Walking

Walking from Hiltingbury

This month’s walk begins at The Hilt, Hiltingbury Road, Chandlers Ford, SO53 5NP.(photo 1). Hiltingbury

At a short 4 miles (6 km), this walk is slightly shorter than many previous outings but offers infinite variety along the way and should take 65 – 70 minutes at a steady pace.
Because of the close proximity to two large local schools it is recommended to avoid school drop off (8 – 9 am) and pick up (3 – 4 pm) times if possible as parking congestion is rife.

The terrain is easy walking through woodland and local footpaths, which span part of both Eastleigh Borough and Test Valley Council boundaries. This route has more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie novel, so it is vital to follow the instructions and avoid a ‘freewheeling’ outing.

Leaving the car park from the rear we head towards the boundary path turning right along the edge, with the playing fields on the right and gardens on the left, until reaching a T junction in the path where we turn right for a further 200 metres and crossing over Hiltingbury Road (taking care on a sometimes busy road).

Once across we enter Hocombe Mead Nature Reserve (photo 2) and disappear down a track that leads across duckboards and marshes, with plenty of woodland flowers making their show. Keeping to the main track we climb a short hill and keep aloft for a short while before dropping down again and finally exciting the reserve into Ashdown Road.
At this point we need to turn right and again left in 100 metres, leading to Hocombe Road where we take the wide footpath to the left and follow the undulations first downhill and then a long uphill, having views of Cranbury Park on the right before climbing back to Hursley Road.

At the main crossroads it is now necessary to get over into Hook Road and the right into the woods that offer the next section of wildlife sanctuary (photo 3). By following the waymarked footpath arrows we are taken down into a muddy gully (photo 4) then up a steep slope and finally out to meet a farm track running across our trail. We turn left along this track that gradually drops away for some 400 metres before meeting Hook Road again.

Once again taking care as we cross this fast moving and often busy road, we turn left for only 50 metres and drop down right into a fresh footpath that leads us behind local houses and threads it’s way out Hook Crescent. By turning right here we maintain our course for 200 metres until the road veers left while we keep straight on into a cycle / footpath that again threads behind houses, crosses one road and halts beside Baddesley Road.

Opposite our exit point there is a fresh woodland path where we need to go next (another careful road crossing needed) and take the right hand path that sweeps gradually downward and finally meets North Millers Dale. Here we need to turn left along the footpath for only 300 metres as far as the 25 MPH warning sign (Photo 5) and turn sharp left up the cycle track.

This a good quality tarmac path that zig-zags up behind the houses to appear at traffic lights on Hursley Road. Once safe to cross here we head down Hiltingbury Road, into the dip and begin to rise again before turning right into the path that we took some while back. 200 metres along this trail turn left and follow the perimeter path back to the Hilt and the transport that has rested while we walked.

Regretably there is no on site refreshment available on this occasion, but no doubt other arrangements can be made.

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