Chilbolton Cow Common
On this walk, children will love paddling in the ford, spotting trout from the bridges over the river and playing at the park.
A wide shallow section of the River Test at Chilbolton Cow Common
The Basics
Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Distance: 4.2 km
Terrain: Riverside paths, rougher downland paths with one short, steep descent, quiet country lanes with no pavement and a very brief section on a grass verge by a busier road
Pushchair: No
Dogs: There is likely to be cattle on West Down and Chilbolton Cow Common. Dogs should be on leads around them. They should also be on leads between March and July on the cow common to protect nesting birds.
Refreshments: The May Fly on The River Test, famed for its riverside location or Chilbolton Shop and Tea Room can both be found on short diversions from the main route
Toilets: None
Public Transport: Stagecoach route 15 between Stockbridge and Andover stops in Wherwell. Walk south-east down Fullerton Lane to take the Longbridge over the Test in section 3 below. Alternatively, alight in Chilbolton and join the walk at the cow common car park on Joy’s Lane
Parking: There are a few parking options where you can join this loop at various points - all are free. Our preferred is West Down Car Park on Coley Lane at the junction with Romsey Road (Postcode: SO20 6AX - W3W: spooked/hourglass/supper). This is small, so if it is full, there is a larger car park that you will find the turning for as you drive into Chilbolton from this direction. The third option is to park in the Chilbolton Cow Common car park in the village, but this can get busy in summer, when locals prefer you to use the West Down car park.
The Longbridge over The Test is a great place for spotting trout
The River Test gently flows through Chilbolton Cow Common with a wide, shallow ford forming one of the few places along the whole of the river’s course where children can play. There are some excellent riverside pubs in the area and Wherwell and Chilbolton are widely regarded as two of the prettiest villages in Hampshire.
The Route
Leave the lower West Down car park and cross the road, taking the footpath almost directly opposite, signed The Test Way.
Walk down the path with the bridge arches to your left and then turn right. The river will be to your left, but will be inaccessible at this point behind private fences. Go across a wooden sleeper bridge with iron railings over the river and continue straight. After a height barrier, the path will merge into a tarmac access lane and will then meet a road.
Turn right at the road and walk along the grass verge on the right hand side. Take the first right onto Fullerton Road, signposted for Wherwell.
You will need to walk for about half a mile along this lane with no pavement, but it is a quiet country lane with light traffic. As you approach the village, you will see a footpath marker on your right with an information board and the start of The Long Bridge over The Test. This is a great place to stop and look for baby trout as well as kingfishers. (If you like the idea of seeing some very pretty five hundred year old cottages, you could continue for about another half a mile along Fullerton Lane into Wherwell. The most photographic cottages are on Church Street. There are no refreshments in the village as the pub is currently closed and you will need to return the way you came to re-join the walk)
At the other side of The Long Bridge, enter Chilbolton Cow Common. Follow the main path that will soon begin to curve around to the left. This will take you across the common to another bridge over the river where it is wide and shallow and perfect for a paddle.
Continue straight after the bridge, passing under a tree and then into the car park. Turn right in the car park through a large gate that is usually propped open and walk in front of an idyllic looking white cottage facing the common. Just past the cottage, enter the recreation ground through a gate on your left. There is some excellent play equipment here including climbing towers, bridges, zip-line, football goals and picnic tables. Cross the recreation ground to the side opposite to the play equipment and look for the path leading out of it.
Keep going along this path with a fence to your right (and occasional views of the river) until you meet the road again. Cross the road to enter West Down Nature Reserve, just to your right. Follow the path up and over the downland, walking above and parallel to the road back to the car park.
If you want to add on a visit to the riverside pub The Mayfly over The River Test, continue from the car park and turn right at Romsey Road. The pub is just over the bridge.
If you want to visit the tea-room in Chilbolton, we suggest leaving the Chilbolton Cow Common car park by walking up Joy’s Lane and then turn left at Village Street. The Abbott’s Mitre pub can also be found here.
If you park at the upper West Down car park, you will need to join the walk by exiting the car park the way you came in, crossing the access road and joining the path directly opposite. Walk down hill, passing a picnic table to your left and go through the gate into West Down. Turn left and walk across the down. Bear right at a bench and begin heading down the slope towards the lower car park, where you can join the walking directions at stage one above.
Did you know?
The final leg of this walk crosses West Down Nature Reserve which was mainly used for grazing sheep until WW2, when the UK Air Ministry requisitioned a huge tract of land south of Chilbolton and built a large airfield. The West Down site then was used for various airfield ancillary buildings until the airfield was abandoned in the 1950s.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one from Horsebridge, where you can find another wide, shallow ford across the Test.
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