Mottisfont to Romsey walk

Mottisfont Abbey Gardens, West Hampshire Chalk Downs, Dun & Test Valleys and the picturesque market town of Romsey

Mottisfont Abbey SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.
Mottisfont Abbey

SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.

Mar-16 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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St. Andrew's, Mottisfont, from churchyard SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.
St. Andrew's, Mottisfont, from churchyard

SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.

Mar-16 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Lone Tree in Field, near Carter's Clay SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.
Lone Tree in Field, near Carter's Clay

SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.

Mar-16 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Test River by Sadler's Mill, Romsey SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.
Test River by Sadler's Mill, Romsey

SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.

Mar-16 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

walkicon swcwalks swcwalk58 25654696743

Romsey Abbey, northerly view SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey
Romsey Abbey, northerly view

SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey

Apr-16 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Entering the Mottisfont Estate SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.
Entering the Mottisfont Estate

SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.

Mar-16 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

swcwalks swcwalk58 25654993183

Signpost in Mottisfont Village SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.
Signpost in Mottisfont Village

SWC Walk 58 Mottisfont and Dunbridge to Romsey taken by Karen C.

Mar-16 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

swcwalks swcwalk58 25654988693


Status

This walk, created in March 2016, is a re-imagining of the original Walk 3 in the very first edition of TOCW Book 1. It was replaced by another walk when the lunch place closed to the public.

Length 22.6 km (14.1 mi), with 293/299m ascent/descent. For a shorter walk see below Walk Options.
Toughness 4 out of 10, with 5 hours net walking. For the whole outing, including trains, sights and meals, allow at last 10 hours.
Allow an extra hour if visiting Mottisfont Abbey Gardens.
Walk Notes

This walk explores woods and rolling chalk hills in the Dun and (Lower) Test Valleys of remote West Hampshire. An early highlight is the NT-owned (and ticketed) Mottisfont Abbey, a historical priory and country estate, with an arm of the River Test, Hampshire's longest and finest chalk stream, running through the stunning grounds, which also include a famous walled rose garden, trompe-l’oeil murals from Rex Whistler, and several lunch options.
Walk back past the 12th century St. Andrews church, one of the few Grade I-listed churches, and follow the waymarked Mottisfont Estate Path. The route incorporates all the important features of the estate, mainly varied ancient woodlands – several of which are good bluebell woods – but also some managed for timber or coppicing, historical farmland and the Dun River Meadows.
After lunch in Dunbridge the route gets a little more undulating, as the Test River is followed – mostly from a distance – all the way to Romsey, a picturesque market town. You pass all its sights: Romsey Abbey, a beautiful church the size of a cathedral, the War Memorial Park, the medieval King John’s House and Tudor Cottage, some narrow historical lanes and an exhausting selection of tea and pub stops.
Three shorter options are described, one of which follows the original Book 1 version of this walk.

Disclaimer: There are several very mud-prone sections, and not just after heavy rainfall, especially in some of the woods and in the river meadows.

Walk Options

All walk options go to Mottisfont village first for a look at the Abbey Gardens and the 12C church and all have the same finish through Squabb Wood and the River Test Meadows into Romsey.
The Main Walk follows a waymarked Mottisfont Estate Path anti-clockwise through ancient woods and the Dun Meadows to lunch in Dunbridge.
Option 3 uses a shortcut within that morning route, also leading to lunch in Dunbridge (18.1 km, 3/10).
Option 1 (11.9 km, 1/10) and Option 2 (14.1 km, 2/10) are a mostly separate walk, deliberately short to allow a visit to Mottisfont Abbey Gardens. From Mottisfont they are following the original Book 1 Walk (or its shortcut option) and re-join the Main Walk before Squabb Wood and the River Test Meadows. Lunch comes early, either in Mottisfont or shortly after, a little off-route.

Maps OS Explorer: 131 (Romsey, Andover & Test Valley)
OS Landranger: 185 (Winchester & Basingstoke)
Travel Mottisfont & Dunbridge Station, map reference SU 318 261, is 112 km south west of Charing Cross and 25m above sea level; Romsey station, map reference 356 215, is 6 km south east of Dunbridge, 12 km north west of Southampton and 19m above sea level. Both are in West Hampshire. Both are on the Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton Central (via Salisbury) Wessex Main Line. Journey times from Waterloo are 111 or 119 minutes Mon-Sat (hourly service on each option: either changing at Salisbury or at Southampton Airport (Parkway)), and 114 or 131 minutes Sun (two-hourly service on each option: either changing at Salisbury or at Southampton Central). Journey times from Romsey to Waterloo are between 102 and 118 minutes Mon-Sat and between 109 and 133 minutes Sun. Buy a Romsey return.

Saturday Walkers' Club: Take the train nearest to 9.15, but a later one for Shortcuts I and II.

Lunch

Mottisfont Abbey and Gardens (01794 340 757, ticketed entry, free for National Trust members). Mottisfont Abbey is located 1.6 km (1.0 mi) into the walk. There are four options: The Old Kitchen Café is located in the Victorian kitchens of the historic house. Choose from a varied lunch menu, all served on china. It is licensed and offers outdoor seating in summer. Coach House Café – located in the stables – is perfect for light lunches, snacks and treats, to eat in or take away, including cakes and drink. Everything is served on compostable or recyclable tableware. Stables Ice Cream and Walled Garden Kiosk are only open at peak times or on sunny days.

The Mill Arms (01794 340 401). The Mill Arms is located 11.1 km (6.9 mi) into the full walk and 7.0 km (4.4 mi) into the short walk, if using Shortcut III. It is an attractive 19th century Inn with flagstone floors, oak beams, open fire, conservatory and a three-tiered garden.
Kimbridge Tea Rooms and Café (01794 556 777). The Kimbridge is located 60m off-route the shortest possible route, 1.7 km (1.1 mi) along it, or 280m more if taking Shortcut II.
The Bear and Ragged Staff (01794 556 777). The Bear & Ragged Staff is 800m off-route of Shortcut I, 2.5 km (1.5 mi) into the shortest walk and 280m more if taking Shortcut II.

Tea

There are an exhausting number of places to chose from in Romsey, all are mentioned in the walk directions.

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By Train

Out (not a train station)

Back (not a train station)

By Car

Start SO51 0LH Map Directions Return to the start:

Finish SO51 8DU Map Directions Travel to the start:

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Help

National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Traveline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

Version

Nov-21 Thomas G

Copyright © Saturday Walkers Club. All Rights Reserved. No commercial use. No copying. No derivatives. Free with attribution for one time non-commercial use only. www.walkingclub.org.uk/site/license.shtml

Walk Directions

Full directions for this walk are in a PDF file (link above) which you can print, or download on to a Kindle, tablet, or smartphone.

This is just the introduction. This walk's detailed directions are in a PDF available from wwww.walkingclub.org.uk