|
The Hangers Way is a 21 mile linear path which runs from Alton Railway Station through a series of steep-sided wooded hills, known as "The Hangers", to the market town of Petersfield and beyond to the South Downs at Queen Elizabeth Country Park
The name Hanger derives from the old English "Hangra", meaning a wooded slope. The Hangers are of international importance for their ecology and also lie within the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which extends beyond the South Downs. They have been described as probably the richest woodlands on the English chalk.
The long distance path passes through some of the most beautiful and varied scenery in Hampshire. This is an ancient and intimate countryside of wooded hillsides, downland, farmland and deep sunken lanes, celebrated by the naturalist Gilbert White of Selborne and the local poet Edward Thomas.
Here the chalk which covers the central and northern parts of Hampshire abruptly ends in a scarp slope falling a hundred metres or more to give way to farmland and a line of woodland.
Walking The Hangers Way
The walk can start or finish at Alton Railway Station or Queen Elizabeth Country Park. The route is well signed with finger posts and way marking discs.
A book entitled "The Hangers Way" by Richard Kenchington plus a series of comprehensive information leaflets on this walk and other Long Distance Paths in Hampshire, detailing routes and additional useful information are all available from HCC Information Centres and Local Information Points.
|
