Overton to Oakley in the steps of Jane Austen

2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth at Steventon Rectory, Hampshire. This circular walk starting in Overton visits the village, and a number of other places well-known to the writer in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The sights:

Overton: The town's claim to fame is as a centre for paper-making, with Portals opening their first mill between Overton & Whitchurch in 1712. Overton Mill (behind the station) was opened in 1922 producing banknote paper for the Bank of England and 150 other currencies, and was a major employer in the area. Sadly, the mill was closed in 2022 because of declining profitability, with many currencies now being printed on plastic rather than paper.

Steventon: This small village was the birthplace of novelist Jane Austen in 1775, and she lived there until 1801. Her father was rector for 44 years of St Nicholas' Church, and much of Jane's earlier life was spent in the Steventon - Deane - Ashe area.

Oakley: Although an ancient settlement mentioned in the Domesday Book, much of Oakley now consists of modern housing development and the population has soared to over 5,000.

Deane: This tiny hamlet gives its name to the local authority of 'Basingstoke & Deane' as the smallest settlement in the district, with Basingstoke obviously being the largest. Deane House, built in 1786, sits in a wooded park of 70 acres, and was visited by Austen on a number of occasions. All Saints Church was rebuilt in the Gothic style in 1818-20 after the previous medieval church became unsafe.

Ashe: This parish of about 200 people is the source of the River Test, which rises just to the west of the village. Holy Trinity Church was rebuilt in 1878-9 by George Gilbert Scott junior, replacing a much older building well-known to Austen.

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

From Overton station, we will walk the mile or so down Station Road into the village centre, where there will be a short opportunity to get supplies. We will leave Overton on Waltham Road before heading along country paths past Berrydown Farm, Berrydown Copse and Upper Ashe to reach Steventon. Leaving the village under the railway, we will follow the path past Ashe Park Copse and through Oakley Park to reach the lunch spot at Oakley Pond.

After the break, we will head south up and out of Oakley to reach the Wayfarer's Walk at Bull's Bushes Copse, and follow this path north-west over the B3400 to reach Deane. From here, we turn west, passing through Deane Park, Ashe, and the source of the River Test, to reach the outskirts of Overton and Station Road.

Dogs

Well-behaved dogs are welcome on this walk, and this is suitable for them, with few obstacles to negotiate. However, where we encounter grazing livestock or need to cross or walk along roads, dogs must be on a lead. This particularly applies at Deane Park, where there are grazing sheep, and when we cross the fast B3400 at Deane Gate.

At all other times, a dog off the lead must be obedient.

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Photos: White Hart Hotel, Overton (top of page) / Steventon parish boundary / Overton station car park / London Road, Overton / Winchester Street, Overton / Railway tunnel west of Steventon / Steventon / Vineyard, Oakley Park / Oakley pond / Deane House / All Saints Church, Deane / Holy Trinity Church, Ashe / Source of the River Test.

All photos taken by the leader 7th September 2024 and permission given to OutdoorLads for use.