Chalton and Hampshires oldest pub

Walk Date - July 5th 2015
Walk Time - 2 hours 5 mins
Distance - 5 miles
Ascent - 428 feet



Our youngest daughter joined us on this walk which started from the village car park, we normally try to kick a walk off around 10.30, we were a little later on this day not starting until just after noon and the car park was completely full, the village car park joins with the pub car park and after some driving around we did find a space. The Red Lion is a very popular pub not just for being Hampshire's oldest but also well positioned just off the A3 and signposted from the main road.



We left the pub and headed left across the road and followed South Lane up the hill, just after the road split we picked up a foot path through a field, well signed with a finger post, there was a steep descent (which had some steps cut into the hillside) down to a foot bridge over the main line railway (London to Portsmouth), we walked through a farm and crossed the road to follow a path which ran along the bottom edge of a row of fields, this turned into wood land as we started to head up hill through Ladyholt Park, a right turn off this track led to a drop down to a farm and then a turn back along the farm road.

A short way along the farm road we turned right onto a foot path across a field, again most of the field paths on this walk were well marked either around the field edge or in the case of those paths that cut across a field, clearly cut in by the farmer.

The path dropped onto a well made gravel track called Huckswood Lane on the OS map which is an ancient track believed to be Roman, this ended at a crossing with a road which we followed back across the railway line and then joined another path with a steep incline up the bank, at the top of this there was a field with a path clearly cut through, although on a slightly different line to my OS map.


This brought us out into the back of the church yard, which we walked through and came out opposite the Red Lion Pub.

We didn't eat a meal in the pub as it wasn't a meal eating time for most (it always is for me) so made do with a couple of nice cold beers and some gourmet crisps, The menu did look nice with good value snacks (sandwiches and jackets etc) from £7, we plan to walk this region again this year so will make a point to eat here


Trip Advisor - The Red Lion



This was a short walk at 5 miles and the only climbs were up and down to the railway everything else was gentle and easy to manage, our daughter at 17 didn't complain and enjoyed the fresh air, although did comment that this was about as far as she was prepared to walk in the name of 'fun'.