Zig-Zag Path
Selborne
Children will enjoy the zig-zagging path up the hill, the play area at the pub and the excellent park on this walk.
Views of Selborne and the South Downs from the Zig-Zag Trail
The Basics
Time: 1 hr 20 mins
Distance: 4 km / 2.5 miles
Terrain: One steep hill climb, kissing gates, a stile, can be muddy on the common in winter and some paths can be overgrown in summer.
Pushchair: This walk is not suitable for pushchairs.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk, 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 (customers of White’s can get their parking fee refunded).
Toilets: Public toilets in the car park.
Public Transport: Stagecoach service no.38 from Petersfield, Liss and Alton stops at the Selborne Arms.
Parking: Free car park off the high Street, behind the pub. Be aware that the upper section is for the museum and is chargeable (Postcode: GU34 3JR - W3W: ///herbs.childcare.serve)
Selborne village and The Selborne Arms and La Luna café visible
Selborne 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, with great views on the way.
The Route
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 through a kissing gate at the end to the base 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 upwards along the path as it straightens and widens 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 split around some trees, but both sides of the path will meet up again on the other side. Quiet soon after this, a large clearing will open up to your right and the path will once again split. The right hand path is less formal and grassy. You should stick with the left split, on the more formal track to the left of the oak tree that has been worn by 4x4 vehicles.
You will eventually reach a gate leading out of the common and a meeting of a multitude of paths. To continue the route back to Selborne, take the first path on your left at approx seven o’clock. For an addition to this walk, you could follow in Gilbert White’s footsteps and continue to Newton Valance. To do this, take the the path beyond the gate and then immediately fork right away from the main path. This will lead you diagonally across the bottom of a field. Go through the kissing gate on the other side (dogs on leads) and cross the pony paddock. Go through another kissing gate and join a dark path under trees. Go around an old wrought iron gate and enter the churchyard. Follow the avenue of younger yews towards a remarkably ancient yew. Pass under the boughs and go out the lych gate. Follow the gravel access track to the lane. Turn left, passing the pond on your right. At a grassy triangle, follow the bridlepath to your left, going away from the road. Don’t go over the cattle grid, but keep left beside a flint wall with a tennis court beyond. This track will bring you back up to the gate you went through before and into Selborne Common again. You will need to re-join the walk at the path mentioned above, which will now be the second one on your right at approx two o’clock.
Follow the path along the lower slopes of Selborne Hill and look out for the split in the path. The left hand split will take you back up to the top of the Zig-Zag Path again. Our walk continues along the right hand split which is marked by a yellow footpath arrow.
The path will drop down, and after winding through the trees for some time, you will come to a corner where you can choose to go right over a stile or left where there is a National Trust walk marker. Left will take you upwards to the top of the Zig-Zag Path. Our walk, however, continues over the stile.
Go under some hawthorns and then out into a field. Turn left and walk along the top edge of the field. Currently there is an electric fence here with a handle for you to cross it safely. In the corner of the field, the path goes tightly through a gap in the hedge, around and old metal kissing gate and under the trees again before coming out through a newer gate into a long, thin meadow.
Go out through the gate on the other side of the meadow and walk down the tarmac access lane. Immediately after Kingsfield Cottage, you will see a path leading steeply up to your left. This is another opportunity to go back to the top of the Zig-Zag Path. Our walk, however, continued along the lane. Pass Uphill Cottage and Nuthatch and then you will see a footpath on your left going up a little grassy bank on the stone wall. This will take you to the bottom of the Zig-Zag Path. Alternatively, continue on the lane to arrive back at the pub and car park. Here 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. You can also access the play area as a direct extension of this walk. As you come down the lane in section ten of this walk, look out for the only footpath on your right. This will lead you down to the road near the lion’s head fountain. You can then cross the road and find the play area as described above.
As a member, you gain instant access to ALL our PDF files. There are 114 walks available as PDFs, with more added daily.
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.
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:
