Walk 7 of 8 · 0.8 miles (1.2 km)

Odiham village heritage trail

Stocks, plague house and coaching inns.

Start point

The Bury, by All Saints' Church, Odiham

Postcode RG29 1ND

How to get there

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Odiham's Pest House, a small 17th-century brick cottage with a tiled roof in the corner of the churchyard
Photo: "The Pest House, Odiham 01" by Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.
Distance
0.8 miles (1.2 km) loop
Time
About an hour with stops
Difficulty
Easy
Terrain
Easy. Pavements and churchyard paths, plus a short stretch of lane with no pavement. Mostly level.
Parking
Deer Park View car park, just off the High Street, or on-street parking on the High Street (check for time limits).
From Laurel Cottage
About 12 minutes on foot to The Bury.
Dogs
Fine for dogs on leads, though they'll need to wait outside the church and the Pest House.
Pubs and cafés
The Folly, hot chocolate and cake on the High Street. Bel & the Dragon at the George, in one of the oldest buildings on the High Street.

Odiham was a royal manor before the Norman Conquest and a busy coaching town in the 1700s, and today it has more than 250 listed buildings. This short stroll links some of our favourites.

For much more detail, the Odiham Society sells a Blue Plaque walking guide, and its free town trail is well worth downloading.

Route map

The numbers on the map match the directions below.

Map of the Odiham village heritage trail walk, with the route in red and numbered points
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Route drawn by Laurel Cottage.
Download GPX Start point on OpenStreetMap

Open the GPX file in your favourite walking app to follow the route on your phone.

Directions

  1. The Bury and the stocks

    Start in The Bury, the little square in front of the church and the oldest part of the town. Fairs were held here for centuries. By the churchyard wall are the old stocks and whipping post, used to punish things like drunkenness until the early 1800s.

  2. All Saints' Church

    Head up the path into All Saints', Odiham's Grade I listed parish church. Parts of it date back to the early 1200s. The top of the tower was rebuilt in brick in the 1650s, after the old one collapsed. Inside, look for the carved Jacobean pulpit and the chalk font.

  3. The Pest House and almshouses

    Follow the path around the church to the south-west corner of the churchyard and the tiny brick Pest House. It was built around 1622 as a home for the poor and later used to isolate people with plague and smallpox. It's one of only five left in England. It's usually open at weekends, so mind your head. Next to it are the almshouses, the oldest part endowed in 1623.

  4. The Bridewell and King Street

    Leave the churchyard at its east end. The white building here is the Bridewell, built in the 1740s as a house of correction. James Aitken, the arsonist known as "John the Painter", was held here before he was hanged. Walk down the lane to King Street, past cottages built for workers at the old Odiham Brewery, and the converted oast houses that once dried its hops.

  5. The High Street

    Turn right along the High Street to see the grand Georgian fronts. Many of them hide much older timber-framed houses behind. Marycourt, at number 43, is a fine late 17th-century brick house.

  6. The George and Stoney Alley

    Cross over and stroll back west to the George, which has been an inn since the 16th century. In 1783 a farming society met here, and its work led to the founding of the veterinary profession in Britain. Finish by taking narrow Stoney Alley back down to The Bury.

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.

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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