Alresford
Children will enjoy the park half way along this walk as well as the duck feeding station.
The private home that is Fulling Mill
The Basics
Time: 1 hour 15 mins (shorter option possible)
Distance: 3.7 km
Terrain: Flat riverside paths, roads and pavements
Pushchair: Yes
Dogs: On leads around town and across private land. Most of the park is open to dogs, with just a fence around the play equipment.
Refreshments: There are lots of options around Alresford town centre from pubs, cafes and bakeries to picnic benches at the park. The Alrebury Cafe is located on the first floor of the building beside the car park which also has an indoor play area for under 5’s
Toilets: There are public toilets on Station Road or if using The Alrebury Cafe beside the car park
Public Transport: You could arrive in style on board a steam or heritage diesel train on The Watercress Line. Otherwise, Alresford is served by Stagecoach route 64 between Winchester and Alton
Parking: There are a few car parks around the town, but we find the best one for this walk to be Alrebury Park car park, off The Avenue. It is free for the first two hours and also free on Sundays (Postcode: SO24 9EP - W3W: rooks/keyboard/overused)
Fulling Mill from the other side
This is a fantastic family walk that is the most searched for on our website. It starts from the delightful Georgian town of Alresford, with its independent shops and eateries, before joining the crystal clear river where you will spot one of Hampshire’s most photographed homes.
The Route
Leave the car park and head towards the town centre down The Avenue and then West Street. Turn left onto Broad Street which leads onto Mill Hill. There are lots of independent shops and cafes to catch your attention along this stretch.
Turn left down Ladywell Lane when you see the footpath and signs for The Riverside Walk. The little lane will soon turn into a riverside path and you should keep following this with the river on your right.
You will pass a little memorial garden on your left which is good for picnics and soon after you will come to the idyllic, and much photographed, Fulling Mill.
After the mill, the next point of interest is a little stand where a local girl and her family put out little bags of duck food in exchange for a small donation (bring loose change).
When done feeding the ducks, the river will take a sharp bend to the right. Keep following the river. Soon you will see the entrance to Alrebury Park on your left. This has picnic benches and a lovely play area. If you want to, you could cut the walk short here and walk through the park to the car park on the other side of the football club.
To continue the walk for longer, keep going along the riverside path. Next, you will pass the old eel house. Go along the wooden walkways around the eel house and the look out for a little stone bridge. Cross the bridge and then bear left at the top of the path.
The footpath now leaves the riverside to go around a private fishery. The path will stay parallel to the river, which will be down to your left the other side of the fishery. Keep going until you reach a road.
Turn left and walk along the wide and quiet road. At the next junction, go left and join the pavement on the splendid tree lined avenue which will lead you back to the car park. The play area can be found on the other side of the football pitches.
Temporary Alternative Route
On our last visit in September 2024, there was a closure to the footpath running from Fulling Mill to the recreation ground. We came up with an alternative route, which is just as lovely but does not pass the popular duck feeding station. The route is slightly shorter than the one above, so actually makes a good alternative at any time and does not include quite as much distance beside the road. For these reasons we will leave this route up, despite the fact the original route is now open again.
Leave the car park and head towards the town centre down The Avenue and then West Street. Turn left onto Broad Street which leads onto Mill Hill. There are lots of independent shops and cafes to catch your attention along this stretch.
Turn left down Ladywell Lane when you see the footpath and signs for The Riverside Walk. The little lane will soon turn into a riverside path and you should keep following this with the river on your right.
You will pass a little memorial garden on your left which is good for picnics and soon after you will come to the idyllic, and much photographed, Fulling Mill.
The footpath is closed after Fulling Mill to allow for reconstruction work to the eroded edges. Pass the mill and then take the footpath on the right that passes directly in front of the house. Turn right after the house and continue along their access drive with a stream to your left. At the road, turn left.
The road is wide and quiet. Continue up the hill, passing the first gateway to Pinglestone farm. At the second gateway used for their wedding guests, look for the narrow opening in their hedge with a ‘dogs must be kept on leads’ sign. This is the footpath, although there appears to be no sign to indicate this. On the other side of the hedge, go directly across their grass. On the opposite side, go through a tunnel in the hedge and immediately turn left to go down the field edge. Turn right about half way down and walk along the grassy path. On the other side, the footpath continues by going narrowly between two fences/hedges.
As you walk along the narrow path, look out for a path to your left that heads downwards, almost doubling back. Go down the path to reach a stone bridge over the river. Cross the river and turn left. The path will bring you around to the eel house. Walk around the wooden platform of the eel house and join the riverside path with the water to your left.
As you walk along beside the clear water, you will likely see swans and ducks. On your right, you will eventually come to the entrance to the recreation ground. There is a fabulous zip line and an enclosed play area with plenty for all ages as well as a couple of picnic benches. The car park is at the top of the park behind the rugby club. There is a café/bar upstairs.
Did you know?
The eel house was used to trap eels as they made their way from the tributaries of Old Alresford Pond, down The River Itchen, into the English Channel and across the Atlantic Ocean to The Sargasso Sea. It is a mind blowing miracle of nature that all eels across the world will make a similar journey to return to breed in that one location. The next open day for this historic building will be 22nd September 2024.
