Winchfield to Dummer, Thames Valley

Start : Winchfield Train Station (RG27 8BX) Grid ref. SU 766 546

(S) Go ahead along the road under the rail arch for about 800yds then turn right into lane. Pass the Court House, once the manor house.

(1) Opposite the old school turn left to the secluded Norman church of St Mary's. Keep to the right of the church and leave the churchyard through the gate. Follow the field edge and enter Hellet's Copse, where bluebells abound in season.

Continue through the copse then across the meadow and go through the swing gate to reach the towpath of the Basingstoke Canal at Stacey's Bridge.

(2) Turn left along the towpath. There are now about 3.5 miles of level walking to Odiham Castle (A) (There are no locks on this section of the canal). Enjoy the scenery and wildlife as the path meanders beside the water. Between Sandy Hill Bridge and Broad Oak bridge notice tranquil Wilkes Water on the right.

(3) After passing under the A287, by the picnic area, the way up to the next road leads to the Water Witch pub, and to the Galleon Marine, where small boats may be hired if you have an hour to spare.

(4) 800yds past the castle the restored part of the canal stops at the entrance to the Greywell Tunnel. The constant temperature inside the tunnel has encouraged an estimated 2,000 rare bats to hibernate here. Follow the path over the tunnel entrance to the lane.

Turn right, then left at T-junction opposite the Fox and Goose Pass the wisteria-clad Elizabethan malt house. The wisteria is believed to be over 150 years old.

(5) At church (St Mary's again) turn left through lych-gate. By the church porch turn right past yew trees and a large oak tree, then turn right to leave the churchyard on raised wooden walkway to reach the banks of the R. Whitewater.

Continue to pretty Greywell Mill. The waterwheel and a path to the source of the R. Whitewater at the foot of the North Downs is on the left.

(6) At the Mill, turn right and follow the track through gate. Before the junction with a road turn left over stile and keep to the field edge on a climbing path alongside lane, the views getting better all the time. Keep to the edge of fields until reaching an ancient crossing-track at Four Lanes End. This is the route of the Harrow Way, a Bronze Age trade route.

(7) Turn right, cross the lane and follow the Harrow Way across a shallow valley to Five Lanes End, another meeting point of ancient tracks that cross the high ground of the North Downs white Nat.

(8) Turn left and keep ahead. Just after bye-way on the left cross the route of the Roman road from Calleva Atrebatum at Silchester to Chichester. Continue ahead at the cross-track. Leave surfaced track when it swings right and keep ahead on a grassy track to the road.

(9) Turn right and pass Tunworth Hill cottages.

(10) Keep straight on at the crossroads and pass the old post office and old school cottage to reach the church at Tunworth. Keep ahead past the church.

(11) Where the road turns right continue ahead on bridle-way.

For accommodation and/or the station in Basingstoke (3 miles), bear half right alongside Picked Craft Copse at next path junction.

To continue the walk, keep ahead on the bridle-way to Winslade Farm.

(12) Go down the drive to the busy A339. Turn left along the verge and before the corner cross the road carefully into a track past the cottage.

(13) Pass under the disused railway, once a slow and inefficient route from Basingstoke to Alton. It was axed in 1936, well before Beeching. At the path junction keep ahead through the gateway along the field edge with Whinkney's Copse on the left.

Go through the gap into the copse as indicated and soon bear left on the grass ride ascending towards the open field with Allwood Copse on the right.

(14) When the track enters the wood keep left on the bridle-way in the same direction just inside wood. Follow
the tree-lined track which reaches a height of 197m before joining the road at Ellisfield (B). This is Church Lane, once the route of the Harrow way which we last encountered at Four Lanes End The Thames Valley Circular Walk leaves The Three Castles Path here, having strayed somewhat from the Thames catchment area to circumnavigate Basingstoke.

(15) Turn right along Church Lane where the picturesque duck pond may be viewed through an opening in the wall.

After the 13th century church of St Martin's, turn left at footpath sign and skirt Park Field Copse for short cut to the Fox Inn, otherwise continue up the road to junction. There are infrequent buses to Basingstoke from the bus stop.

(16) Turn left down Green Lane to bend in the road. The Fox Inn is 300yds further on. As the crow flies it's less than 3 miles between Ellisfield and Dummer because of the lie of the land this route is rather longer.

(17) At a bend in the road cross stile on the right onto the footpath up the hill to corner of wood. Continue along the grass track with foxgloves in season. Keep ahead at cross-track. The disused chalk pit on the left is one of the many that were once productive in this area.

(18) At the end of the wood go through the gate and descend to the track.

(19) Turn left and continue for about a mile and a half through this attractive Conservation Area of mixed woodland and open areas which is ideal for pheasant-rearing.

(20) On reaching Berrydown Lane turn right and shortly, sharp right on bridle-way to the top of Windmill Hill, with good views back across the valley. Descend to Nutley.

(21) Turn left at the road. Soon turn right on the ancient route to Oakley and Inkpen Beacon. Go through gate at Manor Farm and turn right with farm buildings on left, soon on rising path alongside wood with open area on right.

(22)Keep ahead at cross-track, now on grass, and pause at the gate to look back at the view before entering the trees. Come out of the wood at a height of 200m with good views of the ridge of the North Downs and all the westward skyline.

(23) Bear left into Nutley Lane and descend to Farleigh Lane. If not wishing to visit Dummer village, turn right then left on the footpath alongside Rowley Copse to reach the motorway bridge.

Otherwise, keep ahead along Farleigh Lane to crossroads in Dummer village with All Saints Church (C) on left. Keep ahead for accommodation (1 mile) Turn right along Down St for the Queen Inn and continue ahead almost to the motorway junction to continue walk. (E)

Start : Winchfield Train Station (RG27 8BX) Grid ref. SU 766 546

Maps : Map OS Explorer 144

Transport : If you do only this part of the walk, bear in mind that you will need transport to go back to the start point or to your home or return the same way back.

Find more information and walks at Round Reading Walks website here.

(A) For over two centuries, Odiham Castle, built for King John at the 'enormous' cost of 81,100 provided a base for deer- hunting 'fit for kings' in the surrounding parkland. Under threat from the French and from his own barons he chose a site that could easily be flooded in times of danger. This strategy worked. In 1216 thirteen of the king's men held out for fifteen days against a French incursion, long enough to agree terms - their freedom, horses and arms. In June 1215 John travelled from Odiham Castle to Runnymeade to sign the Magna Carta, transferring power away from the king. Today the castle is no more than a crumbling ruin.

(B) The name of Ellisfield comes from Aelle's Field. King Aelle landed in Sussex in 477 AD. Artefacts 1 tound in the vicinity suggest there was a sizeable habitation here long before that. The church of St Martins is much more modern dating from the 13th century.

(C) All Saints Church at Dummer dates from the twelfth century and has a medieval roof canopy above the chancel arch. The fourteenth century pulpit is one of the oldest in the country.