One of the things Walk Alton has committed to doing is helping people access local walks using public transport. This not only enables you to leave your car at home (with or without fuel!), but also means you can accomplish linear walks that would be difficult with a car – for example by getting a bus somewhere, and walking home.
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Imagine taking the kids on the bus to East Worldham and tramping back into town? What fun!
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With that in mind, we’ve been lucky enough to partner with Stagecoach on a new leaflet, due to be published this month. This helpful guide includes a host of ideas for linear and circular walks, using stops along five bus routes as starting points. All these routes run through or from Alton – so if you fancy getting a bus to Odiham and walking back, or taking the bus to Alresford to do the circular river walk, this is the guide for you! We’ve included suggested walks from 2 miles up to 11 miles, so there really is something for everyone. Imagine taking the kids on the bus to East Worldham and tramping back into town? What fun! You could even do it over the half term week and put it towards a sponsored Big Wild Walk in aid of the Wildlife Trusts. (More on that below.)
This brochure has been led by our chairperson, Ian Fleming, who has also been busy writing some guides to local walks for the Herald. If you haven’t caught one yet, he has also been kind enough to send one for this newsletter – which fits in nicely with our public transport theme! If you give it a go, do let us know on Facebook.
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"The Itchen Way runs from Hinton Ampner to Sholing, near Woolston, a distance of 31 miles, following the river nearly all the way. It’s a nice walk, but of course you don’t have to do it all; how about just the 8 miles from Winchester Broadway to Eastleigh station?
This is a lovely walk that you can do without using a car to get to the start or finish. Catch the half hourly 64 bus service from Alton to Winchester Broadway, walk a few steps down to the City Mill and turn south on the riverside path, then follow the yellow Itchen Way waymarks past St Catherine’s Hill, under the M3 and out into open countryside. The riverside path meanders delightfully past water meadows and occasional remains of locks on the former Itchen Navigation, past Shawford and on past Allbrook, with beautiful river scenes all the way. You will eventually meet the B3037 road at Bishopstoke and here you leave the river and walk a short distance west along the road to reach Eastleigh station, with trains back to Winchester every half hour.
This section of the Itchen Way recently featured in a BBC TV programme in which Chris Packham walks the path northwards from Eastleigh. Despite the relative proximity of a main railway line and the M3 motorway, the route is quiet and peaceful. It is obviously much loved by local people and is easily accessible from Alton. So, do try this rather special walk, perhaps to be followed by a nice tea in Winchester!"
Start Walking!
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Alton's Autumn Walking Festival – Let's hope the weather improves for this month's Autumn walking festival. Taking place from 14th - 17th October, every day of the festival will feature several walks from 2 to 15 miles. Many of these walks are being led by members of the Walk Alton committee, so do come along, enjoy the scenery, and tell us what more you'd like to see from Walk Alton! Remember: all walks must be booked in advance, so get clicking.
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Buckshot Hole and Bucks Horn Oak Tree Walk – A 3.5 mile walk through beautiful forest, taking in ten magnificent tree species. Thanks again to tree warden Ben Hamlin for sharing this with us! View the route on ViewRanger here. Ben's tree walks are also a feature of the Autumn Walking Festival.
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Big Wild Walk – As mentioned above, the Wildlife Trusts are encouraging everyone to get out and walk this October half term (25 - 31 October). Fundraising will go towards the Trusts' 30 by 30 mission that aims to restore at least 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. Choose from three challenges – walk 30 km in a week, 30 km in three days, or 30 km in one day – or make up a challenge of your own! Learn more here.
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Book recommendation – Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need the Wild by Lucy Jones is a definite must-read/listen for anyone interested to know exactly why it is so healing to be out in nature, and what's at stake for us individually and collectively if we lose that connection to the wild. As the nights draw in, it's a helpful reminder that we need to get out - not just for exercise, but to soak in all the goodness that nature can offer.
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Fresh milkshakes for tired walkers – Have you visited Pies Farm? Their milkshake vending machine was quite a hit this summer and continues to be fully stocked as the seasons change. Open 24/7 with contactless payment, you can get your milkshake fix at any time, and also stock up on locally made chutneys, cheeses, and all sorts of yummy goodies. Why not stop by next time you're in Farringdon?
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