Beacon Hill and the Meon Valley Railway

This circular walk is an exploration of the beautiful Meon Valley in rural central Hampshire. On the way, we'll encounter a link with the home of cricket, spectacular views from a high point of the South Downs, an ancient Saxon church and a long abandoned railway.

The sights

West Meon: A village of less than 1,000 people on the A32 lying half-way between Alton & Fareham. Thomas Lord, the founder of Lord's Cricket Ground, died in the village in 1832 and is buried in the churchyard of St John the Evangelist. The local pub is named after him.

Beacon Hill National Nature Reserve: This 99-acre site lies at the western end of the South Downs and is an outstanding example of chalk grassland with areas of woodland & scrub. It supports a wide variety of flowers and 25 species of butterfly.

Beacon Hill: At 201m (659 feet), this chalk escarpment on the South Downs offers superb views over to the Solent and the hills of the Isle of Wight beyond, some 25 miles away. See if you can spot the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth!

Corhampton Saxon Church: Despite a population of a little over 500, the parish of Corhampton & Meonstoke boasts two ancient churches a quarter of a mile apart on either bank of the River Meon. The older of these is grade 1 listed Corhampton Church. Dating from the reign of Canute in 1020, it is a rare example of an almost complete 2-cell Saxon church. Built on a mound next to the river, it is unusual in not having any dedication to a saint.

Meon Valley Railway: This was constructed between 1898 and 1903 by the London & South Western Railway to connect Alton and Fareham at a cost of some £400,000 (maybe £50 million now). The rationale behind its construction was partly to prevent the rival Great Western Railway trying to extend its own services from Basingstoke down to Portsmouth. Apart from wartime use, the line was never a commercial success, and passenger services ceased in 1955 and freight in 1968. In 2014, Hampshire County Council and the South Downs National Park Authority cleared the track bed of vegetation to create an all-purpose trail.

The route (please click the link in red to see it):

From West Meon station, we will head down Station Road to cross the A32 and visit St John's church. We will then head westwards along field boundaries above the Meon to reach Warnford. After a short section of metalled road, there will be a steady ascent along the Monarch's Way to reach the high point of the walk at Beacon Hill. We then follow the South Downs Way steeply downhill to reach the villages of Exton, Corhampton & Meonstoke where we will stop for lunch.

After the break, we will head through Meonstoke to drop down onto the Meon Valley Trail for the last 3km/2 mile section back to West Meon station.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome on this walk, but if we encounter grazing livestock or walk along roads, a lead must be used. This particularly applies at the two points where we have to cross the busy A32. At other times, a dog off the lead must be obedient. Depending on the exact route I take, there are 3 or 6 stiles on the walk which you & your dog will have to negotiate. The Buck's Head pub at lunchtime is dog-friendly.

IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement

You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.

Photo credits:

West Meon station; St John's Church West Meon; the Meon at Warnford; Monarch's Way at Wheely Down; view of Beacon Hill NNR; information board about NNR; view south from trig point on Beacon Hill; Corhampton Saxon Church; Bucks Head PH, Meonstoke; Hayden Lane Bridge on Meon Valley Trail.

All images taken by the walk leader 20th January 2024.