Walking Hampshire's Test Way. Malcolm Leatherdale
Norman construction.
St Peter’s at Linkenholt
Continue through the village to a road T-junction and a small triangular grassy area on which there is a brick built plinth. Raised on the plinth is metal seating that surrounds a horse chestnut tree. Bear right at the junction passing a waymarked path by several large barns (left) and go straight on for another 500 metres to a hedge and tree-lined grass and stony track that is TW waymarked (left).
Follow the track for 600 metres to a track junction and then continue for a further 800 metres to reach a track crossover where you should bear left. The track is mainly hedge and tree-lined – although at times open on both sides – as it crosses cultivated downland in a broad arc sweeping around to the right for 3km towards Ibthorpe.
Jane Austen was a regular visitor to the now Grade II-listed Georgian country house – Ibthorpe House – which it is thought she used as the model for Longbourn – the home of the Bennet family in Pride and Prejudice.
Shortly after passing Upper Ibthorpe Farm at the eastern edge of Ibthorpe, you will come to a junction at the unmarked Horseshoe Lane. Bear left for 200 metres to reach the gate at the entrance to a farm access track. Go through the TW waymarked side gate – which is where this stage meets Walk 1 coming from Hurstbourne Tarrant – and follow the track for 90 metres to another gate (right), which opens on to a grassy path enclosed by wooden post and rail fencing. Half way along the path is a small enclosure of trees called ‘John’s Copse 1969’ where the names of several animals are recorded on slate memorial plaques.
Continue along the path to a gate fronting a patch of scrubland and the bed of the River Swift, which is immediately to the right. Cross the few metres to a kissing gate and a grassy path enclosed by electric fencing.
The bed of the intermittent River Swift continues in parallel – a ‘winterbourne’, which from time to time feeds into the Bourne Rivulet – a tributary of the River Test. The flow of the Swift has been interrupted for very long periods in the past when there has been insufficient rain during the winter.
At the end of the path is a wide field gate that opens on to a very small area of meadow. Continue to the gate opposite and follow the enclosed grassy path to an old kissing gate that leads to a stony path and the busy A343 running through Hurstbourne Tarrant.
Between Linkenholt and Hurstbourne Tarrant
Cross the road to the residential access track that gives way to another enclosed path alongside a rendered wall. After a few metres ignore the waymarked footpath and stile (left) and continue to a second old kissing gate that opens into a rising field; descend diagonally right for 125 metres to a third old kissing gate and the B3048. Cross the road and bear left for 90 metres, passing the school, before turning right to join the rough tarmac track for the few metres to the recreation ground car park.
STAGE 2
Hurstbourne Tarrant to St Mary Bourne
| Start | The community centre and recreation ground car park, Hurstbourne Tarrant (SU 385 528) |
| Finish | Bourne Meadow recreation ground car park, St Mary Bourne (SU 422 503) |
| Distance | 5km (3 miles) |
| Time | 1hr 15min |
| Map | OS Explorer 131 |
| Refreshments | Hurstbourne Tarrant: George & Dragon (01264 736277) (400 metres off route); St Mary Bourne: The George Inn (01264 738153) and the village shop, Bourne Valley Inn (01264 738361) (600 metres off route) |
| Public transport | Trains to Andover and Newbury; bus services to Hurstbourne Tarrant from Andover and Newbury and to St Mary Bourne (very limited) from Andover |
| Accommodation | Hurstbourne Tarrant and St Mary Bourne |
Although this is the shortest stage of the TW, it is certainly not short on quality. It passes through an undulating landscape rich in woodland and rolling farmland with glorious views.
William Cobbett, the social reformer and campaigner, described Hurstbourne Tarrant with great enthusiasm in Rural Rides his acclaimed critical commentary on the state of English agriculture at that time.
According to Cobbett, writing in 1826, the village of Hurstbourne Tarrant (then known as ‘Uphusband’) ‘is a sight beyond description’. He was concerned at how increasing industrialisation was adversely affecting the lives of agricultural labourers and travelled around the country drawing attention to their plight and working conditions. Cobbett was elected as an MP in 1832 and died in 1835.
From the car park, turn right and go along an access track slightly uphill to several farm buildings and bear left into a field. Follow the waymarked path for 250 metres to where it curves to the right – becoming a broad swathe of grass that climbs quite sharply to the top of the incline − Wallop Hill Down.
Edge a few metres to the left and into the woodland. Keep to the narrow path going uphill, at times quite steeply, for 300 metres to a TW waymarked path and track junction to meet the route of Walk 1 coming from the right and on its way back to the car park at the start of this stage.
Gallops between Wallop Hill Down and Stokehill Farm
Bear left along the track through mixed woodland (ignoring a track to the right after 150 metres) to a track crossover. Continue straight on and soon you will emerge from the woodland into a field. Carry on along the grassy path next to the hedge – with distant views of rolling downland across the Bourne Valley – to reach an ‘ancient’ kissing gate and after another 200 metres a stile by a tennis court. Just beyond is an impressive house − Stokehill Farm − constructed largely of flint.
Keep to the broad grassy path (usually very well maintained) towards a small stable block where you need to bear left on to a short stony track which, in only 25 metres, joins the Brenda Parker Way (BPW) arriving acutely from the right.
The BPW is a 78-mile (125km) trail between Andover and Aldershot, which was created in memory of Brenda Parker who energetically promoted rambling, especially in North Hampshire. Brenda was to be awarded an honorary lifetime membership of the Ramblers but sadly died just a few days before the presentation.
Continue along the combined TW and BPW track to the narrow lane serving Stokehill Farm. Follow the lane for 200 metres to a T-junction with the road (Stoke Hill) which descends into the village of Stoke 0.6 miles (1km) to the left. Cross the road and go to the right for the few metres to the TW waymarked stile which in quick succession leads to another stile.
Above Stoke in autumn
Climb the stile into the field and continue alongside the hedge and tree-lined boundary to the right-hand corner where there are another two stiles in the hedge a few metres apart. Ignore the first and climb the second on to an enclosed narrow path – still with sweeping views over the Bourne Valley.
Walk along the path for 550 metres – passing two redundant stiles on the way – to reach a very narrow piece of woodland that leads into a large sloping field. Continue on the rough and quite stony field margin to the right for 375 metres to another field where there is a TW waymark post.
Bear left for 325 metres along