With its combination of woodlands, chalk Maps and leafl ets downland, rolling fi elds and small villages, the The most useful map to take with you is the Ordnance North Hampshire countryside is a superb area Survey Landranger Sheet 185. for cycling. This route starts at Festival Place Other relevant leafl ets and maps available from in the centre of Basingstoke, goes through Hampshire County Council Information Centres and the War Memorial Park and then heads local Council offi ces: south along traffi c calmed roads and a newly created cycle path to Hatch Warren. NCN Route 23 Basingstoke to Reading and as pdf on www.hants.gov.uk/cycling Leaving Basingstoke, it passes through Cliddesden Watercress Line Ox Drove Way Off Road Cycle Trail and as pdf on and then climbs steadily to the higher ground around www.hants.gov.uk/cycling Ellisfi eld which affords fi ne views back over the town. The scenic Mid-Hants railway, commonly known as Following quiet rural lanes which undulate through the “The Watercress Line” operates heritage steam train Basingstoke Cycle Route Map and as pdf on small villages of Bradley and Lower Wield you arrive services over a distance of 10 miles between Alresford www.basingstoke.gov.uk/transport/cycling.asp at Medstead where the route divides. The main NCN and Alton. Winchester City Cycle Map available in hard copy only. Route 23 continues a gradual descent to Bighton This was formerly part of the Alton to Winchester railway, Train Services to Basingstoke and Winchester operated and Alresford and the link to Alton descends gently originally constructed in 1865 and closed following by South West Trains www.swtrains.co.uk and through Chawton Park Wood along the new traffi c free the Beeching review in 1973. Preservation groups got Virgin Trains www.virgintrains.co.uk path created from a Forest Enterprise permitted road together almost immediately afterwards and the fi rst and a bridleway newly surfaced for cyclists by the Services to Alton operated by South West Trains and section from Alresford to Ropley re-opened for business County Council. between Alton and Alresford by the Mid-Hants Railway as early as 1977. In 1983 the line was extended to www.watercressline.co.uk Being only one section of the longer Route 23, this Medstead and Four Marks Station and continued on is inevitably more of an ‘end to end’ route, but with to Alton in 1985. The railway is now one of the largest National Rail Enquiries 08457 48 49 50 a little planning and the help of Ordnance Survey leisure amenities in central Southern England. Landranger Map No 185, very good circular routes can Trains run on most days Contacts be undertaken by the more adventurous cyclist. throughout the summer Hampshire County Council www.hants.gov.uk/cycling Those using mountain bikes may like to try out all or months and at part of the Ox Drove Way Off Road Cycle Trail. The weekends and Cycling provision in Hampshire is a partnership Ox Drove Way, once a drove route for cattle, passes holiday periods between the County Council’s Recreation and Heritage through the heart of rural Hampshire across beautiful during the rest of and Environment Group departments. rolling hills, through woodlands and past small farms. the year. However Sustrans – the sustainable transport charity – works it is always best to The most useful section for cyclists seeking an on practical projects to encourage people to walk, check train times in alternative return section between Alresford and Lower cycle and use public transport in order to reduce advance, either via Wield is shown on the main map overleaf. This part motor traffi c and its adverse effects. As well as its www.watercressline. of the Ox Drove Way can be ridden with care on road fl agship project, the National Cycle Network, Sustrans co.uk or by phoning bikes in dry weather but can become very slippery is working on Safe Routes to Schools, Safe Routes to 01962 733810. when wet. A leafl et describing the full 25 mile circuit Stations and other practical responses to the transport can be obtained from Hampshire County Council The trains have a traditional guard’s van which can and environmental challenges we face. Sustrans’ work information centres or via the cycling pages at easily carry a number of cycles. So if you are based relies on the generous donations and monthly standing www.hants.gov.uk/cycling in or around Alresford or Alton or are cycling from orders of 40,000 Supporters, and the support of Basingstoke and wish to return by a different route, charitable trusts, companies, the National Lottery and why not make use of the train one way between the local authority programmes. www.sustrans.org.uk two towns to add a new dimension to the day. �� This route is a partnership between • Part of the National Cycle Network in Hampshire • •Alton Town Council • Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council • Basingstoke to East Hampshire District Council • ������������� ������������� Forest Enterprise • �������� ������������ Alton and Alresford ������������ Hampshire County Council • ������������ ����������������� Millennium Commission • ����� Sustrans • Cycle 23 miles of cycling along quiet ������� ��������������� ����� lanes and traffi c free routes in the ������� Route continues to Reading �� �� ��� ��������������� ������������� attractive North Hampshire countryside ���������� 23 ���������� ���������� Basingstoke Route continues to 23 Farnham and London ���������� �� 23 Alton On road route Route continues NCN Route – Open ������������� to Salisbury and Basingstoke Bristol 24 Traffi c-free route Petersfi eld ����������������� NCN Route – Proposed Eastleigh ����������������������� 23 ���������� 22 Route number 23 ���������� Basingstoke Southampton Town Centre Route continues to Chichester ������������� 2 detail 2 and the South East Portsmouth NCN Route 23 Route continues to Bournemouth and the South West From the Thames to the South Coast The popular 22 mile Reading to Basingstoke section The National Cycle Network is a comprehensive network of Route 23 opened in June 2003. This new section of safe and attractive places to cycle throughout the UK. extends this route southwards for a further 18 miles 10,000 miles are due for completion by 2005, one third of to Alresford, with an additional 5 mile link from which will be on traffi c-free paths, the rest will follow quiet Medstead to Alton that includes an excellent traffi c lanes or traffi c-calmed roads. It is co-ordinated by the free path through Chawton Park Wood. Sustrans and charity Sustrans, with the generous support of over 450 Hampshire County Council is working in partnership local authorities and other partners. on further extensions to and through Winchester to link with the existing southern sections around For more information on routes in your area, contact: Southampton where the route will also link with the Sustrans, National Cycle Network Centre, main south coast cycle route, NCN Route 2. Across 2 Cathedral Square, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5DD the Solent, Route 23 continues on the Isle of Wight with extensive traffi c free sections between Cowes to Tel: 0845 113 0065 or visit the interactive mapping on our Sandown. web site: www.nationalcyclenetwork.org.uk Basingstoke to �� Route 23 continues Alton and Alresford to Reading Basingstoke 1 Basingstoke See the inset panel overleaf for details of the route southwards through the town. Most of the route is either traffi c free or follows traffi c calmed roads or on-carriageway cycle lanes, Route starts at before leaving the built up and Festival Place passing under the M3 on Woods Lane to reach Cliddesden. 2 Cliddesden On road route Just 500 metres from the edge of bustling Basingstoke as the PH crow fl ies, but otherwise a world apart. The main feature of this Traffi c-free route small settlement of around 300 people is the village pond, a former watering place for animals set amid former agricultural buildings. Ox Drove Trail link Mid-Hants Railway Public House/resfreshments PH Scale 4 Bradley 0 1 mile North A small village with a neat duck pond in the centre surrounded by a good number of Listed dwellings and the fl int-faced church of All Saints on the nearby slope. The road through the village is 3 Ellisfi eld single track only with some blind bends and due caution should be exercised when negotiating this section. Set high on the chalk hills south of Basingstoke, but with no obvious centre. Most notable building PH is the imposing Fox PH, but those with their own 5 Lower Wield refreshment might wish to stop at the small but very pleasant rest area, thoughtfully provided on the west A loose knit group of buildings with a useful refreshment stop, side of the road by the Axford Road junction. the Yew Tree PH just to the south. 8 Alton A small market town with a wealth of attractive buildings. 10 Cycling on to Winchester Previously famous for its hops and breweries, Alton has a good variety of pubs and eating houses. The signed cycle route stops PH The exact route of NCN Route 23 from its present termination at present at The Butts, a ‘village green’ considered by Altonians in New Alresford to Winchester and beyond has not yet been to be one of the fi nest in Hampshire. The intention is that it will fi nalised. More work is required both within New Alresford be extended to Farnham once a satisfactory route through the and Winchester before this section can be opened to full centre of Alton has been agreed and necessary works carried NCN standards. In the meantime more experienced cyclists out. The station is just outside and to the north east of the town wishing to continue to Winchester and perhaps return to centre.