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Distance 8 Miles |
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Limited road-side parking is available on the second slip road into Exton village, traveling from the Corhampton direction on the A32, adjacent to where the River Meon passes under the A32. |
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From the parking area, head down towards
Exton Village, passing Exton Church on the right with the River Meon on
the left. Continue on the road as it turns right, avoiding the road
off to the left. As the road sweeps left at the back of the village,
take the footpath right between two gardens (fingerpost). (photo: Firs view of Beacon Hill in leaving Exton) |
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Cross the stile at the top corner of
the field, then right across the path through a field to a stile leading
onto a farm track. Cross over the track and continue to follow the
path through the fields. Cross over stiles to pass through a
narrow wooded area, then follow the path up hill with Beacon Hill on the
right. (photo: Looking back across the valley to Old Winchester Hill) |
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Leave the field via a stile to join a metalled road.
Continue on the road for a few hundred yards until the next finger post
on the right. Cross into the field at the fingerpost, then follow
the path to the parking area at the entrance to Beacon Hill. (photo: Looking south to The Solent) |
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(A detour can be made to the top of
Beacon Hill by following the track right, from the car park, which follows
the fence of the field just crossed.) (photo: Heading into Beacon Hill wood) |
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Pass through the parking area to a gate
leading into the woods of Beaconhill Beeches. Pass through the gate,
follow the path, then leave the wood through a second gate. Follow the
track through open fields. (The Monach's Way track is marked with small
post.) (photo: Looking across towards Warnford) |
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Pass through a further gate, then the track joins a second one
coming up from Wheely Down Farm. Turn right passing through a steel gate,
and continue down to join the road at the entrance to Wheely Down Farm.
(There is now a short section on country roads - sorry!) (photo: Plenty of berries on the bushes) |
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Turn right and follow the road to the
junction with the A32 at Warnford village. Turn left, pass over the river
Meon, then take the narrow lane on the right opposite the George and
Falcon public house (good food and beer). (photo: Outflow of the Watercress Beds into the River Meon) |
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Continue up the lane, passing
over the old track of the Meon Valley Railway. Soon after passing
the ‘converted’ barn of Hayden Farm on the left, take the farm track
off to the right (large steel fingerpost). (photo: Appropriate cottage name for this time of year) |
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Follow the track as it winds down to
Lower Peake Cottage. Just before the cottages, turn right and cross
over a rather old narrow wooden bridge into a small field. (The path
follows the edge of the field.) At the end, the path joins the
metalled road leading to Peake Farm.) (photo: Looking along the fields on the way to Peake Farm) |
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Turn left onto the road, then
straight right (fingerpost) before the farm yard, to join a path passing
down the side of a farm building. The path follows the edge of the
field, around the building, eventually reaching a steel gate. Pass
through the gate to join a concrete track. Turn right and follow the
concrete track until it ends at the fields. (photo: Heading down the concrete track from Peake Farm)) |
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Pass through an opening into the field
on the left, then follow the path up the field on the right, adjacent to
wooded area. The path goes left at the top, becoming fenced on
both sides. Turn left where the path meets the old South Downs Way at a
‘T’ junction. Follow the path up to the top of Old Winchester
Hill. A Triangulation Point marks the top. (photo: Peak Farm area from below Old Winchester Hill) |
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Retrace the path back down to where
the ‘T’ junction is. Continue straight on passing the path
used earlier on the right. Follow the wide fenced bridleway down
to where it meets the old Meon Valley Railway track. Take the path
up onto the railway track to the right of the bridge, cross over the
track, then down a stepped path to join a path on the right bank of the
stream. (photo: Bridge under the old Meon Valley Railway track) |
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Follow the narrow
path through some trees/bushes to where it joins a wider fenced track .
Turn right and follow this track over the River Meon to the main A32
road, cross the road to reach the parking area at the start of the walk.
(Be aware that the final section of path, before the foot bridge over
the river, can be completely submerged with a few inches of water after
heavy rain.) |
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