Wayfarer's Walk

Footpath on Abbotstone Down

The Wayfarer's Walk is a long distance footpath that runs for 71 miles corner to corner across Hampshire, from its highest hill, Walbury Hill, to Emsworth by the south coast.

Trailheads

• Walbury Hill. 51°21’25"N, 1°28’16"W
• Emsworth; 50°50’38"N, -0°55’55"W

The footpath can be walked in either direction. The first stretch of the route, starting the the north-west, on Walbury Hill and its neighbours, marks the border with Berkshire: Hampshire to the south and Berkshire to the north. The summit of Walbury Hill is above the footpath in a farmer's field and wholly within Hampshire.

This north-western start is close to the north-western corner of Hampshire, in the car park on top of Walbury Hill, near to the landmark Combe Gibbet. The south-east end is Emsworth town square, just above the sea and at Hampshire's border with Sussex.

Trig point on Pilot Hill

The footpath is reckoned to approximate to an ancient drovers' route that might have been used to drive cattle from the Hampshire Downs to the coast for export. It passes through such towns as New Alresford, Droxford, Hambledon, Havant and Emsworth and villages that include North Oakley, Deane, Dummer, Brown Candover, Abbotstone, Cheriton, Hinton Ampner, Kilmeston, Soberton, and Denmead.

De Havilland Memorial Stone

By the path is a memorial to the first flight of Geoffrey de Havilland. The footpath also passes close to Watership Down, famed from the book of the same name.

Waymark for the route

The footpath is waymarked by metal and plastic discs attached to posts, trees and street furniture. It has also spawned several circular routes that use sections of the main footpath, which are also waymarked.

Walbury Hill, on which the over which uruns the Berkshire is also the start of the Test Way and is the start of the Combe Gibbet to Overton 16 Mile Trail Race, the first 11 miles of its route being on Wayfarer's Walk.

Places of interest

The following places of interest, hillfort sites and hills can be found along the length of the Walk (listed from southeast to northwest):

• Fort Purbrook
• The source of the River Itchen
• Tidley Hill
• Watership Down
• Ladle Hill and Iron Age hillfort
• Pilot Hill and Dean Hill
• Walbury Hill and the Iron Age hillfort of Walbury Camp
• The start of the Test Way

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Wayfarer's Walk)

• Hampshire County Council: The Wayfarer's Walk
• Wayfarer's Walk (Walking on the Web)
• Wayfarer's Walk (Long Distance Walkers’ Association)
• Overton Harriers & AC (Combe Gibbet to Overton 16 Route)