Routes
Getting About
Living on the Hampshire / Sussex border I have excellent access to some of the great South of England trails such as the South Downs Way, Wayfarers Way and the Hangars Way.
If you are keen to explore trails for yourself there are two types of map which are suitable, both published by the Ordinance Survey. They are the Landranger series (red) and the pathfinder series (green). The pathfinder series are a very usable large scale map which I think you will find most helpful as they provide much more detail.
The OS web site is worth a look as you can order from them via the Net.
Example Route - Queen Elizabeth Country Park, East Hampshire.
This route is approximately 7 miles however it might feel longer as it is quite undulating.
The start is from the main car park adjoining the visitor centre, you will have to pay for parking within the country park, the nearest free parking is either at the Hogs Lodge pub around a half mile away to the South or at the Buriton side car park to the North East. The visitor centre is open each weekend and during the week from spring to autumn, it offers a range of information about the park as well as refreshments and toilets.
Our start is from the totem pole between the centre and the teaching room, head South on the footpath, keeping the centre and wildlife pond to your right. Follow the path until it meets the country park road and turn left following the road for about 400 meters.
When the road turns uphill sharply to the left you carry strait on up the forest track. Each side of the path is heavily wooded with a variety of planted broad leaved trees, until the 1920's this area was open downland similar to Butser Hill acrsss the main road and was used extensively for sheep farming. Now days it is a managed woodland providing a valuable crop as well as a good habitat for a variety of birds and animals. Watch out for deer, fox, badger, squirrel as well as woodpecker and jay.
Follow the track as it climbs gently upwards between the planted forest, near the top the track bears to the left and divides into two, keep to the right hand track where eventually you will start to descend, quite steeply at one point, and then come to the Buriton entrance car park.
Cross the road carefully out of the country park, and follow the road ahead (marked south downs way and heading East), as the road climbs more steeply look for a clearly marked public footpath on your right. Negotiate the stile (can be slippery) and follow the footpath as it climbs steadily upwards, crossing a second stile after a few hundred meters.
As the path levels out it meets a main woodland path with the footpath you are on continuing directly ahead, at this point turn right and follow the woodland path as it meanders lazily down hill between heavily forested hangers. There are many ancient yew trees scattered around the hangars and in summer you may be able to see pyramid orchids on the sides of the path. Occasionally during the autumn and winter this path is used to hold dog sled races, there are usually signposts informing you of this, if not the tell-tail baying of Huskies should be sufficient to make you aware!! After about three quarters of a mile there is a gate to your right with a road beyond it, ignore this and follow the path as it bears to the left and climbs slightly joining a flint track.
Follow the track for about ten meters then take the trail to your right passing through managed woods. Just before the woods give way to open fields ahead the trail climbs quickly and quite steeply up to your right, follow the track for a short way until it meets the Buriton road which you crossed earlier when exiting the park. At this point turn right and follow the road for about four hundred meters in a Northerly direction, you should now see a clearly marked footpath on your left, take this footpath which climbs steeply between woodland hangars, bringing you back into the Country Park.
Where the footpath meets a clearly defined forest track turn left and keep following this track as it skirts the edge of the country park. After a short way there will be open fields to your left and access to the Staunton way heading in the direction of Chalton, keep to the forest track and continue ahead. At the Southern most tip of the park the path turns sharply right, at this point you may choose to make a small detour to the Butser Ancient Farm; it is situated about a half a mile South of this point and is easily accessible along the bridleway heading down hill and South. If you do not want to make this detour just continue to follow the main forest track until it eventually meets the country park road that you joined near the start.
Cross the road and take the footpath back to where you started.
If you wanted to extend the route by about another forty minutes you could always cross under the main road out of the car park and head towards the top of Butser Hill and back!
If you want further details then email me ( danny.heggs@btinternet.com ) and I will contact you with information of other runs in the East Hampshire/West Sussex area .
