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May is National Walking Month so it’s a great time of year to lace up those boots and step out to explore Hampshire on foot.
From woodland wanders to riverside strolls and countryside rambles to city ambles, here are five of our favourite walks to try in Hampshire this May.
New Forest: Tall Trees Trail
Distance: 1.5 miles circular
Places to eat and drink: The Paddle in The Forest and The Pig in Brockenhurst
Start/Finish: Blackwater car park
A New Forest classic, the Tall Trees Trail covers some of the National Park’s most beautiful woodland in one easy walk.
To start the trail from Blackwater car park, go under the carved oak archway and cross over the Rhinefield Ornamental Drive. The trail starts a short distance up the gravel track on your right and follows and easy flat path past the giant firs and redwoods that were planted here in the late 1850s to create Rhinefield Ornamental Drive. Once you reach Brock Hill car park, cross the road and return via the parallel path back.
Find out more about the Tall Trees Trail and download the route map here
More walks in the New Forest
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Coast: Keyhaven to Hurst Castle
Distance: 2 miles (one way)
Places to eat and drink: Hurst Castle Café, The Gun Inn at Keyhaven
Start/Finish: Keyhaven
To take in a stunning stretch of Hampshire coastline, follow the seashore from Keyhaven and along Hurst Spit, to reach Hurst Castle.
From here you can retrace your steps back to the mainland, or enjoy the pretty ferry ride (March to November) back to Keyhaven Harbour.
If you fancy stretching your legs even further, follow The Solent Way for 5 miles east from Keyhaven and through the Lymington-Keyhaven Nature Reserve to the pretty yachting town of Lymington.
South Downs: East Meon to Butser Hill
Distance: 9 miles circular
Places to eat and drink: Butser Roundhouse Café, Ye Olde George Inn East Meon
Start/Finish: East Meon
The South Downs Way stretches for a leg burning 100 miles from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in Sussex and can be tackled on foot and by bike.
If you want to appreciate the beauty of the South Downs without such a stretch, the best place to head is its highest point in Hampshire at Butser Hill.
The easiest way to access Butser Hill is from Queen Elizabeth Country Park, from where you can walk straight up, but for an extended scenic route, begin in the pretty South Downs village of East Meon and join the South Downs Way to the south of the village. At The Sustainability Centre, the trail will turn west and lead you to Butser Hill where you will be rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. From here, you can return to East Meon via Limekiln Lane to the north of Butser Hill.
City and Countryside: Winchester loop
Distance: 3 miles
Places to eat and drink: The Handlebar Café, The Wykeham Arms
Start/Finish: Winchester city centre
Begin in the centre of Winchester, England’s ancient capital, and follow the River Itchen south out of the city from Winchester City Mill, along The Weirs and onto Domum Road (an easy place to park is also at the Barfield Park & Ride car park next to the path).
Follow the tarmac path and cross Garnier Road, where you can opt to head left up St Catherine’s Hill and down the steps on the other side or continue along the lower pathway.
Turn right when you reach Five Bridges Road and turn right again once you’ve crossed the river, returning to the city centre past the Hospital of St Cross and through the Winchester Water Meadows.
Riverside: The Mill Trail, Whitchurch
Distance: Up to 7 miles circular
Places to eat and drink: The Watership Down Inn, Bombay Sapphire Distillery
Start/Finish: Whitchurch
This 7-mile circular waymarked trail takes in five historic mills along the scenic headwaters of the River Test and can be shortened into smaller sections.
From Whitchurch town centre, look out for the trail’s blue arrows and head east alongside the River Test to Bere Mill (where the route can be shortened for a quicker return to Whitchurch) and on to Laverstoke Mill (now home to the Bombay Sapphire Distillery) via The Watership Down Inn, which is named after the adored book by local author Richard Adams inspired by the area.
From here, the trail returns west on the other side of the river, back towards Whitchurch where it can be extended to include an extra loop to see Whitchurch Silk Mill.
Find out more about the Mill Trail and download the route map here
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Related
The Tall Trees is a easy 1.5 mile walk created by the Forestry Commission, at Blackwater in the heart of the New Forest National Park. Walk amongst the huge conifer trees which were planted in 1859.
The Solent Way is one of the most picturesque walks in Hampshire, taking in views of the Hampshire countryside, Solent and Isle of Wight. The route is 60 miles and is broken into 8 sections and stretches from Milford on Sea to Emsworth which is at the top of Chichester Harbour. The Solent Way is great to walk all year round, from the summer where you can see the sunset on the Solent or in the colder months when the seas are even more lively.
The Mill Trail is up to 7-miles, although you can take shortcuts along the way. If you choose to do the 7-mile circular route then you’ll pass five different historic mills (Whitchurch Silk Mill being the only one in use as a mill to this day).
