Stoughton to Watergate

This walk is the sort that leaves you feeling that you have seen every kind of terrain there is. There are forest scenes and open view across to the Isle of Wight. There are steep climbs and the rewards of having reached the tops, The end result is a pair of tired legs but a richly inspired heart.

Starting at the Hare and Hounds pub 

On leaving the pub walk towards the triangle and bear right. Walk a few yards and turn right and up the track in front of you. (you could, if you wish, visit St Mary’s church which is the point 2 on the map. should you do that when you come out of the church, go on through the graveyard and follow the path left round the edge of the field until you join the lane going up the hill.)

Continue on this track until you reach the top don’t take any paths off to the right at the top nor to the left as you go down the other side. Eventually you will reach a road.

Go over this road and continue up the hill on the path opposite.. About 500 yards up the hill take the path that joins from the left and walk along this path without taking any of the paths from left or right.

(There is a seat part way up the hill on this path and the view is very good.)  Still following the path, you will pass a very grand house on a short stretch of made up road.

Stay on this road until you join a more country road and cross to the path on the other side.

Walk up the hill for about thirty yards when you will join a path leading to the left take this left turn.

Follow this path to the top of a relatively shallow hill and don’t follow it to the right at the top, instead turn left and walk to the small road.

Turn left here and follow the road to the end and turn right.

Stay on the foot path until you reach the junction that leads to Walderton and Stoughton. (there are signboards for the pubs on the grass side at this point.)

On the opposite side of the road there is a finger post leading the way through a kissing gate.

Go through at the gate and up the hill. This is a very steep climb.

At the top you will meet a forest path turn left here and walk down the hill past a small quarry on your right.Eventually you will meet a signboard on your right saying to Kingley Vale, turn right here and then left and follow the path up the hill until you reach a yellow sign post turn left here and find the steps leading down the hill. This is the point where the path becomes all country again and it is very steep. The steps themselves are very well made but take care none the less. (these steps are quite new so chances are they haven’t got a name yet but someone will get round to calling them Jacob’s Ladder, before long you watch.) Stay in the direction that the path wants to take you and eventually you will meet a road. Turn right here and make your way back to the pub.Oddly I find this bit the hardest under my feet, but then I don’t like road walking. This road can be busy but there is a grass verge to your left.