Start of the New Lipchis Way (N.L.W.). Misread it as 'Lichen', but looking it up it's a combo of Liphook (start) & Chichester (end). Shops at station but only a bakery that sold provisions. Over railway bridge & follow pavement until past school on left, then at junction cross both roads & enter woods.
Follow dirt path in woods, keep trench & ridge to left. Avoid leaving path until slow left bend (see signs & start of conif. trees in front at turn). Up to road track, through barrier & straight until road track turns right, but continue straight on off road track (leaving N.L.W.) slight right then down. Now turn right.
Glory be green! rather spoils you this next short section - don't expect all your walks to be this nice. Can sometimes hear chu-chu from Hollycombe Steam Collection in distance. At junction with another road track take right and follow to rejoin N.L.W. (can look back to road track you could have followed).
Find gate here, read notices informing you of upcoming Motorcross events (or even hear them - told you not to expect much) but your walking on public bridleways so onward brave souls. Take left onto roadtrack to forestry clearing and quickly across to exit left down sunken lane.
Now leaving Stanley Common down a fairly steep, deep cut, sunken lane. You can get some nice views across working field over to Black Down - if you can scramble up steep sides. When the lane levels out at bottom, before farm house, are bluebells in light woods. After house cross road lane and find footpath.
Footpath runs next to some sort of power generators? Anyway, more importantly, path entrance gets lots of nettles (so find a stick) but within 200m your back onto nice dirt track in coniferous woods. N.L.W. takes footpath left at fork, next short section is sometimes delightfully overgrown with grasses.
Enter large forestry clearing which although ugly allows views back and to left. Meet & take bridleway right. Follow wooden fence across field to large farm houses & pond. Onto road track for brief period until stile into open field (with horses) then exit into narrow wood with more bluebells.
Slight opening with ferns & lots of tracks, so navigate carefully. I take the tower as guide to find path for start of climb up out of valley. Views back as you climb into conif. woods. Onto wide track at turn right, then slow left turn to exit through barrier & onto small road. Road up to viewpoint is deep cut, take care.
Complex views here defeated my ipod camera (always blame tools). Seat allows relaxed packed lunch and time to take in view, also time to bid farewell to the New Lipchis Way. Its a steep down from here - although once was passed by jogger. Down to house and footpath across roads.
Here find sign for the Serpent Trail (S.T.) & continue down hill. At bottom find footpath - now someone's tarmacked driveway and follow begrudgingly to road, then cross. Enter nice but bit boggy woods & common (it is called Steadham Marsh) until house & working garden.
Footpath here dissects working garden and entrance is slightly hidden up drive way, then right before entering the actual house. Cross through garden, say hello to guard llamas, after exiting (and closing gate) do sharp left and climb up to enter large cow field at top of bank.
Field can get quite muddy across here - can't remember how you avoid mud (if you stay at top following fence or dive down into field) Anyway, nice views start appearing out to right. As bank curves to left start heading toward road and small graveyard below.
After crossing road enter fields then enter Kingsham Woods. Here are yet more bluebells. After woods join tarmac drive past more llama and house then over small bridge spanning Hammer Stream to cross-roads. Cross and follow road past house on left and find footpath heading up into woods.
Hear Kite whistles overhead & look out for deer as you climb into coniferous woods. At top meet cross-roads, take road right, around field. Views out across field. Find path entrance on left and rise into a narrow 'rampart' with steep slope up to left & heavy foliage right, hiding what would be great views.
Watch out for over exaggerated left then right turn, which map doesn't show so well. As you enter Fyning Hill Farm route sadly starts turning Grey. The end of this route highlights a problem I find with ending walks - I either start rushing back to meet train time-table or I've got lost and start panicking.
First time I did this walk I continued to follow the Serpent Trail from here, and it does cut out most of the roads, but getting back onto the main road by Clayton Court was a bit dangerous (see note later) So with the time ticking I decided to try and save some, by just walking with the road. (duh!)
First part of road of is OK, with wide enough verges and hardly any traffic. Its the bits after not taking the S.T. that become more & more reckless. First you have to cross busy junction then verges become smaller with traffic getting faster. Around here though was opening into Private woods to left. Sorry.
Back on road, but pavement up ahead at houses. At cross-roads see right for deep-cut road, sans verges, which you would have to take from the S.T. Did some recon & better route is keeping on the S.T & head north past Rake Hanger, coming off via path to cross B2070, then back to Huntsbottom Lane.
As route name suggests it goes from Green paths, through Bluebells woods then turns Grey with the roads. Liss has more shops than Liphook, with a certain chained mini-market and friendly small newsagents + pub + chippy + Chinese. Enough things to do if just missed hourly train on Sundays.
