Hambledon – the cradle of cricket

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Our view

"Explore Hambledon, the village that nurtured the English summer game more than two centuries ago."

Walk directions

From the village hall turn left along the street into the village centre and turn left opposite The Old Post Office towards the parish church. Follow the public footpath to the right, through the churchyard to Church Lane. Take the road opposite, to the right of the primary school, then, where it turns left, keep ahead along the well waymarked public footpath.

Cross a drive and proceed straight on between the fruit bushes of Hambledon Vineyard. Cross a stile ahead of you and turn left onto a track. Keep straight on along the footpath. In 65yds (59m), go through a kissing gate on your right and head towards the right-hand edge of trees opposite.

Pass through a kissing gate and bear right through the trees into a field. Turn left along the field edge and continue across the field, heading towards two aerials on the horizon, to cross a road via a gap in the hedge. You are now in Ridge Meadow, the modern home of Hambledon Cricket Club.

Keep to the right-hand edge of the ground and exit in the corner. Walk along a fence dividing two fields. Cross a field, and continue with woodland on your right. At the end of the woods turn right through the hedge, by a waymarker. Go across a large field in a north easterly direction to a gap by a gate. Join a track ahead leading to Hermitage Farm and follow the drive to the road.

Turn right and walk for 0.5 miles (800m) to where a footpath crosses the road. Turn left and go left around the field edge then turn at waymarker to walk between two fields. Turn sharp right along the edge of the next field and when the field ends take a few steps to the left and follow adjoining field edge on your right to a stile and the road. Turn right to The Bat and Ball, cricket ground (with its memorial stone) and crossroads.

Turn right, then after 250yds (229m), opposite the road to Chidden, cross the stile left. Head uphill across the field to a stile and turn right along a track, waymarked ‘Monarch’s Way’. Follow the track through a small pine plantation and across Broadhalfpenny Down to Scotland Cottage. Where the drive bears right at the end of the lawn, turn left at the fingerpost and immediately right along a tree-lined path. Descend to a track and turn sharp right at a fingerpost.

Go right, then left and after 250yds (229m) turn right along the track to Glidden Farm. Turn left just beyond a pond, cross a stile and go through a gate to bear right at a barn, and keep to the track across fields and two kissing gates. Walk beside telephone poles, through a kissing gate and across a stile and track. Keep alongside the poles to a gate and leave the field. Walk alongside a field and keep left of some fir trees on a grassy track.

Go through the gate to the rear of outbuildings (Stud Farm) onto the access road. With your back to the farm, bear right down a narrow path along a paddock to a road next to Rose Cottage. Turn right and keep left steeply downhill back into Hambledon. Turn left through the village back to the village hall.

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Location

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Field paths, farm tracks and stretches of road, 6 stiles

Landscape - Rolling farmland and chalk downland

Dog friendliness - Keep dogs under control at all times

Parking - Street parking near Hambledon village centre

Toilets en route - None on route

Walks in Hampshire Dog-friendly walks in Hampshire

About the walk

Hambledon is steeped in cricketing history. Broadhalfpenny Down, 2 miles (3.2km) north-east of the village, has echoed with the sound of leather on willow since 1750, a time when the game was played with a curved bat and two forked sticks as stumps. Although cricket had been played in other parts...

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Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

Find out more

Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

Learn more

Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

About the area

Hampshire’s varied landscape of hills and heaths, downlands and forests, valleys and coast are without rival in southern England. Hike across the chalk downland of the north Hampshire ‘highlands’, meander along peaceful paths through unspoilt river valleys of the Test, Itchen, Avon and Meon, or explore the lonely salt marshes and the beautiful medieval forest and heathland of the New Forest.