Hambledon
Children will enjoy two little parks, a rope swing and a tea-room on this walk.
Views of Hambledon village from Speltham Down
Time: 1hr 10 mins
Distance: 3 km
Terrain: Some village pavements, stiles (with ‘dog flaps’), short inclines, variety of paths from woodland to downland
Pushchair: No
Dogs: Yes, but must be on lead on farmland
Refreshments: The Old Forge Tea-Room (best to book ahead) or The Vine pub
Toilets: None
Public Transport: First Bus Service D1 from Waterlooville via Denmead, stop at Hambledon, The Gardens
Parking: Parking can be found on roads around the village, the walk starts beside The People’s Market (Postcode: PO7 4RW - W3W: Siesta/pheasants/tribe)
The Old Forge Tea Room
Hambledon, known as the ‘Cradle of Cricket’, is a rural village packed full of attractive country homes. It has a tea room, play area, pub and a couple of shops to browse. Our walk loops around the perimeter of the village, taking you up onto the National Trust’s Speltham Down, with lovely views of the valley.
Start next to the People’s Market and take the lane to the left of it called Speltham Hill. Go up the hill, and then as the road bends left, look for the entrance to Speltham Down opposite Hill House. Walk in a straight line across the down to a barbed wire fence. Take the gate to your left marked ‘please shut gate, livestock grazing’. Walk along the enclosed path with a barbed wire fence covered in sheep’s wool to your right. Go through a series of two consecutive gates and back out into open downland. Turn right, with the fence to your right, and head back down towards the village via a gate and then some little steps.
Turn left when you reach the road and walk behind the little stone wall. At the end of this, cross the road and continue along the pavement in the same direction. At the end of the village, you will find The Old Forge Tea Room.
Turn right just after the tea room up Cams Hill. After the entrance to a house named ‘Cams’, you will see a wide double wooden gate with a stile and ‘dog flap’. Go over the stile and walk along the track up to the next stile. Go over the next stile and continue straight along the field edge. The path will close around you again after you have gone through an old broken gate. At the T-junction at the end of this section, turn left up the hill.
Go through the gate into the field (this field is used for exercising horses, so dogs should be on leads). There are lovely views at this point. Keep left at the top of the field and walk to the left side of a scrubby hedge inside the field. Just as the hedge comes to an end, look for the small opening on your left. It takes you into woodland but the footpath marker appears to be lost, so it is not obvious.
Inside the woodland, almost immediately, you need to take the very first small path on your right. Again, this is not signed and not obvious. The thin track through the ivy will take you over a fallen tree log and will soon bring you up to a more established path. Turn right here.
Next, you will meet a large dip in the ground that is a fun place for children to have a wild play. Local children have erected a rope swing if you’re brave enough to try! After the dip, you will meet a cross path. Go straight ahead until the path begins to descend and you come to a junction. Turn right at the junction and take the footpath marked ‘Wayfarer’s Walk’. The path will level off as you bear right to go along the back of some houses. Turn left down a grassy entrance track and pass through a small paddock to meet the road.
Turn right at the road and walk for just a few metres before turning left where you see a wooden footpath marker and a small play area on the green. With the play area to your right, go up the green and re-join the footpath on the other side as the gravelly path goes between hedges. It will take you out through a little metal gate, where you will see the church straight ahead.
Go through the metal gate on your left when you reach the wall of the churchyard and cross a little parking area. The wall to the church will be on your right. At the graveyard, turn right to walk past the church and into the village with one of my favourite views in Hambledon. Turn right at the main street for The Vine Pub and the play area beside the village hall. The Stores is on the left corner, which sells lifestyle goods and coffee.
Did you know?
Hambledon has one of the oldest cricket clubs in the world, dating back to 1750. The village also has a vineyard which produces its own wine.
