Walk this way
This edition’s featured walk takes in some of north Hampshire’s beautiful and scientifically important wildlife sites in the BlackwaterValley – as well as one of Hampshire’s picturesque old villages, Eversley. For more ideas for walks in your area visit the countryside webpages
The Water Babies of Eversley
Length: 5.5 miles Time: 2.5 hours
Start point: Car park off Bramshill Road in EversleyVillage. Grid ref SU 760-613
Getting there: Public transport links are limited. Buses serve the surrounding area and trains run to nearby stations: Blackwater, Camberley, Crowthorne and Winchfield. Visit Stagecoach and National Rail for more information. There is a small public car park at the start of the route.
Download the map online or call 0800 028 0888.
NB: This route is relatively flat with uneven ground but can be wet and muddy in places in winter.
From the car park head north along the footpath past the school playing fields, running parallel on your left is a bridleway. Bramshill Forest is a working paper plantation as well as an important wildlife habitat, so keep an eye out for roe deer, buzzards and other varieties of birds. When the two paths meet continue along the bridleway. Turn right at the next crossroads through the kissing gate just before the pylon, continue round the edge of the woods, through a kissing gate to meet New Mill Lane.
The two mills can be traced back to William I and are mentioned in the Domesday book. Both the waterwheel and corn grinding equipment are still in working order. Turn left at New Mill Lane, past the riding school, turn right at the next footpath over a bridge, through a gate on to the Blackwater Valley Path – waymarked by yellow arrowed discs.
Turn right along the field edge, pass through two gates and some trees, turn right between the fields and hedge to a drive, continue across between a walled garden and hedge to Eversley Street. Don’t worry, just keep an eye out for the yellow arrowed discs.
Turn right down Eversley Street past the White Hart pub and Warbrook Conference Centre, taking care as the pavement narrows. Turn right at the end of the pavement along the footpath through some trees.
Continue along the path and through the barrier to Bramshill Road. Cross over and continue south along Lyndride Drive, past the pond on right. At the bend continue south, at the ‘T’ junction turn left over a bridge, continue along the field edge to a kissing gate and over another small bridge to the church.
St Mary’s Church has been a place of worship for 900 years. A notable figure in the churches history is the 19th Century preacher, author, naturalist and social reformer Charles Kingsley. It is his novel the Water Babies that he is most remembered and our route is named after. Turn right at the church entrance, at the house entrance take the footpath on the left, up hill to Bramshill. Follow the yellow footpath waymark discs that take you off to the left. Keep right as the path splits until you come out onto a large clearing where several paths meet.
Turn right along the bridleway known as the Welsh Drive, ignoring all turnings off, until you reach the first footpath sign on your right, turn right along this path and your back up to the car park.
We want to hear from you
Thank you to Christine Reeves who suggested the Blackwater Valley as the area for this edition’s featured walk.
If you would like to suggest an area for a walk in this feature please contact the editor (details on page 2). We will endeavour to cover as many of these in future editions.
Acknowledgment: BlackwaterValley Partnership