Basalt one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Basalt here.

Further to my reviews on 25 June and 3 July I have now "topped and tailed" this route with the start and finish sections. I found the start (1.5 miles) very straightforward: from Basingstoke station you walk to Eastrop roundabout/lane, turn right onto Goat Lane, left on New Rd and left at the traffic lights. Enter the Memorial Park (photo 1 is the bandstand) on the right, follow the path on the right past the aviary and bandstand (photo 1) then take the underpass on the right opposite the playground. The road takes you to Grove Rd, turn right to the roundabout with the Holiday Inn. Turn left onto the Alton road then under the motorway bridge and left for the entrance to Hackwood Park.
To finish the route, I walked the 3 miles section from Shalden to Alton. This was fairly straightforward except the footpath at the edge of Pancake Copse near Shalden was completely overgrown and I walked on the edge of the maize field instead. The path leading through the hedgerow at the corner of the field leading towards Southwood Farm (photo 2) was also obscured by vegetation and difficult to find. The route finishes at Alton Station from where I made my way along the High Street to the Public Gardens on the right (photo 4). They are well maintained with plenty of benches making it a pleasant spot for lunch. There was a pop-up coffee trailer and there are public loos in the park.
In my previous reviews I have noted my concerns about accessibility issues on this route. Firstly with the track to Hackwood Farm blocked by the landowner and the overgrown track at Long Lane near Weston Patrick where the bridleway would be a better option. And the difficulty of crossing the track in Gason Wood when it is churned up by the heavy machinery of the Forestry Commission.

Following my review of the Hackwood Park to Weston Patrick section I intended to complete the route from Weston Patrick to Alton on Friday 2nd July. Before leaving Weston Patrick church, there is small plaque (photo 1) that could be easily missed as it is low down in the hedge to the left of the white wrought iron gates. It is in memory of Sergeant Goodall of the New Zealand Air Force who was only 23 when his spitfire crashed to the south of Weston Patrick on 15th August 1942. A sobering reminder of the sacrifice of a young man so that we are free today to enjoy this beautiful countryside. As it turned out I only got as far as Shalden (4 miles) because this section was harder going than I expected. A factor is the wet summer, which has led to vigorous growth of vegetation that obscures paths. On Long Lane Track the grass was long and wet (photo 2). At the edge of Humbly Grove Copse I followed a narrow unmarked path into the copse. The path soon became indistinct and I lost it altogether where it was blocked by a fallen tree. I then managed to get lost in the copse, which added about an extra mile or so. An unexpected bonus was seeing two deer leap out of the undergrowth where they had been hiding nearby! I wonder if I should have followed the path around the outside of the copse instead of going in? For this reason and because Long Lane was overgrown, I would recommend at Wood Lane End to continue on the bridleway that forks right instead of Long Lane. These paths meet at Holding Corner where the route continues up Dark Dale (muddy after rain). After crossing Avenue Road (and maybe a refreshment break at Avenue Nurseries) look carefully for the footpath on the left as the double posts are set back from the road and again hidden by the vigorous undergrowth. In Gason Wood I encountered another obstacle where the footpath crosses the forestry workers' track. There were signs warning of tree felling and I could hear chainsaws in the distance. The track had been churned up to something resembling the Somme by a combination of recent heavy rain and the heavy machinery using the track (photo 3). At Shalden a short diversion from the route to the church is worthwhile as its shady porch with bench seats is ideal for a refreshment break (photo 4). I left the route here and returned to Weston Patrick via Lasham and shall return another day to complete the final section to Alton.

I am finding that to review Slow Ways I need to walk them in sections because of the practicality of getting home again. This review is of the Hackwood Park to Weston Patrick section of the route, about 6 miles. Hackwood Park is private land with public rights of way. There are plenty of signs sternly warning you to keep to the footpaths, keep off the grass and don't picnic! At 657498 the Slow Way route wants to take you along the track to Hackwood Farm but it is blocked by large straw bales (see photo) and a map on the fingerpost shows the Public Right of Way, which is the footpath to Tunworth. The countryside around Tunworth is beautiful, with fields of ripening wheat and barley and very few people. The Slow Way route is rejoined just outside Upton Grey at 693488 where the footpath meets the road just before Lodge Farm. I stopped at the Hoddington Arms and although it was 20 minutes before they opened at noon, they very kindly served me coffee. I finished this section of the Slow Way at Weston Patrick with lunch in the shady porch of St Lawrence's church. In the afternoon I completed my walk in a figure of 8 centred on Tunworth and following the Dismantled Basingstoke and Alton Railway from Winslade to Cliddesden. I returned to Basingstoke to complete a circuit of 16 miles on a sunny 23rd June. This was Alan Turing's Birthday, marked by the issue of the new polymer £50 note bearing his portrait.

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