Tichborne to Cheriton

A 15km walk through the peaceful rolling arable farmland of the South Downs, climbing the scarp slope to join a short section of the South Downs Way and returning down the scarp slope through grazing pastures and beech woodlands to the source of the River Itchen and the battlefields of Cheriton

Getting There & Away  

The Velvet Bus service 67 provides approx six services a day, Monday to Friday and 4 services on Saturday, between Winchester and Petersfield, via Alresford, Cheriton, West Meon and East Meon. Please use the journey planning tools below to find arrival and departure times. These have already been programmed with the start and finish points of the walk, so you only need to enter your postcode and the date and time of travel

To arrive at the start of the walk (to Cheriton Mill):

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For departure information at the end of the walk (from Cheriton):

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The pubs

There are four pubs that link to this walk, providing plenty of opportunity for refreshments at the beginning, middle and end of the walk.

The Tichborne Arms, Tichborne A welcoming village pub serving a selection of real ales straight from the cask with a good selection of food. Situated close to the start of the walk. http://www.tichbornearms.co.uk/
The Milburys, Beauworth Conveniently located at just past the halfway point of the walk and after all the ascent, this charming country pub offers a warm welcome to walkers on the South Downs Way (and well behaved dogs). A good range of food and real ales is available. http://www.themilburyspub.co.uk/
The Hinton Arms, Cheriton Situated at the end of the walk and conveniently for the 67 bus service, the Hinton Arms is a popular pub serving a wide selection of Bowman's ales and good food. http://www.hintonarms.co.uk/
The Flowerpots Inn, Cheriton A renowned pub serving  Flowerpots Brewery beers. Due to the fact that the pub is not open between 2 and 6 pm, this has not been included on the route as walkers finishing early will be disappointed to reach a closed pub! However, if time and energy levels permit, then a short stroll to The Flowerpots in the early evening will be very rewarding. http://www.flowerpots.f2s.com/

The walk

You can open this link to view the Tichborne to Cheriton walk in a larger map window or to open the walk on your smartphone in Google Maps. This is a fully interactive map that will enable you to follow the route as you walk and to access additional information such as bus timetables and pub websites, You can use Street View to check features on the route, for example, to recognise the route on the ground and to identify where the bus stops are or what to look out for. Also, by activating your phone's GPS you can identify your location and follow your progress as you go.

 

 

Route Description

A few words of warning. Use caution whilst on country roads as the traffic can be faster than expected and can appear suddenly around bends. As a rule, if there is no pavement or verge, you should walk on the right-hand side of the road so that you can see oncoming traffic. You should also be prepared to walk in single file, especially on narrow roads or in poor light. Keep close to the side of the road and it may be safer to cross the road well before a sharp right-hand bend (so that oncoming traffic has a better chance of seeing you). Cross back after the bend.

1.      When you arrive at the bus stop on the B3046 be very aware that this is a busy road with fast traffic. Leave the B3046 and follow the road signposted to Tichborne, passing Cheriton Mill and Sevington Farm on your left hand side. After about 10 minutes, when you pass the entrance to a quarry take the footpath on the left hand side that cuts of the corner and brings you to Grange Farm. Continue along the road as it takes a sharp right turn into the village of Tichborne.

2.      Turn left up the Restricted Byway, Church Lane, bearing left to follow the byway where the road bends to the right. Continue straight ahead, along the left hand edge of the field, ignoring the permissive bridleways that cross the byway.

3.      The route turns to the left at a gap in the hedgerow, to diagonally cross the field towards some farm buildings. Cross the stile to join the farm track and turn right to follow this up the hill.

4.      Take the left fork through the bridleway gate, signed HCC Off-Road Cycle Trail. Stay close to the field edge to your right and follow the hedge to the bridleway gate where you rejoin the farm track and continue up the hill towards barn at the top.

5.      Turn left to join the South Downs Way. Pass under the power lines. The route passes through Gander Down within a much older "hollow way", which is recorded in Saxon charters and is believed to have remained in use during the medieval period.

The hollow way across Gander Down

Go through the bridle gate and take the permissive route to your right, going to the brow of the hill, which cuts off the need to follow the route of the SDW around the two edges of the field. Pass through the bridlegate into Holden Lane to the A272.

6.      Be very careful crossing the A272 and continue along Holden Lane until it rejoins the metalled highway at West Field Drove and continue straight ahead as the road rises to the junction with the Beauworth Road. Turn right to the Milburys pub, which is an ideal lunch spot.

7.      Leave the pub and continue up the Beauworth Road, turning left at the crossroads. Follow the SDW as it makes its way along the side of the road before heading onto the verge and running alongside the road. Where the SDW crosses back over the road, take the footpath signed as the Wayfarer’s Walk, on your left. Cross the stile and follow the footpath down the scarp slope. Follow this route through fields and alongside horse paddocks until reaching a stile that brings you to the road in Kilmeston, opposite the Village Hall.

8.      Cross the road and follow the road signed to Dean House & Dean Farm. As the road descends into woodland, take the Wayfarers Walk to your left. Go through a pair of gates into a beech wood, and over four stiles to emerge on the lane next to the churchyard. Turn right along the road and then left again to rejoin the footpath beyond a stile. Cross another stile at the far end of the field and follow the footpath diagonally through the next field to a further stile. Continue diagonally across the final field towards Hinton Ampner House.

The view looking towards Hinton Ampner House

9.      Go through a kissing gate and turn left along the Itchen Way, beneath the House and gardens. Turn right at the road and follow the road or make a way through the woods adjacent to the road. The spring here is one that forms the source of the River Itchen, flowing into Southampton Water and the Solent.

10.  Turn right at the A272 to The Hinton Arms, noting that the bus stops for your departure are straight ahead at the crossroads. The route to The Flowerpots Inn, if required, is also straight ahead at the cross roads. An information board just beyond the Hinton Arms provides details of the troop positions and movements in the Battle of Cheriton (1644).