Inkpen Beacon to Kingsclere Alresford to Droxford Distance: 13 miles (20.9 km) Time: 4–5 hours Distance: 11 miles (17.7 km) Time: 3.5–4.5 hours The Wayfarers Walk begins in the county of Berkshire at Combe The Wayfarers Walk enters via New Alresford, which in the Middle Ages had one of the Gibbet on top of Inkpen Beacon. The route takes you over country’s biggest sheep fairs. Walbury Hill at 297m is the highest chalk hill in England. A short distance from the route, in the centre of the town, is the Watercress Line station, Cross the A343 and skirt round the estate of Highclere Castle a heritage steam railway running over ten miles of steeply-graded scenic track between and its perfect park laid out by Capability Brown in the 1770s. Alresford and Alton The route then runs around Beacon Hill and its The route leaves the town through the Church and passes through damp meadows to pre-historic ramparts. Here lies the grave of the 5th Earl of Tichborne and across the River Itchen at Cheriton Mill to the pretty village of Cheriton. Carnarvon who became famous when he and Howard Carter The route crosses the river and then climbs up to the downs above the village. discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. The Wayfarers Walk follows a section of the Cheriton Battlefield Walk, commemorating The route gradually descends down to the A34 with the the Civil War battle of 1644 . Seven Barrows Cross the A272 and continue up the tarmac road passing around the grounds of Hinton off to the left, Ampner House and across fields to Kilmeston where the route climbs to the downs again, follow the Inkpen P at this point the route crosses the South Hants Ridgeway and passes Betty Munday’s Bottom. permissive Hill ▲ Continue over Corhampton Down and down in to Droxford. path under Combe Accommodation: Ringwood VIC 01425 470896 the A34,then Gibbet P North Wessex Downs climb back To Newbury Refreshments: The Hinton Arms, Hinton Ampner 01962 771252, ➛ up towards Test Highclere The White Horse, Droxford 01489 877490, The Vine, Hambledon 0239 263 2419 Way Ladle Hill, Berkshire CastleA34 Places of Interest: St.Martin’s Gallery, Ibsley 01425 489090. Ringwood Town & site of another Hampshire Ladle Watership Country Experience, Blashford 01425 472746 Iron Age hill fort. Ashmansworth Hill Down Kingsclere Public Transport: Ringwood: Wilts & Dorset X3, X34, X35, X36, 175, 176 Onwards, to walk past Watership Down, setting A343 P for the famous novel by ➛ Geoffrey Richard Adams about a group B3051 North Droxford to Denmead of rabbits. This chalk ridge is Andover de Havilland Oakley To Distance: 5.5 miles (8.8 km) Time: 1.5–2 hours made up of tiny grains of calcium The route now crosses the River Meon and follows it south to carbonate, making it extremely Soberton. From Soberton the route climbs out of the valley to higher porous and a perfect turf for walkers and ground until you reach the wooded Lithey Hanger that overlooks the race horses reach the B3051 to Kingsclere. quiet village of Hambledon.Hambledon's secret is that it is the home Accommodation: Aldershot VIC (covers North Hants area) 01252 320 968 Deane of English cricket. Besides the pitch at nearby Broadhalfpenny Refreshments: The Star, Kingsclere 016325 296 241. Oakley Down is a memorial to those locals heroes of the 1700s. The Crown, Kingsclere 016325 299558, London The route now leaves the chalky land and crosses over wet clays To The George & Horn, ➛ which where once clothed in a vast dense forest, the royal hunting Kingsclere 016325 299130 Forest of Bere. The route enters the village of Denmead close to M3 Places of Interest: A30 Forest Gate. Highclere Castle 01625 253210 Dummer Accommodation: Winchester TIC 01962 840 500 www.highclerecastle.co.uk Refreshments: The White Hart, Denmead 02392 255953 The Fox Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum ➛ & Hounds, Denmead 02392 255421 & more pubs in Denmead. 01722 332151 Public Transport: Stagecoach 67 / Brijan Tours 17 / Public Transport: Stagecoach 20, First Hampshire 45, 45A, 138 Newbury Buses & Stagecoach The Link Winchester To Drove Ox Brown B3046 Way Denmead to Emsworth Kingsclere to Dummer Candover Distance: 12 miles (19.3 km) Time: 3.5–4 hours Distance: 11 miles (17.7 km) Time: 3.5–4.5 hours The route continues south through gentle countryside to From White Hill car park the path now moves away from the open downs of Olivers Battery Southwick before climbing onto Portsdown Hill. The views The Ridgeway onto chalk arable farmland, North Hampshire’s cereal belt. Abbotstone Settlement from this narrow chalk ridge are spectacular. Beyond you As you near Walkeridge Farm you cross a major Roman road, the Portway. Ox DroveMedieval Way P can see Spithead and the Isle of Wight. This road was mainly used for military purposes and went from Silchester, Village Ox Drove north of Basingstoke, to Salisbury. Look to the west for the long thin line Way The Wayfarers Walk now becomes more urban and runs of trees called Caesar’s Belt that marks the line of this ancient road. Watercress beds ♱Alresford alongside the B2177, passing Fort Purbrook, a massive Watercress brick-built polygonal fort built on Portsdown Hill to defend Continue southwards past the occasional lonely tumulus and through the B3047 Town River Itchen Line the port against Napoleonic attack. village of North Oakley, onwards past cereal fields, across the Harrow ♱New ➛ To Alton St Swithun's After crossing the A3(M) the route turns south and joins Way and railway line to the village of Deane. Past Deane the route crosses Way Alresford A31➛ with the Solent Way and runs along the shoreline past another railway line before skirting the beech woods of Bull Bushes Copse Battle of Cheriton B3046 the old waterside village of Langstone, with its delightful and round the woodland edges. The Walk crosses the main A30 and 1644 Cheriton heritage quayside, pubs and a picturesque millhouse. M3 roads, skirts Basingstoke golf course before entering the Cheriton charming village of Dummer. To WinchesterMill ♱ A272 Walk past Warblington Castle, with its gruesome tales, ➛ and the church with a grave-watcher’s hut, across the Accommodation: Aldershot VIC (covers North Hants area) 01252 320 968 ➛ To Petersfield To Winchester Hinton fields and through the woods to finish at the fishing Ampner Park Refreshments: The Greyhound, Overton 01256 770241 Kilmeston village of Emsworth,– the perfect spot for a relaxing Queen Inn, Dummer 01256 3967367 South seafood meal. Downs Public Transport: Newbury Buses & Stagecoach The Link / Way Accommodation: Hayling Island TIC 02392 467 111 Stagecoach 76, 86 / Steventon Transport 55 To Alton ➛ Refreshments: The Blue Bell, Emsworth 01243 373394 and many more pubs and eating places. South Downs Places of Interest: Royal Armouries Fort Nelson Dummer to Alresford South Downs Way 01329 233 734 www.royalarmouries.org Distance: 14 miles (22.5 km) Time: 4.5–5.5 hours Meonstoke Emsworth Museum 01243 378091 www.emsworthmuseum.co.uk From Dummer the Wayfarers Walk uses trackways to take you south across B3035 Beckett’s Down. This area is dotted with many old chalk pits. The route then Public Transport: First Hampshire 45, descends into the valley along Church Lane track, to Brown Candover. Follow the Droxford ♱ 45A, 138 / Emsworth & District 27, 36 / valley and cross the B3046 at the Wool Pack Inn, Totford. This pub sits on the Lunway, Stagecoach 700 Soberton an ancient droveway used for moving cattle and sheep across the country. The route ♱ A32 climbs out of the valley, joining two other routes, the Ox Drove and the Three Castle ♱ Path to Abbotstone Down and the prehistoric settlement of Oliver’s Battery. ➛ Hambledon The path continues down towards Abbotstone village, across the Candover Stream, B2150 up to Itchen Stoke Down where it intersects with four other ancient trackways, To Fareham take the right track to re-cross the Candover Stream and follow the River Arle, Denmead passing watercress beds and the historic Fulling Mill, before reaching the town of Alresford. To Petersfield Accommodation: Aldershot VIC (covers North Hampshire area) ➛ 01252 320 968, Winchester TIC 01962 840 500 A3 Refreshments: The Woolpack Inn, Totford 0845 2938066 P Havant Alresford has many pubs and eating places. Fort Hampshire West Sussex A3(M) A27 Chichester The Horse & Groom, Alresford 01962 734809 Purbrook ➛ To Public Transport: Steventon Transport 55 / To Southampton B2177 i Warblington Castle Stagecoach 64, X64, 67 ➛ Sailing Club P Parking Langstone M27 Mill PH Public House Portsmouth Langstone Hayling i Tourist Information Island Harbour Trail (walkers only) 0 1 2 3 4 miles Solent Way ♱ Church 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 km Wayfarers Way26/8/2012FINAL.indd 1 28/8/12 22:53:51 Wayfarers Way26/8/2012FINAL.indd 2 Way26/8/2012FINAL.indd Wayfarers 28/8/12 22:54:03 28/8/12 Howard Carter, uncovered the tomb of Tutankhamun. of tomb the uncovered Carter, Howard the leafy shade closes in. in. closes shade leafy the explorations of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon who, with with who, Carnarvon of Earl 5th the of explorations anemones that carpet the floor before before floor the carpet that anemones There is an Egyptology exhibition recording the the recording exhibition Egyptology an is There you can see the bluebells and wood wood and bluebells the see can you beautiful in early spring when when spring early in beautiful 'Capability' Brown. 'Capability' Hambledon, are especially especially are Hambledon, dominates the magnificent grounds influenced by by influenced grounds magnificent the dominates those above the village of of village the above those also designed the Houses of Parliament, the Castle Castle the Parliament, of Houses the designed also The wooded hangers, like like hangers, wooded The still in existence.