Hangers Way part1, South Downs

A fresh morning, frost on the ground but initially a clear sky. Bertie & I headed off to do the first part of Hangers Way from Alton to Selbourne. The aim was to park in Selbourne village car park, walk up Selbourne hill and across the common, working our way back to West Worldham, and up towards Alton. Cross the A31 then turning around to pick up the first cross country section of the Hangers Way, re-cross the A31 and along Neatham Down and on to East Worldham. From here traversing King John's Hill and wood land to reach Wick Hill hanger, continuing along Selbourne hanger and back to the car park.

We parked the van in the village car park, and set off (after a few worries about where the free parking actually was as part of the car park is for Gilbert White's house) up the track leading to Selbourne Common, and a climb up the "Zig-Zag path". This path had been created by the aforementioned Gilbert White, and made its way up a small swath cut in the trees, with multiple zigs and zags.

Up on top of the hill looking back down tot he village, before continuing along the top ridge

We set off west trying to find a path that would take us to Coneycroft hill and a back road. After meandering around following various paths and game trails we ended up on a bridleway curving down to the road.

We climbed the road until we could take a path across the fields 

The path led across several fields before crossing the B3006 near Norton farm, after which it turned north (still across fields)

We crossed the site of the medieval village Hartley Mauditt (after a false start the wrong side of a fence and had to retreat) to the more recent hamlet of the same name.

Through the hamlet and on to West Worldham before we could turn back out into the fields once more.

We crossed through several more grass fields (and a large trench for the new fuel pipeline to Heathrow) before arriving at the Kiln house. I am sure when Fleetwood Mac stayed there to record their album of the same name it did not have the huge barn constructions behind!

From the Kiln house we followed the drive, and chalk stream, back out to the B3004. Under the A31before curving around and down the side of an industrial area.

At the bottom of the industrial area we picked up the first rural section of the HW (the bit to here from Alton station is all along the B3004). Unfortunately the HW goes across the A31 once again and we had to dodge the traffic on the dual carriageway - luckily it was not very busy. On the south side the path follows a rising traverse along the side of Neatham Down.

Once over the shoulder we crossed two large crop fields towards a coppice marked on the map as "earthworks" ...  this was very extensive and high ramparts hidden in a private woodland.

passing a converted Oast house and still crossing fields to Clay's farm.

The final section of fields brought us to the outskirts of East Worldham village, which we bypassed using a footpath

Views from above East Worldham across to the hills between Liphook and Haslemere.

Dropping down to the B3004 involved a large number of steps!

On the other side of the road we got the first sight of King John's Hill - a old iron age fort and medieval hunting lodge. The path traverses over the shoulder and on into wooded areas.

If the outward track was across fields the inward track would be through woods and plantations (with a few clearing in between).

In Hartley wood the HW zig-zags around, even going three quarters of the way around a large pond. 

Across a back road and the into the real hangers...  Along side Wick Hill and a very steep slope to the right dominating that side.

As the hanger petered out we dropped down through the woods on a wide track - a slight diversion from the HW.

Along the stream at the bottom and past several lakes brought us back to the HW which we could follow along Selbourne hanger.

Arriving at the village of Selbourne we had to climb up past the church to the main street. We were parked behind the pub and managed to avoid any diversions.

Alice Holt Forest Walk, Local

A cloudy day after a night frost, with some rain forecast for the afternoon. So for a relatively mud free, and not impacted by the cloud I planned to make a circuit of Alice Holt Forest near Farnham. The idea was to park in the free car park near Abbotts Wood Inclosure, across to Straits Inclosure, around it and back to Abbotts Wood via Goose Green Inclosure. Crossing over into the more commercial side of Alice Holt Forest and circle around Glenbervie Inclosure, into the village of halt Pound, then into the Inclosure of the same name. Across onto Lodge Inclosure, making a circuit via Bentley station and Hall, before returning to the commercial section. Finally returning to the car park via one of the multitude of trails.

We drove across via Haslemere and Frensham ponds before crossing over to the forest on the back lanes. Parking in the forestry commission car park on the south (non commercial) side of the forest as this did not require buying a ticket. We left the circular parking area heading south on a gravel track, until we met the Shipwrights Way (we would repeatedly use parts of this today) at one of the sculptures.

The track continued south (via a couple of curves) - not much of a view with the trees blocking each side. Following the SW until it turned away at the edge of the forest.

At the edge of the forest we crossed the back road and crossed several fields to reach Grooms farm, where we turned sharply back on ourselves and followed the farm drive up to its junction with the A325.

From the crossroads, we followed a small lane into the Straits Inclosure, which mutated into a path along the edge of the trees, and grass land.

Passing a small lake on to the end of the Inclosure, where we turned around the end and started back along the northern side - this time slightly further within the trees.

The tracks through the trees was much the same, as we serpented back through the Inclosure, with the occasional break where some new planting had been done.

The final turn took us out of the woods here opposite a set of fishing lakes.

Across the back road and into Goose Green Inclosure, on a straight track through the plantation.

Over the A325, to work across to the crossroads where we had first picked up the SW. From the sculpture we continued crossing our original route.

The SW crossed another back road and entered into the commercial side of the forest. Here the tracks all had marked trails along them, and were swept of the leaves.

We continued on the SW until we crossed the "Family cycle trail", which proved too big a temptation, so we turned off SW early to follow it. This trail wound its way up the Eastern edge of the forest past the "Lonely Oak"  - a memorial to a long time Forestry person.

Up at the northern end of the forest we left the prepared trails and followed a more muddy track up to the village of Holt Pound. Through a twitten to Old Kiln farm - now horse stabling, and coming out opposite the village pub.

The path actually went through the pub garden before coming out in a field. Across the field and into Holt Pound Inclosure. Another wide track led through this plantation, which after a short while was heavily gravelled.

At the far end of the Inclosure we crossed over Gravel Hill Road passing two parking spaces into Lodge Inclosure.

Inside this Inclosure we came to an arboretum nestling within it. Going through it on one of the meandering paths we arrived back at the SW.

The SW at this point was tarmacked and we followed it out of the Inclosure up to its end at Bentley rail station.

Turning around and walking back to the path through the station nature reserve. This climbed up to Bentley Hall - more modern than I was expecting.

Back into the Inclosure at the Hall, we headed up towards the SW on gravelled tracks. We met the SW at the edge of the arboretum  

Turning onto the SW - still tarmacked - we followed it along past the Alice Holt Research Station.

The SW continued across Lodge Inclosure until it left beside a section called Plain Piece.

Back across the A325 and into the commercial part again - Still on the SW as it curved around onto the continuation of the "family Cycle Trail".

We left the marked trails and cut through the trees to the "Lodge Pond Trail", then the "Habitat Trail"

These trails took us down in a curve back towards the main reception area and car parks via a number of play areas and some scattered wooden play sculptures.
Back to the visitors centre, past the Go Ape tree jungle and a smaller play area.

We continued away from the visitor centre along the Willows Green trail, and some more sculptures

Eventually this curved back to the visitors car park and we left along a secondary track that crossed over the back road to the non commercial side and hence to the van waiting in the car park there.