The Hawkley and Happersnapper Hanger Banger

The view of the South Downs from Ashford Hangers is said to be one of the best in the country. Attaining such a goal should be a challenge and it is, due to a short but very steep ascent up Shoulder of Mutton Hill. That said, we'll take it slowly and the other ascents on the walk will be minor in comparison. The hangers (Ashford, Happersnapper and Hawkley), their beech trees turning gold, might be murky and mysterious in the mist, but the villages (Steep, Priors Dean and Hawkley) are cosy and comfortable, which is good because we'll be having lunch on Hawkley village green. Oh, and according to Urban Dictionary, 'banger' is slang for something awesome, but you guessed that.

The sights:

Ashford Hangers - Shoulder of Mutton Hill: 'In the distance we can see the long ridge of the South Downs floating comfortably across the horizon...But above the village of Steep the hills seem to lose all discipline. The greensand ridges of the Hampshire Downs argue with each other. Escarpments bunch and jostle. Beech woods cling to the slopes in dramatic clumps known as hangers...The area is known from its contours as Little Switzerland, though Little Tuscany might be more appropriate' (Simon Jenkins: England's Hundred Best Views). Evoked and mythologised by local poet Edward Thomas (who died at Arras in 1917), we'll see his monument - a sarsen stone - at the viewpoint. 

Bedales School: Founded in 1893, one of the most expensive private schools in the country, charging almost as much as Eton (its fees are over £42,000 pa for senior boarders), but known for its relaxed, liberal, progressive ethos, its fashionable parents and its famous alumni such as Lily Allen, Daniel Day-Lewis and Alan Jay Lerner. Grounds with playing fields, meadows, pasture and woodland. Grade I-listed library and hall in Arts and Crafts style, 1911; main buildings, 1907.

Steep: Scattered village of late C19/early C20 and Crafts houses (such as Little Langleys and Ashford Chace, both 1912). All Saints Church is 12th-14th century but received an Arts and Crafts makeover in 1875. The hamlet of Steep Marsh contains a number of oast houses and hop kilns. We'll walk past the house at Steep Marsh that Sir Alec Guinness lived in.

Priors Dean: An abandoned medieval hamlet tucked into a wooded valley. The church (no dedication) is a tiny, early-Norman (1120-1130) delight, and is all that remains of the settlement. Manor Farmhouse (1656) is attractive.

Hawkley: Small village with timber-framed, brick and clunch buildings around a green. The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a major work by the eminent Victorian architect Samuel Sanders Teulon. Built in 1864-5 in an Italian-Romanesque cum Byzantine style. The tall tower has a Rhenish helm top like Sompting Church in Sussex. There is exuberant carving of foliage inside and Minton tiles in the chancel. 

The route (click the link to see it):

Following the Hangers Way north out of Petersfield, we'll cross over the A3 and emerge at Steep, next to Bedales School. Continuing on the Hangers Way, we'll pass Little Langleys and Ashford Chace houses then begin our ascent of Shoulder of Mutton Hill through Ashford Hangers. Then, at the top, we'll follow the Old Litten Lane byway to Trooper Bottom, Hill Farm and Happersnapper Hanger which is where we'll steeply descend the plateau. Following lanes heading north to Oakshott Farm, we'll reach Priors Dean and at Manor Farm, turn north east to reach and descend Hawkley Hanger. Having crossed fields we'll be at Hawkley for lunch. After lunch we'll follow the Hangers Way and lanes heading south to Steep Marsh where we'll pick up the Shipwrights Way and cross over the Ashford Stream and A3 to go back into Petersfield. The sun will have set before this, but we'll be under streetlights.

Dogs:

I welcome dogs on all my walks and this walk is most suitable for them. It has a few fields with livestock, but is of moderate length. There are also a few stiles and roads to negotiate. A dog must be obedient if it is off the lead. 

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(Picture credits: Stoner Hill, Hampshire Hangers, England: Photo © Weesam (cc-by-nc-sa 2.0 Deed); View south from Wheetham Hill: Photo © Basher Eyre (cc-by-sa/2.0); Ashford farm and Farmland from Shoulder of Mutton Hill: Photo © Martyn Pattison (cc-by-sa/2.0); Ashford Hangers: Photo © N Chadwick (cc-by-sa/2.0).Path heading from Steep village to Northfield Wood:  Photo © Basher Eyre (cc-by-sa/2.0); Hawkley Hanger: Photo © Robin Webster (cc-by-sa/2.0); Autumn on the green at Hawkley: Photo © Basher Eyre (cc-by-sa/2.0); Footpath to Oakshott Hanger leads off minor road: Photo © Shazz (cc-by-sa/2.0); Autumn at a lane junction: Photo © Robin Webster (cc-by-sa/2.0); Kettlewell Meadow by Basher Eyre: Photo © Basher Eyre (cc-by-sa/2.0). All pictures are copyrighted but are licensed for reuse under Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 2.0 or Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0 DEED and are here attributed to their copyright holders.)