{"hits":[{"id":"45fa7f6c1ad7811","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Odiham and the Basingstoke Canal","description":"

Setting off through the appealing little market town of Odiham, the walk strikes out across farmland to Greywell village before concluding with a delightful waterside stroll along the Basingstoke Canal towpath. It's worth taking the time to explore Odiham, and there's also plenty to look at along the way. The route winds through Greywell Moors Nature Reserve, crosses a disused canal tunnel and passes the ruins of Odiham Castle.

","location":"Hart, England, United Kingdom","tags":["OS Pathfinder - 12"],"_geo":{"lat":51.259371,"lng":-0.929863},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":false,"created":1747408929,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":1,"distance":7761.620547454768,"duration":5269,"elevation_gain":40,"elevation_loss":39,"gpx":"blob_udrqhczqz5.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"route_e3jjp8fv6q.webp","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":0},{"id":"4ea72cd7d07ca82","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Henley-on-Thames and Hambleden","description":"The walk begins by crossing the Thames and heading up through Remenham Wood and across fields to the hamlet of Aston before descending to re-cross the river and Mill End. It then continues through a beautiful Chiltern valley to the picturesque and unspoilt village of Hambleden. From here the route climbs up through Ridge Wood, descends to the river again and follows an attractive riverside path to Henley.","location":"South Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom","tags":["OS Pathfinder - 25"],"_geo":{"lat":51.537573,"lng":-0.901069},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":true,"created":1747409726,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":1,"distance":11612.3288224632,"duration":8430.257,"elevation_gain":110,"elevation_loss":107,"gpx":"blob_81pdozn1ph.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"route_nlljw50kj7.webp","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":0},{"id":"c9ccd9540e17b74","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Cookham, Winter Hill and Cock Marsh","description":"This walk embraces woodland, marsh and meadow; extensive views over the Thames Valley; pleasant and easy riverside walking, and an attractive village. The first part of the route is along the banks of the Thames by Cock Marsh. This is very much Stanley Spencer country: the artist spent most of his life in Cookham, and the village and surrounding area were the inspiration for many of his paintings. The walk then climbs to Winter Hill, a fine viewpoint overlooking the valley and Buckinghamshire beyond, before entering Quarry Wood, thought to be the model for the Wild Wood in the children's classic The Wind in the Willows.","location":"","tags":["OS Pathfinder - 25"],"_geo":{"lat":51.560197,"lng":-0.714153},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":false,"created":1747411084,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":1,"distance":10835.736095726388,"duration":7524.887,"elevation_gain":123,"elevation_loss":123,"gpx":"blob_twb8bjvc2m.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"route_q7ceftblqc.webp","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":0},{"id":"fd5cae4aff3d12d","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Pishill and Stonor Park","description":"Starting from the tiny hamlet of Pishill, you'll enjoy ever-changing views on this undulating walk in the Chilterns. The route winds its way in and out of woodland and across farmland as it makes for the village of Stonor. From here, it enters Stonor Park, with glimpses of Stonor House and, if you're lucky, the fallow deer that inhabit the parkland. The gorgeous Oxfordshire countryside slowly reveals itself as the route dips and climbs and dips again on its return to Pishill.","location":"","tags":["OS Pathfinder - 84"],"_geo":{"lat":51.603,"lng":-0.952353},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":false,"created":1747411563,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":1,"distance":9570.0761725936,"duration":7429.088,"elevation_gain":260,"elevation_loss":260,"gpx":"blob_olphdkykb5.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"route_d152ij76x7.webp","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":0},{"id":"b1b982b50f72afb","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Meon Valley rails and trails","description":"Starting close to the summit of Beacon Hill in the South Downs National Park, the walk begins with commanding views over the Meon Valley as it joins the South Downs Way and drops into the pretty village of Exton. Here it crosses the river and follows the Meon Valley railway trail for an easy couple of miles into West Meon, where you'll find a pub and café. The route heads back through farmland to rejoin the South Downs Way for the climb back to the finish at Beacon Hill.","location":"Winchester, England, United Kingdom","tags":["OS Pathfinder - 12"],"_geo":{"lat":51.001095,"lng":-1.148516},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":false,"created":1747414512,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":0,"distance":12884.764857132775,"duration":9816.433,"elevation_gain":209,"elevation_loss":210,"gpx":"blob_jofxgw2fzl.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"route_gpi10oydy9.webp","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":0},{"id":"d7ee6c1e808dc26","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Hartley Wintney and Elvetham","description":"Today, golf is a relatively genteel pastime but, as you walk out across Hartley Wintney golf course, spare a thought for those who came here before you.\nFor this was the site of the early 19th-century workhouse that served Hartley Wintney and a dozen of the surrounding parishes. Opened in the spring of 1835, the building was enlarged the following year and stood here until a new workhouse was constructed at nearby Winchfield in 1871.\n\nYet just half a mile (800m) from the grinding poverty of the old workhouse stands a building of a different order. From the 15th century, Elvetham Hall was home to the family of Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII. Henry visited the house at least twice in the 1530s and, in 1591, Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, entertained Queen Elizabeth I here. Her entourage stayed in specially built pavilions close to the house and the queen planted an oak tree to commemorate her visit.\n\nAfter Edward died, his grandson William Seymour, the Marquis of Hertford and Duke of Somerset, inherited the Elvetham Estate. William sold the house in 1649 and, after a complex series of marriages, the property passed into the hands of the Gough-Calthorpe family. The great building stood for another two centuries until it was destroyed by a fire in 1840.\nA Victorian phoenix\nEnter Frederick Gough, the 4th Baron Calthorpe. He commissioned Samuel Teulon to design the magnificent Victorian Gothic mansion and stables block that rose from the ashes of the old house in 1860. Teulon's building is now home to the sumptuous Elvetham Hotel and you'll have glimpses of the mansions spectacular roofline soon after leaving the golf course. The hotel stands in 35 acres (14ha) of grounds, with formal gardens, croquet lawn and a broad yew-tree walk. It's said to have the largest magnolia soulangiana in England, and Queen Elizabeth's oak tree, which is now over 32ft (9.8m) in circumference, still stands in the hotel grounds.\n\nWhere to eat and drink\nStanding opposite the cricket field near the start of your walk, The Cricketers offers a good choice of wines and real ales to accompany a varied menu. Alternatively, try Café Baristas in the High Street for all-day breakfasts, main meals and light lunches.\n\nWhat to see\nThe walk passes the charming white-painted, weatherboarded former church of All Souls in Hartfordbridge. This was built in 1876 at a cost of just £250 to serve the local Elvetham Estate, and fell eventually into disuse. After more than 25 years of neglect, it was saved from dereliction and restored as a family home.\n\nWhile you're there\nJust a mile (1.6km) from Hartley Wintney, West Green House Garden is a blend of formal box hedges and borders, as well as lakes and follies.\nThey were laid out by Marylyn Abbott, after she leased the gardens from the National Trust in 1993. The gardens are open from early March to late October, but closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.","location":"Hart, England, United Kingdom","tags":["AA - 50 Walks in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight"],"_geo":{"lat":51.306617,"lng":-0.901063},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":false,"created":1747416271,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":0,"distance":6465.126546000298,"duration":4532.931,"elevation_gain":48,"elevation_loss":52,"gpx":"blob_16thrr4cg7.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"route_qgm1njmjxr.webp","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":0},{"id":"e328354aa1b69fb","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Bentley and the Hampshire Downs","description":"Setting out from Bentley at the foot of the Hampshire Downs, this route explores the surprisingly remote countryside between the A31 and the M3. After meandering along the valley past Pax Hill, you climb steadily through a farmed landscape studded with woodlands. An appealing byway leads to the tiny village of Well, where there's the opportunity for a break at The Chequers.","location":"East Hampshire, England, United Kingdom","tags":["OS Pathfinder - 12"],"_geo":{"lat":51.18951,"lng":-0.880102},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":false,"created":1747417198,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":0,"distance":15253.112193699104,"duration":10277.781,"elevation_gain":217,"elevation_loss":216,"gpx":"blob_rmn3guiiia.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"route_wcxamooonl.webp","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":0},{"id":"7462c405eb608a7","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Castle Combe","description":"An impressively lovely walk beginning from one of England's prettiest villages, it loosely follows the wooded valleys of three separate streams and completes the circle' over undulating upland fields. Among the many things of interest in the village at the start are the ancient church, a covered market cross and a 500-year-old pub.","location":"Upper Castle Combe, England, United Kingdom","tags":["OS Pathfinder - 77"],"_geo":{"lat":51.498139,"lng":-2.223463},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":false,"created":1747422291,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":1,"distance":13439.436347597177,"duration":10244.384,"elevation_gain":250,"elevation_loss":254,"gpx":"blob_douj6g41d6.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"route_mncomvrhtd.webp","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":1},{"id":"a752b040ace0ae3","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Hawkley to Steep","description":"

William Cobbett wrote 'beautiful beyond description' in his Rural Rides, after passing through Hawkley in 1822, on his way from East Meon to Thursley. Cobbett was enchanted by the rolling, beech-clad hills that characterise this relatively unexplored part of Hampshire. Abiding love Known locally as 'hangers', from the Anglo-Saxon hangra, meaning 'sloping wood', these fine beech woods cling to the steep chalk escarpment that links Selborne to Steep. Many have charming names such as Happersnapper Hanger and Strawberry Hanger. Edward Thomas lived at Steep from 1906 to his death in 1917, and his first home here was Berryfield. His abiding love for the beech hangers, mysterious combes and the sheer beauty of the landscape inspired him to write some of his finest poems, including 'Up in the Wind', The New House' and 'Wind and Mist'. You, too, will find the views breathtaking as you dip and climb through the hangers to the summit of Shoulder of Mutton Hill, Thomas's favoured spot above his beloved Steep. The walk begins from Hawkley, tucked away beneath Hawkley Hanger. You descend into the lush meadows of the Oakshott Valley, before a steep ascent on an old droving track to the top of Shoulder of Mutton Hill. Here, in a tranquil glade on its higher slopes, you will find a sarsen stone dedicated to Edward Thomas. With views across Steep and of 'sixty miles of South Downs at one glance, , as Thomas described it, it is no wonder that he loved this area. The return walk joins the Hangers Way, a 21-mile (33.8km) long-distance trail traversing East Hampshire from Queen Elizabeth Country Park to Alton.

Where to eat and drink

Time your walk to coincide with lunch at the delightfully unspoilt 16th-century Harrow Inn at Steep (only cash accepted). There are two characterful rooms with scrubbed wooden tables and warming winter fires. Expect ale straight from the cask, hearty soup and sandwiches, and a cottage garden for summer imbibing. No children allowed in the bar. The equally rustic Hawkley Inn offers a warm welcome to walkers, microbrewery ales and imaginative home-cooked food.

What to see In Steep

The partly Norman church contains a memorial window to Edward Thomas etched by Lawrence Whistler (1912-2000). The church lies close to Bedales School, which first attracted the poet to the village in 1906, so that his children could attend the school. While you're there Track down the White Horse, at grid reference SU 714289, just off on the unclassified road from Petersfield to the A32. Known locally as the pub with no name', it's a classic example of an unspoilt country pub and was a regular haunt of Edward Thomas - his tankard still hangs in the bar. The pub inspired his first poem 'Up in the Wind' (1914), which describes the inn's isolation. It begins: 'I could wring the old thing's neck that put it there! A public-house'.

","location":"East Hampshire, England, United Kingdom","tags":["AA - 50 Walks in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight"],"_geo":{"lat":51.057029,"lng":-0.938058},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":true,"created":1747423384,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":1,"distance":12174.767409128011,"duration":9829.937,"elevation_gain":403,"elevation_loss":400,"gpx":"blob_1l37u371y1.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"img_20250517_150128186_o3hmwr3q1n.jpg","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":1},{"id":"efb82b943821a29","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Barbury Castle and Ogbourne St Andrew","description":"From the superb viewpoint of Barbury Castle, a prehistoric hill-fort high up on the Marlborough Downs, the route follows the Ridgeway down into the valley of the little River Og to the village of Ogbourne St Andrew. From here tracks lead back on to the open downs for an invigorating final stretch back to the fort. There are clear, broad tracks all the way, the views are extensive and all the gradients are gradual.","location":"Wroughton, England, United Kingdom","tags":["OS Pathfinder - 77"],"_geo":{"lat":51.483832,"lng":-1.777391},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":false,"created":1747425588,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":0,"distance":13755.557097628538,"duration":10450.33,"elevation_gain":194,"elevation_loss":196,"gpx":"blob_nbar8d11ou.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"route_jz7hghryql.webp","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":0},{"id":"7614a76dcb201df","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Savernake Forest","description":"The first part of this highly attractive walk is along the Kennet valley to the east of Marlborough, between the Marlborough Downs and Savernake Forest. Most of the remainder is through the extensive woodlands and glades of the forest, survivals of an ancient royal hunting ground that once covered much of eastern Wiltshire. Although a lengthy walk, it is not particularly strenuous and there are no steep gradients, but expect some muddy footpaths in places. There is no right of access in Savernake Forest. However, the public may use it throughout the year, though they are asked to respect the few signs protecting the various groups of private houses on the estate.\n\nMarlborough's long, unusually wide and handsome High Street reflects the town's importance throughout the centuries as a staging post on the main road from London to Bath and Bristol.\nA church stands at each end of it - at the west end is the 15th-century\nSt Peter's and beyond that the buildings of Marlborough College. At the east end behind the Town Hall is St Mary's, mostly rebuilt in the Cromwellian period following the Great Fire of 1653 which destroyed much of the town and gutted the church, though it does retain a fine Norman doorway at the west end.","location":"Marlborough, England, United Kingdom","tags":["OS Pathfinder - 77"],"_geo":{"lat":51.421256,"lng":-1.730266},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":false,"created":1747426300,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":0,"distance":13973.738106858646,"duration":9865.696,"elevation_gain":185,"elevation_loss":184,"gpx":"blob_ans6lixzoe.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"route_3iaq2rvl8v.webp","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":0},{"id":"6be75748245b4ee","author_name":"robertclarke64","name":"Shere and Hurt Wood","description":"A long and exhilarating walk beginning with a climb to the top of Pitch Hill before following a path through Hurt Wood to Peaslake, a village in the Greensand Hills, and then heading to the beautiful village of Shere. There are some steep climbs and a walk along a deeply rutted lane.","location":"Waverley, England, United Kingdom","tags":["OS Pathfinder - 65"],"_geo":{"lat":51.172044,"lng":-0.464241},"author":"go8sqo34255a75f","author_avatar":"https://wanderer.robertclarke.co.uk/api/v1/files/users/4qetaryr9su050c/profile_helvellyn_r9zz9dqtl1.jpeg","category":"Hiking","completed":false,"created":1747432062,"date":1747353600,"difficulty":1,"distance":14486.078207925537,"duration":8893.558,"elevation_gain":289,"elevation_loss":288,"gpx":"blob_wilorn10bt.gpx","public":true,"shares":[],"thumbnail":"route_yz8ks6glqv.webp","domain":"","iri":"","like_count":1}],"query":"","processingTimeMs":1,"hitsPerPage":12,"page":1,"totalPages":2,"totalHits":23}

RobertClarke64