Test Way: Stockbridge to Longparish

Notes

General Data

The first part of this walk to Chilbolton follows the old 'Spat and Winkle' railway line; this flat ground is left behind as it climbs up to descend down into Chilbolton. A beautiful stretch of floodplain is crossed to reach Wherwell, after which the path passes through part of Harewood Forest to reach the A303. The floodplain of the River Test is reached once more at Forton, and a beautiful short leg leads to Middleon church and Longparish.

Distance		9 miles
Ascent		512 feet
Descent		459 feet
Est. time		3 hours 29 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 starts off from the roundabout immediately to the east of Stockbridge. Head northwards along the A30 from the roundabout. Walk on the left-hand side of the road until another roundabout is reached with the A3057. Continue straight on for a short distance, and then rejoin the old railway line on the left

Follow the old railway line for about 2.5 miles, passing through Leckford. The path eventually passes under a large road bridge at SU382389; on the other side turn right and follow a path that goes up to join the A3057. Cross this road to reach a car park near a little recycling centre on the other side.

From the car park take a footpath that heads uphill, paralleling the road that heads northwards. Do not take the track that heads uphill to the east. The footpath descends down to meet a road at SU386394; cross the road and take another footpath that heads northwards. This curves to the right and then the left, before settling on a northwesterly course. It crosses a stream before crossing Chilbolton Cow Common and reaching a bridge over the River Test. Cross this bridge, and then climb up to meet a road in Wherwell.

Turn left down this road, and after a few yards turn right along a footpath that climbs uphill. After a few yards turn right to head northeastwards behind houses. When the B3420 road is reached, turn right down it for a short distance, then turn left along another footpath. Head northeastwards along this until a track called New Barn Lane is reached.

Turn left and follow New Barn Lane as it climbs uphill to the north for 0.4 miles. At new Barn it curves to the right to head northeastwards for a little under half a mile. Some trees start on the left; when a large expanse of trees start on the left, turn right and follow the southern edge of the woodland eastwards to Park Farm.

At the farm turn left and head downhill for a short distance along a track, before taking another track that leads off to the right to head eastwards. Follow this track as it heads eastwards through the woods, passing a series of large barns on the left. Follow the track as it curves to the left to head up a slight hill, then passes through Pachington Farm before passing under an old railway line and reaching the B3048 road.

Turn left to head north up the B3048 for a short distance, then take the first road that leads off to the left. This road climbs up as it curves to the right to cross the A303(T). As it curves around to the right it passes a mast; turn left along a footpath, then right along another that heads eastwards across fields to reach the B3048 road in Forton. Cross the B3048. Then follow another road that heads southeastwards for a hundred yards. Continue along it as it curves to the left to head northeastwards through Forton.

When the road curves to the left continue straight on along a footpath that heads northeastwads towards Middleton Church. Keep the church on the left, then walk the short distance to reach the B3048 road, where this leg ends.

Places of interest

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

Chilbolton

Chilbolton is a small village in the Test Valley. Its 12-Century church (going by the rather strange name of ‘St Mary the Less’) was built on the site of an earlier wooden church. The village has retained both a pub and a combined post office and shop.

Chilbolton airfield is situated on the hillside to the south of the village. It was built in 1940, and was passed into the hands of the USAAF in 1942. It had three concrete runways, around which ran a perimeter airfield. It was released from military use in 1946, but it was used afterwards by both Folland Aircraft and Vickers Supermarine for testing their aircraft.

Much of the airfield has been returned to agricultural use. However, part of the airfield is now home to the Chilbolton observatory, which performs various research projects into meteorology and radio propagation. The large radio dish can be seen from adjacent roads.

A railway junction was situated immediately to the south of the village, with one branch heading towards Andover and the other to connect with the West of England Main Line at Hurstbourne. The platforms of Fullerton Junction station can be found under the brush trees that have grown up since the line closed.

location UID #90

Stockbridge

Stockbridge is a small town situated in the Test Valley, midway between Romsey and Andover. Most of the town is formed around the long road that runs west-east through the center. It became a regular resting place for Welsh drovers, who would rest their flocks in the town overnight whilst on their way to sheep fairs in the south east.

A tiny 12th-Century chapel (known as ‘Old St Peters’) is situated at the eastern end of the town. This was replaced by the larger Gothic church of St Peters in the Victorian era.

The town is the largest settlement on the Test Way north of Romsey.

location UID #196

The 'Sprat and Winkle' line

The Test Valley has a long history as a minor transport corridor. The Andover to Southampton canal was opened in 1794 between Redbridge, where the River Test flows into Southampton Water, and Andover. It was never a profitable venture, and the owners chose to sell to a railway company.

The Andover to Southampton railway line opened in 1865, and the line obliterated much of the canal. It soon developed the nickname 'the Sprat and Winkle line', the reasons for which seem lost to history.

It was always a quiet stretch of line, despite much trade from the racehorse stables that lined the route. Closure north of Romsey occurred in 1967, and the Test Way now follows a long stretch of the route.

Not many traces of the canal remain to this day; a few stretches can be seen to the north of Redbridge, and a long stretch in Romsey, where it is known as the Barge Canal.

location UID #47