The sun was out, so it was too good an opportunity to miss after the last week
of rain and cloud. I picked out a walk around the training areas of Longmoor -
not crossing as there was shooting expected. I expected there to be some mud,
but had hoped the sandy nature fo the area to keep it relatively dry. On my
motorbike trips to Bordon for maintenance and servicing I had noticed a car park
at the roundabout near Greatham, so had planned to start there. Luckily we
arrived after the early morning dog walkers and before the post school run ones,
so we parked up and set off into the woods next door.
The path through the open wood came to a grassy area, before dropping down a
bridleway onto a back road of houses.
Off the road and down a slightly muddy track between the houses rising up a
slight hill as it dried out.
The track followed the side of the A3 for a while before it crossed on a
bridge.
Back into the woods again, however the path was damp but drying.
Passing a lake, before climbing slightly on a dry track, up to a back road.
My route plan was now to follow the course of the shipwrights way, and the next
section involved an extended time along a back road. Continuing in the same
direction along Warren road from the village of Liss Forest.
By the time we had reached the bridge under the railway, and had turned onto
Reeds Lane - still in the same direction - I began to wish I had followed the
edge of the training area from Liss Village
Crossing the railway once more, this time over the top, to the end of the road
at Langley, where we followed the Sussex border path
The path was initially very churned up, however we could avoid it to the side,
before it dried as we gained altitude.
The view opened out over to the training area then dropped down bordering some
fields.
Curving around a house in the woods there was a swath of daffodils in the sun.
The path (dry but churned) was bounded by rhododendron bushes.
Peaking out between the bushes were views of the Folly Pond on one side and Home
Park on the other.
Once past the imposing columns at the entrance to Home Park we were back in the
beech woods
Coming out on a road (unmarked on the maps), presumably the access to the big
houses around. We then turned off beside the Liphook golf course
Following the side of the golf course until we met the drive way for Foley
Manor.
Along the long drive of the Manor there was a slight kink to go over a lake and
past a statue for Lord Strathnairn
More of the long (straight) drive and a series of ponds/ lakes, before passing
some of the estate houses and across the rear side of the estate.
end of the estate road we took a byway passing around the humps of holly hills.
The byway came out at a collection of houses and a pub down a small road off
the Liphook spur from the A3. We crossed into the open access area and got
bogged down in the brush and standing water. This reminded me that I should
have walked around and along the road. Eventually we crossed the spur road,
and picked up the bridleway on the other side.
The track rose to cross the A3 dual carriageway on a foot bridge.
On the other side we were back into the training area, and worked out way to
meet up with the track I had followed when I walked from Bordon to
Haslemere.
However the red flags were flying and there was shooting going on, so I chose
to take a wide circuit and diverted up to the village of Conford.
Crossing Conford Moor, we surprised two deer but I was not fast enough to take
a picture.
We had to follow the road to Bordon for a short while before we could drop
down into the woods - initially missing the path, but after floundering around
the undergrowth we picked it up.
We met a wider track that dropped down to the river and a bridge before
crossing to the perimeter track for the training area. The red flags were
flying, but I was not sure whether that also included this track, but we
blindly continued.
Just in case the perimeter track was included we took a track into the trees ,
which was certainly more undulating with a few ups and downs.
The track we were on eventually came back to the perimeter track at the corner
of the training area, and we crossed over to the Shipwrights way ( an
alternative route)
Following the Shipwrights way down the side of the training area - a very
permanent path winding through the trees between the road and the training
area perimeter track.
End of the track where it meets the road once again, and an interesting sign ... across the roundabout and back to the van.
