After an easy Christmas break it was time to get out into the fresh air again.
I planned to go back to the training areas north of Farnham, however I was in
the van so needed a car park without a barrier. The plan was to start in
Farnham park - next to the castle - then across to pick up the blackwater
valley. Follow the valley path around until it meets the Basingstoke canal,
then follow that around to the top of the MoD training areas at the forest of
Eversley. Back through the forest over the back road (all full public access)
before it enters into the training area. Through this limited training area to
teh same gate we used last week and into the southern free access area. A
small zigzag and up t Caesar's camp, before dropping down to cross out of the
training area and over the A287 and back to the car park down the lanes.
In the car park we shuffled around to find a slot beside the cricket field where
the van was not sticking out or blocking more than one space.. The car park was
next to a cricket pitch and the outer bailey wall of the castle. Into the park
and around to the east side of the castle.
Beside the edge of the castle an avenue of trees with a central path led off to
the east. We followed this to the end of the park where we dropped down t the
edge of the housing estates. There were views across to the greensand ridge/
north downs to the south
The next section was on the roads as we negotiated across to green lane. the
back lanes were all shut off by overgrown paths and locked gates.
we tried to cross to green lane on a footpath around the back of the David Lloyd
sports centre but this was blocked at one end by brambles and the other by
closed gates. If we had known we would have gone the other way along a road, but
we had no choice but to around on the road, which luckily had a pavement.
After getting onto the end of Green lane and following it to the end we followed
another back road under the railway and into the edge of Badshot Lea. We picked
up the Blackwater valley path at the edge of the village behind some pared
cars.
The otherside of the village we crossed the B3208 and began the true blackwater
valley path alongside the river of the same name. The path was tarmacked and ran
along the back of a number of housing estates
The river was actually quite clear and even had some places to get fully
immersed (if you were Bertie). The river curved around to avoid the A331 passing
beside a Crematorium and sports ground as well as a school and playing fields.
Then crossed over to continue between the road and the river using a bridge over
a weir.
Now more shingle to keep the path dry as we continued along the river up to a
point where we had to cross the A323 beside a roundabout. Luckily it was one
carriageway at a time.
On the other side of the busy road we continued along the river meandering
around alongside Aldershot North Town. The path passed between several ponds
before we passed under the canal aqueduct then wound around the other side and
up to the canal leaving the Blackwater valley route.
Up on the canal northern bank (there is a path on both sides at this point), we
followed it past Gold valley lakes fishing area.
Continuing up to Ash Lock (our only lock on the walk, and past the maintenance
area beyond. On the far side was now all closed off for the MoD.
A big curve around the barracks, and along beside the sports centre under a back
road and up to the A325 at Wharf bridge.
The other side of the bridge is into the Wellesley parks area - stretches from
here down to the Wellington monument. This has a number of walking trails on
both sides of the canal, but we continued along the canal towpath, under a pipe
bridge and around a lazy S bend.
Several wiggles later we reached the end of the Wellesley park trails at Eelmoor
bridge - a connector to the end of Farnborough airport. We had a short view
along the end of the runway and into the rows of executive jets lining up.
A final view as the airport disappeared behind the trees
Under a backroad leading off the A323 at a roundabout we followed the towpath
along the edge of the forest of Eversley. open access training areas on both
sides.
We left the canal where the A323 crossed - first underneath then over the canal
on the old bridge before we could take a path into the woods beside the A323
going back on ourselves.
At the edge of the Forest of Eversley we crossed the kissing gate and into
the open access area. Following the wide trails down into the woods.
We left the very straight gravel track to take one that angled away and more
into the trees. This came out at a gate on the edge of the back road just down
from the Foresters pub.
Crossing over the back road and into the training area on the other side (still
open access). We followed the track down beside the Tweseldown Hill enclosure
(this is an eventing course). At the corner of the enclosure we moved into the
managed area (luckily this was not barred to us today)
Down beside Long Hill and into the sun, before picking up the ""speed" track of
the driver training area. We had to dodge the large puddles on this track.
Overhead a couple of the executive jets took off from the airport taking the
privileged elite off somewhere else.
The driving track was angling away from where we wanted to go so we took a side
path into the woods that came out in the camping ground. I knew this had a gate
to leave the limited access area.
Across the Bourley road and into the open access area beyond. Through the
pasture and across to the water works where we picked up a track parallel to the
Bourley road. In the woods beyond we turned south on a track climbing into the
woods
This track came out below Caesar's camp, though we could not climb it directly
as it was fenced off. Instead we had to walk along the bottom until we could
find a track up to the ramparts.
We crossed through several ramparts and ditches before coming out on the huge
flat inner area
Looking north over the edge of the camp towards Henley on Thames and High
Wycombe.
We cut over the centre of the camp rather than following the circumference. Then
back to the gate we had used the last time we were here.
Down the track beside Brickbury Hill, heading into the sun (now south west).
The track passed the opposite side to the lake we had walked along last time,
and Bertie ran down for a quick dip. Then angling away we headed towards the
edge of the training area.
We needed to be a little further west so followed the fence of the training area
around a small wooded enclosure before leaving through an access gate opposite a
petrol station.
We should have stayed in the area a but further as we had to walk along the
road. Then we followed a bridleway (or driveway) down between houses and woods.
At a crossroads we continued on a path in the same direction.
Continuing along Old Park lane, that started off as a dirt track and mutated into a tarmacked road as it passed the Grange collection of dwellings.
The road came to the A287 opposite the castle just beyond the Bailey walls. We crossed over and turned along the footpath back towards the cricket pitch.
Around the edge of the cricket pitch and back to the car park. Lookign up to the hills of the open access training area we have come down through.
