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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Saturday 23 June 2018

Saturday Walk - Roses in Bloom: Mottisfont to Romsey (Mottisfont Abbey Gardens, West Hampshire Chalk Downs, Dun & Test Valleys, Romsey)

Length: 22.2 km (13.9 mi) [much shorter options available]
Ascent/Descent: 310 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 5 hours
Toughness:  5 out of 10

09.20 Exeter St. David’s & Bristol Temple Meads train from Waterloo (CJ 09.27), changing at Salisbury  for Chandlers Ford (arrives 10.42; departs 10.56, platform 6), arrives Mottisfont & Dunbridge 11.14.
Alternatively, if you want to beat the group by 10 minutes: 09.05  Weymouth train from Waterloo (CJ 09.12), changing at Southampton Airport [Parkway] for Salisbury (arrives 10.13; departs same platform 10.25; café across the overbridge), arrives Mottisfont & Dunbridge 11.04.
Return trains are at xx.07 via Southampton Airport [Parkway] (102 mins journey time) or at xx.21 via Salisbury (118 mins journey time).
Buy a Romsey return if travelling out via Salisbury, or a Mottisfont & Dunbridge return if travelling out via Southampton.

This walk explores woods and rolling chalk hills in the Dun and (Lower) Test Valleys of remote West Hampshire. An early highlight is the NT-owned (and ticketed) Mottisfont Abbey, a historical priory and country estate, with an arm of the River Test, Hampshire's longest and finest chalk stream, running through the stunning grounds, which also include a famous walled rose garden, trompe-l’oeil murals from Rex Whistler, and several lunch options. Walk back past the 12th century St. Andrew's church, one of the few Grade I-listed churches, and follow the waymarked Mottisfont Estate Path. The route incorporates all the important features of the estate, mainly varied ancient woodlands but also some managed for timber or coppicing, historical farmland and the Dun River Meadows. After lunch in Dunbridge the route gets a little more undulating, as the Test River is followed – mostly from a distance – all the way to Romsey, a picturesque market town. You pass all its sights: Romsey Abbey, a beautiful church the size of a cathedral, the War Memorial Park, the medieval King John’s House and Tudor Cottage, some narrow historical lanes and an exhausting selection of tea and pub stops.
Three shorter options are described.

Lunch: The Mill Arms Inn in Dunbridge  (11.1 km/6.9 mi, food all day). On the short walk options: within the grounds of Mottisfont Abbey or a little off-route at the The Bear and Ragged Staff.
Tea: Romsey has an abundance of good quality cafes, bistros, pubs and restaurants. See page 2 and pages 9 and 10 of the pdf for details.

For walk directions, summary, map, height profile, and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.58

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is £24 or so the cheapest return? Thanks.

Bridie said...

what is the cheapest ticket please?

PeteG said...

If you go on the southwestern trains website, there are some £15 singles for a return to Mottisfont by any route. The Romsey return gives different results, but as far as I can see the tickets would be valid? But a railcard seems to give the best price at £28.40 or £23.15 from Surbiton (zone 6 boundary proxy)

Bridie said...

Thanks Pete G

Anonymous said...

£15 singles for a return? You mean £30 in total? Thanks.

Thomas G said...

1 off an earlier train, 6 via Southampton, 10 via Salisbury, so n=17 in total on a w=warm-and-mostly-sunny day. 8 of those went into the grounds of the Abbey to look at Rose Garden and/or House, most of those then took one or other of the shortcuts. About 11 of the various groups arrived at the lunch pub at the same time, but only half dined. Sandwichers moved on quickly. Plenty of woods, which was a relief in the warm weather, and quite enchanting woods at that. Some even still with muddy stretches!
Some had tea in Romsey, others a drink, 6 stayed on for dinner at The Olive Tree.
20.11 train for those.