Created in Millennium Year, the trail uses a series of existing paths round the town to provide a pleasant and informative walk of about one mile. Detail of what can be seen during the walk are shown on illustrated boards, which give information on the history of Alresford, its inhabitants, wildlife and countryside setting.  It is also contained in a separate leaflet, Alresford Millennium Trail, which is available from the Station Information Office, the Library and many of the shops in the town as well as being reproduced below.

During the course of the walk you will pass a number of boards which tell you about the town's long history and some of the people who have helped to create its unique character. Both the leaflet and the boards have a map to help you find your way.

Every attempt has been made to make the walk suitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs. A description of the walk in braille is also available at the Station and the Library in Broad Street.

The Arle Valley Trail branches off the Millennium Trail and then rejoins it about one and a half miles later. It lets you see at closer hand some of the lovely countryside surrounding Alresford.

The Millennium Trail

The Station Yard

The trail begins in the Station Yard where long term parking is available. The railway came to Alresford in 1865 and greatly assisted the developing watercress industry, as it allowed access to markets in London and beyond. Watercress is still a significant local industry, although the trains you see today form the attractive Watercress Line The building to the right of the platform is the Goods Shed recently renovated as a museum, visitor information centre and meeting place.

Having collected a leaflet from the Station Information Office, you will find the first board to the right of the main entrance. After a short walk down Station Road you bear right into the churchyard turning left towards the west door of the church.

Churchyard

The tower is the oldest part of Alresford's parish church of St John the Baptist. Above the door and built into the wall is a small Saxon rood, a sculpture of the crucified Christ. opposite are the graves of French Napoleonic prisoners of war, four men and one of their wives. Inside the church door is a list of wildflowers and trees that can be found in the churchyard.

Continue past the west door and pass two more boards to come out into West Street alongside Barclays Bank Take great care crossing the road.

Broad Street

Ahead of you is one of Hampshire's finest street scenes, Broad Street. Although essentially a Georgian street, it was laid out at the beginning of the 13th century by Bishop de Lucy, who built a town called Novum Forum, latin for New Market. Mentioned in the Domesday Book, Alresford was for many centuries a prosperous wool town. The Market Hall probably stood in the centre of Broad Street The open ground floor was probably used by licensed traders, while the upper floor could have been used for general meetings or for a specialist market such as wool. Outside the hall other traders sold their goods. Nearby was an inn, later known as The George. which was once owned by Winchester College.

Broad Street was the site of the town's trading activities, which generated income to the Bishop as well as rents from the houses. In the past many more of the buildings would have been grocers, dairy shops or inns catering for the through traffic. Some of the passageways off Broad Street led to bakeries, breweries and stables for the various businesses that used ponies and traps to deliver food. Broad Street was a busy thoroughfare with regular coaches and commercial wagons rumbling through. Broad street still hosts a market on Thursday mornings.

A number of houses in Alresford were destroyed in the fires of the 17th century and were rebuilt in elegant Georgian brickwork. Although, No. 43 looks as though it is built of brick, but in fact is a timber-framed building faced with mathematical tiles, which were lighter in weight than brick. Opposite is the house which was the headquarters of the 47th Infantry Regiment, US Army from 1943 until D-Day 1944.

Keep to the left at the bottom of Broad Street and proceed down Mill Hill unless you wish to make the short diversion to the Soke

The Soke

At the bottom of Broad Street you can make a short diversion to The Soke before proceeding down Mill Hill. To the right is The Old Fire Station, a small fire station, built in 1881. The town has always  been concerned about fires since the town was burnt down so many times; the last serious fire was in 1689. You will see The Globe on the Lake pub immediately in front of you down the hill. Head for the pub but be careful of the traffic as you go down the hill. To the right of the pub is a lane that goes down to Old Alresford Pond and The Soke Garden. Here is a plaque to Captain Robert Cogswell whose conduct saved the Town from a potential disaster in 1943.

Retrace your steps to Broad Street and opposite the Old Fire Station turn right down Mill Hill

Mill Hill

The houses in Mill Hill have a chequered history. No 49 (The Pineapple House) which now sells antiques, was previously, a butchers, a china shop and was once the Batchelor's Mineral Water and Ginger Beer plant.

To your right at the bottom of Broad Street, is a small fire station, built in 1881. The town has always  been concerned about fires since the town was burnt down so many times; the last serious fire was in 1689.

On the left as you proceed down Mill Hill is Old Timbers, possibly Alresford's oldest house, the centre part dating from the 14th century. Further down on the left were workhouse tenements and Overseer, William WIckham, lived next door at Wickham House. Next door were the tanning pits, which gave the hill its original name Tan Yard Hill.

 

At the bottom to your right is the Town Mill, rebuilt in the 1890s and modern in that it used turbines in the water instead of paddles.

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

Ladywell Lane

As you walk down the lane you will notice the springs that maintain the small stream all year round. At the end of the lane is the fine, red brick, early 18th century Arle House, once the home of a master tanner.

Take the footpath that leads off the right side of the lane.

To the right of this stretch of footpath is an area now reserved for wildlife. It has previously been farmed for watercress and later asparagus. Through the trees to the right you will just glimpse Weir House, once the home of a local benefactor, Sir Francis Lindley. According to an apocryphal story, he and his friend Neville Chamberlain were fishing at Weir House on the afternoon of the day that an exhausted Chamberlain returned from Munich with Hitler's assurance that he would not invade Poland.

As you reach the end of this stretch of the footpath, on your left is the Memorial Garden, given to the town in 1951 by Sir Francis Lindley. It once contained a pool, much used by local families for swimming until health regulations forced its closure. The area is still widely used for family picnics.

The River Alre or Arle

Just past the garden the footpath runs alongside the Alre for some 200 metres. Looking ahead you will see the thatched, timber framed Fulling Mill, which spans the river. Built in the 13th century and used water driven hammers to work raw cloth into a useable material.

As you pass the mill, the bed of the river joins Pinglestone Road - an ancient highway which has run along this riverbed for centuries. The original ford entered the river from the bottom of The Dean and followed the bed of the river emerging at the side of the Fulling Mill. You will see how flat and level the river bed is and how shallow the water. This is possibly the best stretch of the river to see the wide variety of local wildlife, both plant and animal. Birds range from the ever present ducks to the elusive kingfisher. Take a few moments to look back at the front of the Fulling Mill and see if you can spot some trout in the river.

At the end of the path you will reach the bottom of The Dean. At this point you can take a short cut back to town by walking up The Dean. If you wish to continue on the Millennium Trail or take the longer Arle Valley Trail, then turn right and continue along the footpath. Pass the bottom of The Dean and continue along the riverside path.

Bordering the river is a fine strand of chestnut trees as well as a number of alders, from which Alresford seems to take its name. The Saxon name was " a ford where the alder trees grow." and the river Arle or Alre takes its name from this.

Look out for the grave of Hambone Junior, canine friend of American soldiers billeted near to Alresford prior to D-Day in 1944.

 

150 metres from The Dean you will reach a kissing gate. This is where the 1.6 mile Arle Valley Trail leaves the Millennium Trail to continue down the valley. To continue on the Millennium Trail pass through the gate and turn right along the footpath.To follow the directions for the Millennium Trail click here

The Arle Valley Trail

Within a three mile radius of St John's the parish church there are some 55 miles of roads and 60 miles of paths and tracks. Many of these are hundreds of years old and owe their existence to the routes used when walking to or from work or on longer journey's. The Arle Valley Trail gives you an opportunity to see at closer hand some of the lovely countryside that surrounds Alresford. Also, for the more adventurous, the trail leads to two opportunities for longer walks if you so wish.

You will see from the map above that this trail starts at the north-west corner of the Millennium Trail at the bottom of the Arlebury Recreation Ground. At this point follow the footpath going west along the bank of the River Alre.

As you walk along the river bank you will cross a number of small streams flowing under the footpath. They are now used to take water to the adjacent fish farm, but in earlier times one of them, called Ram Stream, led water to an intake chamber from which 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 Arle and continue down the other bank.

You have now crossed the parish boundary and are in Old Alresford. As you climb up the slope you reach an area called New England; quite why we have been unable to discover - perhaps there is some unknown link to America. The two cottages on your left are know as New England Cottages, built in 1700. Records show that in 1891 they were occupied by agricultural labourers from the Arlebury Estate, a family of five in one and an elderly couple with a lodger in the other.

Please keep to the footpath at this point as it skirts a private parking area.

As you walk beyond the cottages you will see a footpath in the field on your right. If you want a bird's-eye view of Alresford and the upper Arle Valley climb this path, cross the road and continue 100 metres up the next field before you look hack over the town. If you continue on this route you will join a series of paths and tracks that allow extensive walks in the countryside to the north.

For those returning to the Arle Valley Trail, turn right and continue along the bottom edge of the field.

Along this stretch there are a number of opportunities to look across the extensive lakes and ponds that form the Arle Valley fishery. Many arc of recent construction, hut the oldest date back to the 18th century when they were created for the pleasure of the owners of Arlebury House.

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

About 200 metres down Drove Lane you re-cross the river and on your right are the water meadows referred to on the board at the beginning of the trail. The river here was used in the Second World War by tanks practicing river crossings, hardly a challenge compared to the rivers of Europe.

A further 350 metres brings you to Winchester Road, formerly a turnpike road, where you turn left, back towards the town.

The remainder of the trail is along the footpath on The Avenue, probably one of the most pleasant approaches to any town in Hampshire or indeed England. originally a recreation area for the town owned by the Bishop of Winchester, for the last century it has been looked after by the Town Trustees. In spring time the many beds of daffodils planted by the Rotary Club line the walk and in summer the two lines of mature limes give pleasant shade. part way along you will pass Turnpike House a fine red-brick hexagonal building that was originally a tollhouse.

Rejoin the Millennium Trail at the gates of Arlebury Park Recreation Ground.

Arlebury Park

You are now in the town's Arlebury Park Recreation Ground. As you climb the slope, on your right is the 18th century Arlebury Park, now private apartments, but once the "big house" of New Alresford, although with no one family in continuous residence. Looking back to the north-east the church tower you can see is that of St. Mary's Old Alresford parish church.

When you reach the gate to the recreation ground, turn left. Here the Arle Valley Trail, which runs along The Avenue, rejoins the Millennium Trail. Do not miss the information board just to the left of the gates.

 

The Dean junction with Pound Hill

As you turn left you will walk under the last of a splendid avenue of lime trees planted in the 19th century. At the end of The Avenue you will walk down Pound Hill, the site of a 'pound' for stray animals. It was also the location of a Hurdle House where hurdles for the sheep markets were stored. The house below the Running Horse is a good example of an early 18th century house.

As you cross the top of The Dean, immediately on your left is the original Perins School building. In 1697 Dr Henry Perin founded Perin's Grammar School located here until 1932 when it moved to its present site, that you have just passed on the opposite side of the road.

In the remaining walk up West Street you will notice, as in Broad Street, a number of small lanes which were associated with Alresford's brewing trade. At one time the town is reputed to have had 32 pubs; two old coaching inns, The Bell and The Swan remain.

East Street

The walk ends as it began by passing through the churchyard. Perhaps you might also spare a moment to look into East Street or Ram Alley, as it used to be called, here you will find more shops and Georgian houses, before having a cup of tea or a bite to eat before returning to your car or the station?