Romlor three

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Romlor here.

This is not a direct route however it is mainly off road. I did this going from Lordshill to Romsey.

The route starts at Sainsburys and so a good chance of stocking up on supplies if required. The route heads north using shared use paths towards Lordswood. This being an urban area you are next to roads for the first mile or so. The route then takes a right to join a narrow bridle way that follows the outside of a field (photo 1). This winds its way through the back of Lordswood housing estate on the Lordswood Greenway before eventually turning left onto wider forestry commision tracks through the woods of Lordswood itself. Here the route steadily climbs and joins a tarmac lane which is little used which comes out to the highest point of the route (geographically!) which is a bridge over the M3 (photo 2).

The route carries on along a little used lane (the only traffic being forestry commision and Range Rovers). After a while there is a crossing of a relatively busy main road (Botley Road) but this is not much of an issue. After another 1/4 mile on a little used lane the route heads up a narrow bridleway between fields with nice views (photo 3). This leads to the next road crossing of Castle Lane (take care here as this is a fairly busy road). The route joins the cycle track on the far side for a matter of yards before then going on to a wide footpath through woods.

This path starts well but then turns into a bridleway which appears well used. This has resulted in an uneven rutted surface which becomes boggy at times (and the weather recently has been dry). This can be seen in photo 4 (looking back towards Castle Lane).

The path then becomes much smoother and turns westward to cross the top of North Baddessley through fields again. The path then comes out on Nutburn Road which runs north of North Baddesley. Initially there is a footpath but there is a 1/4 mile stretch with no pavement and this road can be busy. There is a bit of a verge though so is not too much of a problem.

The route then takes a left just before Pound Lane. This left goes through a farm yard and is only signposted the other direction (should have taken a photo but didn't). The route goes past the outbuildings before turning right. It then joins (via a stile) a wide grassy farm track (photo 5).

The route then goes north-west over Baddesley Common and there are a further couple of stiles along here (one of which is in photo 6).

This path comes out on Green Lane and this section is the longest on road part although the road is little used. After a while a T junction is reached and the route goes left on to Highwood Lane for a short distance (busier road but there is a footpath) before heading right and back onto footpaths surrounded by fields.

Shortly another road is reached (Halterworth Lane) which is followed for a hundred yards or so before turning left onto a path through Tadburn Meadow (picture 7). This meaders pleasently through the outer part of Romsey before turning into a suburban footpath through a housing estate.

Once through the housing estate you will find yourself at the main road into Romsey from Southampton before cutting through another little estate onto the main shopping street in Romsey (The Hundred), a very pleasent high street with plenty of independent stores and cafes. The route then ends near the main market square.

This is a 10 mile route which is mainly offroad amd avoids the busy roads that connect Southampton and Romsey. This is certainly not a direct route but it does use off road routes well and is a lovely walk. The only reason I have not scored 5 stars is due to the fact it is a little longer than people may expect seeing as the two ends of the route are only about 5 miles apart as the crow flies. There are no issues with poor routing (all paths are legal to use) and relatively few stiles and kissing gates.

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