Hook Parish Council published a leaflet in 2007 covering four short walks around Hook. On this website, you can either:
- Download the Leaflet (850kb file in PDF Format – a free reader can be downloaded from Adobe.) or
- Print out detailed route plans for each walk. This includes GPS waypoints – which you can also download.
Walk A: West Green House and River Whitewater
(5.4 miles / 8.6 km – 2 hours )
This walk takes you through bluebell woods and open fields to West Green House , with its garden full of follies and monuments and its tearoom and garden shop.
The walk follows the River Whitewater for some of the way where it also passes a pub.
Walk B: Rotherwick
(3.5 miles / 5.5km – 1 hour 20 minutes)
This lovely walk is easy for all the family. You’ll often see deer in the fields and in the autumn there are blackberries along many of the hedges.
The walk takes you to Rotherwick, with its village duck pond and 13th century church as well as two country pubs.
Walk C: Basingstoke Canal and Bartley Heath
(6 miles / 9.5 km – 2 hours 15 minutes)
This walk takes you through woodlands over to Greywell (pub). It then follows the Basingstoke Canal past King John’s Castle (13th century), to North Warnborough where there are two more pubs. It then comes back across Bartley Heath (another pub).
The heath is a great place for wildlife including deer, the resident New Forest ponies, and many species of flowers and butterflies (summer) and fungi (autumn).
Walk D: Bassetts Mead
(1.2 miles / 1.9km – 25 minutes)
This short walk follows the River Whitewater for part of its course on a new path created in Bassetts Mead (near Holt Park).
This chalk stream is rich in wildlife and you can sit by it and watch the ducks at the pub at the end of the walk.
A circular walk around Hook, Newnham and Rotherwick
(4.6 miles / 7.4km – 1h:45)
A local resident has documented a circular walk around Hook, Newnham & Rotherwick. A wonderful country walk at any time of day, mainly level and mostly away from houses. There are birds to see and hear all year round, wildflowers and often berries in the hedgerows. Good fresh air, little noise pollution and occasionally other walkers or runners, often with pets. Good walking shoes or boots advised and wellingtons in winter or after prolonged rain as the path can be soggy in parts. Download the leaflet detailing the walk here.
NOTE: All the walks can be muddy in places in wet weather. Suitable footwear is strongly recommended.
More footpaths in Hook are shown on the map of Footpaths and Public Rights of Way in Hook Parish.
The below websites contain details of lots of other walks. Some organise group walks
- Walking in Hampshire
- Walks with Buggies – database of walks accessible with a baby buggy
- Walks with Wheelchairs – database of walks accessible with a wheelchair
- Woofers and Walkies Local walks for you and your dog
- Hampshire Countryside Walks – Facebook Group
