Walks in Hampshire
Hampshire is a wonderful county for walking in. It is typified by the Wayfarer's Walk, which covers a distance of over 70 miles from the North Wessex AONB on the Berkshire-Hampshire border, across the North Downs and the South Downs, to Emsworth near Chichester Harbour. There is also, of course, the New Forest, our own beautiful and unique National Park, and the Test and Itchen Valleys with their clear flowing trout streams.
Many of the more rural and remote walks in Hampshire are remarkably quiet, with very few other walkers. For those with an interest in village churches, most in Hampshire are left open for walkers to visit and admire.
Hampshire County Council has produced an excellent and informative online catalogue of the county's historical treasures, called Hampshire Treasures. They are defined as : natural or man made features of the county which are of public interest by reason of their aesthetic, archaeological, historic, scenic, scientific, sociological or traditional interest, and whose deterioration or destruction would represent a serious loss to our heritage.
Rail links
South West Trains from London Waterloo serve many of the towns and provide a good service on weekdays and Saturdays and a useful one on Sundays. In some cases you will obviously need your own transport. The walks in the north west of the county on the North Wessex Downs, and those in the Candover valley for example, cannot be reached easily by public transport. Parts of the New Forest lost their stations over 40 years ago!
My favourite walk is probably 4322, up on to Watership Down, where I also have a shorter version for an afternoon stroll! My wife Sara loves 4295 around Chilbolton.
Richard Clayton