Length: 19 km (11.8 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10
London Waterloo: 09-50 hrs South-West trains to Salisbury Clapham Junction: 09-57 Woking: 10-16 hrs
Arrive Whitchurch: 10-51 hrs
Return: Andover to Waterloo: 06 and 38 mins past the hour
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Andover
Covid-19 Compliance: please note the current guidance on this website and observe social distancing. You should all come prepared to exchange contact details for track and trace purpose. You can either pre-register for this walk (not essential ) by e-mailing me at swc-marcus@walkingclub.org.uk or, if you prefer, please write your name, e-mail address and contact 'phone number on a small piece of paper for handing to me on the train or when we assemble at walk start. Thank you.
This walk has been neglected in recent years, and I'm not sure why. Weekdays and on Sundays, travel times have not always been user friendly, but Saturday train times look acceptable today (so long as South West trains do not perform one of their last minute timetable changes which they are prone to do), so let's give this walk in Hampshire an overdue outing. I hope you like it.
Shortly after the start of the walk I believe the route has been diverted to accommodate a new housing development. We should be able to suss out the new route and I will take the opportunity to update the walk directions. A highlight of the morning is the gloriously clear water of the River Test which we walk alongside for a while. If so inclined you could practise your "tickling trout" skills in this shallow river - but bring waders. Then on through the small village of Tufton and on into Longparish for lunch at the comfortable Cricketers Inn, with its large beer garden. The other pub at the other end of the village, the Plough Inn closed a few years ago after a chequered history but it has been rescued from the grasps of property developers by the Parish Council which has purchased the pub and let it to a Community Group which will run it as a Community Pub. Work on the building's restoration and refurbishment may well have started.
After lunch we are now spared the two highly dangerous crossings of the A303 road in the original TO walk by new, safer routes as noted in the directions. Most of the afternoon leg of the walk is through Harewood Forest on firm paths, which pass a large indoor pig farming operation. Exiting the forest we drop down beside a vast (ugly) solar panel farm, through a tunnel under the A303 then up through a farm (not solar) then down into the centre of Andover. The walk continues up through the centre of town, through the Sports Centre and up a residential road to Andover railway station.
T=1.48
Walk Directions are here: L=1.48
3 comments:
Despite losing both the group and my sunglasses post-pub lunch, a great walk, much prettier than the description implied.
Many thanks for posting this beautiful walk. n=26 off the train in w=beautiful-sunshine, quickly splitting up into little groups especially as a few wrong turnings were taken. My companion and I thought we had been dropped by the peloton only to find ourselves out front, but the usual order resumed as we then crossed the wrong bridge over the Test (it was a charming footbridge . . . ) about half the group lunched at the Cricketers' Inn but being out of practice at walk reports I forgot to ask anyone how it was. A couple more joined them for drinks and I was in a subgroup of 7 for the afternoon. Some found this less appealing and, I believe, attempted a different way to Andover, but I enjoyed the forest section. Ice creams or tea for some in Andover high street before the 1738 train.
Just to add to Sandy's report, the Cricketers Inn looked after us very well, although service for those dining outdoors was slow. Whilst meals arrived promptly for the three indoor diners, some outdoors had a forty five minute wait. However, no-one seemed too bothered as the food when it arrived was very good and no-one seemed to be in a hurry. Some made a meal of the occasion, metaphorically and physically, and stayed longer before calling for a taxi and home. The rest of the diners split into two groups, with half setting off on the Book route (with Sandy) and the others taking an alternative route, avoiding Harewood Forest.
The morning leg of this walk is delightful and on reaching the River Test we were welcomed by a pair of swans with their litter of seven cygnets, all brown fluff. Further along this crystal clear river brown trout were to be seen.
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