On Sunday 15th June we completed part two of the Test Way, which started at St Mary Bourne and ended at West Down, near Chilbolton. Four of us met up at West Down, where we left three of the cars and travelled to St Mary Bourne in the fourth.
We joined the Test Way by the village shop and playing field. We followed it southward to Berrydown Farm and then south-west to Lower Wyke Farm, where it joined a lane, which crossed over a railway line on a small road bridge.
Continuing south-east, past Faulkner's Down Farm, we entered Harewood Forest on our way to Middleton, near Longparish. We stopped for lunch by a field of broad beans in Middleton Farm.
After lunch we followed the edge of a wheat field into the village of Middleton, where the Test Way turned south-west again. Following a lane through the village, we came across a mermaid in someone's garden!
On leaving Middleton, we followed an official detour of the Test Way. This took us onto a road bridge over the busy A303. The original route of the Test Way actually crossed the dual carriageway! There are signs on the road warning motorists of pedestrians crossing but I still think they'd be pretty surprised to see people walking across it. The detour seamed a very sensible alteration to the route.
After struggling along an overgrown footpath that ran alongside the road, we turn off westward following a footpath by Pachington Farm. This deserted place felt slightly sinister as there were odd 'Keep Out' signs that mentioned biocontainment areas. There was also a large piggery that was deathly silent.
Anyway, we carried on following the Test Way through the southern part of Harewood Forest, then south and downhill into Wherwell - a very picturesque village full of old thatched cottages. Following the markers for the Test Way through the village, we approached the River Test.
This was the first part of the walk where we could actually see the River Test close up. In fact the Test Way crossed the river on a long wooden bridge, taking us into Chilbolton Cow Common. This is obviously a popular spot for families to enjoy the countryside. We saw children playing in and around the river, and a small boy with a plastic toy lawnmower trying to mow the meadow.
From there it was less than a mile to the car park at West Down. See our route on Bing Maps. After the walk I drove our leader, Diane, back to her car in St Mary Bourne while the other two drove straight home. The Test Way is certainly varied, but we saw surprisingly little of the River Test. I believe that part three follows the river much more closely.
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