Walking Hampshire's Test Way: The long-distance trail and 15 day walks (British Walking)

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The entire route is waymarked by metal and plastic disks found attached to wooden and metal posts, trees and street furniture. There are several wooden 'finger' signs along the route that countdown the number of miles along the footpath in both directions. (Source: Wikipedia)

The author Malcolm Leatherdale really knows his stuff. Outlining the walk, it is the little details that show that. Anything to do with the Second World War is mentioned and seeing most of the people who use this book will have had parents or grandparents involved in that conflict that is no bad thing. As well as the Test way there are 15 circular walks, ranging from four to eight miles, around the Test Valley..... Guidebook to walking Hampshire's Test Way, a 44 mile (71km) route from Inkpen Beacon to the Eling Tide Mill near Southampton Water. The walk, which is described over eight stages, takes in many of the region's natural, historical and architectural delights, from the ever famous 'Sprat and Winkle' railway to the River Test itself - a stunning example of the exceedingly rare chalk stream. The house is now owned by the National Trust, and is open to the public year-round. It is the home to a world-famous collection of old Rose species that are at their best in the late spring and early summer. Many traces of the alterations from priory into house can be seen on the exterior of the building. The entire route is waymarked by metal and plastic disks found attached to wooden and metal posts, trees and street furniture. There are several wooden 'finger' signs along the route that count down the number of miles along the footpath in both directions. The Test Way starts at Eling Quay, situated on a creek leading off Southampton Water. From Eling it heads north through the town of Totton before joining the River Test for the first time at the northern side of the town. Saltflats on the floodplain of the River Test are crossed on boardwalks, before a diversion under the M27 is made to reach Nursling church. A pleasant stroll then takes you from one side of the river to the other, getting glimpses of Broadlands House before reaching the A3090 on the outskirts of Romsey.

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Our offices are staffed 9am to 9pm during our walking season (March to September) to ensure your walking holiday runs without a hitch. The Test Way is a 44-mile (71km) [1] long-distance footpath in England from Walbury Hill in West Berkshire to Eling in Hampshire, which follows much of the course of the River Test. On the route you could stop off at Mottisfont Abbey and enjoy refreshments in the National Trust tea rooms. Near here there's also the excellent Mill Arms in the village of Dunbridge. It's in a lovely spot and includes a new conservatory for looking out over the garden with two open fireplaces indoors for colder days. You can find the pub at Barley Hill, Dunbridge with a postcode of SO51 0LF for your sat navs. The pub above is also very dog friendly and will often provide water and biscuits for your canine friend. The Way has been divided into eight sections, each providing a really good day out. Choose between water meadows or tidal marshes, riverbank picnics or cosy pubs, steep hills with exhilarating views or cool, peaceful woodland.

The Rivers Test and Itchen are Hampshire's two premier rivers although I'm sure there would be advocates for the Avon, even though it rises in Wiltshire and flows to the sea in Dorset. Having lived in Winchester-Southampton for the last 30 years the Itchen is the river I know best. The River Test is a bit of a mystery to me and I suspect to many others. What this book does is make people want to explore it. It gives the reader no excuse except for laziness. The guidance cannot be bettered; the maps are superb, the details of handling the logistics, where to get refreshments and where to stay are excellent, even the lovely photographs are taken on clear sunny days; what is not to like?Soon we’re climbing through open fields linked by kissing gates, heading north-west to the riverside hamlet of Brook. After about a mile there’s a metal gate – the highest point of the walk, 91 metres above sea level – with expansive river views from the top of a steep, stepped path down to the valley. The final section is a gradual climb through Hurtsbourne Tarrant and Linkenholt towards Inkpen Beacon and Walbury Hill in Berkshire where the trail finishes. The River Test is one of only a couple of hundred chalk stream rivers in the world. The Test Way is based loosely on the river, staring from Inkpen Beacon and finishing at Eling tide mill. In fact, the footpath does not meet the River Test until Longparish, over a third of the way down the footpath. Our self-guided walking holidays are designed with your comfort and enjoyment in mind and can be tailor-made to your own personal requirements.