Overcast with a hint of rain was the forecast for the rest of the week,
however the paths were drying generally, so I had a plan to go to Ash Ranges -
or rather two plans, one for the unlikely event that the ranges were open to
public access and a second if they were not. This second plan was to follow
the fence all aroudn the ranges starting and ending in the village of
Normandy. I was in the van and knew from previous visits that there was a
barrier on the car park, however there was off street parking at the rugby
club, and also outside the church.
We parked outside the church on the lowered pavement area (carefully arranged so that we were pointing back home and the sliding door was facing the hedge and Bertie would not leap into traffic). Around the church to the church hall beside the A323 crossing over to a narrow twitten that linked up to Normandy Common, exiting at the cricket pitch. Around the first pitch and then the second one.
After the cricket pitches the path entered the woods leading up to the A324. Over this road and down an MoD access track behind the houses and into the neutral zone up to the security fence of the ranges.
The flag was flying (we had already heard the shooting so it was no surprise), so plan B ... up to the fence and then turn left following it with Normandy Hill in the distance.
Over the top of the hill and along the fence as it dropped slightly beside a rifle range (with lots of shooting happening). At one point along here there were several "stump houses" with various offerings.
At the edge of Ash Vale town we turned with the fence as it passed the end of three ranges, then on a gravel track as we bypassed the secondary access road.
Over the main gatehouse access road and up the slope beyond. the path snaked through the woods of Steel Hill touching the Basingstoke canal, and around the end of a large pond. Over the fence was the fourth range.
To the end of the fifth range where the fence path was a little overgrown. We then zigzagged int he woods following the edge of the range area
Eventually reaching the fence once again climbing up to Furze Hill. Here we left the woods and ranges with views over the Romping Downs - these are the slopes behind all the ranges which provide the fallout zones for escaping bullets.
The fence turned once again along the edge of a railway line. This was in a cutting below the path, on the other side was the heathland of the interior of the ranges. The fence bent to follow Mytchett road after it crossed the railway line (which had gone underground at the same point)
The path along the fence dissolved into scrub and we followed a cycle track through Longdown Hill, The road had veered away slightly here as well and we returned to the fence once the road came back. Unfortunately this also degraded as we paralleled the road and we escaped to the tarmac for a short section to the next corner of the fence.
We turned around the corner at the entrance to a fifth large range, and into the woods along the side of it.
The path (and the fence) followed through the woods and along to another access road. this time the boundary track was outside the fence and we walked along it.
The path curved around to include the sixth range - the boundary track moved inside the fence once more. Around the end of the range passing between it and the Henley Park Lake
The boundary track once again on the outside of the fence gave an easy walk down to the A324. Inside the fence we could see over the rolling hills of the interior once again.
At the road we kept to the fence and followed it parallel to the road. We left the fence and followed the power lines to skirt Vine farm and fight through to the road (there was no obvious track to the footpath on the far side of the road).
The path dropped down the side of a ploughed field, with little sign of the way. at the end of the field we crossed through horse paddocks and through Hunts hill farm. From here the tracks throguh Normandy Common led to the car park (the one with the barrier).
Back along the A323 to the church hall where we could cut through the church yard to return to the van parked on the other side.
