- Date: 19 March 2025
- Walk Leader: Mandy Ray
- Distance: 8.5 miles
West Tisted-Bramdean Common-Ashen Wood
A beautiful Spring morning greeted 25 ramblers who met at The Angel Hotel, Privett.
Taking a sharp left turn out of the hotel car park, we took the footpath that runs alongside the dismantled Meon Valley railway line and emerged on Brick Kiln Lane. At the junction with Brewers Lane, a footpath across The Uplands and passed Knight’s Wood, took us along the edge of Inham’s Wood to a track through Merryfield Farm, where we stopped for coffee.
A short ascent provided lovely views over Daylesford to our left, with views towards Ropley on our right. The pathway, which enabled the group to admire many spring flowers including primroses, violets and wood anemones, dropped down to Lyeland Wood and a left turn took the group through woodland where a carpet of wild garlic was starting to appear.
Emerging on to Bramdean Common we visited the enchanting Church in the Wood. The corrugated iron building was built in 1883 to provide a church for the various communities who used Bramdean Common.
Making our way through more woodland, we followed a track named Clinkley Road that opened out to an expanse of farmland where we were able to watch hares running over the fields, and a herd of deer grazing peacefully in the sunshine – despite the noisy chatter of ramblers.
Our next stop was the 12th century church of St Mary Magdalene in the village of West Tisted. Here we had lunch and admired an ancient yew tree estimated to be 1300 years old. Turning right out of the church we made our way along the lane and prior to reaching Court Farm, turned right to follow the route across fields to Ashen Wood and back to The Angel Hotel for refreshments.
Author: Mandy Ray
Photography: Mandy Ray and Clare McCullough