THE ANNUAL Edward Thomas Fellowship Birthday Walk saw around 40 people take part in the strenuous five mile outing.

One stopping off point was the Edward Thomas memorial stone on the Shoulder of Mutton Hill, which overlooks Steep and Petersfield,

It tour included a visit to the Bee House – Edward Thomas’s former hill-top study where the poet and his family lived until his death during the First World War.

At Bee House, the highlight of the expedition, the owners provided a warm welcome and freshly brewed coffee, tea and chocolate biscuits in the garden.

There were grandstand views from the terrace over the coombe below, the curving road around Stoner Hill and the South Downs beyond. The walk, which was held on March 6, also included a visit to Yew Tree Cottages – the Thomas family’s third and final home in Steep – and the day ended at All Saints Church, Steep, with afternoon tea, a short meeting and a birthday tribute to the poet.

The theme of the latter was ‘Taking leave of Steep’, because it was exactly 100 years ago that the Thomas family left Steep for good in October 1916.

A dramatic reading from Under Storm’s Wing and three tracks from the Fast Beat My Heart CD brought to an end what proved to be a remarkable day of walking and poetry readings.