Wayfarers Walk
On the way again...
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Dummer
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Oakley to Brown Candover
A friendly face at last!
Thursday 13 April 2017
A day off work mid-week, cool but dry weather, seemed like an ideal time to resume the Wayfarers Walk. After a slightly delayed start due to a missed bus in Basingstoke (should have checked the location from where the hourly Oakley bus departs rather than assume it would go from outside the rail station) I eventually arrived on the northern side of Oakley where the Andover bus dropped me off and after about a mile or so walking along the western edge of the village I finally left Oakley and followed the well-defined footpath through a large field to re-join the Wayfarers Walk at Bulls Bushes Copse. There was a helicopter parked next to the lofty Bulls Bushes farmhouse. It appears that the farmers of North Hampshire are a wealthy lot. The path continued south-eastwards, at first through another crop field and then skirting Southwood. Sadly, this woodland was fenced in so I only got to admire the spring flowers from the outside – at least until I managed to creep through a gap to take a couple of photos.
Soon the tranquillity of the rural scene was intruded by the sound of motor vehicles as I approached the A30 and the M3 and the thought of having to get to the other side was a little daunting. After crossing a confion of carriageways and slip roads (not as dangerous as it sounds – but not that pleasant either) there was a brief and pleasant interlude of walking between Peak Copse and Kempshott Park alongside the manicured golf course. Then, the M3 needed to be crossed (thankfully on a footbridge!). The walk along the broad track alongside the motorway was not enjoyable and I was pleased when it turned left towards the village of Dummer. There were some nice thatched cottages here but it seemed a little lifeless. The Queen Inn seemed popular though – the car park was full. I left Dummer by the church and was soon out in the open countryside. The path now followed a gentle uphill track and the bench I glimpsed at the top of the incline by a lone tree seemed the perfect spot for lunch. I looked at the inscription. This bench was dedicated to the memory of Grace Ellie (10/3/14 - 9/3/16). How sad that this little girl’s life was so short. I was strangely moved – even shed a little tear. Might it be a small comfort to the girl’s family to know that this weary walker and presumably others have found a peaceful spot to rest? I hope so.
A day off work mid-week, cool but dry weather, seemed like an ideal time to resume the Wayfarers Walk. After a slightly delayed start due to a missed bus in Basingstoke (should have checked the location from where the hourly Oakley bus departs rather than assume it would go from outside the rail station) I eventually arrived on the northern side of Oakley where the Andover bus dropped me off and after about a mile or so walking along the western edge of the village I finally left Oakley and followed the well-defined footpath through a large field to re-join the Wayfarers Walk at Bulls Bushes Copse. There was a helicopter parked next to the lofty Bulls Bushes farmhouse. It appears that the farmers of North Hampshire are a wealthy lot. The path continued south-eastwards, at first through another crop field and then skirting Southwood. Sadly, this woodland was fenced in so I only got to admire the spring flowers from the outside – at least until I managed to creep through a gap to take a couple of photos.
Soon the tranquillity of the rural scene was intruded by the sound of motor vehicles as I approached the A30 and the M3 and the thought of having to get to the other side was a little daunting. After crossing a confion of carriageways and slip roads (not as dangerous as it sounds – but not that pleasant either) there was a brief and pleasant interlude of walking between Peak Copse and Kempshott Park alongside the manicured golf course. Then, the M3 needed to be crossed (thankfully on a footbridge!). The walk along the broad track alongside the motorway was not enjoyable and I was pleased when it turned left towards the village of Dummer. There were some nice thatched cottages here but it seemed a little lifeless. The Queen Inn seemed popular though – the car park was full. I left Dummer by the church and was soon out in the open countryside. The path now followed a gentle uphill track and the bench I glimpsed at the top of the incline by a lone tree seemed the perfect spot for lunch. I looked at the inscription. This bench was dedicated to the memory of Grace Ellie (10/3/14 - 9/3/16). How sad that this little girl’s life was so short. I was strangely moved – even shed a little tear. Might it be a small comfort to the girl’s family to know that this weary walker and presumably others have found a peaceful spot to rest? I hope so.
Approaching Brown Candover
The walk now continued along lonely tracks between fields, past Dummer Grange estate and along its long drive. After passing a couple more prosperous farms (Dummer Grange and Breach) and walking through Lower Down Copse, where the bluebells were just starting to flower, the pleasant grassy path, lined with trees and hedges, now headed south across Becket’s Down. Every now and again the view opened up across a patchwork of chalky fields and yellow rapeseed oil plants towards the South Downs. After reaching a road and a cottage the path seemed to briefly go through someone’s garden before continuing along a tree and shrub lined track (Church Lane) to emerge by Saint Peter’s Church in the Candover Valley. At last I saw some lambs in a field alongside the road as I reached the bus stop in Brown Candover with time to spare.
Reflecting on this walk I think I was a little disappointed at the lack of ‘life’. Passing through a very rural area I wasn’t expecting to see lots of other walkers or cyclists but I was hoping to see sheep and maybe cows, horses etc. I had to make do with a couple of donkeys in Dummer and one horse at Breach Farm. I also didn’t see any walkers today. It was a weekday, of course, and I imagine that this section of the Wayfarers Walk will only be contemplated by walkers doing the whole Walk (whether in sections or continuously) because of the remoteness, the sparsity of public transport and the need to cross two very busy roads.
Finally, the bus trip on the Cango bus back to Basingstoke deserves a mention. The friendly bus driver, who used to lead walks himself, negotiated the narrow lanes with skill and humour. There was a particularly hairy moment when an elderly lady in a large car tried to pass. It took some delicate manoeuvring to resolve the situation. This bus zigzags around the villages on its way to Basingstoke. Only one afternoon bus (no bus at all on Sundays) links these villages with Basingstoke so I would have expected a few more people to be on it than just the handful. This can’t be a profitable route and I fear that even this limited service may stop eventually unless more people use it.
My highlights:
Useful information
Transport:
Reflecting on this walk I think I was a little disappointed at the lack of ‘life’. Passing through a very rural area I wasn’t expecting to see lots of other walkers or cyclists but I was hoping to see sheep and maybe cows, horses etc. I had to make do with a couple of donkeys in Dummer and one horse at Breach Farm. I also didn’t see any walkers today. It was a weekday, of course, and I imagine that this section of the Wayfarers Walk will only be contemplated by walkers doing the whole Walk (whether in sections or continuously) because of the remoteness, the sparsity of public transport and the need to cross two very busy roads.
Finally, the bus trip on the Cango bus back to Basingstoke deserves a mention. The friendly bus driver, who used to lead walks himself, negotiated the narrow lanes with skill and humour. There was a particularly hairy moment when an elderly lady in a large car tried to pass. It took some delicate manoeuvring to resolve the situation. This bus zigzags around the villages on its way to Basingstoke. Only one afternoon bus (no bus at all on Sundays) links these villages with Basingstoke so I would have expected a few more people to be on it than just the handful. This can’t be a profitable route and I fear that even this limited service may stop eventually unless more people use it.
My highlights:
- Bluebells, wood anemones and primroses in the woodlands
- Lovely path and views of the South Downs on Becket’s Down
- Watching the spring lambs at the end of the walk in Brown Candover
- Birds
- Pheasants
- Horses, donkeys
- Sheep and lambs
Useful information
Transport:
- Train Reading to Basingstoke; bus No 11 to Oakley (I missed this one and took the No 76 which skirts the top of Oakley on its way to Andover)
- Return: Cango C41 bus from Brown Candover to Basingstoke (no Sunday service); train Basingstoke to Reading
- Basingstoke
- Pub in Dummer
- Basingstoke
Bluebells
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Saint Peter's Church, Brown Candover
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