Haslemere – Liphook, Rail to Ramble

Explore the heathland of Marley, Lynchmere and Stanley commons

As well as being a charming market town, Haslemere offers an important gateway to the South Downs National Park.

This walk begins at Haslemere Railway Station and follows roads, lanes, tracks and footpaths to finish in Liphook Railway Station or (combine with the Liss to Liphook Rail to Ramble to finish in) Liss Railway Station.
Some short steep climbs and one steep descent. Uneven surfaces – take care crossing or walking along roads/lanes.

Getting here

By rail: South Western Railway service between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour. Visit nationalrail.co.uk for details.
By bus: Visit traveline.info for details of services.

The route incorporates long sections of the Serpent Trail, which ‘snakes’ its way 64 miles from Haslemere to Petersfield. Designed to showcase the heathland habitat and outstanding landscape of the greensand hills, their wildlife, history and conservation, it passes through the purple heather, green woods and golden valleys of Sussex. The Sussex Border Path, another long distance footpath featured here, takes 150 miles to circumnavigate the Sussex border using the most scenic and unspoilt pathways.

Discover Heathlands

The Heathlands Reunited project is a partnership of 11 organisations working from 2016-2021 to create bigger, better, joined up heathlands supported by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The project aim is to expand, create new and improve existing heathland to cover an area greater than 1,200 football pitches. The project is also working to re-engage and inspire communities to visit their local heathlands, learn more about them and work together to protect them for future generations to enjoy.

Heaths are home to amazing wildlife such as the Dartford warbler and the sand lizard that don’t live anywhere else. Increasingly, heathlands have been separated into ‘islands’ where plants and animals have become isolated and are vulnerable to extinction.

Haslemere Community Rail Partnership

A joint venture committed to promoting Haslemere as a destination and as a gateway to the South Downs National Park and the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Among its many activities, the Rail Partnership has developed a series of walks designed to encourage people to leave their cars behind to discover the beautiful countryside by public transport.

Directions

1. Leave station forecourt. Cross into Longdene Rd opposite. Climb this residential street and keep straight on at the bend into Hedgehog Lane.
2. Turn right onto a footpath opposite a house called Ridgeways. Continue through a gate and cross a field, then take the stile by Sturt Farm to join the road.
3. Cross road diagonally to the right, go through railings and down steep path onto residential Sturt Ave. Continue until T junction, turn right and cross road to bus shelter.
4. Turn right and then turn left at the fingerpost. Head uphill on steep wooded footpath to Marley Common, continuing at first and second marker posts. You are now within the South Downs National Park. At third marker post bear right and go through a gate marked ‘3’. Continue on to a 5 bar gate.
5. Go through gate and cross multi-lane junction bearing right on a tarmac lane marked as the Serpent Trail. Follow the path straight ahead, passing the Lynchmere Society information board which is worth a read.
6. Pass a sign for house ‘Harboury’ and continue on the wooded Sussex Border Path until reaching a tarmac lane.
7. Cross over the lane and the grassy triangle and bear right to the road (heading towards Liphook).
8. Walk along the road. Pass Danley Lane on the left and then bearing left, go through a 5 bar gate and follow the Sussex Border Path onto Lynchmere Common.
9. The Sussex Border Path joins the Serpent Trail. Turn right at the next finger post (with some cattle pens on your right). As you enter the open common turn left and follow the power lines for 3 posts.
10. Continue past a turning to the right and then bear right through some birch trees to a marker post for the Sussex Border Path. Continue on this rough path through the heath to the bottom of the hill.
11. Bear left before the 5 bar gate to a wooden bench by a spring fed pond. The path climbs here. Continue straight on at the fingerpost and keep going alongside the fence on an undulating path, still on the Sussex Border Path/Serpent Trail.
12. Turn right at 4 way junction, climbing uphill. Bear right at the top onto a wide track, which soon becomes well surfaced.
13. Don’t cross the cattle grid. Turn left at the Serpent Trail sign and go downhill to the Lynchmere Society Information Board ‘Stanley Common’.
14. At the sign turn right through gate. Continue along path and soon rejoin Sussex Border Path until you reach the road. Turn left and walk the few steps to the junction. If continuing to Liss skip to the instructions for that walk.
15. To finish at Liphook Station turn right and follow Midhurst Road on pavement for 1km/0.6miles. Take footbridge over railway and turn right down steps to station.