Stewkeley walk at Hinton Ampner
This short walk takes you across the Hinton Ampner estate towards the village of Kilmeston before looping back to the entry of our estate.
This walk crosses tenanted, working farmland so please keep dogs on leads at all times. Some of the pathways can be narrow so please consider other path users and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Please take any rubbish home with you so we can keep the countryside beautiful for everyone. There are grazing animals around the estate – please shut any gates that you open and keep four legged friends on leads at all times.
Map
Start:
Gated entrance just off the main drive, behind the Church, grid ref: SU597275
1
The church in our grounds is the starting point for this walk. once there, head right through a small gate and turn right following the red arrows and Wayfarers walk.
What's in a name?
Stewkeley estate walk is named after the first family to be documented living at Hinton Ampner. Leased from 1542 from the Dean and Chapter to Winchester Cathedral, it has stayed in the family and its descendants (Stawell and Dutton) for over 400 years.
2
Walk with Hinton's parkland to your right, down the hill to two sets of gates, go through both into the paddock and head on straight on up the hill.
A house with a view
Take the time to look back towards the house as you walk through this field. Ralph Dutton made particular use of the countryside around him to frame his garden. The various garden ‘rooms’ he created are linked to the landscape, sometimes creating frames with dramatic impact, sometimes seamlessly linking the formal with the more wild elements of the downland.
3
Just beyond the brow of the hill go through the gate and head across the field to the style at the other end.
4
Cross the next meadow, keeping to the right of the meadow, then out onto the road, turning left to continue on this walking route or right to explore the village of Kilmiston.
Kilmiston village
Just to your right is the village of Kilmiston. An interesting village to take a small detour from the walk, with its impressive manor house and Norman church. The manor house, like Hinton Ampner used to be owned by Dean and Chapter of Winchester Cathedral until 1810. The church of St Andrews is worth a visit if you have time.
5
Follow the road round, bearing left at the fork.
6
Soon you will come to an avenue of Beech trees. Continue down the road.
Creating the rural idyll
Part of Ralph Dutton’s vision for Hinton Ampner was the wider estate. He not only wanted to re-create the feel of a Georgian house with 20th century comforts and a garden which framed and complemented the surrounding area, but also to have a working estate which was picturesque. This beech avenue was likely planted in 1936 just as Ralph was starting work on remodelling the old Tudor house and formalising the gardens.
7
At end of the avenue you will come to a cross-roads with the estate paths, turn left along the track.
8
Soon you will reach the gate from point 2. Turn right back up the hill to the start with Hinton Ampner parkland and garden on your left-hand side.
End:
Gated entrance just off the main drive, behind the Church, grid ref: SU597275