A clear day in-between rain fronts once again and with all the rain we
picked a route that would avoid some of the river valleys. I had a route along
St Swithun's way between Farnham and Alton that followed a number of tracks
and roads. the return would be by train.
Bertie and I parked in the car park to Fareham park, just behind the castle, and
walked slightly back down the hill alongside the castle walls. Onto Old park
lane up past several houses.
We continued up the lane to Old Park stables where we turned down the driveway
to Park farm, then down a rough track beside the last house.
This came out onto another drive way as it extended on to Middle and Lower old
park, A steep drop down to cross a stream and up the other side, where it merged
onto a backroad. We followed the back road to a T junction (with a huge low
loader trying to negotiate the turn) and up another lane leading to Dippenhall
farm
At the farm we followed a farm track alongside fields and woods as it crossed to
Cheeks farm. The lane was mainly dry with some larger puddles to be
circumvented.
We left the lane after the farm and started across crops fields
The track led to Wallfield copse which we crossed on a good forest track
The track came out onto a back road near East Green, which we followed around to
Marsh house.
From Marsh House we went through a number of horse paddocks - each with very
swampy gates, and water logged grass. Escaping into another series of
crops fields that led back to a back road.
The back road led into the outskirts of Bentley village, where we followed a bit
of a maze then down a track beside Jenkyn place. Past some fields we left the St
Swithun's way on a parallel track.
A muddy path along the edge of a newly sown field past what looked like a
residential home. More fields led to the edge of Lower Froyle where we turned
away from the general direction of the walk on a large loop north.
In Lower Froyle we kept in the field as it worked around the houses and climbed
parallel to Hussey's Lane, before we crossed the ditch into the lane itself. The
track climbed then dropped and climbed once again to reach a back road.
A steep climb up the road until we could turn off onto a path that followed
hedges and into Hanger's Hyle copse
Still following the edge of woods (now sheephouse copse) and across into
Highnam copse where a chinook crossed over above us.
This track merged onto Frog Lane ... an awkward track with deep ruts and
multiple puddles. A sharp turn back south down a back road that then led to a
path through a crop field climbing slightly.
We dropped down to the edge of the woods before climbing back up on a steep
slope
along side the woods at the top of the slope which merged onto a gravel track.
We followed the track to its end at Saintburyhill farm - a farm house and lots
of abandoned farm buildings.
From the farm we turned towards Alton and dropped down through grass fields onto
crops. the last field was very waterlogged
We circumnavigated Upper Foyle on a byway that ended on the Alton side at an
mini industrial estate. Now back on St Swithun's way we followed a lane out of
the village.
The last section of ploughed fields followed the St Swithun's way as it ran
Parallel to the A31 right to the outskirts of Holybourne
Passing Treloar college with its high fences and strict signage to the playing
fields of Alton rugby club. We crossed the playing fields and followed a
footpath through the residential areas of Alton until we were opposite the
railway station.
We walked down to the main building and bought our ticket then onto the platform
only to find we had 55 mins wait, however there was a train on the other side
that left in 15mins so we crossed over the bridge and climbed onboard to wait.
This was the faster train and only took a short time to reach Farnham.
Exiting the station and down to the A31 which we crossed at the lights and up the road into the town centre. Beyond the one-way system we continued in the same way to find a path up into the park.
Walking up beside the castle and back to the van.
