Odiham village heritage trail
Stocks, plague house and coaching inns.
Walk 6 of 8 · 4.9 miles (7.9 km)
Dogmersfield Park and Broad Oak
The longer canal and parkland loop.
Start point
Colt Hill car park, by Colt Hill Wharf, London Road, Odiham
Postcode RG29 1DH
How to get there
Follow the route in an app
Works with AllTrails, OS Maps, Komoot and most walking apps. Import the file and follow along.
- Distance
- 4.9 miles (7.9 km) circular
- Time
- 2½ to 3 hours
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Terrain
- Moderate. Towpath, parkland tracks and field paths, with kissing gates, a footbridge and very muddy fields in winter. Two crossings of the busy A287.
- Start
- Colt Hill car park, by Colt Hill Wharf, London Road, Odiham. Postcode RG29 1DH · Map of the start
- Parking
- Free car park at Colt Hill Wharf.
- From Laurel Cottage
- About 25 minutes on foot to Colt Hill.
- Dogs
- Leads on for both A287 crossings, as the traffic is fast. There may be livestock and deer in Dogmersfield Park and the fields near Broad Oak. The canal has water for the first half of the walk.
- Pubs and cafés
- The Waterwitch, at the start and finish, with a garden on the canal.
A longer walk east of the village. You follow the canal through a deep, wooded cutting, then loop back across the parkland of Dogmersfield, past a big lake and through quiet fields.
It's a great one for a crisp winter morning, rounded off with lunch at the Waterwitch.
Route map
The numbers on the map match the directions below.
Download GPX
Start point on OpenStreetMap
Open the GPX file in your favourite walking app to follow the route on your phone.
Directions
Colt Hill to Broad Oak
From the car park, join the towpath and turn left, heading east away from the Waterwitch. You pass under the A287 bypass and then Broad Oak Bridge. Just beyond, on the left, is Wilks Water, an old estate pond.
The wooded cutting
The canal now runs through a deep, tree-lined cutting for a little over a kilometre. Just before Sandy Hill Bridge, take the sloping path up on the left, cross the bridge and follow the path along the far bank to meet the bridleway coming over Sprat's Hatch Bridge.
Sprat's Hatch to Dogmersfield Park
Bear right along the bridleway, away from the canal, between paddocks to the lane at Sprat's Hatch Farm. Go through the kissing gate on the right onto a fenced footpath heading east. It joins a drive; follow it to its far end, where a fingerpost sends you sharply back to the right onto another fenced path.
Across the park to the A287
This path heads south-west across Dogmersfield Park for about 1.5 km, with Dogmersfield Lake on your right, and comes out on the A287. Turn left along the verge for a short way, then cross with great care to the footpath on the far side.
Broad Oak fields and back to Colt Hill
The path winds through trees, over a footbridge and into fields. Head west along the hedges (this stretch can be very wet), then up beside a belt of trees to the A287 again. Cross carefully and follow the footpath north behind back gardens to London Road. Turn right over Colt Hill Bridge and you're back at the car park.
Before you set off
We've drawn these routes from OpenStreetMap and checked them against Hampshire County Council's public rights of way map, but the countryside changes. Paths get diverted, bridges close for repairs and fields fill up with crops or cattle. Please treat our directions as a friendly guide, not a guarantee, and follow the signs and waymarks you find on the ground.
- Take a map or app. OS Explorer 144 covers the area, or load our GPX file into your favourite walking app.
- Expect mud. The Common, the moors and the field paths get very wet between autumn and spring. Wellies or proper boots make a big difference.
- Cattle and livestock. Close gates behind you, keep dogs on a short lead near animals, and let go of the lead if cattle chase you, so you can both get to safety.
- Roads. Some routes cross or follow busy roads, including the A287. Take care, keep dogs on leads and walk facing oncoming traffic where there's no pavement.
- By the water. The canal is deep in places, and the towpath edge can be crumbly. Watch little ones and keep an eye on dogs that love a swim.
- Leave it as you found it. Bag and bin your dog's poo, take your litter home, and follow the Countryside Code.
You walk these routes at your own risk. If you spot something that has changed, we'd love to hear about it at [email protected].
More walks around Odiham
See all 8 routes on our Odiham walks page, or browse our local guide for pubs, cafés and things to do.
Odiham Trail and Ale
A full day out, with seven pubs on the way.
Odiham, North Warnborough and King John's Castle
Village to castle and back by the canal.
Stay with us at Laurel Cottage
Fancy a walking weekend? Our dog-friendly cottage is a short stroll from Odiham High Street, so several of these walks start almost from the door. Muddy boots and muddy paws are both welcome. Book direct for our best price.
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