Ashford Hangers
Steep, Petersfield
Children will enjoy a waterfall and a little play area on the edge of a woodland on this walk.
The views from the Poet’s Stone are phenomenal and is easy to see why this place is known as ‘Little Switzerland’.
The Basics
Time: The complete loop is 2 hrs 10 mins, but there are options for making it shorter.
Distance: The complete loop is 6.2 km/3.9 m, but there are options for making it shorter.
Terrain: All options have very steep ascents and descents, stiles (dog flaps) and sections on quiet country lanes.
Pushchair: This route is not suitable for pushchairs.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome, but need to be on leads through fields with livestock.
Refreshments: There are no refreshments directly on the walk, although Steep does have a pub, The Cricketers, that you could divert to. There are also picnic tables in the park.
Toilets: There are no public toilets on this route.
Public Transport: There is no suitable public transport to this location.
Parking: Small, free parking area on Cottage Lane: Follow Mill Lane north out of Steep and take the turning to Hawkley/Priors Dean. The parking is on your left just past the bend -see notes below if this is full. (Postcode: GU33 6LN - W3W: stems/paramedic/superbly)
The Hangers are full of wild garlic in spring
Ashford Hangers comprises 323 acres of wooded hillside, much of it beech trees that provide the perfect habitat for banks of wild garlic. The views from the top are well worth the climb and you will soon see why this place is known as Little Switzerland. This walk has plenty of other surprises too, including a little waterfall, bluebells and a pretty woodside park.
Notes
Please note, this is a route with some steep hills and may not be suitable for younger children or the less mobile.
The parking area is very small. If it is full, do not park on the lane. You can find on street parking near the church and school in Steep and if you park there, we suggest starting the walk from section six below. This recommendation is also good if you would rather start your walk with most of the uphill section and get it over with, rather than wait until the end of the walk!
The Route
From the parking area, take the only path by going around the gate and heading upwards. This section is super steep, but it will soon level out! As it does, you will start to see your first banks of wild garlic. Look out on your right for steps up to Cobbet’s View, which is well worth the short diversion - and there is a bench to recover from the hill!
Back on the path, keep your eye out for a left hand path marked by two gate posts without a gate. Follow this path to find some more wild garlic. Stick with the path until it brings you to a bench and the Shoulder of Mutton viewpoint. If you just wanted to walk to the wild garlic, now is a good time to turn back by walking up the path behind you up to Litten Lane and then turning right to walk back to your car.
Take the path directly in front of the bench, passing through a gap in the post and rail fence. The views get better and better as you begin the descent. Pass the Poet’s Stone and another bench and keep going straight down the hill. It is a steep descent, but some rough steps have been cut into the turf. At the bottom, you will reach some proper steps before coming to a cross path. Keep going straight ahead and pass through another gap in a post and rail fence.
Enter a field and keep with the right hand side. When you hit the road at the bottom, turn right and then almost immediately left where there is a big wooden post saying ‘The Waterhouse’. At the gateway to The Waterhouse, veer left and cross over a little stream. Follow the path and just after the charmingly ramshackle ‘Little Langley Conservation Area’, turn right over the narrow bridge and pass through an arched hedge to find yourself at the waterfall. This little feature is a man made result of the stream being fed through a mill pond. It is on private land, but it is easy enough to view. Turn right at the road. If you want a shorter loop, you could turn left at the road and follow Mill Lane back to your car.
Follow the road uphill and look out for the footpath heading into a field through a gate on your left. Follow the path along one side of the field, and then the next, with the electric fence to your left. At the end of the second side, veer right through a gate into the woodland and cross a little bridge over a stream.
Emerge from the woodland into a little park with picnic benches, swings and a climbing frame. Cross to the gate and exit opposite the church. Turn left at the road and then very soon, turn left again, back into the woodland.
Keep to the very right hand side of the woodland with a raised bank to your right. This area is full of bluebells in late April/early May. Veer right on a little stony path and leave the woodland through a gate. Turn left and cross the field, going through a series of two gates on the other side.
Follow the path between post and rail fences as it guides you around the edge of Steep Farm. Go straight across a gravelled access track and then turn left at the gates to Steep Farm. Veer left down a little avenue of trees towards a stone bridge at the bottom. There is access to the stream here. Turn immediately left after the bridge, facing a sign saying ‘private garden’ before turning right down the tiny little path at the left-hand edge of the woodland. This path is lined with bluebells, purple orchids and other spring flowers in the spring. Walk with the stream to your right and follow the twisty little path through the trees until you arrive at some steps, after which the path will work its way around the side of a sheep paddock.
Go over a stile and then cross the corner of a field towards another stile. Turn left and follow the path around the farm, going over another stile. Keep left of the huge barn, where some wooden pallets are piled up and then go over another stile. Follow the path along the right hand edge of a field, and then hop over another stile. Take the narrow path to a metal kissing gate that leads you into another field. Cross the field, roughly following the line of the telegraph poles to the gate on the other side. Go through the gate and keep going up until you reach Mill Lane.
Turn right at Mill Lane and keep walking until the road splits. Take the upper split and go over the stile on your left into a field. Go over the next stile and follow a line of trees up to one last stile! Go right and the path will lead you back down to your car.
As a member, you gain access to ALL our PDFs. There are currently 60 walks available as PDFs for members to print and download, with more added daily.
Did you know?
The Poet’s Stone is a memorial to the poet Edward Thomas, who lived locally and often walked in the hangers until he died in the Battle of Arras in 1917.
The name 'Hanger' comes from the Old English 'hangra' meaning a wooded slope.
If you liked this walk…
…try this one at Idsworth which includes another woodland with an amazing display of wild garlic.
We are passionate about keeping The Ambling Path as a free resource available to everyone, forever. If you have enjoyed using our walking guides, then please consider leaving us a donation. This will help to cover our costs as well as rewarding the considerable time and effort needed to maintain the site. Thank you.
Follow us on social media to see our new walks and get regular updates on our old ones:
