Zig-Zag Path, Selborne
Children will enjoy the zig-zagging path and the play area at the pub on this walk.
The Basics
Time: 1 hour
Distance: 3 km
Terrain: One hill climb and descent, kissing gate, can be muddy in winter
Pushchair: No
Dogs: Yes but watch out for grazing cattle on the common
Refreshments: The Selborne Arms is a family friendly pub at the base of the hill or La Luna coffee shop is on the high street, as well as White’s Cafe at the museum
Toilets: Public toilets in the car park
Parking: Free car park off the high Street, behind the pub. Beware that the upper section is for the museum and is chargeable (Postcode: GU34 3JR - W3W: herbs/childcare/serve)
Selbourne is synonymous with the naturalist Gilbert White. Starting from behind his old home (now an excellent museum), the zig-zag path came into being as a means for him to visit his brother who lived on the other side of the hill. The path has been preserved by The National Trust and it now provides a quirky route up to Selborne Common.
The Route
To begin the walk, exit the car park in front of the toilet block and turn right onto the footpath which has a fence/hedge on either side. The path will lead you up to the bottom of the zig-zag path.
Climb the zig-zag path. The route has many switchbacks making the ascent up the hill much easier. The path is bordered by tall hedges which makes it feel a bit like being inside a labyrinth - but with only one choice of route! There is a bench half way and another one at the top where you can sit and rest and admire the views.
After the top bench, continue along the path as it straightens out and then brings you to a gate which you should go through to enter Selborne Common.
The common is covered in a mixture of oak and other broadleaf trees, hawthorn, scrub, grassland, wildflowers and a wooded beech hanger. Take the path straight ahead of you after going through the gate. This will take you directly across the plateau. At one point, the path will fork around some trees before merging again on the other side. After this, look out for a slight vegetation change to gorse and then a grassy area opening up to your right.
At this point look for the path that forks right away from the main path just before some trees and then goes diagonally across the grass. Shortly you will spot the muddy waters of Wood Pond where there is a bench under a tree. Walk between the pond and the bench and head into the grove of broadleaf trees beyond the bench where the grass and mud gives way to leaf matter underfoot.
Cross under the trees and on the opposite side of this deciduous grove you will find a thin path going from left to right. Turn right here where you see a blue hoofprint marker. When you see a huge fallen tree and another blue marker, veer left down the slope.
The next blue marker you should spot is at a point where the tree type starts to change to the tall beech trees of the hanger. Go down the hill and then the path will begin to level out before rising more gradually.
When you see a fence line ahead of you, cross the intersecting path and go through the kissing gate directly ahead. Step over a low fallen tree and enter a wooded area with tall, slim trees. Cross the wood, going around another fallen tree that looks like it fell quite recently. Straight after this pass through a gap where another fallen tree has had a slice cut out of it and then head down to meet a path crossing left to right.
Turn right here and look out for the iron bench with a nice view down to the village and church. Take the path directly beside the bench and follow this downhill along the side of the hanger to reach the point where you began climbing the zig-zag path. From here you can return to the car park where you can access Gilbert White’s House and Gardens, The Selborne Arms with children’s play area, or explore the pretty village high street with a coffee shop and gift shop.
Selborne Recreation Ground has some excellent adventure play equipment pictured below. To reach it, walk or drive along the main road through the village away from Alton in the direction of Liss. As you reach the outskirts of the village, look out for the lion’s head fountain. Just before the traffic calming, turn left at Kethcer’s Cottages. There is a small wooden sign for the recreation ground, which is about 50-80 yards up this lane. It has its own parking area.
Did you know?
Naturalist Gilbert White and his brother cut the path into the hillside in 1753. The idea was to make the walk easier from Gilbert’s village of Selborne to his brother’s village of Newton Valence.
In his book, The Natural History of Selborne, Gilbert White records his observations on the plants, birds and animals of the area, including those of Selborne Common.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one also from Selborne along the Long and Short Lith, starting from the same car park beside the pub.