Altbor one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Altbor here.

Walked on 25 Jan 2025 Alton to Bordon to review Altbor one (out) and Altbor two (back). Dry sunny day. There are very nice aspects to this route, but as per previous review, it has shortcomings which, overall mean not recommended.

- Generally farmland footpaths, can be soft over ploughed fields and after rain, and especially Binswood (see below). Better in summer, but still soft & mud possible in spring/autumn
- Route generally easy to follow and waymarked (with usual variety of state of repair of fingerposts, waymark posts etc)
- Walk starts on Hangers Way from Alton station, which is waymarked with green logo.
- Stairs to road at Alton station easily circumvented by crossing road 100m towards town (photo)
- A31 crossing as per previous review is reasonably straightforward (ordinarily plenty of gaps between cars), with good sight lines and median strip. But is still a bit of a trot over dual carriageway with uneven verges/median with traffic passing at 70mph (photo)
- Stile to cross just after A31 crossing (photo)
- Stairs down slope just before crossing B3004 (photo)
- B3004 crossing straightforward (30mph, light traffic, good sightlines)
- Open views and vistas (photos) and especially pleasant around King John's Hill (photo)
- Soggy ground through Binswood. Waterlogged, in January, and soft and damp underfoot outside of winter
- Walk along road alongside Shortheath Common is 600-700 metres, 30mph limit for maybe 25%, but then natonal speed limit for 75%. Quiet road (1-to-2 cars per minute) but still exposed to cars travelling at speed - no grass verge to step on to
- It feels unnecessarily exposed to walk along the road and face the traffic, given there is a parallel off-road path through the common
- Remainder of walk into Bordon uneventful, with constant pavement and increasing urban areas after you cross the bypass

As per methodology:

1) be safe - unsafe A31 and Shortheath Common road
2) respect local codes and laws - yes
3) be accessible to as many people as possible - 1 stile, uneven field crossings, steps, soft ground
4) be direct - yes
5) be off road - no
6) have resting places to eat or sleep every 5-10km - not often, but not long route either. No Public Toilets in Forest Shopping Centre, nor library. Nearest (according to maps) is High Street/Chalet Hill junction
7) pass through train and bus stations - starts at Alton Railway Station (& bus stops). Buses from Bordon in all directions (including Alton) but not all buses stop at Forest Shopping Centre
8) be easy to navigate - yes
9) be enjoyable and beautiful - Open views and vistas (photos) and especially pleasant around King John's Hill (photo)
10) use established routes (such as the Welsh Coast Path), but not be distracted by them! - Hangers Way from Alton.

I live locally and I took this route on Monday 26th April 2021.It was a nice sunny day and the ground was dry. From the Slowways criteria: 1) The safety of the route is dubious. Firstly, the route crosses the A31 dual carriageway. Not a problem when traffic is light but a difficult crossing when it is heavy. The stretch of road on the north side of Shortheath Common, near Oakhanger, has no footpath. The traffic is not heavy but it is fast. I would suggest taking a route further south, through the common itself. I have offered an alternative route (Altbor 2) avoiding these issues but one mile longer. 2) The route respects local codes and laws. 3) It is accessible in that it is not a strenuous walk. there are parts that will be very muddy in wet weather, judging from the areas with deep animal footprints. There are no stiles, just gates. 4) The walk is direct. 5) It is mostly off road or on road with pavement but there is one stretch of road without pavement. 6) There are resting places along the way, seating at the church in East Worldham. Alton and Bordon have places to eat and drink. 7) There are busses at Alton and Bordon. 8) The route is fairly clear but there are a couple of places where you could be led a little astray without GPS. 9) The walk is enjoyable and the scenery pleasant enough. 10) The paths are all well established. The route follows (mostly) the Hangers Way between Alton and East Worldham. Old House Farm in East Worldham had plowed a field, hiding the route path but in my opinion the alternative, actually on the Hangers Way passing Clay's Farm, is preferable.

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