Townhill Park to Hatch Grange Ahead, Heading up the Hill
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Walk TP02 (contd. from previous page) small flight of steps with a kissing gate at the top. Go up these steps and through the gate. Follow the informal path up the hill through the meadows, keeping straight Townhill Park to Hatch Grange ahead, heading up the hill. At the top of the hill there are excellent views across to the old Ford site and Quob Green. You will be able to see the blue airport building (at about your 1 o’clock position) in the distance - head down the hill in the direction of this building, aiming for the corner of the meadow. In the corner there is a wooden A circular walk from Townhill Park Community Centre, to Hatch Grange in gate - go through this gate and follow the footpath as it bends around to the left. West End and back along Cutbush Lane 9. Continue along this footpath (it can get quite muddy in the wetter months) - there Start/finish: Townhill Park Community Route includes “kissing” gates and will be houses on your right and then a play area on the left - and you will eventually Centre, Meggeson Avenue, SO18 2FH steps and informal paths in fields so emerge on to Swaythling Road (A27) opposite a garage (this garage sells drinks etc. Walk distance: 2.8 miles (4.5km) not suitable for pushchairs/wheelchairs and also contains a Subway sandwich shop if you need refreshments). Refreshments: Hatch Café at West End No public toilets on route but toilets Parish Centre available at West End Parish Centre 10. Cross the A27 onto the same side as the garage, then turn right and cross On bus routes 8 (First), from Townhill Friends of Hatch Grange have produced Townhill Way. Follow the footpath that runs alongside the A27 (separated from it by Way to West End High Street leaflets detailing walks around Hatch a line of trees) until the end. Turn left onto Cutbush Lane and follow this, past The Grange and Megan Green Gregg School, all the way back to Townhill Park Community Centre. 9 10 8 1 7 4 2 5 View from the top of the meadow. Photo © Jo Proctor 3 6 Inside photos: Cow feeder in Chartwell Copse, Harry Haines plaque at Hatch Grange, Barbe Baker memorial, Avenue of Lime trees at Hatch Grange, Hatch Grange boardwalk© Jo Proctor 2016 Refreshments available at Hatch Café (6) and the garage (9) This walk leaflet is produced by SO18 Big Local. Big Local is run by Local Trust and partners, and funded by Big Lottery Fund. Map of route produced using Leafletjs.com For more information, find us on Facebook or Mapping tiles courtesy of © OpenStreetMap.org visit www.so18biglocal.org.uk 1. From Townhill Park Community Centre, with your back to the entrance to the You can enter here (in which case follow the path straight ahead centre, turn right then right again onto the small access path. Cross Cutbush Lane of you along the avenue of lime trees and skip to Point 7 unless and continue along the cut-through with the Children’s Centre and Townhill Junior you wish to use the café or toilets in which case head to your & Townhill Infant schools on your left. Just after the gates to Townhill Infant School right and then continue to Point 6) or continue along the High there is a footpath off to the left, take this path and follow it alongside the school Street for another 250m, past Fir Tree Gardens until you reach grounds. Take the next right into Gatcombe Gardens, marked by a metal railing. Chapel Road on the left. Turn into Chapel Road and follow this, past the Asda supermarket until you see West End Parish Centre on your left. 2. Follow Gatcombe Gardens round to the right, past the houses and right to the end (keeping to the right where Fir Tree Gardens contains a memorial to Richard St. Barbe Baker - an international the road forks). You will see a metal gate leading into a forester who was born in West End in 1889. Barbe Baker worked in Kenya,, small copse of trees - this is Chartwell Copse. Palestine and the Americas as well as Britain, and was responsible for founding the Men of the Trees organisation, now known as the International Tree Foundation and covering 100 countries. His organisation and others assisted by it are 3. Follow the path through the copse, keeping left, until estimated to have planted over 25 billion trees across the globe. you emerge in Culvery Gardens. Head left towards the main road (Townhill Way). Cross the road, and follow the footpath which runs between the houses, near the post box. This is Old Ivy Lane. 6. If you need refreshments or a comfort break, there is a café (The Hatch Café, open 10am-4pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat, closed Sundays) and toilets in the Parish Centre, as well as a library and As you walk through Chartwell Copse, you will see an old cow feeder - this is information on other walks in this area. Our route believed to be left from when the area was part of Upper Townhill Farm. Nearby, takes you to the left of the centre (as you look at the the old farm house, Townhill Park House, (having undergone several re-designs main entrance) and into the green area known as over the years) is now home to The Gregg School. The gardens were designed by Hatch Grange. Follow the gravel path up the slight Gertrude Jekyll and are now maintained by a group of volunteers, the “Friends of hill, past the beacon. As you reach the crest of the hill Townhill Park House Gardens”. you will see down below you an avenue of lime trees, head for the right hand end - these limes were planted in 1897 to celebrate Queen 4. Follow Old Ivy Lane straight ahead, past Chartwell Green, past an entrance to Victoria's diamond jubilee. There is also a Fit Trail around the hatch if you are feeling West End Copse (this is a lovely area for a walk if you have time to make a de-tour). energetic! You will then pass Arun Road (on your left) before you reach a second entrance to West End Copse, as the road becomes a gravelled path. Continue along this path The beacon in Hatch Grange was brought here in 1988 to celebrate the anniversary then cross over Ullswater Avenue and carry on onto Ivy Lane. of the sighting of the Spanish Armada. More recently, the beacon was lit as part of the celebrations for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday. 5. Follow Ivy Lane between the houses until you reach the main road (Swaythling Road, A27). Turn to your right and head to the 7. At the end of the avenue of lime trees, drop down to the large junction. Turn left (cross over the A27) and keep to the left gravel path and head to the small bridge (the “boardwalk”) over as you walk along what is now the High Street (B3035). Cross the stream in the corner of the hatch. Cross this bridge and you over Barbe Baker Avenue and continue along the High Street. will emerge onto Barbe Baker Avenue. After 150m you will reach an entrance to Hatch Grange, marked by large metal gates and a plaque dedicated to Harry Haines. 8. Cross the avenue and almost directly in front of you will see a .