Butterfly Meadows Circular Walk (5.5 kilometres, 2 hours)
This circular walk follows maintained pathways and unmaintained tracks through Alice Holt Forest, visiting the Bentley Station Meadow Reserve (managed by Butterfly Conservation) and Blacknest Fields (a site for nature recovery managed by Binsted Parish Council). Both of these sites host numerous species of butterflies and moths and can be visited on this enjoyable circular walk, which also takes walkers along several of the biodiversity corridors maintained by Forestry England in the Alice Holt Forest.
Click on the image at the right to view details.
KISSING GATES!
Thanks to the Binsted Right of Way Group, our footpaths between South Hay and Wheatley (paths 18 and 16b) now have two kissing gates. The joint project involved funding from Hampshire County Council, support from the landowner and some hard labour from our Rights of Way Group volunteers, who turned out on a wintry day to carry out the project under the guidance of Adam Macy, Hampshire County Council’s Community Engagement Ranger.
Modern kissing gates are quite large, so they can accommodate a wheelchair. The normal action of the gate is for it to swing back within the circular structure, but there is a special arrangement for anyone who is wheelchair-dependant, whereby the gate can be released to swing the other way when opened by a Radar key.
Note: Binsted’s rights of way volunteers regularly inspect and maintain our paths and bridleways, but anyone can report and track rights of way problems, using Hampshire’s Countryside Access Management website: www.hantsrow.esdm.co.uk
Footpaths and Walks
Binsted parish’s 44 miles of footpaths is a fantastic asset – we are fortunate to have so many footpaths and walks to choose from. The most famous is the “Shipwrights Way”, a long distance route which links villages and towns in east Hampshire through some beautiful countryside. The name reflects the use of oak grown at Alice Holt Forest for Tudor shipbuilding, linking this site with Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, home of the Mary Rose and HMS Victory.
Starting from Alice Holt Forest, the route passes through Bordon, Liphook, Liss, Petersfield, Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Staunton Country Park, Havant, Hayling Island and continues to Portsmouth via the ferry, finishing at the Historic Dockyard – around 50 miles in all, and including seven rail stations.
There are also various stone sculptures along the way, beautifully carved to show the history or wildlife of each place – see if you can spot them all!
For further information please follow the below link
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/shipwrightsway/shipwrightsway-route.htm
For those looking for more local walks please see below for a list of short walks to enjoy the nearby countryside …
Walk B1 – Binsted, South Hay and Wheatley
Walk B2 – Binsted and Wheatley (circular by lane and track)
Walk B3 – Binsted Church, West Court, Isington circular
Walk B4 – Binsted and Wyck figure of eight route
Walk B5 – Binsted to Home Hanger
Walk B6 – Binsted, Home Hanger and River Hill Farm
Walk B7 – Binsted, Stubbs Farm, South Hay circular
Walk B8 – Binsted to Blacknest Road via Redcap Copse and back
Walk B9 – Binsted, Bottom Copse and Islington circular
Walk B10 – Binsted , South Hay and Wyck Ponds
Walking for Health – Alton, Bentley and surrounding villages…
Local residents of Alton and surrounding villages are beginning to benefit from the Walking for Health scheme, which is the local part of a national scheme (see: https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/ ) run by local volunteers, including our very own voluntary footpath officer Ian Fleming.
Walking for Health walks start every Tuesday morning at the Alton Rugby Club car park at 10.15 for a walk lasting about an hour and a half, of no more than 3 miles. The actual walk start points, however, will usually be in a local village. These walks are free to attend and it is a great way to improve your health and wellbeing, whilst meeting new people. Walking for Health walks continue all year, every Tuesday, rain, snow or shine!
The only requirement when you join the group is that you should contact Ian Fleming on 07766 174275 to receive a health questionnaire which must be completed. After that, individuals can turn up as often or as infrequently as they like. Every week, all participants will be informed about the start point of the next walk by email, but, if they prefer, can simply go to the Sports Centre and have a lift to the start from one of the leaders. Walking for Health walks start from a range of villages, including Binsted, Froyle, South Warnborough, Medstead, Chawton, Selborne, East Tisted, Kingsley, and even more: it is a great way to get to know our lovely local countryside!
The walks are led by walk leaders, who are trained in supporting walkers of all abilities and are able to offer encouragement and information on how to improve personal fitness. The walk leaders are all volunteers and each leads a walk every four weeks. For more information please take a look at the Walking for Health website (https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/ ) or telephone Ian Fleming on 07766 174275.
On the Afternoon of the first Tuesday every month, leaders also offer longer Progression Walks (from 3 to 5 miles at a moderate pace or 5 to 8 miles at a faster pace) for details please contact Ian on the above number