Kilmeston Circular via Beacon Hill

Saturday 25th February 2012

OS Map Explorer 132 - Winchester, New Alresford & East Meon
Car Parking ref: SU589258
Distance: 7 miles approx.

(photographs to follow)

This is a walk from the Southampton Ramblers programme, led by Pete. There were 23 of us altogether, all counted out and all counted back.

I declare today officially the first day of Spring. The sun came out in glory with plenty of warmth in it already, although the air was chillier in the later stages of the walk.

The walk starts from the lovely village of Kilmeston, just south of Cheriton and Hinton Ampner. There is a parking area beside the road, or it is possible to park on the green beside the road coming up from Bishops Waltham.

The way we were led today included a little lane walking through the village, which I personally quite enjoy, turning on to track left  where the road bends round to the right at the bottom of the slope. The paths are all excellent, through woodland and across fields without cows - a major bonus from my point of view as regular readers know by now.

There's a DEFRA nature reserve just south of Kilmeston where the path across a field emerges on to a fenced grass track between green meadows. The path climbs to a copse of pine trees and turns left towards woodland where the waymarkers lead the walker around a back garden converted into a mini golf course that even has a bunker or two! The path emerges on to a drive which comes down to the road and the way continues across the road into a field where it dodges left beyond a hedge and across a large field uneven underfoot.

We had a short break in a copse of trees before descending towards Wheely Down Farm for the climb up the north face of Beacon Hill. On the way down we saw a hare racing up a neighbouring field.

There is a steeper way up Beacon Hill from the village of Exton to the south east, but this side is a pretty good work out for the legs. The climb accomplished, across meadows, past a field of Highland cattle with their hairy Thelwellian calves, and up through Beacon Hill Beeches, following the Monarch's Way, we took our rest at the car park. Photos were taken, and photos of the photographer, while we variously ate bananas, drank water and basked in the sunshine. Other walkers and cyclists passed to and fro, and a lady with three large young Airedales.

We were called to order and set off again, eastward along the South Downs Way towards Lomer Farm and the site of the mediaeval village of Lomer. The trees that line the track being denuded of leaves, the view south opens out across freshly ploughed fields of sun-gilt dark-brown and green meadows, all folding into each other.

Past Wind Farm paths diverge. The South Downs Way continues north-west towards Winchester. Monarch's Way runs south and The Wayfarer's Walk goes down to the north back towards Kilmeston.
(Note: two and sometimes three LDPs can run together for some way before going their separate ways.)

Before descending the Wayfarer's Walk, it is worthwhile to pause by the stile and take in the stunning, extensive views out to the north, east and west. It's a hard choice when you start walking again between watching your feet and watching the diminishing view as you descend.

The first field we came into was being freshly ploughed, by a tractor with its attendant flock of inevitable seagulls. Through a gap in a hedge the path continued firmer underfoot across another field and beyond this the path descends to a track alongside paddocks. Here, there is a programme of planting young hedgerow stock to encourage wildlife.

There are two or three stiles along here which are something of a challenge for those not blessed with supermodel leg length.

Across a final small paddock and over one last stile on to the road in Kilmeston where we parked.

We were blessed with the weather, and this is another walk I will definitely put this route on my list of walks to revisit solo.

Water Vole Way

Distance: 5 1/2 miles
Start from: Bishopstoke Recreation Ground
Charges: None for first 3 hours. £4.70 thereafter for the whole day
Maps: OS Explorers 132 and OL22
Car Park Grid Ref: SU463192

This walk is based on The Water Vole Way and Waterside Walks in Hampshire plus modifications of my own.

The day alternated between sunny-blue skies and layers of indeterminate cloud. There is already some heat in the sun when the air is still. However, standing in the car park, changing boots, a stiff breeze turned the milder air cold again. Once in the shelter of the trees lining the path the wind was cut off and it was pleasant walking. The first half of this circular walk follows the Itchen Way that follows the old Itchen Navigation, once a busy canal that fell into disuse when the trains arrived.

The countryside was the pastel shades and arboreal skeletons of winter but for all that a welcome rest from the city.

The path crosses the Navigation over a tumble of rushing, frothing water full of bubbles and wanders alongside the water past fields and houses until the trees close in. Further on the Way passes through a brick tunnel (above) over which runs the rail track from Southampton to London, and beyond the tunnel the gardens of houses come down to the water in increasing levels of steepness. Some of the gardens are well-tended and have decking and rails, benches and pot plants alongside the water; other gardens are left to run wild down to the water, or given over to small woodlands with benches at the waterside. One garden in particular stands out. Its fence panels are studded with advertising plates and place name-plates. There is a modern bus-stop towards the end of the garden, and a red telephone box nestles up against the house. A metal stand near the bus-stop advertises The Black Cat Café. I would guess that someone enjoys collecting odd things from reclamation yards.

As the path winds on the houses become grander and the gardens finer. One particular house that stands out for me is a three-storey building, presumably Victorian or Edwardian as the rooms all appear to have immensely high ceilings. There are two or three like this, but this one catches my imagination as it is half-screened by trees and the windows look particularly dark; it appears for all the world like a haunted house, or a house with secrets out of a novel.

The trees being to thin out to the right and the water meadows come into view. The path crosses a stream over a wooden bridge and the path rises to Brambridge Road. There is a blind corner by the railway bridge to the left, so best to be quick getting across to the continuing Itchen Way straight ahead. At the start of this section of the Way is a tiered weir where the water again tumbles in a frothy mass of bubbles. Once this noisy water feature is left behind the surrounding area becomes more rural and the water and the path become more serene, making pleasant walking in the sunshine, up to the next road.

Across the road rises the imposing grey Brambridge House which was home to Mrs Fitzherbert, the unacknowledged wife of King George IV. The route leaves the Itchen Way and turns right along the road and over the bridge past Brambridge Garden Centre. There is a restaurant here and picnic tables in the grounds. I only stopped to buy a Mars Bar; next time I'll take a snack with me! 85p for a Mars Bar???

According to my guide "Waterside Walks in Hampshire" by Peter Carne, the route goes past the Garden Centre and goes right at the next footpath fingerpost. There were two horses on chains in the field (I was very glad to see they had big water buckets) but in the one after was a large black horse running free. You may call me a wuss, but I prefer where possible to avoid large animals in open fields. In my experience, they can be unpredictable and petted horses can be a nuisance.

So, I consulted my hand-made map - when I say hand-made, I've taken two OS Explorer maps, placed the parts of the two maps that overlap together and photocopied them to make one easy to follow map.
I was about to retrace my steps along the Itchen Way but there is a new footpath being laid alongside the road that runs past the Garden Centre and being a curious walker ("where does this path go?") I decided to follow it to Brambridge Road, cross over and go along the undesignated road past the Dog and Stick, a hairdressers' and a row of cottages. There is a choice of footpaths beyond the cottages and I chose the one through a broken metal fence, over a stile and uphill across a green field with a large tree in it. This comes out through a kissing gate at the top on to Bishopstoke Road. I turned right along here. The traffic was light but I had to take note of blind corners and walk on the side of the road I was most likely to be seen by all.

As the road slopes down a white house comes into view further along the road, and modern homes atop a rise to the right. The hedge stops and a footpath goes to right and left of the road across open fields. I turned right towards the modern houses, over a step-stile on to a tarmac path which is easy to follow down and around until it runs parallel to a woodland where a track goes off into the trees. I wasn't sure whether this was what I required or whether I should keep to the footpath. My choice was decided for me by three large guard dogs which came hurtling across a drive way to run up and down the (inadequately high, in my opinion) fence, all doing their duty with unwarranted enthusiasm. I like dogs, I don't like big barking dogs with evidently fine white teeth!

I went back and took the woodland track where I met a nice lady with a large black friendly dog. We commented on the day and the barking dogs, as you do, and went our separate ways.

The track heads down clearly through the trees to a metal access gate which opens in to a conservation area. Straight ahead are the river and wooden gate and fencing. To the far right a path emerges from behind houses; to the immediate right another path comes out through a metal farm gate. There appears to be a path going off to the immediate left but this is an illusion. The path required to complete this walk goes off half-left across the meadow heading towards some pylons. There is another metal access gate and a wooden bridge over a stream into another field across which the path runs clearly to a wooden gate into a woodland.

The woodland rises steeply and the path, which heads diagonally right, is inset with steps where the way is steepest. Excellent stretching for the legs. As a thought, it might be interesting to do the walk in reverse next time …

Eventually the path levels out and runs between fence and trees to another gate which comes out on to Bishopstoke Road once again. The route is right out of the gate. There is a pavement on the east side of the road but I chose to walk along the narrow verge on the west side. Little blue and white water vole stickers on lamp-posts mark the way along the road, past the church and an old white walled and black-timbered thatched cottage on the left, round a corner and turns right on a path between a retirement home and an open green. There were some old tombstones lined up against a wall on the far side of the green when I walked along here; a bit insensitive so close to a retirement home …

The path continues on beside a concrete wall decorated with graffiti, for which someone has apologised in white spray paint, with the message: "Sorry about your wall." There is something amusing and rather disarming about that, I thought.

And from here the way re-crosses the Navigation back on to the path where it runs long beside the Recreation Ground and comes back to the car park.