the sea, and the Mr Whippy Van.  And after 5 hours and 18 miles I'd reached my destination:

The new boots and socks were a resounding success, my feet weren't in pain and on closer inspection when I got home, no blisters!  Remarkable.  Only down side, was heat rash on my ankles and tops of my feet.  I'm putting it down to not being able to change socks, and the fact I didn't stop for a break!  Loz