Walking and Drinking (5)
Ray Massey
This Autumn I would like to suggest a walk for drinkers based on Bishop's Waltham. Two very regular entries in the Good Beer Guide (since at least the early '80s) are the Bunch of Grapes in Bishop's Waltham and the Hampshire Bowman in remote Dundridge. The Bunch of Grapes is not the easiest pub to find (although the note in the GBG: "follow signs to the Church" cannot be faulted — once you find a sign!). But having found the Bunch and wetted your whistle why not continue across the downs to find the Bowman. These notes should help you. Throughout the walk it is fascinating to see the landscape changing from small country town to remote countryside.
A very short town stroll to the Bunch of Grapes
Get off the bus is St. George's Square, in the centre of Bishop's Waltham, and walk between two imposing banks up the very pleasant High Street. At the end, turn right, then immediately left into the charming St. Peter's Street and The Bunch of Grapes appears on the right.
Unusually, there is a price list outside, so the somewhat expensive beer prices within should come as no shock. But it's worth it. The pub is a gem: the service is courteous, the clientele very friendly and talkative, and the pub has the atmosphere of a club. Note that the tiny pub serves no food, and the opening hours are just 11 to 2 and then 6 to 11, with even shorter hours on Sunday. There is a very pleasant private garden; indeed sitting there, you could easily imagine you are the owner of a very nice town house.
Outwards to the Hampshire Bowman
When it's time to leave, turn right up St. Peter's Street and turn half-right into the churchyard. Continue uphill with the church on your left, and exit by The Old Rectory. Turn half right, down 50 yards to a triangular junction with a more major road (Free Street). Turn left here, slightly uphill, with the road bending right, past a route 69 bus stop and then immediately turn right into Colville Drive (a reasonably up-market housing estate). Stay on Colville Drive and at the very end turn half right on a pavement between substantial hedges (later fences); a kissing gate lets you suddenly onto open land.
The path lies visible ahead, take it to cross two fields diagonally towards a hedge of small trees. Bend right along the hedge and soon turn left through it onto a sloping semi-open chalk down (Dundridge Meadow — a local Hampshire Wildlife Reserve). Just ahead is a convenient seat from which to appreciate the peaceful surroundings. The small road in the valley bottom will soon take us to the pub.
From the seat bear right and go slightly downhill to woods ahead. At the left edge of the woods go through a gate into a narrow rectangular field. Walk most of its length, keeping the woods on your right. Then, about 70 yards before the field end, cross a style in the lower hedge, and go down a track and over a style to turn right onto a small quiet road. The pub is the best part of a mile ahead. This road walk is the least satisfactory part of the route, but it is direct, there is no real alternative, and the road is so narrow that nearly all motorists treat it with respect. Probably half of them are heading for the pub anyway, and most will conclude that you are too — it's that sort of pub — bikers, walkers and riders abound. After Dundridge Farm on the left, the road bends sharp right, and at the signpost ahead the pub is just visible 70 yards on your left.
The pub is a Mecca for many; it has recently been significantly extended, fortunately without spoiling the original parts. A good choice of local beers is available from stillage behind the bar and the pub is open from noon all day every day. Food is served between 12 and 2 and 6.30 and 9; additionally on Friday to Sunday the kitchen stays open through the day.
Returning to Bishop's Waltham
The area south of the pub — between Dundridge and Swanmore — has a maze of footpaths and narrow lanes. Reasonable mapreading will yield a multiplicity of routes back to Bishop's Waltham. There is one drawback however: mud. Despite the area being chalkland — supposedly well-draining — these well used paths often have short very muddy sections. However, there generally seems to be a reasonable dry diversion via the adjoining woods and fields (very tricky for pushchairs though). Here are probably the two shortest routes back via the unclassified Bishop's Waltham to Swanmore Road. This road has many merits: a pavement, a pleasant entry into the town, it is quiet and it is on the 69 bus route.
Return Route 1: via Field Farm
Turn left as you leave the pub and retrace your steps, turning right at the signpost, sharp bend left, past Dundridge Farm again. Then, immediately after Field Farm on your left, turn left along a large path arched with trees, and climbing gently. In about 100 yards the path bends sharp right, and gets muddier, but there is an uneven diversion through the woods. Climbing steadily you soon reach the welcoming sign of the Woodland Trust's Runnydown Copse. Bare chalk shows in the eroded path, and you pass a second Trust sign. At the end of this little wood and on top of the hill the path bends left and is arched by young elm and hazel trees. At breaks in the hedge there are views gently downhill, Southwest to Southampton. Continue on this lonely path until, just after the first house on the left, you come to a T junction with a poorly metalled road. Turn right along it, ignoring side turnings to pass a prominently named house (Y Berrllan). Soon the road bends left past West Hoe Farmhouse into Hoe hamlet, and meets the Bishop's Waltham to Swanmore Road. The 69 bus stops nearby.
To continue walking, turn right, the town is about a mile away. Soon the road splits: the main road (Hoe Road) continues left through increasingly built-up residential areas, to enter along the very attractive Bank Street, eventually to pass St. Peter's Street on the right, and High Street is on the left. The right-hand fork, Rareridge Lane, continues through a quiet residential area joining Colville Drive again, and so to retrace your outward route via the churchyard and St. Peter's Street.
Return Route 2: via Jervis Court & Hampton Farms
Turn left as you leave the pub, and at the signpost go straight on. Very soon turn left into Gallow Down Farm, ignore the path bending left, pass Lapstone and Fairstoke houses on your right, and continue ahead to cross a dilapidated stile into a field. There are views of open fields to the left and woodland on the right. Continue parallel to the wood, over a stile, through a hedge of trees to a grassy ride. Turn right on the narrowing ride onto an increasingly muddy path. Fork left at the fork (through mud which can be avoided) towards Damson Hill (not shown on any OS map) through woodland. Climb gently on an improving path, more steeply, then less steeply as fields appear on the left, soon to meet a small road. Turn half-left and climb gently on the narrow road, which soon bends left, and immediately forks after a give way sign. Fork right (towards Upper Swanmore) and immediately climb right over a stile along the left-hand edge of a field, running slightly downhill, with open views, right, towards the Hamble Valley.
Turn left onto a metalled road (turning right here would eventually join route 1 near Hoe), and immediately turn right into the long concrete farmyard of Jervis Court Farm (no footpath sign). Continue to the far end of the yard, through a gap between buildings to cross an iron, then wooden, stile to the start of a rough earth lane. The lane soon improves and joins a concrete track at Hampton Farm. In 200 yards this track meets the Bishop's Waltham to Swanmore Road. There are 69 bus stops nearby. To continue walking, turn right to Hoe hamlet half a mile away, where you join route 1.
Notes:
On buses: The bus from Southampton to Bishop's Waltham is the number 7, very recently taken over by Brijan, who also operate the number 8 bus from Eastleigh. The 69 bus from Winchester via Bishop's Waltham and Swanmore to Fareham is hourly, and may save your legs returning.
On maps: The OS 1:25,000 is the map for walkers. The number of the Meon Valley Sheet for this walk is Explorer 119.
On seasons: Not so much a seasonal walk, more a walk not to be taken after any heavy rain — unless you are very sensibly shod.
On times: The stroll to the Bunch, 250 yards, is less than 5 minutes. The outward and two return routes are 3, 3.5 and 4km, so take roughly 40, 50 and 60 minutes each.