The Grange at Northington
Children will enjoy exploring the exterior of this former mansion on this walk.
Exploring the exterior of The Grange
The Basics
Time: 2.5 hrs or 2 hrs
Distance: 8.3km or 6.2km
Terrain: No stiles, mostly flat with some gentle slopes, majority of paths well surfaced
Pushchair: Not for the walk, and if visiting just The Grange you will find the steps an issue
Dogs: Yes (on leads at The Grange)
Refreshments: None, but we enjoyed a picnic on the steps, overlooking the river
Toilets: None
Public Transport: Cresta Coaches route 41 stops at Swarraton Bus Shelter mentioned in section 5 of the route below. It runs between Alresford and Basingstoke on Wednesdays and Fridays only
Parking: You can park at the end of the entrance track beside The Grange (Postcode: SO24 9TG - W3W: fizzled/guarding/playfully) or to complete the longer walk you can park at Abbotstone Down (Postcode: SO24 9UD - W3W: cork/shampoos/fool) *
*The entrance can be confusing as next to the English Heritage sign, there is also one saying ‘private property’. This is the correct entrance and you may drive carefully up this track. You will find The Grange at the end.
The Grange is free to enter either on this walk or in its own right
Tucked away in the countryside just north of Alresford is the splendid mansion, The Grange. Resembling a Greek temple and in a picturesque riverside setting, the building is cared for by English Heritage. Visitors are free to come and explore the exterior of the building and can then complete our circular walk.
The Route
The distance for this walk may put you off if you have small children, but the good news is you don’t actually need to do the walk to enjoy The Grange. You could just park up beside the house and explore the grounds. If you fancy making an afternoon of it, here is a circular walk that can either take around 2 hours starting from The Grange or 2.5 hours starting from Abbotstone Down - also with its own free car park. Please note there is no access to the interior of the house, but the exterior is free to look around.
If parking at Abbotstone Down, begin by walking along the footpath (Wayfarers Way/Ox Drove Way) from the car park into the trees and away from the road. The path will follow a fence line with Abbotsone Down on the other side to your right.
The path will then open into a field and you should continue straight with the open field to your right and the hedge to your left. At the opposite side of this field you will find a cross paths. Go straight ahead with a derelict farm building on your right.
The path continues along the left side of another field and is now straight and well surfaced. As you approach a farm house and pony paddock ahead, you should turn right up the stony track.
Continue along the track for around 1.5km until you come to a junction and the sign for The Grange. Turn left here to walk up the entrance track to The Grange. It is about another kilometre to reach the house. (If walking with children, you could always cheat and drive up to the house after you finish the walk to save the extra distance on little legs!)
If parking at The Grange, start the walk from this point and then follow points 6, 7, 3 and 4. After visiting the house retrace your steps back to the entrance and then walk down to the Basingstoke Road and turn right. You will walk on a grass verge beside the road very briefly until just after the bus stop you will see a footpath on your right going through the fence.
Turn left and walk along the path with the road parallel to your left. This section of the walk passes by a private garden and signage will make it very clear to you where the footpath is and which direction you should go. At the top of the first section, look out for the footpath sign written on a wooden horse! Turn left here and then follow the markers to walk between the fences. The markers will then guide you right and up under some trees to pass by a livery yard. The signs guide you around this with the stables to your right and the fields to your left. Keep following the footpath signs as you leave the livery yard behind and walk through the woodland of Northfield Plantation.
The path will then open out into a field (the top of the one you walked through if you started at Abbotstone Down). Follow the path straight ahead and down the hill. At the cross path at the bottom, turn left to follow the path back to Abbotstone Down car park or turn right and follow points 3 and 4 to return to The Grange.
We recommend viewing the map below as a Trails Map:
Did you know?
The Grange is one of the best examples this country has of Greek Revival architecture. Between 1809 and 1816, William Wilkins transformed a 17th century house into something looking like it came straight from Ancient Greece. In the last century the building fell into disrepair and was scheduled for demolition until public outcry saved it. The house inside is largely unrestored and is now under the management of English Heritage. There are occasional open days when you can see inside but The Grange is best enjoyed now during one of its summer opera performances in a special theatre built inside the conservatory.
