Oakhanger to Bordon Loop

This walk starts at the Hanger Free House, Oakhanger Road, Oakhanger, GU35 9JQ ///cello.highlighted.summit. The small pub car park is for customers only, please book your table in advance and let the pub know if you go for a walk before or after.

Alternative parking is available on the Village Green near Oakhanger Village Hall, ///drags.mild.contrived. The walk can also be joined from Shortheath Common pond car park ///sleeps.slyly.spun, see serial 3 below.

Please Note:

• Part of this route crosses MOD training areas, as such you are not necessarily following official footpaths. The area marked on OS maps as Slab has many tracks an can be confusing!

• In addition there is a stream crossing requiring the use of stepping stones.

• This route is not recommended in winter or after heavy rain as the above stream crossing may be impassable, also the Slab has many deeply rutted tracks which beome waterlogged.

 1

With the Hanger Free House behind you cross the road and turn left, walk along the road for 250m until you reach the village green on your right. Bear right and walk past the Village Hall and on the the entrance to Shortheath Common.

 2

Keep straight ahead across the common until you reach a footbridge, cross over and continue ahead up a slight incline on to an open area of the common.

 3

The path leads to a track used to access private housing. Walk along the track past 2 houses then look for a waymarker to you right, near the corner of a field. Follow the footpath through an area for woodland for. When you reach another access track cross over and continue along the right hand edge of open, grassy, common land. [There is the option to park in Shortheath Common Pond Car park and join this loop, consult an OS map]

 4

When you reach a set of bollards turn right on to another access track and take the left hand fork. After a few metres turn left towards a large house. Turn right in front of the house and follow the footpath along a grassy area, keeping the hedge on your left.

 5

When you emerge onto another track continue straight ahead (with houses on either side). The path narrows and then emerges on to an area of driveways, contunue ahead until you read a tarmac lane.

 6

Turn left and walk up Gibbs Lane for approximately 0.5 mile. You will pass an industrial unit on your right and the Bordon & Oakhanger Sports Club on your left. This is at the edge of a new housing development.

 7

Continue straight up the road, passing the Bordon Military Cemetery on your left. This is worth a short detour as it's managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and includes the graves of 120 servicemen who died in WW1 and WW2. Continue to the junction of Oakhanger Road and Hogmoor Road, cross over and turn right heading in the direct of Oakhanger.

 8

Walk along the pavement for about 150m, turn left to enter the Slab. This area was formerly used for military vehicle training and has many tracks and paths. Take the path that leads straight ahead.

 9

Continue straight ahead on the main path. On reaching a row of old fence posts the path leads gently downhill to a junction. At this point you will see a large area of hard standing to your left.

 10

With you back to the area of hard standing take the track straightahead and slightly downhill, passing under a line of pylon cables. Continue ahead until the track emerges in to an open sandy area.

 11

Walk across the open area in the direction of 11 o'clock until you spot a group of discarded concrete pyramids. Keep these on your right amd walk on until an area opens up to your right, there is another concrete pyramid at the corner. Bear right and follow the wide rutted track ahead, in wet weather you may need to walk on the higher ground to the left of the track.

 12

Continue straightahead on the rutted sandy track until you emerge on to a large open area. You are looking for a track leading off the open area at roughly 11 o'clock, although this may be difficult to spot at a distance! As you enter the woodline you will see a ford ahead.

 13

Follow the path to left of the ford and cross the stream using the stepping stones. Take the track that leads off to the left and continue straightahead, passing a waymarker on your left. The path emrges on to common land and goes gently uphill passing a second waymarker on the left (don't turn off).

 14

The track curves around to the right, continue until you find a waymarker (on your left) pointing diagonally off to the right. You are looking for a small, indistinct, path leading off to the right. Follow this path across the common until you reach a T junction. Turn right and then immediately left, you are now walking towards the Oakhanger Road.

 15

Cross over the Oakhanger Road, over a stile and head across the field to a spot between the 2 lefthand trees. Head across the next field towards a line of horse paddocks. Cross the stile and continue ahead between two paddocks, cross another stile into a field.

 16

Turn right and follow the path into a field. The footpath goes around the edge of the field (hedge to your left) until you reach a stile. Cross the stile and turn left, agter a short distance you will find another stile ahead of you, cross this into a large open field.

 17

Walk diagonally to your left, passing a small fenced copse. The path continues to a kissing gate into a field (often contains horses, who are used to walkers) cross the field and emerge onto the road opposite the Hamger Free House.