The walk on Sunday 11th September had been added to the programme at very short notice after a strange week in which we'd had more rain than we'd had in the previous four months, we'd changed our Prime Minister, and had lost a much-loved Monarch.
Eight of us met up for this walk, which was based on half of a figure-of-eight walk I'd led years ago, but with some new sections added to break up the long section of canal towpath and add some extra variety to the walk. Starting from Odiham Wharf, we followed the towpath of the Basingstoke Canal as far as Wilk's Water, a fishing pond, where we diverted into Odiham Common.
Here we stopped to look at King John's Hunting Lodge, with its impressive three-gabled façade. It is thought to have been built in the 1730s as a house for the gamekeeper at the nearby Dogmersfield Estate. (A bit fancy for a game keeper's cottage!)
Our route took us round the side of this building, which is much less impressive than the front, and then across the common to Bagwell Lane. This we followed for a short distance before crossing two open fields and following the edge of some woodland at Swan's Farm.
Before we re-joined the canal, we came across a military pillbox - a hexagonal blockhouse with a gun hole in each side. This one was in good condition so some of us took a look inside. We then discussed why this mini fortress should be defending the canal. No one had a good answer. We crossed the canal on Sandy Hill Bridge and followed a woodland footpath above the canal for the short distance to Sprat's Hatch Bridge, which we crossed and descended to the canal towpath.
Following the towpath for about half a mile and under two more bridges, we left the canal at Stacey's Bridge and crossed a field into woodland. Turning right at Hellet's Copse, we crossed more fields before rejoining the canal towpath near Barley Mow Bridge.
After a mile and a half, we left the canal and entered Dogmersfield Park, stopping by Tundry Pond to have our picnic lunch. There were a lot of geese and quite a few ducks on the water, and we noticed two or three herons at the water's edge.
After finishing our lunch, we crossed Dogmersfield Park and then Forest Park, where a twisty woodland path brought us to Broad Oak - a tiny hamlet of very expensive-looking houses. We followed Broad Oak Lane to Broad Oak Bridge, back on the Basingstoke Canal again. It was then a matter of retracing our outward route along the towpath, back to the car park where we'd started. See our route on Google Maps.
Most of us opted for a post-walk drink at the nearby Waterwitch pub, whose large beer garden backs onto the canal. After the drinks, we said our goodbyes, some going home while others went to explore the picturesque village of Odiham.
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