- Date: 3 August 2024
- Walk Leader: Lynne Burge
- Distance: 16 miles (approx.)
From Haslemere Station to Petersfield Station
Eleven intrepid ramblers boarded the train to Haslemere, eagerly awaiting the start of our long, 16 miles, walk back to Petersfield. The weather looked as if it would be kind to us, there had been a light sprinkling of rain before we set off, the cloud cover looked respectable and the temperature was down on previous days.
Leaving the station behind us we tackled the first hill, past Victorian houses up towards Camelsdale. Those of us who had done the walk the previous year commented on how the housing estate, that had been in its infancy, was now a growing teenager just needing a little greenery to soften the edges of all the new houses. The odd thing about the estate was the positioning of several large, rusty, decorated pieces of metal. Made for decoration?
Thankfully we left civilisation behind us and entered Marley Common. The tree lined route gave us shade, the trees themselves magnificent species that had evidently been there for many a long year. Finding your way around a common is never easy, due to all the dog walker paths, but assiduously following either the Serpent Way or the Sussex Border Path we made our way across to Linchmere Common and thus onto Stanley Common.
The undergrowth was lush, ferns blocking many pathways with ramblers walking through them and trying to avoid the inevitable brambles. Drinks stops were taken, along with a coffee stop as we made our way on. Then we reached the outskirts of Liphook, walked down an ancient pathway and turned off towards Milland House. 6 miles down, only around 10 to go!
Milland House is an old building long since converted into flats, with the outbuildings similarly so. It is a magnificent place and must have been wonderful in its time. To the uninitiated you are trapped on their drive, with the pathway beckoning you over the road and a gate in front of you. To those in the know there is a green button on the side which affords an exit from the establishment and a way forward onto the path along Great Hangar. This was particularly overgrown – though I would be hard pushed to say which path won the prize for being the most bushy- but we arrived at the top of the steep steps that led us down towards Maysleith.
Reaching the bottom we passed an old farmhouse which, since last I was there, had been tidied up somewhat and we continued on our way amongst trees to emerge onto the open area further on. There were no fledgling pheasants in the cage where they are generally reared so we continued on past Comberland Farm. This also seemed to have had a makeover. Generally there are many abandoned cars and vehicles on the farm, but maybe they were just hidden by long grass! Who knows?
On we ploughed past the fishing lake, across Harting Combe heading towards Tullecombe with ever tiring legs and hungry tummies. Then the glorious time of sitting down and partaking of our lunch to restore our flagging energies. A clearing in the trees with a stable with an exercise yard for horses gave us a pleasant scene as we regained our fortitude. Not too long now.
Catching glimpses of the A272 we knew we were on the last leg of the walk. making our way across fields of sweet corn so high that even the tallest of the walkers could not see over it. The last field proved to be the most difficult, having to walk between rows of the crop, fending off the leaves and weeds. Emerging from this fight we walked past the trees in the nursery, crossed the road and made our way to Sheet Common.
With heavy legs we all managed to climb over the last stile by the mill at Sheet and walk down Love Lane to our various houses and cars.
My thanks to all those who walked, you were a lovely bunch to walk with and no-one complained (at least to me!) about the length of the walk and how tiring it was. I hope you are all feeling fit and ready for more adventures in the near future.
Author: Lynne Burge
Photography: Lynne Burge