Sherfield Park Circular via Sherborne St John, Little London, Bramley & Sherfield on Loddon a walk of 13.5 miles

Below is a map of the walk, starting and finishing at Sherfield Park housing estate which can be accessed by using the A33 and going left off the Taylor's Farm Roundabout or by through Chineham or the Business Park using Cufaude lane.

I started the walk using the footpaths & cycleways to join Cufaude Lane.

The path goes past the shop and goes up & crosses Rockbourne Road

It goes up a slope, then turns right passing a children's playground

The path crosses Avington Way then goes up a slope and meets Cufaude lane, where we turn left

This part of National Cycle Route 23 from Reading to Southampton, the path meets a roundabout, which if you turn right you will end up on a Business Park-here's the roundabout

Our route follows the cycle path down a hill, crossing Thornhill Way

Just before a bridge, we turn right towards the main road called Hanmore Road, passing a keep fit area

We cross the road and go along a path with a stream on the left hand side

Soon we come to a bridge on the left hand side, but we continue straight on

The next bridge we come to we use to cross over the stream and walk towards Hanmore Road

When we reach the main road, looking right you will see a pavement going towards a bus stop and a railway bridge

We walk past the bus stop and soon come to a footpath under the railway built between Basingstoke & Reading by Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Under the railway line we walk, and then turn right and walk along a path towards another road

Now we are going to walk along a footpath through a business park-the path is made of stones so is quite easy to follow.

The first path goes past the car park of a factory making computers and then crosses another business park road

Now we are walking out of the business park towards a restricted by-way.

When we reach the by way, we turn left

There is a wood on the right hand side, with a shallow ditch. Shortly after joining this by-way, look for a wooden footpath sign on the right hand side pointing towards the woodland

We walk down through the ditch, and up the other side, crossing a couple of trees, then start a woodland walk. This is the beginning of the walk in the woodland through Carpenter's Down Wood or Basing Wood & Spier's Copse. The map below shows our route.

We start the walk in the woodland near that number 74-a green stepped line going in a straight line through the woodland

We keep in a straight line following the woodland pathway

Soon the woodland pathway crosses another path that is on a raised bank

Our route is straight on

Soon the woodland path meets a much wider path, where we turn right

There is a post with a sign on it, pointing the way we have come from

So now on the map this is where we are now

The path will soon turn left, and go in a straight line then meet another path, where we bear right and go towards another path that is going north & south.

We pass a bench then continue

Soon we come to the broad north/south path and on the other side of the track a footpath sign points the way forward

Now we are going through Parrot's Copse on the map

At then end of this broader path we reach a sign, pointing right & left-we go right and walk along a narrow woodland path towards number 79 on the map

At then end of the narrow path is a wider path, with a footpath sign on the left hand side, pointing back the way we have just come from and forward north along a wider track, but also to the left along a fairly wide track too-this is where we are going to.

So on the map below we are going to walk through Spier's Copse from number 79 on the map

So the path starts off quite wide at first

Then we come to a junction, with a footpath sign pointing to a path on the right hand side which bears right into some more woodland

So we walk along this path, where we reach another junction & bear left, following another footpath sign

The path comes out of the woodland and crosses a field with a recreation ground in the distance.

Straight across the field we go, and reach a kissing gate, then down a slope and up again to another metal gate.

Near this gate is another footpath sign, indicating paths going right & left, but we are going straight on through the gate towards Sherfield St John Recreation Ground.

We walk past the pavillion next to a football ground, through the car park and down towards the Vyne Road.

Now we are going to walk from this recreation ground, through Sherborne St John Village to Morgaston Wood. Here is a map of our route there.

So we turn left onto Vyne Road-this is the view along the road the way we are going to

This is a map of our route through this village

We are on the orange/brown coloured road going to pass near a telephone box & a post office (PO)

Then we come to a driveway on the right hand side, a green stepped line on the map and this view

We pass some houses, then go through a gate and onto a track with horses in fields on right & left hand side

Then we cross a planked path way

Over a stream and then across a field towards a metal gate with flint stones 

Now we are going to walk along a broad track with a steam on the right hand side & on the map there is the sewage works across that stream

Soon we come to a junction of paths, the right one going into Morgaston Woods owned by the National Trust as part of "The Vyne". We are keeping straight on with the woods on our right hand side and a field on the left.

From the map below which is a copy of my OS Basingstoke map showing our route along the edge of Morgaston Wood, passing spot height 69 on the map, and then entering the wood and walking in a straight line to leave the wood by crossing the road and go into a field towards Hill End Farm, then over a stream and along a footpath towards Simms Corner passing Pamber farm.

So off we go walking along the edge of the woodland; apparently the field on our left next to Pollards End Copse was at one time a Roman Camp. 

Soon we go into the woods along a footpath running parallel with the former Roman Road between Silchester & Winchester.

The path goes into the woods over a wooden footbridge with a sign.

The path goes in a straight line

There is a picture of a Roman Helmet on a post reminding us we are near a former Roman Road

The woodland gets to the road through a wooden kissing gate and a concrete surface.

At the road we go right, crossing the road looking for a footpath sign

There it is

Through this little piece of woodland we go & out into a field following a clear footpath running across the field as this signs says:-

In the centre of the field is a wooden post with footpath signs on it

The path meets a metal gate which goes into another field towards Hill End Farm

The farm is to the left, but we go forward towards another metal gate

Going through the gate the path then goes across the field towards some woodland between some little metal posts.

At the edge of the woodland is a footpath sign so we go into the woods heading towards a footbridge over a stream. There is a no entry sign showing the route is straight ahead not left.

So over the stile we go, into a field, across to a hedge on the right hand side to follow the path alongside it

The field goes straight with a metal gateway on the right hand side

This is where we turn right through the gate and onto a grassy track

Soon we come to another metal gate with Pamber Farm buildings on our right hand side

The grassy track ends at a track from the road to the farm, the path goes through some scrub land to the road

Soon we reach the road, which we cross and turn left, walking along the right hand side of the road and on the grass verge when traffic comes along the road. 

We are currently opposite the road through Little London to Silchester as this sign says:-

So over the road we go, turning left and walking along it & the grass verge in the direction of the A340.

So this our route from here, following a footpath towards New Road

Our route from here goes along Bramley Road, the orange road, then along a green stepped line, the footpath which goes to New Road, passing another footpath coming from Bramley Road. At New Road near Berry Court Farm, we turn right, & walk along the road to the village-the alternative route would be to cross New Road & go straight ahead, and then turn right towards the road between Silchester & Little London.

So here's the footpath sign off Bramley Road

And here's the lovely woodland footpath going through a wooden kissing gate

Soon we meet that other footpath joining our footpath from the left hand side over a footbridge

We just go forward along our footpath through the woodland passing a footpath sign on the way

The path goes over some little wooden footbridges & some planked footways and soon  reaches New Road.

We are turning right along the road, but there is a stile & a footpath on the other side of the road

New Road comes out onto the road through the village where we turn right, and bear left going near that white house

Opposite the entrance-way is a Primitive Methodist Church.

The entrance-way goes to a wooden gate for motorists with a stile which we use to cross

Down the concrete path we go which you can see in the distance ahead on the photo above

At the end of the concrete path is a wooden stile into a field

So now we are walking across the field on the red stepped line, then turn left & walk next to a fence across the field to Frog Lane.

We now walk across this field with the hedge to our right hand side, over a stile or through a gate and walk up to the farm entrance, where we turn left and walk next to a fence.

Arriving at the gate there should be an arrow pointing left but there isn't.

 If you were coming in the opposite direction you would see the arrow on the gate post.

Anyway we are going to walk across the field keeping next to the fence

At the end of the field is a stile & a footbridge

Then we walk along a field edge next to a ditch

Then we pass a footpath sign on a post and go to Frog Lane

Then we walk along Frog Lane

Then we meet Ash Lane complete with sign and turn left & walk along it

This is our route from here on the OS Map

We are going to walk along a footpath between Latchmere Green Farm & Haines Farm, along the edge of Bramley Frith Wood and around an Electric Sub Station. The path with a green blob is the Brenda Parker Way. So as we walk along Ash Lane , in a short distance we come to a footpath sign pointing to the right, so we cross over a stile

We walk along the footpath next to a field towards Bramley Frith Wood.

Soon we come to a stile & a footbridge which we cross, where we meet a junction of 2 paths, one going left and the other going straight on.

We go straight passing a footpath post with the footpath arm missing pointing towards a woodland path next to a wooden fence

Soon we come to another junction of paths where a path goes off to the left with a footpath sign on it saying "Brenda Parker Way"

We are staying on the woodland path

We turn right as we go around the Electric Sub Station and go along another woodland way

This woodland way comes out onto a road, just the access road to the Electric Sub-station; there is a footpath sign showing the paths we have just come on

Now we are going to walk towards Bramley along this access road, then right along another road and into the car park of Clift Meadow, then through this recreation ground to the Bramley Road and across the Level Crossing over the Railway line from Basingstoke to Reading, passing "The Bramley" a public house.

So along the access road we go

Then right towards Clift Meadow, along Minchens Lane

We pass the Doctor's Surgery and then enter the car park

There is a sign again saying where we are & on what routes we are following

We walk along Clift Meadow

Then towards the level crossing

Now we are going to follow the Brenda Parker Way from Bramley Station to Mill Lane, then along Mill Lane to its junction with Sherfield Road.  The route is the green stepped line, firstly going next to the railway, then along a lane to meet Sherfield Road & turn left along Folly Lane, then right along a track with green dots on. If the weather is dry this track is ok, but if the weather has been wet then an alternative path follows the footpath back to Sherfield Road, then goes on another footpath to Mill Lane.

So as we go over the level crossing we turn right, walking towards a garage with a bakery on the left with a cafe inside.

There is a footpath sign on a post showing the path going straight ahead next to the railway line

Along the path we go, until we come to where a path goes off to the left with a Brenda Parker Way sign on a post

So along this lane we go called Lane End

Now we go along the footpath next to the Sherfield Road

Soon we come to where Folly Lane goes off to the left and Sherfield Road goes straight on

There is a footpath beside Sherfield Road at this point-but we are going left along Folly Lane as the sign states

Soon we reach a track going off to the right, the path with green dots on it on the map

When I walked this route in January this track's condition was very bad, with plenty of mud & pools of water along it as the next few photos illustrate.

This last one shows the track with deep ruts on it filled with mud.

So I decided to look at the alternative route via a footpath to Sherfield Road and back along another footpath to Mill Lane.

The signpost has a sign on it indicating that the muddy track was the Brenda Parker Way

So I walked over the wooden footbridge into the field

Then walked along the field edge to another footbridge with the path ahead clearly visible

The path came out onto Sherfield Road which at this point has no footpath along it.

Looking to the right I saw the footpath sign pointing the way across a field to Mill Lane.

So over the field I went to Mill Lane.

Our route turns right along Mill Lane, and we walk along this lane to its junction with Sherfield Road know as Sherfield Road. Our route now turns left, over Bow Bridge and right along Bow Drive. 

We are going to walk along Bow Drive, a housing estate until we meet another lane with a "no through road" sign on its entrance.  We will go past Little Bowlings Farm, and walk towards Goddard's farm, and then take a footpath across the fields to Sherfield on Loddon Church and the A33( a red road).

So at the end of Bow Drive we come to Goddards Close

Here we turn right, passing that no through road sign

Along the lane we go going past Little Bowlings farm

The road goes round one bend to the left, then another to the right where there is a footpath sign & some wooden steps up a bank

This path goes across the fields and ends up on the A33.

However I went past this footpath entrance and went to the next footpath on the left which is a farm track where the signpost is missing its arms.

This track goes along a field edge; there is a stile out of use showing we are on a footpath

The track goes down a slope, turns right, where there is a footpath sign and another one

Then along the field edge we go up a slope

Eventually we come to a stile leading into a graveyard

We walk past the church with a spire

Then we pass a footpath sign complete with both arms

The path then goes out of the church yard and down to a footpath beside the A33 road, where we turn right towards Basingstoke. Now we are going to walk along this main road which carries a lot of fast moving traffic, until we meet a track going off to the right, on the map a green stepped line going towards Taylor's Farm which is now a housing estate called Sherfield Park.

So we turn right at first & walk along the footpath passing a bus shelter

Then we come to the track going off to the right complete with wooden footpath sign.

Now we are approaching some War Department land so don't be surprised if you hear rifle shots.  Ahead is the gate to this land, complete with brick pill box, but we go left along a path.

Now we are near our starting point, so there are paths going off to the left that will lead you to the start, here's one of them.

I continued along the woodland trail, going parallel with a sports field on the left and the M.O.D. land on the right.

I enjoyed completing the walk along another Woodland Trail

Soon on the left is a track to the start of our walk

The woodland trail continues onwards and there are still routes from off it on the left to the start of the walk.

So that's the end of the walk-there are some car parks at the point and a shop selling drinks.