Walk celebrates the countryside on Basingstoke's doorstep

Around 40 people joined a free guided walk on Sunday 6 September 2026, exploring the beautiful north Hampshire Downs easily accessible from Basingstoke.

Local countryside charity CPRE Hampshire helped people discover the countryside on Basingstoke’s doorstep with a unique guided walk.

The free ‘On the Edge’ walk took place on Sunday 6 September. Around 40 people joined, with around 20 walking the complete 7.5 mile loop starting from Basingstoke War Memorial and an additional 20 joining for a slightly shorter loop starting from Cliddesden Village Hall.

The walk explored the North Hampshire Downs the beautiful and often-overlooked countryside surrounding Basingstoke. Walkers young and old enjoyed discovering the old drove roads between Cliddesden up to Farleigh, marked by regularly spaced Yews, where extraordinary amounts of sheep and cattle were walked to markets. They stopped off at the small cruciform St Andrew’s Church in Farleigh and enjoyed views from Farleigh Hill back towards Basingstoke over the chalk and flint landscape of the North Hampshire Downs. Participants had the opportunity to view farming in action, as the maize harvest was in progress as they walked, demonstrating how important urban edge landscapes are for supporting farming and local food production.

Participants also viewed the landscape proposed for Upper Swallick Garden Village, where 2500 new houses and associated infrastructure are proposed. Walkers could see first-hand the devastating effect this development proposal would have on the surrounding countryside.

Katy Hooper, Countryside Officer from CPRE Hampshire explained how the walk had been an eye opener for many of the participants from Basingstoke who had no idea this beautiful countryside was on their doorstep, or that it was so accessible from the centre of Basingstoke.

Dee Haas, Vice President, CPRE Hampshire, said:
“Today’s walk celebrated the deep connection between the residents of Basingstoke and the North Hampshire Downs right on their doorstep. Countryside on the edge of towns and cities is so important for growing food, nature and wellbeing”

The Basingstoke walk forms part of CPRE’s Love Your Countryside campaign, marking the charity’s centenary by celebrating the everyday countryside that enriches people’s lives and inspires them to care for its future.

Visit CPRE’s Love Your Countryside hub for more information about the campaign.