Kingsley & Wheatley Loop

Start point: Country Market, Kingsley/Bordon, GU35 0QP, /// what3words confetti.tall.milk, accessible by the No. 13 bus from Alton.

 1

Facing the entrance to the Country Market retail unit, turn right and walk straight ahead out of the complex until you reach a footpath/bridleway junction (plus a useful local route map board).

 2

Take the footpath leading diagonally ahead to your right, pass by a five bar gate onto a farm track through open farmland. Continue on the farm track until you reach a wicket gate in the fence at the edge of the field. Go through the gate and turn right onto a grassy track/lane.

 3

Continue straight ahead, the footpath then curves righthanded around the edge of a field and you reach a pond on your right. Turn left and follow the footpath sign, crossing over a narrow plank bridge over a stream. The route continues straight ahead, with a hedge on your left and fields on your right.

 4

Ahead of you is the treeline of Alice Holt Forest (Straits Enclosure). Follow the path in to the wood and turn left onto a bridlepath, the route curves left then continues straight ahead past the junction of a bridlepath on the right.

 5

Continue straight ahead, with the field on your right. On reaching the road turn right onto Sickles Lane (signposted towards Binsted) and follow it gently uphill until you reach the driveway of 'Little Orchard' on your left. Turn left on to the driveway and before you reach another gate turn right past private garage.

 6

Pass through a small gap (beside a disused stile) into an apple orchard, continue to the far end of the orchard then turn left over a stile. Continue downhill, cross over a small footbridge and turn right along the edge of the field.

 7

Continue along the edge of the field towards a narrow strip of woodland. Pass (uphill) through the trees and emerge through a gap beside a (unused) stile on to the egde of another field. Walk along the edge of the cultivated land, you will be unable to follow close to the hedge line to your right due to an impassable area of brambles. The path follows the edge of the field and curves around to the left.

 8

Shortly after you curve round to the left look out for an indistinct path on your right leading up into the wood line. Go uphill, it's a short, sharp climb which could be very tricky in muddy conditions. There are some old, indictinct, wooden steps in need of repair.

 9

At the top of the steep bank continue straight ahead up on to the crest of the hill. The path continues along the ridge line between two arable fields, there is a far reaching view to your right. Continue ahead until you reach a driveway, turn right and walk down to the road.

 10

Cross over the road and continue on the farm track/bridleway, shortly after the entrance to the Oast House (on your righ)t bear right onto the footpath. Follow this downhill until it emerges on to farmland, continue on with the treelione on your left and opend land/views to your right.

 11

At the bottom of the hill exit the field to the left of a shelter. Turn right onto a former railway line and then almost immediately left down a bank over a narrow wooden plank/bridge over small stream.

 12

Follow the 'bridleway' (narrow, rutted and might be overgrown) for a short distance until you reach a footpath to your left. Turn left on to this path, cross the wooden bridge (may be slippery when wet) and continue across a short stretch of open ground and enter th woods (Alice Holt Straits Enclosure).

 13

On entering the forest the footpath bears around to the left. Follow the path (which follows a route close to the perimeter of the woodland) until you reach a 'crossroads' of grassy rides/paths.

 14

Take the path straight ahead and then within 20-30 metres bear left, there is a waymarker on your right but it's easy to miss (if you do miss it and go straight ahead you will rejoin the route). On reaching the next crossroads of grassy paths turn right (there is a waymarker) and immediately corss over a stoney track and continue ahead.

 15

Exit the woodland through a defined gap in the fence, then carry straight on. After a short while you will see the Country Store car park in the distance which marks the end of the walk.