Today was a sad day - I was selling my motorbike back to the dealer in
Bordon. To balance this slightly it had been sitting in the garage for most of
the lock-down and I just was not getting much use out of it. I had arranged
with Sue to pick me up at the the end of the day in Haslemere, so after the
paperwork I took off all the bike clothes, and helmet stuffing them into a
rucksac (large and heavy) and set off for the military training area just
outside Bordon.
Following the signs for the Shipwrights way took me into the edge of the
training area, before I cut off and went through a vehicle gate following the
track to one of the range entrances. The range was fenced off, however that was
not where I wanted to go and followed the vehicle track around the side, and on
into the distance.
Following the track was simple navigation, but not monotonous as the scenery
changes as I moved through the area.
One of these changes was where the track went around a dip - a missing bridge
showing that it was probably once a railway track. A sharp turn was a precursor
to leaving this training area.
The track continued around the edge of the area, whereas I went straight on
... some strange navigation as the path actually went through someone's
garden. Breaking out into some fields.
Even more extreme the path ended in the gardens of a larger house with a huge
lake ... However we continued along the drive and the path moved back into the
fields.
Alongside some terribly overgrazed horse paddocks, which came out at a B road
(B3004), which I followed past a row of houses..
AT A sharp corner, I took a path heading away from the road into a ploughed
field, then right into a grass field. This led to a farmhouse , and beyond a
path to another driveway. Onto back roads leading to the village of Bramshott
and towards the church.
At the church I turned into the graveyard, which had a huge extension over the
back - the war graves predominantly Canadian.
Out the back of the graveyard, following a fenced off path, leads down to the
A3, where it disappears underneath beside the river.
The otherside was a bit of a cludge to get around the big junction, and a new
retirement complex, but again when the road bent around I went straight on
between the houses.
The path was bounded on both sides by fencing, before coming out at a huge
caravan park, with several fields for touring caravans
The back of the caravan site leads into Bramshott Common - Another ex MOD
training area which Bertie and I had visited earlier in the year. The area was
part of the camp and so criss-crossed with a number of wide tracks
I took as direct a line as these tracks allowed.
Emerging from a corner of the training area into some housing, and back
road.
Continuing the direct line to Haslemere I took a path through the woods
leading to Woolmer Hill district of Haslemere. Then along the suburban streets for a while
Coming out by the railway line. A double shuffle under it to the southern side and another path following the line.. After this it was back to the urban streets - up past the sports centre and out beside the railway station.
From the railway station continuing on the roads to the park and the twittne leading to the fire station and finally into Waitrose carpark. Sue was just coming the other way and we met at the car, dumped the rucksac and off to find some food
