East Meon
Children will enjoy a stop at The Dell on this walk with its wood fired pizzas and outdoor games.
The Basics
Time: 1 hour 25 mins
Distance: 5 km
Terrain: One short, steep descent and one ascent. Uneven, grassy paths. A section on quiet country lanes. A few stiles.
Pushchairs: No
Dogs: Yes, but on leads at The Dell, through the Bereleigh Estate and when in fields with horses and cattle.
Refreshments: The Dell, cafe, bar and pizza
Toilets: At The Dell
Parking: Free parking in a field at The Dell
This walk is known as ‘The Kissing Gate Walk’ as it involves a beautiful old iron gate beside an orchard. This will lead you out to a hilltop path that reveals some of the best views we have ever seen in Hampshire. The path descends into East Meon, a gorgeous village with the river running through the centre, before returning to the Bereleigh Estate, where you will find The Dell, a destination cafe, bar and pizza restaurant at the top of a secluded field. The atmosphere is truly unique and children have the freedom to run and play as adults get on with the job of eating and drinking!
It is important to note that part of this walk involves using a path that is within the Bereleigh Estate and is not a public right of way. The owners have kindly given permission for walkers to use the path if they are guests at Cedar Valley camping and glamping site, or if they are visiting The Dell café and bar. If visiting The Dell, your walk must take place within their opening hours, which are:
Café 8:30-12pm Saturdays & Sundays | Bar 12-4pm Saturdays (paninis available) | Pizzas & Bar 4-9pm Fridays & Saturdays, 12-3pm Sundays - SUMMER ONLY
The Route
This part of the walk is only open under the terms above: From The Dell car park, turn right along the stony track that you drove into the site on. Stick on this same path as it cuts straight across the estate. You will pass the camping field to your right before reaching a cross path. Keep going forward with a hedge to your right and an open field to your left. Continue on the path into the next field, now with the open space to your right. At the far end of this field, you will come to a green looking pond and some farm buildings. Keep going to the road.
Now at the road, the rest of the walk follows public rights of way. Turn right and pass the house with a large pond in the front garden. Just after this, you will see the beautiful metal kissing gate after which this walk is named. Go through the gate and follow the rusted iron fence down the side of an orchard. Go through the second gate and into a meadow. Follow the path through the meadow and up to a gate with a stile.
The path now enters downland terrain and the path will follow the top of the hill. The views are utterly wonderful! The path is easy to follow as it curves its way around the hill. Views of East Meon village will come into sight below. You will see the spire of the church and as you pass by this, the path will come to a line of trees. The footpath heads downwards here towards a gate and some steps beyond.
Technically, the walk continues to the right here, but it would be a shame not to take a diversion to your left and visit the village of East Meon. The path to the village will take you through the churchyard and the down past Ye Olde George Inn to the centre of the village. Here, you can see the young River Meon make its way past the pretty cottages lining the main street, and the second pub, The Izaak Walton.
Return past the church and re-join the footpath to complete the circular walk. After passing the steps that you descended previously, continue straight and out through a gate into a field (you may meet cattle here) and then a pony paddock with an electric fence funnelling you across the middle. After the pony paddock, the path will bring you out to a road.
Turn right at the road, and then almost immediately left through a kissing gate and into a field. The path will take you to the right along a long, thin fenced section of the field. At the end of this, you will be taken out into another field and should follow the footpath in a straight line to the gate at the bottom before being taken out into another field, where the footpath will take you straight across the middle. Another kissing gate will bring you into a pony paddock.
Cross the pony paddock and go over the stile into the next pony paddock. At the end of this paddock, the footpath will cross a grassy verge before heading narrowly down a fenced section towards the road. Turn right at the road and then immediately turn right again up the road just past the farm buildings.
The quiet road will climb upwards (don’t worry, you are nearly at The Dell!). At the junction, turn left and you will soon come to the entrance to The Dell. This is the ultimate refreshment stop with local beers, jugs of Pimms, pizzas, paninis, ice-creams and more. Whilst you relax and re-fuel, children can play quoits, football, in the sand-pit or our children’s favourite is cartwheeling around the meadow!
Did you know?
As well as The Dell, the Bereleigh estate is also home to Cedar Valley, a campsite which also has luxury glamping cabins and safari tents. We had an amazing stay in their family cabin, called The Cowshed and you can see more about our stay on our Facebook page.
