Long but gentle walk visiting Selborne and Chawton, which inspired Jane Austen (writer) and Gilbert White (naturalist)
This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.
| Date | Option | Post | # | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 11-May-24 | Alton Circular | 3 | hot sunny | |
| Sun, 18-Jun-23 | Alton Circular | 1 | ||
| Sat, 14-Aug-21 | Alton Circular | 14 | cloudy first then hot and sunny | |
| Sat, 18-Jul-20 | Other walks today | 13 | perfect summer weather | |
| Sat, 20-Oct-18 | Alton Circular - Autumn colours around Selborne | 14 | a lovely warm sunny day | |
| Sat, 21-Apr-18 | Alton Circular | 14 | sunny with some short showers | |
| Sat, 20-May-17 | Alton Circular | 4 | showers in the morning | |
| Sat, 10-Sep-16 | Alton Circular | 5 | light rain most of the day | |
| Sun, 05-Jun-16 | 2 Alton Circular | 3 | warm and sunny 25c | |
| Sat, 28-Feb-15 | Alton Circular Walk | 6 | ||
| Sat, 28-Feb-15 | a | Alton Circular Walk | ||
| Wed, 26-Nov-14 | a | Alton Circular Walk | ||
| Sat, 23-Aug-14 | Alton Circular Walk | 12 | ||
| Sat, 12-Apr-14 | Alton Circular Walk | 16 | ||
| Wed, 18-Dec-13 | a | Alton Circular Walk | ||
| Wed, 15-May-13 | Alton Circular Walk | |||
| Sat, 03-Nov-12 | a | Alton Circular Walk | ||
| Sun, 15-Jul-12 | Alton Circular Walk | |||
| Sun, 15-Jul-12 | a | Alton Circular Walk | ||
| Sat, 13-Aug-11 | Alton Circular Walk | |||
| Sun, 24-Apr-11 | Alton Circular Walk | |||
| Sat, 24-Jul-10 | Alton Circular Walk | |||
| Sat, 27-Feb-10 | a | Alton Circular Walk | ||
| Sat, 18-Apr-09 | Alton Circular Walk | |||
| Sun, 04-Jan-09 | a | Alton Circular Walk | ||
| Sat, 25-Oct-08 | Alton Circular Walk | |||
| Sun, 09-Mar-08 | Alton Circular Walk | |||
| Sat, 06-Oct-07 | Alton Circular Walk | |||
| Sun, 09-Sep-07 | Alton Circular Walk | |||
| Sat, 02-Jun-07 | Alton Circular Walk | |||
| Sat, 17-Mar-07 | a | Alton Circular Walk | ||
| Sun, 17-Dec-06 | a | Alton Circular Walk | ||
| Sat, 09-Dec-06 | a | Alton Circular Walk |
Length: 20km (12m)
Toughness: 4 / 10
Transport: Take the 8:54 from London Waterloo to Alton arriving 10:10. Return trains at xx:44
A nice walk through the tranquil Hampshire countryside via the charming village of Selborne. The Selborne Arms serves lunch until 14:00. On return to Alton you pass the home of Jane Austen.
3 on a hot sunny day. Mostly - but not entirely- mud free. Although I have done this walk several times I had forgotten most of it. We nearly went adrift near St John’s Hill, where a large area had been taken over by dogs. They were everywhere. Some sort of event.
Lunch at the Selborne Arms, cider for Mr Tiger. There was talk of visiting the famed naturalists house but the combination of price and time required deterred us. So we set off up Gilbert Whites zig zag path. I counted 28 zigs (14 zigzags) but there were probably more.
Eventually we reached Farringdon. You know me readers, one cider’s enough for me but, as the others suggested another pitstop, the Rose and Crown it was.
Afterwards, we marvelled at the 3000 year old yew. Then headed for Chawton where Jane Austen’s house was just closing. Then a leisurely dash to Alton, catching the 17:44 with only minutes to spare. A long but enjoyable day, arduous in the heat.
20.4 km (12.7 miles) Toughness 4/10
A long but gentle Hampshire walk through the woods, pastures and downland that surround Selborne (about which Gilbert White wrote his famous Natural History). After lunch in Selborne you ascend a zig-zag path, constructed by the man himself, and head across Selborne Common for Chawton, once the home of Jane Austen. You won’t have time to visit her house (unless you do the short walk) but you can see the outside and have a nose round the garden.
Trains: From Waterloo, get the 09:05 (Clapham Jct 9:15 Wimbledon 9:22) Alton & Basingstoke train (it may divide en route). Arrive Alton 10:31. Return xx:15 xx:45 direct.
Lunch: An early option after 2.5 miles is the Three Horseshoes in East Worldham (01420 83211) which serves food from 12.00pm to 2.30pm.
The recommended stop is in Selborne after 6 miles. The Selborne Arms (tel 01420 511247) serves food from 12pm to 3pm. There is also a tea shop attached to the Gilbert White Museum, serving lunches and accessible without paying admission.
The museum itself costs £14 (online booking only) and is open till 4:30. It also commemorates Lawrence Oates, the ill-fated Antarctic explorer.
Tea: Cassandra's Cup in Chawton closes at 4.30pm. If too late, the The Greyfriar pub (01420 83841) next door will be open. Allow about 50 minutes to reach Alton station.
Other options exist in Alton itself. Caffe Nero and Costa Coffee in the High Street , and the nearby Swan Hotel (tel 01420 8377).
Directions: here. T=2.10
I was at Alton Station at 10.30,and didnt do the walk. I was considering it, having walked the previous day locally, and been on the Real Ale Train, on the Watercress Line the night before.
Someone i know, who has walked with swc on some occassions, started the walk earlier. I didn't see anyone I recognised at the station. A couple of walkers, who I didn't go to check if they were swc or not. I realised I was too tired to walk, on such a hot day. I might have if it had started raining and woke me a bit.
So, I caught the train home. I've done the walk many times before, and its a great walk.
I stayed in Alton overnight at the Crown Hotel, which was good.
so is that1?
13 off the train and a late arrival makes 14 The day was cloudy first then hot and sunny
It didn’t take long before Lucky Number 13 was on his own. I don’t like to use the L-word but near Monks Wood I had trouble working out which way to go. Like I'd been spun round with a blindfold on. But, eventually, with my trusty compass and maybe a little help from Google, I was on my way again.
I wasn’t out of the metaphorical woods yet. Took a wrong turn in the next (real) woods, didn’t I. I don’t like to use the L-word, as you know, so let’s just say I approached Selborne by a circuitous route.
Arrived at the Selborne Arms just in time to see the others (six of whom had eaten there) leaving. The afternoon was easier to follow. Or, rather, Walker number 14 was. He had caught us up at the pub. Up we went, up the zigzags , all twenty million of them. A sharp-eared listener might have heard me cursing Gilbert White a few times.
Up on the Common, where the recovery bench was occupied, the air was thick with butterflies. Unfortunately, I had forgotten my butterfly spray and had to resort to swatting them. Red Admirals, Holly Blues Peacocks and a Silver-washed fritillary, all fell beneath my blows. (Only joking. I stopped to admire them, as did walker 14).
On we went, eventually reaching Chawton and the Greyfriars where a much-needed pint of cider was demolished in record time. (If only I could walk as quick as I can drink cider ‘sigh’). Others of a more refined nature had taken tea in Cassandras Cup. On we went, past Jane Austen’s House where her washing was still on the line, across Alton (surely the chip-shop capital of the world) and onto a train.
It’s a long time since I’d done this walk and I’d forgotten most of it. Good day out.
Restrictions on non-essential travel were lifted on 17 July. The guidance now states:
7.1 Who is allowed to travel on public transport?
You can use public transport but it is better to travel in other ways if possible. If you are using public transport, you should follow the safer travel guidance for passengers.
I would not be complacent about social distancing and face coverings - the R rate for London as a whole is 1.1
13 off the train at Alton in perfect summer weather . 5 opted for the shorter walk and lunched at The Golden Pheasant slightly off piste in Farringdon. The rest of us split into a group of 6 and 2 ladies who had arrived together. Our group lunched under an ancient oak in the lythe just below Selborne church.
Afternoon drinks were enjoyed in the pub garden opposite the Jane Austen museum (still closed) before the not so short final leg back to Alton. 6.15 train for the last three of us.
I also did the walk, catching the train an hour earlier and returning on the 7.15pm train from Alton. I thought I should mention that it may not be possible to do this walk in the week, as there is ongoing work (until December) on the overhead power lines,which affects the out-going route to East Worldham and I think, the return route to Upper Farringdon, as well as other footpaths in the area; there is limited information about this on-line.
14 on this walk on a lovely warm sunny day , given poignancy by the thought that there may well not be another such Saturday before next March.
I guess any walk would have been idyllic on such a day, but this did make a nice autumn outing. Not full colour yet but still some nice tints. A nice variety of scenery.
At lunch we found a nice sunny corner in the garden of the Selborne Arms - until the sun dipped behind the trees, reminding us it was mid October. Service at the bar was.... unfocused. Taking orders took ages, staff drifted off, action was interspersed with bouts of daydreaming. Food then came in random order, the salads being mysteriously left right to the end “because we prioritise hot food.” Next time the smart new cafe attached to the Gilbert White Museum might be attractive.
After lunch the group split up, or we (the salad eaters and I) became detached from it. We caught up with the others near Chawton but then lost them again. After a drink in the Greyfriars we three then set off to do the alternative ending across the fields in the gloaming, watched by a lovely two thirds moon. Its light was not needed today but it held the promise of future night walks. Coming into Alton bare branches were black against the golden afterglow.
Length: 20km (13m)
Toughness: 4 / 10
Transport: Take either the 8:53 from London Waterloo or the 9:00 and change in Woking (6mins). Both trains arrive in Alton at 10:10. Return from Alton at xx:15 and xx:44
From the description:
The quiet corner of Hampshire through which this walk passes seems like the kind of countryside in which nothing much ever happened. Yet in the late 18th and early 19th century it inspired two famous writers - Gilbert White and Jane Austen. After a section over wide upland fields to East Worldham, the walk first plunges into the delightful arcadia of woods, hangers and hidden pastures that surround Selborne, about which White wrote his famous Natural History. From there, it crosses wooded Selborne Common and gentle ridges of downland to Chawton, the home of Jane Austen for the last eight, and most productive years, of her life.
14 on this walk, sunny with some short showers . The area around Selborne is as beautiful as ever, the Lythe valley floor now covered with blooming wild flowers, the Selborne Arms served tasty lunches, the many churches invited for a visit and a hunt for medieval church graffiti (one of us had a particular interest in them), and Cassandra's Cup provided delicious cake and tea to finish off the walk. After tea 5 of us went back to Chawton Church and House discovered that it is possible to have tea in the old kitchen of the "Great House" until 16:30 without paying the museum entrance fee. Something to keep in mind for next time. Last but not least: An almost bluebell-free walk, but you can't escape those blighters at this time of the year ....
Length: 20km (13m)
Tougness: 4/10
Transport: Take the 9:23 train from London Waterloo, arriving in Alton at 10:37. Return times are at xx:15 and xx:44
This is the only walk not involving a bus connection this Saturday. From the description:
The quiet corner of Hampshire through which this walk passes seems like the kind of countryside in which nothing much ever happened. Yet in the late 18th and early 19th century it inspired two famous writers - Gilbert White and Jane Austen. After a section over wide upland fields to East Worldham, the walk first plunges into the delightful arcadia of woods, hangers and hidden pastures that surround Selborne, about which White wrote his famous Natural History. From there, it crosses wooded Selborne Common and gentle ridges of downland to Chawton, the home of Jane Austen for the last eight, and most productive years, of her life. On the way you can reflect on Austen's remark in Persuasion that two villages only three miles apart "will often include a total change of conversation, opinion and idea": though only a few miles apart, even today Chawton and Selborne seem like different worlds.4 showers in the morning (as told by a Glencoe tripper)
From the description:
The quiet corner of Hampshire through which this walk passes seems like the kind of countryside in which nothing much ever happened. Yet in the late 18th and early 19th century it inspired two famous writers - Gilbert White and Jane Austen. After a section over wide upland fields to East Worldham, the walk first plunges into the delightful arcadia of woods, hangers and hidden pastures that surround Selborne, about which White wrote his famous Natural History. From there, it crosses wooded Selborne Common and gentle ridges of downland to Chawton, the home of Jane Austen for the last eight, and most productive years, of her life. On the way you can reflect on Austen's remark in Persuasion that two villages only three miles apart "will often include a total change of conversation, opinion and idea": though only a few miles apart, even today Chawton and Selborne seem like different worlds.
5, light rain most of the day , Now the harvest is in and ploughing has stated and we found some footpaths obliterated replaced by clinging mud. (time to revert to winter boots). Having done the short version of this walk many times but never the full version I was surprised how different they are. The longer version is more remote, hillier and with some of the best Hampshire woodland hangers. Lunch at the Selbourne Arms was good with friendly, efficient service. Sadly we arrived at the tea room opposite Jane Austin's house just at 4:30 when it closes, but the pub next door was welcoming and provided teas and coffees. An enjoyable day out despite the rain.
Surprisingly just 3 on this walk although we did pick up an SWC stalwart (jfk) mysteriously emerging from a wood near the end of the walk. The weather warm and sunny 25c which made the woodland stretches particularly welcome. We ambled contentedly through the verdant, dreamy Hampshire landscape, surprising a roe deer in some woods which burst from the trees after we spotted it. Some stretches of the paths were overgrown and still a bit muddy in places which strengthens the points in the comments for this walk about not doing it after a period of rain; some sections would be virtually impassable.
We arrived in Selborne at around 12.40pm and we all had sandwiches. The Queens Hotel is still closed and up for sale and does not look like re-opening anytime soon.
In the afternoon we enjoyed lemonade and ice-cream at the pub in Upper Farringdon which still left plenty of time for the others to visit the church in Chawton whilst I enjoyed tea at Cassandra's with a massive slab of carrot cake that I think added about 2 points to my BMI. Finally we ambled back through Alton to catch the 5.15 direct train to Waterloo.
I quite understand the choice of the 9.07 train for this walk but if you are happy to settle for a later lunch, say 1.45- 2.00pm then the 10.07 would perhaps be best. Was this a factor in the low turnout?