06 – Haslemere to Liphook

Description

The Hills to Harbour Trail is a series of self-guided walking routes that link the stations along the railway line between Guildford and Portsmouth. You can walk between any pair of stations.

Walk 06 is 5.2 miles in lenth and takes you from Haslemere to Liphook.

There’s a steady climb from Haslemere Station but it’s worth it for this lovely walk through the woodland and heathland of the Surrey/Sussex border.

There is a cafe outside Haslemere station and a pub/hotel just across the road. Haslemere town centre is about half-a-mile from the station. It is probably best visited at the end of the previous walk (05 – Witley to Haslemere) which passes through the town. There are no cafes or pubs beyond the station so take anything you need by way of refreshment.

Start and End

Haslemere/Liphook

Distance

5.2 miles

Time

2 hours 45 mins

Grade

4/10 - Several climbs. Heath and woodland paths

Accessibility

Not push/wheelchair accessible

Route Map
Download GPX File

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Walk Instructions

  1. Turn right out of the station, pass the cafe and cross the main road into Longdene Road opposite. (There is a light-controlled crossing just beyond Longdene Road.) Climb the residential street.
  2. Just beyond the bend, keep forward into Hedgehog Lane. In another 30 yards, turn right onto a footpath opposite a house called Ridgeways.
  3. Keep forward to pass a development of houses on your right.
  4. Continue forward along the path passing Sturt Farm SANG on your left. Bear left on meeting the road and continue down the hill to the main road.
  5. Cross road at the dropped kerb slightly to your right then go straight ahead through the gap in the railings and down a slope into residential Sturt Avenue.
  6. At the bend, Sturt Avenue becomes Moorfield (un-signed.) Bear left round the bend.
  7. At the T-junction at the end of Moorfield, turn right. Pass Marley Combe Road and a bus shelter on the left. Towards the brow of the hill, cross the road and turn left next to the telegraph pole. (There is a fingerpost, but it can become cloaked in vegetation.) Climb the hill along the wooded footpath keeping forward at the marker posts.
  8. Bear right at the finger post to go through a gate marked ‘3’.
  9. Continue forward to a gate bearing a Serpent Trail marker. Go through the gate to a multi-road junction, cross over and go forward taking the left-hand fork.
  10. The Sussex Border Path joins from the left then, when the surfaced road bends sharply to the left, keep forward along the track past the vehicle no entry signs.
  11. Bear left along the road.
  12. Pass the sign for the house ‘Harboury’ on your right and continue forward on the wooded Sussex Border Path.
  13. Continue forward for just over half-a-mile to a surfaced road. Cross over the road and the grassy triangle. Bear right along the road.
  14. Pass Danley Lane on the left and cross the grass verge ahead. Bear left to a 5-bar gate. Go through the gate marked ‘Local Nature Reserve’ and follow the main path on the left-hand side.
  15. At the next fingerpost (that marks cross paths with a kissing gate to your left), turn right. (This is a slight deviation from The Sussex Border Path. It takes in the attractive open common.) In just 40 yards, turn left onto a path under the power lines.
  16. Turn right opposite the power line post along the path that runs under a branch of the power lines.
  17. Just beyond the bench, turn left to go down through open heathland.
  18. Continue forward along the path and pass the bench by a pond on your right. Pass a second pond on your left and climb the slope ahead.
  19. After gently climbing through the valley, the open fields to your right give way to woodland. Continue forward for a further 200 yards to a 4-way junction. Turn right and climb steeply uphill.
  20. Ignore all paths to the left and right until you come out onto a surfaced road. Keep forward along the road.
    (For the next 150 yards, the Serpent Trail, the Sussex Border Path and the New Lipchis Way merge and all follow the same route.)
  21. Cross the cattle grid and, almost immediately, on the bend of the road bear off right along the footpath.
  22. The path drops downhill to a T-junction of paths. Turn right.
  23. Cross the road to the short path opposite. Then bear right along the road (there is a footpath on the other side) towards Liphook.
  24. Cross over the railway by the footbridge and turn right down the steps. At the bottom of the steps bear right to station.
  25. There is a cafe van operating at the station most mornings, and there are a few local shops in Station Road. The main centre of Liphook is just under half-a-mile away where you will find a cafe, pubs and shops.
    There are toilets at Liphook Station.

Safe Walking

Walking is a sociable activity so travel with someone else if you can. It’s also best for safety. Follow the usual walking guidelines about clothing, footwear, drinks, food, and first aid kit. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back

Refreshments

Many stations have opportunities nearby for refreshments when you arrive. The towns have cafes and pubs, and there are some along the route as well. They may have more restricted opening than those in London, particularly for serving food, so check websites for opening times when planning.

Reporting footpath issues

The Hills to Harbour Trail crosses three counties, all of which have good, on-line facilities for reporting rights of way issues. If you find something that needs fixing, please report it on the appropriate webpage.

Search for “report rights of way” followed by the county name.