Walk 9: The Browning Hill Walk

Walk 9: Browning Hill Walk (Original walk information from 2007)

Approximate time: 1.5-2 hours. Distance 6.4 Km or 4.0 miles.

Map Ref:  584 605 at start of the walk.

Start the walk at the Wellington Arms, now a restaurant.  Pass down the left-hand side of the building and car park to find the footpath at the far-left hand corner.  The path passes through some trees to a field.  Walk up the field keeping to the right-hand side to the kissing gate at the top.  From here Browning Hill Farm can be seen ahead.  Keep to the right-hand hedge and continue down, passing Church Farm on the right, to a boarded gate leading to Browning Hill Farm.  Through the gate the path crosses a paddock, passing over the pond to the gravel track opposite.  Turn right along the track to reach a kissing gate and continue along the track to reach Church Lane.

Turn RIGHT and very soon find a wide pathway on the left opposite Laurel House.  The path passes a farmyard on the left and leads to a kissing gate to a paddock.  Cross the paddock diagonally to enter the field beyond.  Leave the fence on the right and reach a double stile to the next field.  The path will lead to a kissing gate at Hillside Farm.  Cross Baughurst Road and turn right to immediately find a kissing gate.  Through the kissing gate keep to the right-hand side of the field and walk to a stile at the edge of the woodland.  Just past the stile, the path is joined by another path from the left.

Proceed ahead, the path curves to the right, cross a field entrance to the stile on the left beside an old willow tree.  Go to the wooden footpath sign, through the gate and turn RIGHT up the right hand side of the field.

At the top, cross a stile into a tree belt and follow the path left.  Cross another stile, then cross a field access.  Ahead the path bears right still in the tree belt.  Continue to a stile and then another stile with a plank over a ditch.  The path goes straight ahead to emerge onto a metalled lane.  Turn right and walk to join Violet Lane at the grass triangle.  Ignore the footpath sign and turn right to find a bridleway (just past a metal farm gate).

This bridleway is called Gander Lane and it will come out onto Baughurst Road.  Turn right to return to the Wellington Arms.