Test Way: Longparish to St Mary Bourne

Notes

General Data

This is one of the lesser scenic sections of the Test Way; the River Test is left behind in Longparish; from now on feeder rivers will be followed all the way to the end of the trail at Combe Gibbet.

This leg skirts the northern edge of Harewood Forest, crossing an old railway line on a bridge before reaching the B3400 Andover to Whitchurch road. The way becomes slightly more scenic after it crosses a railway line and starts the descent down into St Mary Bourne.

Distance		5.3 miles
Ascent		390 feet
Descent		312 feet
Est. time		2 hours 7 minutes
Difficulty		easy

Map of the leg

Maps courtesy of Google Maps. Route for indicative purposes only, and may have been plotted after the walk. Please let me have comments on what you think of this new format.

Directions

This leg sets off from the B3048 road beside Middleton Church. Turn left for a few yards, then turn right along another footpath that heads northeastwards for a short distance. This reaches a track near Lower Farm in Middleton at SU428441.

Turn left and follow this track as it heads uphill for a third of a mile. When it ends at a T-junction with another track, turn left and follow this track as it heads westwards for a quarter of a mile. Just before it meets a road, turn right and take another track that starts to head northwards. Continue along this for a mile and a quarter, as it crosses a bridge over an old railway line, becoming a footpath that keeps the trees to the left as it reaches the B3400 near Fox Cottages.

Cross the B3400 and then take a track on th other side; almost immediately this curves to the right, then left, to take a more northerly course. This meets a track; turn left to follow this westwards past Faulkner's Down Farm. On the west side of this farm follow the track as it curves to the right to head northwestwards to reach a road at SU408478. Cross this road and join a road that heads northwards, curving to cross a railway line.

When Lower Wyke Farm is reached turn right and start walking along a track. After 0.4 miles turn right, to join a footpath that heads slightly north of east for 0.8 miles, when it curves to the left to start heading downhill to the north along a track. This track ends at the B3048 road in St Mary Bourne.

Places of interest

St Mary Bourne

St Mary Bourne is a pretty village situated near to the Test Valley. The village is built around the Bourne Rivulet, a tributary of the Test.

It has two pubs, with a third a short distance south of the village. There is also a local community-run shop with varying opening hours. Also nearby is Vitacress, one of the largest watercress companies in the world.

A local GP constructed a lake at the southern end of the village; a good wheelchair-accessible path leads past this.

location UID #195

Longparish

Longparish is a small village situated in the Test Valley immediately to the north of the A303 dual carriageway. Its sparse housing stretches out along the B3048 road. The village includes several subsidiary settlements, including those at Forton and Middleton.

Harewood Forest is situated just to the west of the village. In 963 it is alleged that Earl Athelwold was murdered by King Edgar the Peaceful. Deadmans Plack, a large obelisk topped by a cross commemorates the spot in the forest where he was killed.

The 13th Century church of St Nicholas is at the southern end of the village, near the pub and school.

A gunpowder factory was set up southwest of the village during the First World War; the Test Way passed near to the site. An army transit camp was also set up nearby during the Second World War; the cap even had its own cinema. The remaining buildings of the camp were demolished in 1985.

location UID #174