Walks of Alresford

The Bishop of Winchester had a palace at Bishop's Sutton and a strong connection to the area, having developed the Old Alresford Pond and Weir. This walk takes you east out of Alresford towards the village and back along the old railway line.

Tap to enlarge map · Map courtesy of New Alresford Town Council

1. From the car park turn left into the town centre, walk to the crossroads and up the hill along West Street. Halfway up, cross using the pedestrian crossing.
2. Walk up to the 18th-century Swan Hotel, crossing Station Road. Continue along West Street past Broad Street on your left.
3. To your right, take the access path between the shops leading to St John's Church (part of the tower dates back to the 14th century). Continue past the church on the east side, down past the graveyard and Church Cottages.
4. Bear left on the path — you'll see Sun Lane ahead and the Watercress Railway line to your right.
5. Turn right over the bridge where you can look down onto Alresford Station (first opened in 1865). Immediately over the bridge, cross the road and take the narrow footpath alongside the railway line.
6. Where the footpath joins the road, you can turn right into Bishop's Sutton village and its pub, The Ship Inn. For this walk, cross the road and turn left along the footpath returning to Alresford.
7. On your way back, look out for Long Barn on your right — producer of the lavender for the 2012 Olympic Games.
8. As you re-enter Alresford, note the plaque on John Arlott's house to your left, set amongst the colourful row of houses on East Street.

On this route we pass by the old Cricketers Arms (now a private house) at the corner of Sun Lane and Tichborne Down. This is strangely named as it sat on the edge of the golf course before the bypass was built in 1985 and housed the clubhouse for the golf course.

Tap to enlarge map · Map courtesy of New Alresford Town Council

1. From the car park turn left into the town centre, walk to the crossroads and up the hill. Halfway up cross the pedestrian crossing and carry on over Station Road in front of the 18th-century Swan Hotel.
2. Opposite the wide street on your left (Broad Street) you will see an access path on the right between the shops to St John's Church (part of the tower dates back to the 14th century; enter from the West door). Pass on the left-hand side of the church, down past the graveyard and Church Cottages. Continue straight ahead on the path, bear left and you will see Sun Lane ahead.
3. Turn right over the bridge and carry on along Sun Lane, up and over the hill passing the school. At the bottom keep on the pavement and turn right.
4. The old Cricketers Arms, now a residential property, is on the corner.
5. After 400m you will see a footpath on the other side of the road which leads you to a bridge spanning the A31 dual carriageway. Keep straight on and across the golf course — it's well used so follow all the signs and watch out for golf balls.
6. As you leave the golf course turn left after the hedge.
7. Turn left again where the course meets the woods. This will lead to another footpath further up the course.
8. When you are over the final green, turn left onto the footpath parallel with the A31 which will bring you back to the bridge over it. Once you have crossed the bridge turn left and continue on the road to the new Cricketers pub on the corner.
9. Turn right up Jacklyn's Lane back into town.

The Tichborne Estate is famous for two things — the Tichborne Claimant (on which the film was based) and the Tichborne Dole, involving the Lady of the Manor crawling around the grounds with a blazing torch in the 12th century. Well worth reading about. This walk takes you into the South Downs National Park.

Tap to enlarge map · Map courtesy of New Alresford Town Council

1. From the car park turn left following the road to the town centre. Turn right up Jacklyn's Lane and under the railway bridge. Carry on up the hill and right, down and over the road bridge — you will see the Cricketers pub on your left.
2. Immediately after the bridge the footpath is on the right — you are now in the South Downs National Park. Follow this path past some farm buildings on your right and come down to a stream — this is the headwaters of the famous River Itchen.
3. Cross the road and walk following the footpath straight up the hill. Maybe take a breather on the bench two-thirds of the way up and look back onto Alresford.
4. Follow the path round to the left and down to the road at Tichborne village. You can see the church on top of the hill to your right, that amazingly escaped Henry VIII's dissolution.
5. Our route follows the road left, past the Tichborne Arms (a free house still owned by the Tichborne Estate) and the old Post Office.
6. Follow the road back to the bridge (point 2) and retrace your steps back into Alresford.

A straightforward walk on pavements that takes in many periods of Alresford's rich history. The Old Alresford Pond at the bottom of Broad Street is probably a 12th-century fishpond made to feed the Bishop of Winchester. The bridge beneath the road is 13th century and is open on Heritage Days. There were sheep fairs held in the town until the 1980s!

Tap to enlarge map · Map courtesy of New Alresford Town Council

1. From the car park turn left following the road to the town centre.
2. When you reach the crossroads, note the building in front of you on the corner. This was the original Perins School, founded by Henry Perin in 1698 for 19 pupils (the school now has 1,200 pupils).
3. Halfway up West Street, cross the road on the pedestrian crossing and walk up until you see the Swan Hotel with the town clock in front of you.
4. Turn right into Station Road.
5. You will pass a unique plaque on the public toilets — a story of mystery and intrigue in darkest Hampshire. Take a look at the Watercress Steam Line railway station (built 1865).
6. Return up Station Road and follow the footpath to your right through the churchyard, past the church and out onto the road. Carefully cross over into the aptly named Broad Street and down past the graceful Georgian townhouses.
7. At the bottom you will see the bright red doors of the old Fire Station (dating back to 1880), part of which now houses the museum. Carefully follow the road over the 13th-century bridge and around the corner to the Globe Inn with its garden overlooking the Pond.
8. If you keep to the right of the Globe Inn you walk down to a memorial remembering Captain Cogswell, a US pilot who manoeuvred his wounded plane to avoid landing on the town.
9. Return to Arlebury Park.

Turn right out of the car park and you are immediately in an ancient avenue of trees, originally owned by the Bishop of Winchester who gifted the trees and the land to the Town Trust in 1869.

Tap to enlarge map · Map courtesy of New Alresford Town Council

1. You will pass a large house on your right, now called Arlebury Park House, which was built in 1780 and extended for 100 years into the mansion it now is.
2. As the road narrows you pass the Old Toll House. The Avenue was a toll road from 1753 and the main road from Winchester to Alton and beyond.
3. Take the next road to your right, signposted Drove Lane. Take care as there are no pavements. Walk down Drove Road, over the River Arle, which flows to your left into the famous River Itchen just 300m away.
4. On your right, you will be able to see the old trout fisheries.
5. As the lane rises and turns to the right take the footpath to the right. Cross the driveway and follow the signposted path down to the Eel House.
6. The Eel House is a unique reminder of the days eels were caught in commercial quantities and shipped up to Billingsgate. The building was recently restored by the Town Trust and is open on Heritage Days.
7. Carry on along the river and when the path comes away from the river you will be at the bottom of the recreation ground.
8. Go through the gate and back up through the playing fields to Arlebury Park Recreation Centre / car park.
9. Alternatively carry on along the river path until you reach a road. Turn right and follow this road into Alresford Town Centre.

This passes one of the award-winning vineyards close to Alresford, now owned by the French Champagne house Pommery.

Tap to enlarge map · Map courtesy of New Alresford Town Council

1. Turn right out of the car park and you are immediately in an ancient avenue of trees, originally owned by the Bishop of Winchester who gifted the trees and the land to the Town Trust in 1869.
2. You pass a large house on your right, now called Arlebury Park House, which was built in 1780 and extended for the next 100 years into the mansion it now is.
3. As the road narrows you pass the Old Toll House. This was a toll road from 1753 and the road from Winchester to Alton and beyond.
4. Take the next road to your right, signposted Drove Lane. Take care as there are no pavements. Walk down Drove Road, over the waters of the River Arle on your left.
5. On your right, you will be able to see the old trout fisheries.
6. As the lane rises and turns to the right take the footpath on the left which circles around the vineyard.
7. You will reach a road with a barn conversion on the corner. Turn right and follow the road for 400m.
8. Go through the wooden gate on your right that goes back into the vineyard. Follow this footpath until you reach the road over the hill.
9. Turn left and immediately down the grass verge by a driveway. At the bottom take the footpath to your left down past the Eel House.
10. The Eel House is a unique reminder of the days eels were caught in commercial quantities and shipped up to Billingsgate. The building was recently restored by the Town Trust and is open on Heritage Days.
11. Carry on along the river path until you reach the bottom of the recreation ground.
12. Alternatively carry on along the river path until you reach a road. Turn right and follow this road into Alresford Town Centre.

A favourite local walk with dog lovers.

Tap to enlarge map · Map courtesy of New Alresford Town Council

1. From the car park turn left into the town centre.
2. Take the first right up Jacklyn's Lane. Follow the road and under the railway bridge. Carry on up the hill and right, down and over the bridge — you will see the Cricketers pub on your left.
3. Turn right at the Cricketers crossroads into Spring Gardens. You will see a road to the left, still Spring Gardens. This is a rural road but much used as a walking route.
4. Proceed past the watercress beds, our local speciality produce due to the amazing chalk streams.
5. The road leads down to the Ford, known locally as the Horse Pond. The little "Pooh Sticks" bridge sits on the Itchen, which rises just a few miles away in Cheriton, and is a haven for wildlife including kingfishers and otters as well as fish.
6. At the end of the road, turn left. Follow the road until you can access the field on your right on a permissible way.
7. Follow the edge of the field until the footpath splits — there is a path to the right and a path to the left. With the hill to your right, take the left path across the road and over a bridge.
8. Follow the path up past the farm buildings and cottages.
9. This will take you out onto the bridge by the Cricketers pub. From here you retrace your steps back to Arlebury Park Recreation Centre car park.

This walk takes you to the village of Old Alresford, the original settlement of Alresford.

Tap to enlarge map · Map courtesy of New Alresford Town Council

1. Walk down through the recreation grounds to the bottom gate.
2. Turn right — you will be able to see the memorial of "Hambone" on your right.
3. When you reach the road follow the path to the left with the river on your left. Follow this path until you reach the Fulling Mill, believed to date back to the 13th century.
4. Take a left over the bridge in front of the mill. When you reach the road, turn left.
5. In 100m take the footpath past Pinglestone Cottages with the watercress meadows on your right.
6. If you look to your right there will be a footpath across the fields leading to a kissing gate. Proceed along the path through the fields until you come out onto a private road.
7. At the end of the road turn right and follow this round until you reach the village green in front of you.
8. Keeping the village green on your left, carefully cross the main road to the footpath on the opposite side.
9. Turn right and follow this path back to New Alresford.
10. The path will cross back to the other side of the road by the Church of St Mary the Virgin (birthplace of the Mothers' Union).
11. 300m after the church there is a small triangle where the road splits. The footpath is straight ahead which leads up past the Town Mill and the few surviving wooden-framed houses.
12. You now enter Broad Street with its many coffee establishments. To your left, you will see the bright red doors of the old Fire Station (dating back to 1880), part of which now houses the museum. Walk to the top of Broad Street then turn right down West Street back to the car park.