Selborne
On this walk, children will enjoy looking for wildlife around the ponds, playing at the stream and the play area at the pub.
The Basics
Time: 1 hour 10 mins
Distance: 3.5 km
Terrain: Fields and woodland paths, mostly flat with some kissing gates, muddy sections in winter
Pushchairs: No
Dogs: There is sometimes cattle grazing in the National Trust land and be mindful of having dogs on leads through farmland
Refreshments: The Selborne Arms which has a large garden with a play area, La Luna coffee shop, or the cafe at Gilbert White’s House
Toilet: At the car park
Parking: The front portion of the car park behind the Selborne Arms is free (Postcode: GU34 3JR - W3W: declines/table/decently)
Just within the boundary of The South Downs National Park, Selborne is an attractive village with 267 acres of countryside looked after The National Trust. This walk follows the Short and Long Lythe, passes three ponds, a beautiful woodland stream and returns through beech woodland. Back at the village there are plenty of refreshment opportunities including a pub with a play area or you could visit Gilbert White’s House Museum. Selborne also hosts an excellent adventure playground.
The Route
Exit the car park by walking back towards the road. Turn left and walk through the village. Cross over the road when you spot the church and follow the cobbled path up to the graveyard.
Cross the graveyard and at the far end, go through the gate and head down the hill through Church Meadow where there are often a few cows grazing. This is National Trust property and there is a small stream at the bottom where you can stop for a play and rest on the benches.
Cross the little bridge after the stream and follow the footpath through trees. Go through a series of two kissing gates and then out onto the Long Lythe. This is a wooded bank with meadow to your right and beech trees to your left. Continue across the lythe, passing by an iron bench, before reaching another gate on the other side.
The gate will take you out into a large field with three attractive ponds. There is another bench here from which to admire the view. Pass by the first pond on your right and then take the path that goes through the middle of the second two, straight ahead of you (do not take the paths to right or left). It is narrow and can be muddy in winter. The path will pass through a little gate and a wooden bridge and will then briefly cross the edge of Wick Wood.
At the end of the copse, go over a wooden board and meet a redundant kissing gate at the edge of a field. Go around the gate and stay left of the new fence. This will lead you across the field and you will start to see Priory Farm with its large duck pond in the distance. When you reach the fence, go through the gate and turn right down the track. Go over the stream and through the large five bar metal gate to enter the farmyard.
The footpath leads you to the right around the farm and onto around 20 metres of tarmac lane. As the lane bends to the left, you should continue straight onto a restricted byway track. Go through the gate and you will see sheep and horse paddocks to your right. Go through a another gate at the end of this section to enter a beech woodland.
Follow the singular path through the length of the woodland. Look out for a lovely iron bench that is slowly being engulfed by a huge tree. At the bottom of the slope here, children can once again access Oakhanger Stream. The path will eventually lead you to a gate designed to stop motor cars, which you can step over. You will pass by some properties before the path turns into a tarmac access lane. The lane will lead you back out onto the main road through Selborne.
The pub and cafes will be to your left and if you walk (or drive) further along the road you can find the excellent village play area just on the outskirts of the village. Look out for the small wooden signpost on your left to Selborne Recreation Ground opposite the lion’s head fountain when exiting the village towards Liss and away from Alton. It is just before the traffic control and also signed Ketcher’s Cottages. There is a parking area after about 80-100 yards.
Did you know?
Selborne is most famous for its association with pioneering naturalist, Gilbert White, author or The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne. You can visit his house and gardens as an add on to this walk.
