Horsebridge and River Test

This walk is rich in historic interest and the beauties of Hampshire's round-hilled chalkland countryside.

Go back to the car park entrance opposite the John o'Gaunt pub and turn left onto the road. Pass a renovated water mill (photo 6) on the right and soon there is a Test Way Inkpen Beacon sign on the right of the road. Take this path, which is on the former "Spratt & Winkle" railway line and is now part of the Test Way. Continue along this path until reaching gates where the Clarendon Way crosses the Test Way (point 1 (photo 1)) and turn left on to the Clarendon Way.

1. At point 1	2. The River Test between points 1 and 2	3. River Test close to point 2
4. The ford just after point 3	5. The old Horsebridge station	6. The old mill at Horsebridge

Follow the Clarendon Way as it crosses several carriers of the river (photos 2 & 3). At a junction with a metalled road in Houghton (point 2), turn left and follow this past houses until reaching a wooden seat on the right. Turn right, still following the Clarendon Way.

Continue on to a track, eventually passing a copse on the left. At a junction after dropping down the hill, turn left (point 3) and continue straight on at a minor road. Cross the ford on a concrete bridge (photo 4) and at a junction with another road, cross the road and start climbing "The Hollow"l. Ignore the first crossing path and continue to where the track splits into three. Take the left hand path (no obvious signpost) and follow the grass track along the field edge and shortly enter a wooded area, climbing steeper now.

Turn left on to the road. After about 200 metres (point 3), turn right at a road with a cul-de-sac sign. Start to descend and where the rack bears sharp right at the bottom of the hill, go straight on, following the right-of-way sign. At the gateway, turn left.

Follow the wide grassy track, through another gateway into the farmyard. Go through this and follow the concrete track which shortly meets a road (off the map at point 5). Turn left and follow the road for about a kilometre until there is a farm drive on the left and a gravel track on the right (point 6). Turn right on to the track. Cross over the river and after a second bridge, bear left across the field towards old willow trees. Climb the stile at the old railway line and turn left. The path skirts around the old Horsebridge Station with its restored platform, signal box (photo 5) and carriages. Take the narrow track to the right at the end of the station back to the car park.

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Comments/suggestions to Alan Rolfe