Wartime walks in Hampshire

Hampshire has strong historical connections to some of the wartime events that shaped the nation’s history. As well as within the county’s major port cities of Portsmouth and Southampton, there are plenty of reminders of our wartime past throughout Hampshire’s countryside.

With memorials, buildings, airfields and many other relics to uncover, we’ve put together a few of our favourite walking routes that have a connection to World War Two.

Meon Valley Trail

Trace the steps of history along the Meon Valley Trail, a route with a particularly strong link to D-Day. The public right of way in this route now follows the old railway line which was used to transport troops to the coast ahead of the landings. Droxford Station was also a crucial planning hub, with Winston Churchill, as well as the British and American generals (Montgomery and Eisenhower) meeting here to plan the operations.

The Meon Valley Trail is particularly striking during spring, when bluebells can be found carpeting the woodland floor, though it remains a beautiful spot all year round. Watch our Hidden Walks video covering this area to find out more.

Besides the South Downs Way between Meonstoke and Old Winchester Hill, you’ll also find a memorial to 33 servicemen who were killed when a Stirling bomber clipped a tree and crashed in the area.

The New Forest

Venture into one of the country’s most splendid national parks and you’ll be able to find remnants of World War Two airfields. Located in various places across the New Forest, including Beaulieu, Stoney Cross, and Ibsley, they make for an interesting visit for any local history buff.

Other walks throughout the national park include Tom’s Down – a historic trail passing Exbury, The Cadland Estate and Fawley. The Lepe Loop at Lepe Country Park takes visitors back through time to explore the site’s involvement in the D-Day landings.

Farley Mount

Between King’s Somborne and Winchester, Farley Mount contains more than just the monument to a local horse that it’s known for. The location also holds a poignant reminder of the reach of World War Two – a memorial to German airmen who were killed when their aircraft was shot down in 1940. Why not plan a circular pub walk to take in this spot, starting and finishing in King’s Somborne?

Harewood Forest

The woodland between Wherewell and Longparish, near Andover, was home to an RAF ammunition store. This was also used during the D-Day operations to store equipment and vehicles, as well as connecting to the main railway line (now the Test Way). Remains of this storage area can still be seen from various footpaths across the forest.

Let the Harewood Forest episode of our Hidden Walks series inspire you to explore this scenic location.