Itchen Stoke Down

The walk up Itchen Stoke Down rewards you with proper views across the Hampshire chalk country - rolling fields that stretch for miles, with the Itchen Valley cutting through below. It's a straightforward hill walk from near Alresford, and you'll understand why locals keep coming back once you reach the top.

There's not much infrastructure up here. No café, no visitor centre, no charges either - it's just you and the landscape. What you get is space to think, decent walking terrain, and on clear days, sight lines that remind you why the South Downs matter. The chalk grassland changes with the seasons; spring brings wildflowers, winter strips it back to honest green and brown.

This works best for walkers rather than casual visitors. Families with young kids might find the climb a bit much unless they're keen hikers. History buffs could spend time pondering the ancient trackways that cross these downs - they've been walked for thousands of years. Allow 90 minutes to two hours for the round trip depending on your pace and whether you linger at the top.

If you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - The Spinney is closest at under three miles away - this makes a cracking morning or afternoon outing. It slots easily into a broader South Downs walking holiday. Alresford itself is worth an hour for the High Street and the Watercress Line steam railway if the kids need a break from hills.