We woke up to a sprinkling of snow this morning, with some flurries
still falling. Checking the traffic websites it was no use heading to the
downs (there were problems with both North and South Downs where cars were
stuck). So I chose to cross over to Bordon and complete a section of the
shipwrights way - I had forgotten about the climb up to Hindhead and we
crawled up following a number of cars spinning their wheels to get up the
hill. The aim was to park at Shortheath common and head across to Kingsley
common and hence on to Sleaford, picking up the Shipwrights way along the back
road from there and following it down to Bordon. Navigating around the streets
to meet up with where we had already done the next section around the MoD
training area, then across to Blackmoor golf club crossing it to the Warren
and back to Oakhanger, and Shortheath common.
After a slushy and slippy drive on the back roads around to Oakhanger before
finding the common car park facing the pond. First off we headed around the lake
trying to find our designated path through the common area.
Heading across the common the snow had covered everything and we had a few
corrections before ending up on the right path.
Around a quarry - now filled with water and across fields towards Kingsley.
The old golf course was now a series of horse paddocks. The fenced off path came
to several houses before moving into Kingsley Common.
Across the common - still having trouble finding the desired path among the many
snow covered trails. We came out along a back road to Sleaford and crossed the
A325, in the hope we could get into the open access area on the other side.
Unfortunately it was fenced off, and we had to walk up to the cross roads and
down the back road.
Finding the path off the back road crossed a field and then onto a lane going
past Trottsford Farm. This lane ended on the path through Grooms farm heading to
the edge of one of Alice Holt's Forest Inclosures.
We followed the path up Kites hill and the edge of the forest. However we missed
the path beside the houses and had to climb a gate at the end. A U-turn without
entering the forest and back down Cradle Lane.
The lane crossed a ford (thankfully on a footbridge), and came out on the back
road opposite Headley park - now closed.
Back along the road to the point where we had turned off it, this time taking
the southernly track. This brought us to Bottomfield copse - a forestry
commission plantation.
The snow hanging in the trees - it was snowing again as we entered the
plantation.
Out of the trees and across some fields before going into Broxhead common,
following a track along the edge past a farm and industrial estate.
Across the B2003 and into Lindford park. After the park we worked through the
housing estates winding through the maze until we could drop down a lane which
crossed over to Deadwater. By now the snow had gone through sleet and into
rain.
If my map had not been soaked and falling to pieces I might have chosen to go
through Deadwater valley nature reserve at this point, however we continued to
follow the SW signs and took a long curving route pounding the pavements of
Bordon estates. Eventually, before we both go too annoyed by this we crossed the
A325 at the service station into the industrial estate beyond.
Into the old MoD training area beyond - Hogmoor Inclosure provided relief from
the monotony of the pavement pounding. Over the new bypass road (not on my old
map) and picking up a trail going in our direction - this one had the arch
celebrating the roman camp near here.
Out of the training area and down the golf club access road. Following a byway
through the golf course.
It was strange walking across the golf course with no sign of it every been used. We left the tidy nature of the course and into the rougher area of the Warren. Here our path seemed to be overgrown so a GPS blind walk through the scrub brought us to the point where we had to cross a back road to pick up the path on the other side.
Approaching Oakhanger and the domes of the MoD satellite listeners in the middle distance. We then doglegged over Oakhanger stream into the bottom of Shortheath Common
We found numerous paths again through the common heading in roughly the right direction ... the signs were not very obvious.
We came out opposite the car park looking over the pond. Then back around the track we had started on and into the van - wet and cold.
I had to start the engine and run the heater for a while before we left just to warm up, and dry off a little.
