Hambledon trail through fields, vineyard and village

Cross the track and stile at the far side and turn left, continuing along a hedged-in path, that heads right through a kissing gate. Through a belt of trees further on, you will emerge into an arable field that will take you straight onto a hedge gap at the far side.

Cross the road into Hambledon Cricket Club. The path leads right of the cricket field edge and into the next field. Continue until you reach the gate at the far side, then follow the track up ahead past Hermitage Farm which eventually becomes paved. Turn right onto a lane. Ignore the first two left turns and in about half a mile take footpath along a woody field edge, waymarked Monarch’s Way. At a corner the path turns right over fields. The second half of the path contains tall crops. Keep going and you will see Broadhalfpenny Down cricket ground up ahead on the crest of the hill on the right. Once you reach the road, turn right and head towards the Bat and Ball pub by the crossroads.

The Bat and Ball stands proudly where sport and story meet (Image: Supplied) This historic 18th century pub, opposite the cricket pitch, was the first headquarters of English cricket. The modern game was formulated on rules drawn up by the Hambledon Cricket Club (which originally played here before moving ground). It’s well worth stopping for refreshments here.

At the crossroads turn right and take care along the road as there is no verge here. Keep going for about 250 metres, and opposite a sign for Chidden, cross the road and climb over a stile to your left that is waymarked Monarch’s Way. Head uphill through a field and bear right to cross another stile at the end of the tree line. Then follow the track right over Broadhalfpenny Down, through tall tree cover, until you reach Scotland Cottage. Just past here there is a tangled thicket beside a telegraph pole. Follow the footpath sign here and plunge through. The path will follow a field edge beside cows grazing. Before you reach the bottom corner the path will turn right through a gap in the greenery to a flinty track. Head up here and turn right and then fork left when you arrive past a muddy pond. Take the left track beyond the pond and follow the Monarch’s Way right at the next junction towards Glidden Farm.

crops push through soil in neat, wind-ruffled green lines (Image: Supplied) When you reach the barns here, climb over the gate and you’ll see a pathway to the right of the barns ahead. Continue through a series of kissing gates across fields, following power line poles ahead. Be careful as cattle may be grazing here. Once you reach a track, cross it into the next field to a gate which marks a hedged-in path that leads to a driveway at Stud Farm. As you pass here you will see a sunken path marked Monarch’s Way ahead to your right. Descend here all the way until you end up down a driveway by Rose Cottage. Turn right to a steeper drop which takes you past houses towards Hambledon village. At the bend, choose the path ahead onto Speltham Down (marked by a National Trust sign) through an old metal kissing gate. If you want a view of the village, you can make a detour uphill to a bench above. The path across the down splits but you can follow either route, which meets as it heads downhill and right into the village proper. When you get to the road, turn right, and then right again back onto West Street where you started.

READ MORE: Walk of the Week: Six mile Cheriton stroll with The Ramblers

Walk at a glance

Start: Hambledon Village Hall, West Street, Hambledon,  PO7 4RW

Distance:  10.5 kms

Time: 3 hrs

Difficulty: Moderate

URL: explore.osmaps.com/route/16500641/

Map: OS Explorer OL3 – Meon Valley

Toilets:  Bat and Ball, Hyden Farm Lane, Hambledon, PO8 0UB

Nearest Pub:  Bat and Ball, Hyden Farm Lane, Hambledon, PO8 0UB

Nearest Café: The Old Forge Tea Room, West Street, Hambledon, PO7 4SN

OS Maps App rating: 5

Three tips to navigate with OS Maps App

1. The red triangle on the OS Maps App is your friend. Hold your phone out in front of you like a torch, and if you turn 180 degrees, so will the triangle. That points you in the direction you need to go.

2. Don’t slavishly follow the red line on the route. Remember, in OS Maps App, this line is only a navigational guide. Pay close attention to the pathways (denoted by black dotted lines on the map). In practice these are the markings you’ll need to make your way around on the ground.

3. Keep an eye on the app whenever approaching forks in the route. Use common sense - if a suggested path looks untrodden or in bad condition, then stay on the main one.