Two Churches; Two Pubs (Original walk description from 2012)

Brimpton / Wasing Park Estate

Approximately 6 miles, 3.00 hours

Map Ref:  578 624 at start of the walk.

Park in Hurst Leisure Centre car park, turn right out of the car park to Brimpton Road and right again past The Hurst Community College.  Turn left into Stokes Lane and right into Inhurst Lane.  After 300m, fork left up Little Aldershot Lane.  Where lane turns left, continue straight on up bridleway to road (B3051).  Cross road by entrance to Pineapple Playing field on left (great care – blind bend).  Continue to bend, go straight on over minor road and on down Blacknest Lane by the pillar box.  Go downhill and turn right onto a footpath just before the river bridge *(Oxford Bridge).  At this point, the walk can become an extension of the ’Water Meadows’ walk marked by an asterisk at the same point.

Continue along footpath and bear left to a bridge over the river, cross the bridge and continue on footpath.  straight ahead to a gateway into the wood.  Follow path through the wood then keep to right-hand side of next field to a bridge, cross over and turn left, then immediately right.  Keeping to right of field, come to a gate by the road.  Go through the gate, turn left through another gate and climb towards Brimpton church.  At the end of the fence, turn right into the footpath between the graveyards and, with the church on your left, walk down to the war memorial.

Turn right and follow the road round to the right past ‘The Three Horseshoes’ public house, www.arkells.com/pubs_more2.php?id=661, then turn left into Enborne Way.  Go down to the end of the road and along the path between Nos.12 and 13.  Go through a gate, then immediately left and fork left to a kissing gate and with the hedge on your right go down the field through a gate to the road.  Turn right and cross over to a footpath opposite ‘Close Cottage’.  When the footpath reaches open fields, turn right by a gate.  Keep straight on for 500m, then go through the gate to a road.  Go left on to the road, with care, to a junction.  Turn right and continue on over the river bridge to the next junction.  Turn left and immediately right through the gate by the Lodge house into Wasing Park on a signed path.

Walk up the drive and continue straight on past two cattle grids and then straight on at the crossroads, through an estate gateway, ignoring the private ‘no entry’ sign.  With Wasing Church on your left, turn right through a kissing gate at the footpath sign and cross the pasture (may be cattle there), go through two more kissing gates to a track into the woods.  Continue along track with woods on your left to a junction and turn right to a metal gate.  Go through the kissing gate, turn left down the track and follow to a more formal wider road, with brick and flint cottages to right.  Follow the path around to the right, ignoring footpath and byway signs to left.  The track leads to a busy road (Brimpton to Baughurst) – cross with care) to public right of way opposite.  Continue along path, over stile, to end at B3051, with ‘The Pineapple Inn’ straight in front of you.  

Cross road, turn left and walk along verge edge to gateway in front of Pineapple Playing field (five bar gate and Parish Council rules to right of gate).  Continue between two concrete bollards down narrow path, with sports pavilion to your right, exiting on to Little Aldershot Lane.  Turn left and follow lane to junction with Inhurst Lane.  Turn right, and then left into Stokes Lane.  At end of Stokes Lane, cross over busy Brimpton Road to Hurst Community College, and back to the layby.

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