If you would like this leaflet in a larger format pleasecontact the tourist information centre on

01962 840 500 or e-mail tourism@winchester.gov.uk

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Revised edition published 2010 by ©New Alresford Town Council, Tel 01962 732 079 Fax01962 734 629 Email:skavanagh@newalresfordtc.org.uk Publication assisted by theAlresford Society and Winchester City Council. Whilst every endeavour has been made toensure the accuracy of information contained in this publication, no responsibility can be taken for errors, omissions or subsequent amendments. CUS0183-0331 June 2010. Produced by Winchester City Council.

The Alre Valley Trail (optional diversion)

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The Alre Valley Trail, this circular walk loops off the Millennium Trail and rejoins it here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . End of Millennium TrailUseful Information

22 ALRESFORD

‘The ford over the river where the alder trees grow’.Alresford (pronounced Allsford) is a beautiful Georgian town,one of Hampshire’s finest. Famous for for its watercress,specialist shops, old-fashioned inns, and the Watercress Linesteam railway, Alresford is also renowned for its lush sceneryand riverside walks. A lovely place for strolling, there is plentyto see in the town and by its attractive riverside.

The Alresford Millennium Trail links together footpaths aroundthe town with illustrated boards which give information onthe history of Alresford, its inhabitants, wildlife andcountryside setting. If you would like to explore a little furtherthen add on the optional loop known as the Alre Valley Trail.

www.alresford.org

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Alresford ishome to theMid-HantsSteamRailway, theWatercressLine.Why notspend a dayin the UK’swatercresscapital andride theroute thecrops oncetook tomarket?

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New Alresford Town Council

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Travelling to AlresfordAlresford lies just off the A31 between Winchester (7 miles)and Alton (12 miles). If using SatNav key in New Alresford or SO24 9JG. Follow thebrown and white tourist signs to the Watercress Line. TheMillennium Trail begins in the Station Yard where parking isavailable. Buses run at least hourly from Alton & Winchester.

Further informationWinchester Tourist Information Centre, Guildhall, High Street, Winchester, SO23 9GH.

Tel 01962 840 500 Fax 01962 850 348Email tourism@winchester.gov.ukWeb www.visitwinchester.co.ukSee also www.alresford.org

Facilities & accessibilityToilets in Station Road. Pay and Display parking in StationYard and Perin’s School, accessible from Jacklyns Lane, is freeon Sundays and some Bank Holidays. Perins Car Park isclosed Bank Holiday and Sundays after 1pm. On-streetparking with time limit. The Millennium Trail is suitable forwheelchair and pushchair users.

Within a three-mile radius of St John's, the parish church, there are some 60 miles of paths and tracks. Many ofthese are hundreds of years old. The Alre Valley Trail gives you anopportunity to see at closer handsome of the lovely countryside thatsurrounds Alresford. Also, for themore adventurous, the trail leads tomore opportunities for longer walks ifyou so wish.

� Following on from overleaf you begin this trail by thegate at the bottom of Arlebury Park recreation ground.Follow the footpath going west along the bank of the River.

As you walk along the river bank you will cross a number ofsmall streams flowing under the footpath. They are now used totake water to the adjacent fish farm, but in earlier times one ofthem, called Ram Stream, led water to an intake chamber fromwhich a ram pump kept Arlebury House supplied.

At the end of this stretch you will reach the Eel House.

� Use the footbridge to cross over the river and continuedown the other bank.

The Eel HouseBuilt in the 1820s and recently restored,this is where eels were trapped onmoonless autumn nights, as theyundertook their once in-a-lifetimemigration to breed . The Eel Housesluices still control the water levels inthe river and the surrounding fish farms.

The Eel House sitting astride the river ,can be viewed externally at all times butit is also open to the public on certainpublic holidays and Alresford WatercressFestival day . For details seewww.towntrust.org.uk or town notice boards.

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You have now crossed the parishboundary and are in Old Alresford. Asyou climb up the slope you reach anarea called New England. The twocottages on your left are known as NewEngland Cottages, built in 1700 .Records show that in 1891 they wereoccupied by agricultural labourers fromthe Arlebury Estate.

� Please keep to the footpath at thispoint as it skirts a private parking area.

As you walk beyond the cottages you willsee a footpath in the field on your right. Ifyou want a birds-eye view of Alresfordand the upper Alre Valley , climb thispath. Cross the road and continue 100metres up the next field before you lookback over the town. If you continue onthis route you will join a series of pathsand tracks that allow extensive walks inthe countryside to the north. (Retraceyour steps back to the trail).

On your left you will get glimpses of the18th century Arlebury Park House oncethe ‘big house’ of New Alresford ;today it comprises private apartments.You will also have a panoramic view ofthe roof-tops of Alresford and the towerof St John’s Church.

Many of the ponds of the Alre ValleyFishery are of recent construction, butthe oldest date back to the 18th centurywhen they were created for the pleasureof the owners of Arlebury House.

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� You have now reached Drove Lane. Please take extra careon the first section where, as you turn left, visibility is limited.

About 200 metres down Drove Lane you re-cross the river and onyour right are the water meadows , referred to on the board atthe beginning of the trail. This is a good place to spot water birdsespecially during migration periods in Spring and Autumn. The river here was used in the Second World War by tankspracticing river crossings. It is also one of the possible sites of the‘ford over the river where the alder tree grow’ from whichAlresford takes its name.

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� A further 350 metres brings you toWinchester Road, formerly a turnpikeroad, where you turn left, backtowards the town.

At the junction are the lodge and gates,which were once the main entrance toArlebury Park House.

The remainder of the trail is along thefootpath on The Avenue, g ifted to thetown by the Bishop of Winchester forrecreational purposes in 1869. In spring-time the many beds of daffodils ,originally planted by the Rotary Club,line the way and in summer the twolines of 114 mature limes givepleasant shade. Part way along you willpass The Old Toll House a fine red-brick hexagonal building that wasoriginally the tollhouse for theWinchester to Alresford turnpike. A littlefurther down you will pass the frontgates of Arlebury Park House with itsfine Cedar of Lebanon tree.

� Rejoin the Millennium Trail at thegates of Arlebury Park RecreationGround.

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Millennium Trail continuedPound HillAt the end of The Avenue you will walkdown Pound Hill , the site of a 'pound'for stray animals. It was also thelocation of the Hurdle House wherehurdles for the sheep markets werestored. As you cross the top of TheDean, immediately on your left is theoriginal Perins School building .Founded in 1697, it remained here until1932 when it was moved to its presentsite at the beginning of The Avenue.

In the remaining walk up West Streetyou will notice a number of small lanesassociated with Alresford's brewingtrade. At one time the town is reputedto have had over two dozen pubs. Twoold coaching inns, The Bell , and TheSwan , remain.

� At the pedestrian crossing the trailends, perhaps a good time for a cupof tea or a bite to eat beforereturning to your car or the station.

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You can add an optional diversion within the Millennium Trail by branching off onto the Alre Valley Trail, shown overleaf.

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Did you know?

Near the pond you cansee the commemorativetablet to Capt. JamesCogswell, USAF whosaved Alresford fromdisaster by diverting hisB17 Flying Fortress withfull bomb load to theeast of the town.

The Millennium Trail

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ALRE VALLEYTRAIL

STARTS HERE

MILLENNIUMTRAIL

STARTS HERE

Did you know?

Alresford was brieflytouched by the CivilWar on 29 March 1644.The Royalists retreatingfrom the nearby Battleof Cheriton set fire tohouses in East Street.The flames were quicklyextinguished by theParliamentarian Army.

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ChurchyardThe tower is the oldest part of Alresford'sparish church of St John the Baptist. ,Above the door is a small Saxon rood, asculpture of Christ. Opposite are thegraves of four French Napoleonic prisonersof war, and one of their wives .

� Continue on the path towards thejunction of East, West and Broad Streets.

East StreetAlthough the Millennium Trail does nottake you along East Street , it is wortha visit to see its beautiful colour-washedGeorgian architecture. At the end of thestreet is The Old Sun Inn, once the homeof John Arlott, the journalist andbroadcaster, for some 20 years.

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The Millennium TrailLook out for the display boards round the trail with details ofwhat to see and local history and don’t forget the bread forthe ducks!

The Station YardThe Millennium Trail begins in the Station Yard where parking isavailable. The railway came to Alresford in 1865 and greatlyassisted the developing watercress industry as it allowed access tomarkets in London and beyond. Watercress remains a significantlocal industry and is celebrated at the annual Watercress Festivalon the third Sunday in May. The steam trains running on theWatercress Line are now a major tourist attraction. The restoredbuilding to the right of the platform is the Goods Shed, it has avisitor information point and railway shop.

� Leave Station Yard and walk down Station Road to thediagonal path, opposite the toilets, leading into thechurchyard on your right. Turn left into the churchyardtowards the church tower and west door.

� Ahead of you is:

Broad StreetOne of Hampshire’s finest street scenes

. Essentially Georgian, it was laid out atthe beginning of the 13th century byBishop de Lucy, who built a town calledNovum Forum, Latin for ‘New Market’.Alresford is mentioned in the DomesdayBook and the new town was for manycenturies a prosperous wool centre. A market hall probably stood in the centreof the road at the top Broad Street . Itsopen ground floor would have been usedby traders, while the upper floor mayhave held general meetings or specialistmarkets. There have been markets andfairs in Broad Street for 800 years and asmany as 32,000 sheep were penned atone time at the annual fairs held in the19th century. Broad Street still hosts amarket on Thursday and the first Sundayof the month.

Most of Broad Street’s houses ( and) have been destroyed by fires over

the centuries. After the last major fire in1689 they were rebuilt; elegantGeorgian brickwork was laid over theoriginal Norman cellars. Although No.43 looks brick-built, it is a timber-framed building faced with lessweighty, mathematical tiles. Note thefalse window, perhaps to avoid windowtax, over the front door. No.46,opposite, was the headquarters of the47th Infantry Regiment, US Army from1943 to D-Day 1944.

At the bottom of Broad Street is the oldfire station , built in 1881. A smalldiversion past the fire station, towardsThe Globe on the Lake pub, and thendown the footpath immediately to theright takes you to Old Alresford Pond .

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The pond came into being at the end ofthe 12th century when Bishop de Lucybuilt the Great Weir and created not onlya fishpond but a head of water to drivethe many mills to be built down stream.From this area the Bishop once boardedhis boat to cross the pond to his palace atBishop’s Sutton. (Retrace your steps)

� Bear left at the bottom of Broad Street.

Mill HillThe houses in Mill Hill have a chequeredhistory. Near the top on the left is OldTimbers ; the central part dates fromthe 14th century, together with itsneighbour they are possibly Alresford’soldest houses. Note the old Insurance

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Company firemark on the front of OldTimbers. Further down on the left wereworkhouse tenements and theoverseer, William Wickham, lived nextdoor at Wickham House. At thebottom on your right is the Town Mill

, which was rebuilt in the 1890s andfitted with modern turbines instead ofpaddles. (Retrace your steps)

� Turn into Ladywell Lane,opposite the trail board on your right.

As you walk down the lane , you willsee the springs that flow all year round.Can you spot the wild watercress ?At the end of the lane is the fine, redbrick, early 18th century Arle House,once the home of a master tanner.

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� Take the footpath that leads offthe right side of the lane.

To the right of this stretch of footpath isan area now reserved for wildlife.Through the trees to the right you willjust glimpse Weir House, once the home

of a local benefactor, Sir Francis Lindley. As you reach the end ofthis stretch of the footpath, on your left is the Memorial Garden

, given to the town by Sir Francis in 1951. This area is still usedfor family picnics and the site of the original open-air swimmingpool can be seen edged in brick.

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The River AlreJust past the garden the footpath runsalongside the Alre for some 200 metres.Looking ahead you will see the thatched,timber framed Fulling Mill ( and frontcover), which spans the river. Built in the13th century it used water-drivenhammers to work raw cloth into auseable material.

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As you pass the mill, the bed of the river joins Pinglestone Road – anancient highway which has run along this riverbed for centuries. Thisis probably the best stretch of the river to see the large variety oflocal plants and wildlife . Birds range from the ever-present ducksto the elusive Kingfisher.

� At the end of the path you will reach the bottom of TheDean . At this point you can take a short cut back to townby walking up The Dean. To continue on the Millennium or AlreValley Trails, turn right and follow the river along the footpath.

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Bordering this part of the river are somefine horse chestnut trees and also somealders from which Alresford is thoughtto have taken its name. The Saxon name translates as ‘a ford where the alder trees grow’, and the name of the River Alre was derived from this. Look out for the grave ofHambone Junior , canine friend ofAmerican soldiers billeted near Alresford prior to D-Day in 1944.

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�150 metres from The Dean you willreach a kissing gate. This is where the1.6 mile Alre Valley Trail leaves theMillennium Trail to continue down thevalley. (Turn over for information on theAlre Valley Trail). To continue on the

Millennium Trail pass through the gate and cross Arlebury ParkRecreation Ground towards the building at the top of the hill.

Arlebury ParkYou are now in Arlebury Park Recreationground . As you climb the slope pastthe skateboard park and children’s playareas you will see, on your right, ArleburyPark House. Built in the 18th Century andonce the ‘big house’ of New Alresfordtoday it is private apartments. Lookingback to the north there is a splendid viewacross Fobdown and Old Alresford,parish church can be glimpsed throughthe trees to your right .

� When you reach the main gates tothe recreation ground, turn left. Donot miss the information board ,just to the left of the gates. Here theAlre Valley Trail, which runs along TheAvenue, rejoins the Millennium Trail.Please turn over for information onhow to continue your walk by takingthe Alre Valley Trail.

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