Posts tagged Hampshire
Walking The Silchester Trail

Walking the old Roman walls

Start & Finish: Bramley Inn, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BT
Distance: 10.7 km (6.6 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 71m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): St. James Way, Brenda Parker Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 23, Calleva Trail
Pubs / Cafes on route: Bramley Inn at the start and finish
Maps:
- Reading, Wokingham & Pangbourne Map | Thames Path | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 159
- Basingstoke, Alton & Whitchurch Map | Odiham, Overton & Hook | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 144
Links: Bramley, Silchester, Silchester, Roman City Walls and Amphitheatre

The Sichester Trail is a ~11 km walk taking in the remains of the old Roman town of Calleva. The Hampshire County Council’s guide to the walk describes it very well so I won’t repeat those details here. I also recommend Paul Whitewick’s 20 minute video about the Roman town to learn about the history of the site before you visit.

There’s a few different options for starting the walk and we chose to start at Bramley where there’s free on-street parking near the Bramley Inn. Starting here means that the Roman Town is in the middle of the walk and you have a pub at the end.

Having completed a couple of the Camino de Santiago routes we were pleased to discover that the English section of the Camino Ingles runs through the Roman town on its path from Reading to Southampton. We’ll likely be back one day to walk that whole Camino Trail.

Richard gowerTrek, Railway, English Heritage, Hampshire, EnglandComment
Fort Southwick: Portsmouth High Point

Significance: Unitary Authority High Point for Portsmouth
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Butser Hill, NHN: Butser Hill
Historic County: Hampshire (of which Pilot Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 122m
Date “climbed”: July 22nd 2023
Coordinates: 50° 51' 29'' N, 1° 6' 43'' W
Map: Meon Valley, Porstmouth, Gosport and Fareham (OS Explorer Map): Sheet 119
Links: Wikipedia (Portsmouth), Peakbagger, Hillbagging, Fort Southwick

Fort Southwick is the high point of the Unitary Authority of Portsmouth, within the Historic and Ceremonial Counties of Hampshire. The high point is on private land on a track up to a small reservoir but it’s easily accessible over a gate from Portsdown Hill Road just to the west of the old fort.

Fort Southwick was built in the 1860s to defend the landward approaches to the naval base at Portsmouth. The fort is a large, triangular structure with a dry ditch and a number of caponiers (small, projecting defensive works). It also houses a water storage tank and a spiral staircase that leads to the underground tunnels.

Fort Southwick was disarmed in 1906 but was retained as a barracks. It was also used by the army to train soldiers how to capture and hold a fort. In the Second World War, the fort was used as a headquarters for the Admiralty and as a communications center.

Today, Fort Southwick is mainly used as an NHS park and ride for Portsmouth and a used car dealership. There’s an OS Trig Pillar inside (TP3238 - Fort Southwick) but inaccessible except with special permission. Trigpointing logs indicate that permission is very hard to get.

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Hampshire, EnglandComment
Bassett Avenue: Southampton High Point

Significance: Unitary Authority High Point for Southampton
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Butser Hill, NHN: Telegraph Hill
Historic County: Hampshire (of which Pilot Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 82m
Date “climbed”: July 22nd 2023
Coordinates: 50° 57' 0'' N, 1° 24' 16'' W
Map: New Forest Map | Southampton, Ringwood, Ferndown, Lymington, Christchurch & Bournemouth | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL22
Links: Wikipedia (Southampton), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Bassett Avenue is the high point of the Unitary Authority of Southampton, within the Historic and Ceremonial Counties of Hampshire. Most people will have passed right through the high point when approaching the city along the A33 Bassett Avenue having come off the M3. The high point is at the junction of Bassett Avenue and Bassett Health Avenue. Not much to see here so best done on the way to something more interesting

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Hampshire, EnglandComment
Cycling The Semaphore Line: Portsmouth to London

HMS Warrior at the Portmouth Historic Dockyard

The idea for this trip came from a short walk that I did a few years ago in Surrey called Discover Downside. Half way through the walk we came across the Chatley Heath Semphore Tower, the best preserved of a series of towers that formed a line between London and Portsmouth in the 1800s. As I was reading the information board a new adventure started forming. I didn’t have to say anything I could almost hear my wife’s eyes rolling and wondering “what’s he up to now?”.

As described on the Chatley Heath information board: “In 1792, Frenchman Claude Chappe invented the Semaphore using moveable arms on a T-shaped mast. The British Initially stuck with their existing shutter or ball signalling systems even though they were less effective. In 1814 the Admiralty prematurely decommissioned their existing signalling stations. After Napoleon’s escape from Elba and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the governament decided to reinstate a signal line from London to Portsmouth Dockyard. They chose to use the semaphore system invested by Sir Home Riggs Popham, as the most advanced of the day.”

“The Chatley Heath Tower was the fifth station in the 75 mile long line, which started on the roof of the Admiraly in Whitehall. It was to have been the junction for a further line to Plymouth, but this was never completed. […] The invention of the electric telegraph in 1839 meant the end for the mechanical semaphore. New telegraph lines were laid alongside the railways and messages travelled instantly down the wires. In 1847 the semaphore line was decommissioned and the mast dismantled.”

Over the next year the back-of-my-mind potential trip became a fully-planned weekend cycle trip for spring 2023. It turned out to be a weekend adventure with a Friday evening drive down to Portsmouth, a long Saturday ride to Godalming and a shorter section on the Sunday before heading back home. The original plan was to take the bikes down to Portsmouth by train but some organizational faffing meant that we left it too late to book and there we no bike spaces available. Instead we did a one-way van rental which was slightly more expensive than the trains would have been but got us there more quickly with less hassle.

The choice of doing the trip from Portsmouth to London rather than the other way around was mostly based on getting in a new (for me) parkrun at Southsea on the Saturday morning. Arriving in London on Sunday afternoon also gave us a shorter journey home.

I need to credit the excellent account of walking the Semaphore Line in the Jont.org.uk blog. This blog was invaluable in the planning process and provides more detail on the stations and route between them than I have covered here. In my post below I’ve covered some key details of the semaphore stations it’s not intended to be a turn-by-turn route guide. I’ll be happy to share my GPX files for the 2 days in return for a virtual coffee.

Day 1: Portsmouth to Godalming

Start: Semaphore Building, HMNB Portsmouth, Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, PO1 3LJ
Finish: A3100 Meadrow (road), Godalming, GU7 3HS
Distance: 88 km (55 miles)
Elevation change: + 1,301m / -1265m (Net +36m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Solent Way, The Shipwright’s Way, Langstone Harbour Waterfront Route, Wayfarers Way, Sussex Border Path, Monarch’s Way, Octagon Way, South Downs Way, The Serpent Trail, New Lipchis Way, Grayswood Walk, Greensand Way, The Fox Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2, 22, 222, Surrey Cycleway

 

Semaphore Station 1: Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Condition: The Semaphore Building was destroyed by fire in 1913, but it was rebuilt in 1930.
Distance into route: 0 km
Address: Semaphore Building, HMNB Portsmouth, Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, PO1 3LJ
Coordinates: 50°47'60"N 1°6'36"W
Grid Reference: SU 62826 00415
Elevation: 1m
Map: Meon Valley Map | Portsmouth, Gosport & Fareham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL3
Links: Jont Blog Post, Portsmouth, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

To get close to the Semaphore Building you need to pay to enter the Historic Dockyard. It’s well worth visiting but I had been before a few years ago and didn’t need to go back. The tower is tall though and can be easily seen from outside of the Historic Dockyard.

 

Semaphore Station 2: The Square Tower

Condition: Well maintained and now used for hosting functions such as weddings, christenings and funerals.
Distance into route: 1.7 km
Address: Broad St, Old Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2ND
Coordinates: 50°47'22.0"N 1°06'23.0"W
Grid Reference: SZ 63076 99244
Elevation: 2m
Map: Meon Valley Map | Portsmouth, Gosport & Fareham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL3
Links: Jont Blog Post, The Square Tower, Old Portsmouth

There seems to be some ambiguity about whether this was the first/last semaphore tower in the chain vs the one at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. For the purposes of this trip there was no need to decide as it’s easy to visit both.

 

Semaphore Station 3: Lumps Fort

Condition: Demolished after World War 1, now a Japanese Rose Garden and a Model Village
Distance into route: 5.0 km
Address: Japanse Garden, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea PO4 9RU
Coordinates: 50°46'52.0"N 1°04'04.6"W
Grid Reference: SZ 65807 98359
Elevation: 5m
Map: Meon Valley Map | Portsmouth, Gosport & Fareham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL3
Links: Jont Blog Post, Lumps Fort, Southsea

 

Semaphore Station 4: Camp Down

Condition: Demolished, now a waste transfer facility.
Distance into route: 18.1 km
Address: L&S Waste Management Limited, Portsdown Hill Road, Farlington, Redoubt PO6 1BW
Coordinates: 50°51'13.0"N 1°01'34.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 68648 06449
Elevation: 60m
Map: Meon Valley Map | Portsmouth, Gosport & Fareham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL3
Links: Jont Blog Post, Camp Down, Portsdown Hill


 

Semaphore Station 5: Compton Down

Condition: Building now a private house without a tower.
Distance into route: 33.9 km
Address: Telegraph House, Telegraph Hill, Compton, Chichester, PO18 9QL
Coordinates: 50°55'40.0"N 0°53'12.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 78332 14861
Elevation: 161m
Map: Chichester Map | South Harting & Selsey | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL08
Links: Jont Blog Post, Compton Down, Compton



 

Semaphore Station 6: Beacon Hill

Condition: Intact, now a private house visible from the lane.
Distance into route: 43.4 km
Address: Telegraph House, North Marden, Chichester, PO18 9JX
Coordinates: 50°57'03.0"N 0°50'55.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 80980 17445
Elevation: 190m
Map: Chichester Map | South Harting & Selsey | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL08
Links: Jont Blog Post, Beacon Hill, West Sussex







 

Semaphore Station 7: Older Hill (Holder Hill)

Condition: Building possibly still remains but within private property.
Distance into route: 57.5 km
Address: Pine Hill House, Telegraph Hill, Midhurst, GU29 0BN
Coordinates: 51°01'50.0"N 0°45'34.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 87081 26429
Elevation: 203m
Map: Haslemere & Petersfield Map | Midhurst & Selborne | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL33
Links: Jont Blog Post, Woolbedding





 

Semaphore Station 8: Haste Hill

Condition: Demolished. Property became the Royal Naval Signals School then Whitwell Hatch Hotel and now private apartments.
Distance into route: 69.1 km
Address: Whitwell Hatch, Scotland Lane, Haslemere, GU27 3AW
Coordinates: 51°04'51.0"N 0°42'17.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 90828 32065
Elevation: 206m
Map: Haslemere & Petersfield Map | Midhurst & Selborne | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL33
Links: Jont Blog Post, Haste Hill

 

Semaphore Station 9: Bannicle Hill

Condition: Demolished, likely replaced by Hill House.
Distance into route: 77 km
Address: The Hill House, Church Lane, Witley, Godalming
Coordinates: 51°08'12.0"N 0°39'36.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 93847 38347
Elevation: 147m
Map: Haslemere & Petersfield Map | Midhurst & Selborne | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL33
Links: Jont Blog Post, Witley

Day 2: Godalming to The Admiralty, London

Start: A3100 Meadrow (road), Godalming, GU7 3HS
Finish: Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2AY
Distance: 62.3 km (38.7 miles)
Elevation change: + 435m / -458m (Net -23m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Wey-South Path, The Scholar’s Trail, North Downs Way, The Fox Way, Hogsmill Valley Walk, Thames Down Link, Beverley Brook Walk, Thames Path, Jubilee Walkway
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2, 223, 4, Surrey Cycleway, C30, C3




 

Semaphore Station 10: Pewley Hill

Condition: Restored and now a listed building and a private house.
Distance into route (Day 2): 7 km / Full Route: 95 km
Address: Semaphore House, Pewley Hill, Guildford, GU1 3SN
Coordinates: 51°13'59.0"N 0°33'57.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 00231 49197
Elevation: 112m
Map: Guildford & Farnham Map | Godalming & Farnborough | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 145
Links: Jont Blog Post, Pewley Hill, Semaphore House (Historic England), Semaphore House (British Listed Buildings)

 

Semaphore Station 11: Chatley Heath

Condition: Restored and now managed by the Landmark Trust.
Distance into route (Day 2): 22.6 km / Full Route: 110.6 km
Address: Pointers Road, Cobham, KT11 1PQ
Coordinates: 51°18'55.0"N 0°26'18.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 08941 58501
Elevation: 55m
Map: Guildford & Farnham Map | Godalming & Farnborough | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 145
Links: Jont Blog Post, Chatley Heath, The Semaphore Tower (Landmark Trust),

 

Semaphore Station 12: Coopers Hill

Condition: Restored, now a private house.
Distance into route (Day 2): 35.5 km / Full Route: 124.3 km
Address: Semaphore House, Esher, KT10 0DX
Coordinates: 51°22'11.0"N 0°20'17.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 15793 64726
Elevation: 49m
Map: London South Map | Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 161
Links: Jont Blog Post, Claygate, Esher

 

Semaphore Station 13: Coombe Warren

Condition: Demolished, replaced by a large private house called Telegraph Cottage.
Distance into route (Day 2): 45 km / Full Route: 133.8 km
Address: Telegraph Cottage, Warren Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7LF
Coordinates: 51°25'15.0"N 0°16'05.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 20523 70523
Elevation: 53m
Map: London South Map | Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 161
Links: Jont Blog Post, Coombe, Kingston upon Thames

 

Semaphore Station 14: Putney Heath

Condition: Demolished, presumably replaced by the Telegraph Pub
Distance into route (Day 2): 50 km / Full Route: 138.8 km
Address: The Telegraph, Putney Heath, London SW15 3TU
Coordinates: 51°26'55.0"N 0°13'34.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 23359 73661
Elevation: 53m
Map: London South Map | Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 161
Links: Jont Blog Post, The Telegrpaph Pub,

 

Semaphore Station 15: Chelsea

Condition: Tower no longer there / presumed site of this tower.
Distance into route (Day 2): 57.8 km / Full Route: 146.6 km
Address: Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4SR
Coordinates: 51°29'16.0"N 0°09'31.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 27938 78142
Elevation: 6m
Map: London South Map | Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 161
Links: Jont Blog Post, Royal Hospital Chelsea,

An alternative location of this telegraph station is the Duke of York's Headquarters, now the Saatchi Gallery. We dodged traffic on a very busy Sunday to visit both.

 

Semaphore Station 16: The Admiralty

Condition: Admiralty buildings still intact and in use by various government departments.
Distance into route (Day 2): 62.3 km / Full Route: 151.1 km
Address: Old Admiralty Building, London, SW1A 2AY
Coordinates: 51°30'22.0"N 0°07'43.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 29979 80241
Elevation: 5m
Map: London South Map | Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 161
Links: Jont Blog Post, Admiralty buildings, Horseguards Parade, Whitehall

A good learning from us if you’re planning to end your ride at The Admiralty is to not do it just as the London Marathon is finishing. It was only a few days before our trip that I discovered the dates clashed. The London Marathon uses Horseguards Parade as a post-race meeting spot for family and friends so it’s really busy. We still managed to get to our finish spot though after a bit of navigation around blocked off streets.

The Full 2-Day Route

Elevations of each Semaphore Station in metres

Day 2 cycling route elevation map

Day 2 cycling route elevation map

Richard gowerCycle, NCN, Coast, South Downs, National Park, Surrey Hills AONB, London, Hampshire, Surrey, EnglandComment
Telegraph Hill: New Forest National Park High Point*

Significance: Highest peak in the New Forest National Park
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Win Green (?) NHN = Win Green
Elevation: 127m
Date “climbed”: December 28th 2022
Coordinates: 50° 56' 57'' N, 1° 40' 37'' W
On route of: N/A
Map: New Forest Map | Southampton, Ringwood, Ferndown, Lymington, Christchurch & Bournemouth | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL22
Links: Wikipedia (New Forest), Peakbagger

*Telegraph Hill is, according to Peakbagger and some other sources, the highest point in the New Forest National Park. However, other sources list the high point as Pipers Wait which is 2 metres higher. I had only discovered Pipers Wait after having bagged Telegraph Hill, so a return visit will be needed at some point.

Bagging Telegraph Hill is pretty simple as the high ground is at and around the car park. The car park can be a good base for walk around the area. We were there on a rainy day just after Christmas so opted for a quick drive-by instead. Two nearby OS Trig Pillars, Pound Bottom and Bramshaw can be bagged in either a walk based from the Telegraph Hill car park or as quick drive-bys.

The name Telegraph Hill is due to a semaphore telegraph station built here in 1795. The station was one of the points where the admiralty communications were transmitted to London. This station was on the uncompleted London to Plymouth line.

Richard gowerTrek, Trig Pillar, New Forest, National Park, Hampshire, EnglandComment
New Forest Walks: Brockenhurst, Sway and the Disused Railway

Bridge over the disused railway.

Start: Brockenhurst Railway Station: Brockenhurst, SO42 7TW
Finish: Sway Railway Station: Sway, Lymington SO41 6BA
Distance: 10.6 km (6.6 Miles)
Elevation change: +79m / -101m. Net -22m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): Southampton and Dorchester Railway Path
Other Routes Touched (cycle): NCN 2
Pubs / Cafes on route: Several in Brockenhurst and Sway. None on the route
Map: New Forest Map | Southampton, Ringwood, Ferndown, Lymington, Christchurch & Bournemouth | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL22
Links: Brockenhurst, Southampton and Dorchester Railway, Sway

This is a flat(ish) point to point walk between Brockenhurst and Sway railway stations, taking in a stretch of the disused Southampton and Dorchester railway path. The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.

From Brockenhurst Station cross over the car park onto Avenue Road and follow it in a north-westerly direction to Sway Road. Take a left onto Sway Road then a right into a small car park to the left of the school. Continue through the car park onto a path that crosses Culverley Green to Burley Road. Take at left at Burley Road and follow it for 300 metres before taking a path on the left. Continue along this path with the stream on your left and farm buildings on your right. Continue following this path in a roughly south-westerly through Hinchslea Bog. We were there in winter after a lot of rain and the Bog was very ….boggy. Make sure you wear waterproof boots and are prepared to jump over a few streams and puddles.

At 3km from the start of the walk you’ll arrive at a crossing in the path. Take the left hand path which will take you to the start of the Southampton and Dorchester Railway path at the south-western corner of the golf course. Take a left and follow the railway path for ~3.5 km until the path ends and the old rail route becomes a road. From here you can either retrace your route along the railway path or take another path just to the south back to the edge of the woods near Oaken Caravan site. From here leave the railway path and follow a footpath in a south-easterly direction through the woods to Adlams Lane.

Follow Adlams Lane to the junction with Mead End Road, then take a left onto Mead End Road and follow it onto Station Road to reach Sway Station. From here you can catch a train back to Brockenhurst (1 stop).

Scroll down for information on the Old Station Tea Room on the site of the old Holmsley Station, further along the disused rail line.

Holmsley Railway Station - The Old Station Tea Room

The route described above covers the section of the old Southampton to Dorchester line that has been converted to a shared path for walking, cycling and riding. Further up the line to the west, on the section that’s now a road, you can find the old Holmsley Station, now converted into a Team Room. It’s a great place to stop whether you’re a train enthusiast or not. It’s been lovingly restored and is now a busy cafe.

Links:

More Disused Railway Posts

Richard gowerTrek, Railway, Disused Railway, New Forest, National Park, Hampshire, EnglandComment
The South Downs Rivers

Here’s a Tube-style map of the rivers of the South Downs National Park. Let me know if you spot any mistakes and I’ll donate £1 per correction to one of my causes. If you would like a printable PDF version, please Buy Me a Coffee and send me your e-mail via the Contact page. All copies for personal, not commercial use.

Note: the map shows rivers that start, end or pass through the South Downs National Park. There are some rivers that are not included as their source is south of the Park even though they flow into the English Channel or join another river on this map.

Other Posts for the South Downs

Tube-Style Maps

Richard gowerCanal, Coast, South Downs, National Park, Sussex, Hampshire, EnglandComment
Walking The Three Castles Path Part 1: Windsor to Greywell
Windsor Castle and the start of the Three Castles Path

Windsor Castle and the start of the Three Castles Path

The Three Castles Path is a 60 mile trail from Windsor to Winchester, inspired by the travels of King John. The three castles that it refers to are Windsor Castle, Winchester Castle, and King John’s own Odiham castle at the half way point. The trail is very well described in the short guidebook The 3 Castles Path by Heron Maps.

Our journey along the path was a reunion of our small group that did the Caminos Ingles and Finisterre in 2019. The Covid lockdowns had thwarted many of our plans for long trips so we covered this first section of the path in sections around the Lockdowns. Our trip was based on roughly 10k sections with good parking options at either end. These are different sections to those described in the guidebook which also details public transport options.

We’ll get to the second half of the path another time. It’s further from home with fewer parking options on some sections so will need some more planning.

Section 1. Windsor Castle to Ascot

Start: Windsor Castle, Castle Hill, Windsor
Finish: Free car parking, High Street, Ascot, SL5 7HS
Distance: 11.6 km (7.2 miles)
Elevation change: +128m / -90m. Net +38m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 4, Ascot To Windsor Cycle Route, Round Berkshire Cycle Route 52
Pubs / Cafes on route: None on route but several in Windsor and Ascot High Streets
Map: OS Explorer Map (160) Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell
Links: Windsor, Windsor Castle, Windsor Great Park, Ascot, Ascot Racecourse

route-34711377-map-full.png
elevation_profile.jpg

Section 2. Ascot to Swinley Forest

Start: Free car parking, High Street, Ascot, SL5 7HS
Finish: The Look Out Discovery Centre, Nine Mile Ride, Bracknell, RG12 7QW
Distance: 8.3 km (5.2 miles)
Elevation change: +68m / -41m. Net +27m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Ramblers’ Route
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 422, Ascot To Windsor Cycle Route
Pubs / Cafes on route: None on route but The Look-out has a cafe and Horseshoe Lake has a kiosk.
Map: OS Explorer Map (160) Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell
Links: Ascot, Ascot Racecourse, North Ascot, Swinley Forest, The Lookout Discovery Centre

route-34711580-map-full.png
elevation_profile.jpg

Section 3. Swinley Forest to Horeshoe Lake

Start: The Look Out Discovery Centre, Nine Mile Ride, Bracknell, RG12 7QW
Finish: Horseshoe Lake Car Park, Sandhurst, GU47 8JW
Distance: 10 km (6.1 miles)
Elevation change: +74m / -127m. Net -53m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Ramblers’ Route, The Wokingham Way, Ambarrow Hill Circuit, Ambarrow Court Circuit
Other routes touched (cycle): Swinley Forest Mountain Bike Routes
Pubs / Cafes on route: None on route but The Look-out has a cafe and Horseshoe Lake has a kiosk.
Map: OS Explorer Map (160) Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell and OS Explorer Map (159) Reading, Wokingham and Pangbourne
Links: Swinley Forest, The Lookout Discovery Centre, Broadmoor Hospital, Sandhurst, Horseshoe Lake

route-34755124-map-full.png
elevation_profile.jpg

Section 4. Horseshoe Lake to Hartley Wintney

Start: Horseshoe Lake Car Park, Sandhurst, GU47 8JW
Finish: Cricket Green, Hartley Wintney, Hook RG27 8QB. Parking at Hartley Wintney Long Stay, 484 Monachus Lane, Hartley Wintney, RG27 8NN
Distance: 12 km (7.5 miles)
Elevation change: +103m / -91m. Net -12m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): The Wokingham Way, Blackwater Valley Park
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: None on route but several in Hartley Wintney and Horseshoe Lake has a kiosk.
Map: OS Explorer Map (159) Reading, Wokingham and Pangbourne and OS Explorer Map (144) Basingstoke, Alton and Whitchurch
Links: Horseshoe Lake, Blackwater Valley, River Blackwater, River Hart, Hartley Wintney

route-34755130-map-full.png
elevation_profile.jpg

Section 5. Hartley Wintney to Greywell

Start: Cricket Green, Hartley Wintney, Hook RG27 8QB. Parking at Hartley Wintney Long Stay, 484 Monachus Lane, Hartley Wintney, RG27 8NN
Finish: Fox & Goose Pub, The Street, Hook, RG29 1BY
Distance: 11.9 km (7.5 miles)
Elevation change: +79m / -61m. Net -18m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Basingstoke Canal Towpath
Other routes touched (cycle): Odiham Circular
Pubs / Cafes on route: Several on Hartley Wintney High Street at start, the Waterwitch in Odiham and The Fox and Goose at the end.
Map: OS Explorer Map (144) Basingstoke, Alton and Whitchurch
Links: Hartley Wintney, Basingstoke Canal, Odiham, Odiham Castle, Greywell, Greywell Tunnel

Richard gowerTrek, Canal, Berkshire, Hampshire, England, English HeritageComment
South-East England parkruns

The parkrun Regionnaire status used to be a major part of parkrun tourism, with South-East England being the largest region. Changes in the parkrun website in 2019 removed the regions making it harder to track completion status. All is not lost though as here’s the complete parkrun guide to what’s in and what’s out of the counties of South-East England.

Completed counties may include those I have previously completed but have not yet been able to visit a new event yet.

As of June 2022, the total parkrun event numbers for each county are:

  • Berkshire: 10 parkrun events in the Present-Day county, 11 in the Historic County

  • Buckinghamshire, 11 parkrun events in the Present-Day county, 12 in the Historic County

  • Hampshire, 24 parkrun events in the Present-Day county (inc I.o.W), 26 in the Historic County

  • Kent, 25 parkrun events in the Present-Day county, 38 in the Historic County

  • Oxfordshire, 12 parkrun events in the Present-Day county, 7 in the Historic County

  • Surrey, 12 parkrun events in the Present-Day county, 26 in the Historic County

  • Sussex, 11 parkrun events in the Present-Day county of West Sussex, 5 in East Sussex and 5 in Brighton and Hove. 21 in the Historic County of Sussex

…giving a grand total of 115 parkrun events in the present-day counties of the South of England.

click on the link on each county name to go to the blog post for that county

Notes and exceptions.

  • Numbers of event above exclude prison parkruns and permanently cancelled events.

  • Bournemouth and Moors Valley parkruns were part of Historic Hampshire and would have been in Historic South-East England, but are now part of Present-day Dorset, so would be in the South West England region.

  • Hazelwood was part of Historic Middlesex and is now part of Present-day Surrey.

  • Parts of Historic Surrey and Kent are now part of Greater London. See the individual pages for those counties for the list of which events are now part of Greater London.

More parkrun posts

parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

Featured and popular parkrun posts:

Richard gowerRun, parkrun, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, EnglandComment
Completing all Hampshire parkruns
Hampshire parkrun banner.JPG

There are currently 23 parkrun events in present-day Hampshire of which I have done 14. The first was Basingstoke which started on July 5th 2008 and the newest is Ganger Farm which started on November 19th 2022.

The Historic County of Hampshire has a further 3 events, totaling 26. Bournemouth and Moors Valley were in historic Hampshire but are now part of present-day Dorset and are in the South-West region. Medina IOW was in Historic Hampshire but is now in the present-day county of the Isle of Wight.

Mountbatten School parkrun was active until the Covid-19 parkrun pause and is now permanently closed.

Sandhurst Memorial deserves an honorable mention as parts of the course are in Hampshire although the start and finish are in Berkshire.

The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start. Course maps show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then.

Alice Holt

  • Completed: New Year’s Day 2020

  • Time: 28:09

  • Other routes touched (walk): The Shipwrights Way

  • Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 22, 224

  • http://www.parkrun.org.uk/AliceHolt

  • Inaugural: November 17th 2012

 

Andover

  • Completed: December 7th 2019

  • Time: 26.54

  • Other routes touched (walk): The Brenda Parker Way

  • Other routes touched (cycle): Charlton Lakes Cycle Path

  • http://www.parkrun.org.uk/Andover

  • Inaugural: July 16th 2011

 
elevation_profile - Andover.jpg

Bartley Park

 

Basingstoke

 
elevation_profile - Basingstoke.jpg

Bournemouth

  • not yet completed

  • Time: TBC

  • Other routes touched: [to be added once I’ve completed it]

  • http://www.parkrun.org.uk/Bournemouth

  • This event is now part of present-day Dorset and in the South-West Region.

  • Inaugural: August 24th 2013

 

Brockenhurst

 

Eastleigh

 
elevation_profile - Eastleigh.jpg

Edenbrook Country

 

Fareham

 

Ganger Farm

  • Completed: December 2nd 2023

  • Time: 27:37

  • Other routes touched: None

  • https://www.parkrun.org.uk/gangerfarm/

  • Inaugural: November 19th 2022

 

Great Salterns

 

Havant

 

Hogmoor Inclosure

 

Itchen Valley Country

 

Lee-on-the-Solent

 

Lymington Woodside

  • not yet completed

  • Time: TBC

  • Other routes touched: [to be added once I’ve completed it]

  • http://www.parkrun.org.uk/LymingtonWoodside

  • Inaugural: July 9th 2016

 

Medina I.o.W.

 

Moors Valley

  • not yet completed

  • Time: TBC

  • Other routes touched: [to be added once I’ve completed it]

  • http://www.parkrun.org.uk/MoorsValley

  • This event is now part of present-day Dorset and in the South-West Region.

  • Inaugural: November 7th 2015

 

Mountbatten School

***Mountbatten School parkrun is now permanently cancelled ***

 

Netley Abbey

  • Completed: July 22nd 2023 on their alternative course as there was an event on the main course

  • Time: 26:58

  • Other routes touched (walk): N/A, although the Solent Way runs very close by.

  • http://www.parkrun.org.uk/NetleyAbbey

  • Inaugural: March 17th 2012

 

Netley Abbey alternative course (5.5 laps)

Portsmouth Lakeside

 

Queen Elizabeth

 

Rushmoor

 
elevation_profile - Rushmoor.jpg

Southampton

 

Southsea

 

Whiteley

 

Winchester

 

More parkrun posts

parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

Featured and popular parkrun posts:

Richard gowerRun, parkrun, Hampshire, EnglandComment
Portsmouth Coastal Half Marathon

When: February 3rd 2019
Where: Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK
Course: Out and back along the coast from Pyramids Leisure Centre / Southsea Castle to North-East corner of Portsea Island. Similar return route with some diversions. Nice muddy/icy beach section.
Other routes touched (walk): Solent Way, The Shipwrights Way,
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2, 222
Finish time: 1 hour 57 minutes

 
Richard gowerRun, Half Marathon, Coast, Hampshire, EnglandComment
Race To The King Ultra Marathon

When: June 24th 2018
From: Slindon Estate, Arundel, West Sussex
To: Winchester Cathedral, Winchester SO23 9LS
Distance: 86.1km (53.5 miles)
Elevation: +1,344m / - 1,380m. Net -36m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Monarch’s Way, South Downs Way, West Sussex Literary Trail, New Lipchis Way, Staunton Way, The Shipwrights Way, Long Woodland Trail, Wayfarers Walk, Allan King Way, Pilgrims’ Trail, Itchen Way, Clarendon Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 22, 222, 224, 23
Maps:
- Ordnance Survey Explorer OL10 Arundel & Pulborough Map
- Ordnance Survey Explorer OL8 Chichester, South Harting & Selsey Map
- Ordnance Survey Explorer OL3 Meon Valley, Portsmouth, Gosport and Fareham Map
- Ordnance Survey Explorer OL32 Winchester, New Alresford & East Meon Map
Trig Pillars: TP1105 - Beacon Hill, TP5226 - Old Winchester Hill, TP3089 - Exton
Finish time: 14 hours 49 minutes
Links: South Downs Way, Harting Down National Trust, Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Beacon Hill Nature Reserve, Winchester

This was my 4th ultra and the 2nd in the Threshold Trail series. My first couple were a test, then reconfirmation, that I could do an Ultra. After the Gower I was happy to call myself an Ultra Marathon runner. From here on I’ll do them for the pure awesomeness of the events.

As a true introvert I’m not chatty on the events, defaulting to an inner game of getting through the run. Despite this I love the social aspect of the events. It’s the buzz of so many people taking on a major challenge, the support that everyone gives each other and the spectators cheering and helping anyone on the route.

Race To The King was a classic example of why I love these events. The South Downs Way is an iconic trail, the weather was amazing (albeit a little warm) and the organisation couldn’t be faulted.

The conditions couldn’t have been more different to October’s Gower Ultra. That was was damp and crippled my feet while this was bone dry. Despite being 3 miles long I’d completed this one nearly a hour quicker at 14 hours 49 mins. By the time I’d reached Winchester Cathedral I was in good shape and on a bit of a high.

Next Ultra: Race To The Tower 2019.

Start: Slindon Estate, Arundel

 

End: Winchester Cathedral

 
Richard gowerRun, Ultramarathon, Trig Pillar, South Downs, National Park, National Trust, Sussex, Hampshire, EnglandComment
Walking The Clarendon Way
IMG_5743.JPG

Start: Salisbury Cathedral, The Close, Salisbury, SP1 2EJ
Finish: Winchester Cathedral, 9 The Close, Winchester, SO23 9LS
Distance: 44 km (27.3 miles)
Elevation change: +599m / -605m m. Net -6m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Old Sarum Way, Monarch’s Way, Test Way,
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 23, 24, 246,
Map:
- OS Explorer Map (130) Salisbury and Stonehenge
- OS Explorer Map (131) Romsey, Andover and Test Valley
- OS Explorer OL32 Winchester, New Alresford & East Meon
Links: Clarendon Way, Salisbury, River Test, Winchester

I struggle with December. I don't know whether its real Seasonal Affective Disorder, but I'm definitely affected by the short, dark days. By the time I finished work on the 20th I was barely clinging on for the break. What I needed was a 1 day microadventure: a whole day outside and to get physically rather than mentally tired. The Clarendon Way solved this.

The route is a 20 mile sign posted trail between Salisbury and Winchester. It has the feel of a Pilgrimage route with a cathedral at either end and long, straight ancient paths. It connects 2 old Royal Palaces, including Clarendon Palace after which it is named.

There's a lot of pleasant countryside and some interesting sections at either end. Much of the middle is unremarkable though. Maybe I've been spoilt by other trails like the Ridgeway that have more to see. That wasn't really the point of today's trip though.

The day started with a head full of unfinished work thoughts, re-mortgaging details and annoyances about dodgy builders. Thoughts came and went over the course of the 8 hour trip. Ideas rumbled around, solutions presented themselves and some things lost their importance. I've read about people finding enlightenment on a Pilgrimage. I wasn't going to get that on a 1-day walk, but I understand where it comes from. For some its a religious experience, for me its the head-clearing power of exercising outdoors.

Getting there:

The Clarendon Way is a good 1-day walk or, in summer, a trail marathon run. Although it can be broken into sections, the completed journey in a day is enormously satisfying. I parked at Basingstoke station and took a 45 minute train to Salisbury, returning from Winchester to Basingstoke. This is the best solution if you're coming from the north and there's a similar option using Southampton station as the connector. The train station in each city is about half a mile from the cathedral.

For an alternative 2-day option on walking the Clarendon way, check out Hiker Hero’s blog about the trail. It’s a great article with some awesome photos and more description on the route.

elevation_profile.jpg
Richard gowerTrek, Hampshire, EnglandComment
Southampton Half Marathon

When: April 23rd 2017
Where: Southampton, Hampshire, UK
Course: Mix of city centre, country parks and bridges over the River Itchen. Through the football stadium at mile 10.
Other routes touched (walk): Itchen Way, Solent Way,
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2, 23, 236
Finish time: 1:55

elevation_profile - southampton.jpg

A highlight of today's Half Marathon was seeing how many people had misread the online registration form. There was a section that asked how you want your name to appear on your Race Number. Most got it right and wrote in their name, nickname, charity or running club. It's mainly there for spectators to cheer you on as you run past. Some clearly misunderstood and had "yes", "no" or "N/A" printed on them. There was even one guy who would have had people shouting "Well done ..."Just the number please"" as he ran by. Fail

 
Richard gowerRun, Half Marathon, Hampshire, England, CoastComment
Basingstoke Half Marathon

When: October 4th 2015
Where: Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK
Course: Country Roads to the South of the town.
Other routes touched (walk): Three Castles Path
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 23
Finish Time: 1:53

My first Half in 6 months and the start of the Autumn running season. Nice countryside single loop course through cute villages to the South of the town. Very hilly but reasonably pleased with my finish time. 1 week to go til the Oxford Half.

elevation_profile - Basingstoke.jpg
 
Richard gowerRun, Half Marathon, Hampshire, EnglandComment
St Boniface Down: Isle Of Wight High Point

Significance: Highest peak on the Isle of Wight (Present Day CT)
Member of: Marilyn, Hardy
Parent Peak: n/a. NHN: Butser Hill
Historic County: Hampshire (of which Pilot Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 241m
Date climbed: 6th July 2014
Coordinates: 50° 36' 13'' N, 1° 11' 51'' W
OS Trig Pillar: TP0352 - Wroxall Down
Map: OS Explorer OL29 Isle of Wight
Guidebook: Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (Isle of Wight), Wikipedia (St Boniface Down), Peakbagger, Hillbagging, National Trust

This was another drive-by County Top bagging for us. We were on a weekend trip for my mum's birthday and I convinced her that the diversion to the top of a hill to see a radar station was a good thing to do. As it turned out the views to the south coast of the island were fantastic that day.

Having seen David Bathurst's book since that trip, I've been inspired to go back one day and try a longer circular route to the top. I also completely missed bagging the Trig Pillar so I definitely have some unfinished business up there.

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Coast, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England, National Trust, Island High PointsComment
Walbury Hill and Pilot Hill: Berkshire & Hampshire County Tops
DSC07823.jpg

Walbury Hill

Significance Highest peak in Berkshire (Historic CT)
Member of: Marilyn, Hardy
Parent Peak: Beacon Batch. NHN = Cleeve Hill
Elevation: 297m
Coordinates: 51°21′08″N 1°27′57″W
OS Trig Pillar: TP0302 - Inkpen
Links: Wikipedia (Berkshire), Wikipedia (Walbury Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Pilot Hill

Significance Highest peak in Hampshire (Historic CT)
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Walbury Hill. NHN = Walbury Hill
Elevation: 286m
Coordinates:  51°20′19″N 1°25′48″W
OS Trig Pillar: TP5448 - Pilot
Links: Wikipedia (Hampshire), Wikipedia (Pilot Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

For both peaks:

Date climbed: 25th March 2012
Route Start / End: Combe Gibbett & Walbury Hill Car Park, Combe, Hungerford, RG17 9EH
Route Distance: 9.9 km (6.1 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 150m
Subsidiary tops on route: none
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Wayfarers Walk, Brenda Parker Way, Test Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 246
Map: OS Explorer 157 - Marlborough & Savernake Forest
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)

The high points of the Historic Counties of Berkshire and Hampshire can be bagged in one short walk. This was the first trip to intentionally bag County Tops, although I had already completed Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon before.

From the Combe Gibbett & Walbury Hill Car Park follow the Wayfarers Walk in a north-westerly direction for 1km. At a path junction take a left and follow the path in a south-easterly direction for 0.5 km to the summit of Walbury Hill

Leave the summit by continuing along the path which will soon curve to the north-east. The path will re-join the Wayfarers Walk ~400m before the car park. Take a right back onto the Wayfarers Walk and follow it for 1.7 km to a path junction. Take the path on the right and follow it as it snakes through Eastwick Copse to the summit of Pilot Hill. Note that the Trig Pillar that marks the summit is in a farmer's field rather than on the path so you'll need to approach it carefully.

From the summit continue along the path until it returns to the Wayfarers Walk. Take a left onto the Wayfarer's Walk and follow it back to the car park.

Other High Points In BERKSHIRE

Other High Points In Hampshire

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, England, Berkshire, HampshireComment