The Route



 
The challenge is about 30 kilometres in length with about 600 metres of ascent. As a circular route, you can choose your own starting point and go either clockwise or anti-clockwise but I might suggest that West Meon or East Meon would be good places to start as there is car parking available. The route described below starts at West Meon and heads anti-clockwise. 
There are four sections:
1) West Meon to Beacon Hill
2) Beacon Hill to Old Winchester Hill
3) Old Winchester Hill to Butser Hill
4) Butser Hill to West Meon

Section 1: West Meon to Beacon Hill
Start at the car park just south of West Meon, head south-west along the disused Meon Valley Railway to meet the Monarch's Way by Hayden Farm. Head west past Warnford and continue climbing west then south-west up to the car park. Then follow the South Downs Way south-eastish to the summit of Beacon Hill [SU 60259 22468, 201 m]. The highest point is a small mound 3 metres east of the trig point. The views are extensive: from the next objective, Old Winchester Hill, to the Isle of Wight and Fawley Refinery. Look carefully, and you might spot the top of the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.
Start of the walk at the disused West Meon station.

Beacon Hill from the north.
Beacon Hill summit.


Section 2: Beacon Hill to Old Winchester Hill
This section follows the South Downs Way. Leave Beacon Hill by following path south to a minor road then south-eastish past Exton Beacon to the village of Exton, cross the A 32 with care then follow a minor road which takes you to the disused Meon Valley Railway. Cross this, then climb east-south-east to the summit of Old Winchester Hill [SU 64060 20555, 198 m]. In my humble opinion, this is the nicest of the three summits with its line of four barrow tumuli dating from the Iron Age. Butser Hill stand out to the east and Beacon Hill to the west with the Isle of Wight again prominent to the south. 
Exton Beacon.
Old Winchester Hill from the west.
Old Winchester Hill summit.
Barrow tumuli on Old Winchester Hill.


Section 3: Old Winchester Hill to Butser Hill
Leave Old WInchester Hill via the South Downs Way, descending initially east then north-east to join the Monarch's Way at a minor road. Head south on this road for about 500m then head east downhill. Continue until you meet another minor road then climb southish to meet another road. Head east along this road for about 800 m to rejoin the South Downs Way. The wonderful Sustainability Centre is on the south of the road. Here you can get a variety if refreshments at the café if it is open as well as fill up your water bottles at an outside tap. Continue eastish along the South Downs Way via tracks and roads for about 3.5 km. Then head north-east along the minor road which leads to a carpark and head past this on to the track that leads to the open hillside up to the trig point of Butser Hill [SU 71685 20328, 270 m] The views to the south over Hayling Island and Portsea Island to the Isle of Wight are extensive and it is possible to identify Bembridge Down on the east of the Isle of Wight.
The Sustainability Centre
Butser Hill from the south-west.
Butser Hill summit.

Section 4: Butser Hill to West Meon
Though all three peaks have now been climbed, there are still over ten kilometres to go! Head north-west down the distinctive spur of Ramsdean Down to meet a flinty track that heads north to a minor road. Head west for 200 m, then north for 150 m to meet another track that leads west for about 2 km eventually to East Meon. If you have two cars, you could leave one in East Meon and finish here. Otherwise, follow the footpath that leads north-west from the corner of the graveyard in All Saints Church to meet a minor road at Drayton. Here you have the option of following the road for about 3 km back to start at West Meon or follow a road, track then path south-west then west past Horsedown Farm then follow a path north-north-west to meet the road to West Meon.

The path off Butser Hill down Ramsdean Down.
All Saints church in East Meon.
A well-earned pie and a pint at the Thomas Lord Pub in West Meon. The OS map is a custom made one.







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