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THE
WALK
Distance:
6
miles
Grid reference at start: SU340686
Time: 2.5-3.5 hours
Going: Hard
Parking: Car park in the centre of Hungerford and in
car park at Combe Gibbet.
BBC
BERKSHIRE WALKING AND SAFETY
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From
Hungerford station, pass the Railway Tavern pub on your left following
the road up the hill.
At
the t-junction with Howard's pet care opposite, turn left walking
past the police station.
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| Leave
the Common through the gate to the left of the cattle grid |
Walk
past the Downgate pub on your right.
Walk
through the pedestrian gate, alongside the cattlegrid, and onto
Hungerford Common.
Turn
right onto the path across the common.
Then
veer diagonally left, off the path and across the Common, heading
towards Inkpen gate.
Once
you're about half way across the common, you can see the sign for
the cattlegrid at the other end of the common.
Head
for this.
Once
you reach the concrete road, turn right and walk through Inkpen
gate, alongside the cattlegrid.
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| Head
for the cattle grid at the far end of the Common |
Stay
on the road, passing a turning to Sanham Green on the right.
The
road is quite winding and busy, so take extra care.
When
the road bends sharp left, go straight on following the public footpath
sign.
Passing
a barn and several red brick houses on your left.
Stay
on the tarmac road and ignore any other footpath signs.
You
can see Inkpen Hill and Gallows Downs ahead, and slightly to the
left.
Keep
on this road for one mile, you'll see a large corregated barn ahead
on the right, which houses a light aircraft.
Continue
on the road, passing Anvill's farm house on the right.
Just
past the farm buildings, there are some redbrick houses on your
left, turn right down the footpath.
Look
out for the footpath sign to your left. before you reach the woods.
Turn
left onto the footpath, with the woods on your right.
You're
now on a section of the Berkshire Circular Route.
Head
across the field. You'll see two gates ahead. Go to the one on the
left hand side and cross the stile into the next field.
Follow
the fenceline on your left, across another stile.
Keep
on going, past the silver birch trees, and you can see Inkpen beacon
on your right.
Go
through the kissing-gate, and pass in front of stables on your left
and tennis courts on your right.
This
is Totterdown House.
Take
the path that takes you along the connifer hedge, the path follows
the route of the drive and you soon end up back on the drive.
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| Follow
the drive away from the house |
Follow
the drive downhill, the drive comes out onto Sadler's Road.
Cross
the road and go over the style opposite you.
This
takes you along a tree-lined path.
Go
over another stile and keep on the track to the left.
Go
over another stile and you go into Inkpen Lower Green.
Turn
right onto the road.
Keep
going on the road, ignoring the first footpath sign to the right.
Pass
the Old Craven Arms house on the left.
Take
the footpath on the right, just by Holme Dean.
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| Follow
this path between two fields |
You're
now on Sands Drove Track, where you meet another track turn left.
Turn
right when you meet the road.
Follow
the road to Ham and Shalbourne.
As
you're leaving Penn, past the sign, follow the footpath to the left.
Gallows
Down is now right ahead of you.
Continue
on the footpath, now signposted to your right.
You
can now see Combe Gibbet on the left end of Gallows Down - your
destination on this part of the walk.
Ignore
the public bridleway to the right, and continue on the track through
the tunnel of trees.
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| Walk
through the tunnel of trees and gear yourself up for a steep
climb! |
As
you come out of the trees, there's a steep climb ahead of you, as
you make your way to the top of Gallows Down.
The
path up onto the downs is not easy to follow, but when you do reach
the top, look for a gate to the right, which takes you onto the
Test Way.
Turn
left onto the Test Way.
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| You
can see this copse of trees from the top |
Make
your way along the ridge, past Combe Gibbet, and onto the car park
you can already see in the distance.
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| Combe
Gibbet where they used to hang people |
You've
completed
Part Two of the Berkshire Way
Well
Done!
Berkshire
Way Part Three
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