The Meon Valley Trail
West Meon to Meonstoke
The Meon Valley Trail follows the old track bed of The Meon Valley train line and connects West Meon to Wickham on eleven miles of off-road path. The entire route would take a few hours to complete there and back with children, so we will be breaking it down into family-friendly chunks. Our first route starts in West Meon and takes you to the delightful village of Meonstoke where you will find an outstanding pub, a play area and a place to paddle in the river.
Route
📏 Distance:
The route is approximately 3.1 miles / 5 km each way, which would take a family with children about twenty-five minutes each way.
🏔️ Terrain:
Flat terrain aside from a few short climbs to access the road crossings and a hill to get to the pub. The paths are wide enough to pass other users with ease. The surface is mostly firm and even with some muddy sections in the shadier areas.
🏁 Start / Finish:
Start the route at the free car park at the old West Meon station.
(Postcode: GU32 1JJ - W3W: ///prepare.processor.adopt)
This route finishes at The Buck’s Head in Meonstoke.
🚗 Traffic:
The Meon Valley Trail is entirely off-road with the exception of a couple of points where you need to cross very quiet country lanes. To get to the pub, play area and paddling spot, you will need to cycle on wide, quiet village roads.
☕ Refreshments:
The Buck’s Head in Meonstoke with a riverside garden.
🚾 Toilets:
There are no public toilets unless you are a customer of the pub.
🚇 Public Transport:
Stagecoach service 67 between Petersfield and Winchester stops in West Meon.
🪧 Points of interest:
Start at the old station in West Meon where you can see the remains of the platform. There are a few picnic tables too.
Leave the Meon Valley Line for Meonstoke. After the second time you cross a road, you will go under a brick bridge and then over a flat, wooden bridge. Just after this, look for an exit point to your right and follow the road down through the village. At a bench under a tree, keep left down the hill and you will soon see The Buck’s Head at the bottom of the hill.
Take the small lane going behind the pub to the church. Opposite the church, you will find Church Green. This is a public meadow with two sets of steps into the shallow, clear water of the River Meon.
Return up the hill to the bench under a tree and turn left and then right to cycle to the recreation ground with kid’s play equipment, outdoor gym and skate ramps.