Whitchurch
Children will enjoy spotting trout in the river on the bridges that cross The Test on this walk, as well as the well equipped play area.
Bridge over The Test opposite Beer Mill
The Basics
Time: 1 hour 20 mins
Distance: 5.2 km / 3.2 miles
Terrain: All flat, one field that may have cows, one stretch of path where nettles grow in summer and is muddy in winter, some town roads with pavements.
Pushchair: This route is not suitable for pushchairs.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk but should be on leads around livestock.
Refreshments: The Riverside Cafe at Whitchurch Silk Mill or other pubs, cafes and bakeries around the town.
Toilets: The nearest public toilets are at Bell Street Car Park.
Public Transport: Whitchurch is served by Stagecoach 76 from Basingstoke and Andover and is on the London to Exeter railway line.
Parking: Free parking can be found at Winchester Road car park (Postcode: RG28 7HP - W3W: ///beamed.unclaimed.taps)
Looking towards Beer Mill and the River Test
This walk begins in Hampshire’s smallest town, Whitchurch, and loops around the clear waters of the River Test. Our route is a shortened version of The Mill Trail and it includes three of the historic mills in the area. The first one is the still operational Whitchurch Silk Mill which you can visit and learn about the fabric production, as well as get refreshments at the café. Further along you will pass Town Mill and Bere Mill, both now private homes in picturesque riverside settings.
The Route
Begin the walk on the opposite side of Winchester Street to the car park entrance. Keeping the river to your left, follow a black finger post stating ‘Mill Trail’ down a footpath with brick walls on either side. Go through the old metal kissing gate, or go right for Alliston Way play area. At the end of the path, turn left into McFauld Way and walk until the ‘no cycles beyond this point’ sign next to some blue garages. Bear left and walk down the footpath with the green fence of Whitchurch Primary School to your right. The path will twist and turn until you come to a footbridge over the river.
Do not cross the footbridge, but instead continue along the path with the river to your left. As you proceed forward, the path will open up into farmland and you will see Southfield Farm ahead of you on the hillside. When the field path begins to rise up towards the farm, fork left and go through the kissing gate. Continue forward under the trees and look for a DIY rope swing on the bank to your right. You will emerge from the trees into a meadow area and should go through the next gate and walk along the top edge of the field until the gate on the other side.
Veer left immediately after you have gone through the gate and walk across the field towards the gate in the corner next to a stone wall. Go through the gate or over the stile and pass Bere Mill on your left. Cross the large brick bridge and walk up the quiet lane.
After a much smaller brick bridge where a stream goes under the road, look for the footpath on your left, just before some farm buildings. Go through the gate and walk across the right hand side of the field to the gate on the other side. After this gate, the path passes through an area of land with fields to the right and the river behind undergrowth to your left. At the end of this, the path drops down to your left and then narrowly travels along the right hand side of a large meadow behind the fence. This path can be muddy in winter and often has a lot of nettles in summer. Continue straight and houses will start to appear at the top of the bank, signalling that you are approaching Whitchurch again.
Emerge onto a paved residential street called The Green and when this forks, bear left. At the sign for Pound Meadow, turn left and follow the footpath past old watercress beds and then cross the river. You will reach a little residents parking area. Ahead of you, past an interpretation board, is another bridge and Town Mill. Once you have seen Town Mill, return to the little parking area and walk up Town Mill Lane that begins between two of the houses. Follow the lane alongside an off-shoot of the river on your right.
When you reach London Street, turn left. At the roundabout, take the first left onto Winchester Street and walk back to The Silk Mill and the car park.
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Did you know?
As an extension of this walk, you could reach Laverstoke, where a former paper mill is now a distillery for Bombay Sapphire gin. The striking building houses tours and tasting experiences.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one at Alresford which also has an old mill over a river.
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