GPS Cycle and Walking Routes

Chawton Park Wood

5 miles (8 km)

Enjoy a circular walk around this large area of woodland in Hampshire. The woods are located just to the west of the town of Alton and have miles of footpaths, tracks and bridleways to try.
You can start the walk at the south western corner of the woods where there is a public car park (postcode GU34 5ED). It's located close to Medstead and Four Marks Railway Station so you could also start from their if you prefer.
From the car park you can pick up the trails heading east towards Chawton village before following alternative trails back to form a circular walk. It's a peaceful spot and very pretty in the spring where there are lots of bluebells to see. Also keep your eyes for a variety of woodland birds as you make your way along the trails.

Postcode

GU34 5ED - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Chawton Park Wood OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Chawton Park Wood Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

Head into Chawton and you could visit The Greyfriar for some post walk refreshments. The historic pub dates all the way back to the 16th century and the time of the Spanish Armada. They do very good food and also have a lovely secluded garden area if the weather is fine. It's in a nice location, near the village green and directly opposite the former home of Jane Austen. You can find it on Winchester Road at postcode GU34 1SB for your sat navs.

Dog Walking

The woods are ideal for dog walking so you're bound to bump into other owners with their dogs on a fine day. The Greyfriar pub mentioned above is also dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

After exploring the woods you can enjoy a walk around the pretty village of Chawton. Here you'll find the noteworthy Chawton House where Jane Austen wrote some of her novels. The 400-year-old Elizabethan manor house houses a collection of over 9,000 volumes, together with some related manuscripts.
In Alton you can pick up the Hangers Way and continue your walking on the South Downs.
Selborne Common is also just a few miles away and has some more nice woodland trails to try.

Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby

Photos

Chawton Park Woods - geograph.org.uk - 148392

Chawton Park Woods. Most of the wood seems to be conifers but the park is quite old with Park Pales marked on the map

Picnic Area at Chawton Park Woods - geograph.org.uk - 148394

Picnic Area at Chawton Park Woods. There is a car park here a short way from the A31. It provides good access to the walks in the woods. Unfortunately the picnic benches seem to have vanished!

Cycle path near Chawton Park Woods - geograph.org.uk - 148384

Cycle path near Chawton Park Woods. This path has been recently upgraded to form a traffic free route between Alton and Four Marks. It's now good enough for my normal bike as well as mountain bikes.

Chawton Park Farm - geograph.org.uk - 148377

Chawton Park Farm. A lovely spot in a quiet valley quite near Alton. There is a duck pond, sheep in a barn and lovely fields. There is now a cycle path up through the woods to Four Marks.

Chawton Manor - geograph.org.uk - 936449

Chawton Manor

Chawton House - geograph.org.uk - 1160151

Chawton House. The Manor House on a rare public open day.

Chawton - geograph.org.uk - 1411716

Chawton village. To the left of the Greyhound pub is a terrace of listed cottages of the late C18

Jane Austen's House - geograph.org.uk - 23041

Jane Austen's House. Jane Austen lived here with her mother and sister Cassandra.The house belonged to one of her brothers, an officer in the Royal Navy. She wrote a couple of her novels here including Mansfield Park. It was here that she took ill and travelled to Winchester where she died in her doctors house, close to the precincts of Winchester Cathedral.

GPS Files

GPX File

Chawton Park Wood.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Chawton Park Wood.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)