If you are looking for a wholesome weekend walk, try this route from Fair Oak - taking in three woods.

This walk links together Crowdhill Copse and Upper Barn Copse, owned by the Woodland Trust and Stoke Park Woods, owned by the Forestry England all with an extensive network of paths available as access is permitted throughout.

Look up their websites for more things you can do on their properties. This walk keeps to the rights of way.

The start of this walk is the car park at the end of Brookfield Road in Fair Oak.

Leave the car park at the other end from the vehicular entrance via a short path to the end of Campbell Way.

Turn left onto a footpath between fences.

On exiting onto Witt Road go left along it to its junction with Sandy Lane (0.13 miles) and go right along it.

Opposite No. 101 take a footpath opposite up steps and between fences out onto Brackley Avenue.

Bear left for 40 metres and then right onto another part of the same road.

When it ends go between some railings and onto another fenced path. 

Ignore a path on the right and go through another set of railings to a junction of paths (0.32 miles).

Note the route back on the return route is on the left but go straight on.

Ignore paths to the left and right and then cross a road called Stoke Heights to keep straight on until reaching the roughly surfaced part of Hardings Lane where there are some parking spaces (0.49 miles).

Turn left along this track ignoring an entrance into Stoke Park Woods and then another through an archway into open space.

This track is now a bridleway.

A telecoms mast and woods on the left and flood retention ponds on the right.

The track descends to a junction of tracks with field gates on both sides (0.67 miles).

Continue on downhill to cross high above a stream and take the next path on the right.

Cross a footbridge and through a gap in a fence into Crowdhill Copse and on downhill to another footbridge.

Keep straight on uphill until reaching a wide track (0.83 miles).

Turn left along it and at the other end go through a kissing gate next to a field gate onto another wide track which is a bridleway (1.13 miles).

Go left along the bridleway to a junction of bridleways and go straight on.

When the track goes left go right on a footpath without entering Upper Barn Copse.

In 10 metres go left through a kissing gate into a field and follow the outside of the copse with it on the left.

Go through a kissing gate into the next field and then look for and go through a gate in to the copse - make sure it closes (1.36 miles).

Go straight on descending through trees.

Cross over a forest track and start climbing through the trees.

Go through a gap next to a field gate onto a bridleway leaving the copse (1.54 miles).

Turn right along the bridleway with the copse on the right and fields on the left.

Soon a view opens up to the northwest and the wide track starts to descend into the valley ahead.

On reaching Stoke Park Farm and after passing the first farm building on the right ignore the bridleway on the right and go straight on (1.92 miles) onto a concrete roadway.

Go left with it on reaching a house.

When the concrete ends, bear left along a wide track, not right.

Go right with the wide track (2.04 miles) leaving the farm buildings behind.

Ignore a footpath on the right (2.15 miles) and keep on the track with fish ponds off to the right.

The track climbs into a housing estate and on reaching the first house, turn right onto a gravel track (2.31 miles) which ends at Sewall Drive (2.53 miles).

Turn left along the road and in 100 metres go right up a roadway to a car park at what will be a new graveyard.

Go straight on along a pathway to enter Stoke Park Woods and go straight on (2.68 miles).

The track descends into and out of a valley.

Go straight on when it joins a gravel track (2.93 miles).

When the gravel track goes left at the Stoke Park Wood noticeboard, go straight on (3.16 miles).

This narrower path starts to descend, passing to the left of a mountain bike course.

On reaching another wide gravel track, go straight across (3.37 miles).

On reaching a housing estate, go left on a path outside of the woods but following the boundary (3.52 miles).

This path was here before the houses when it was along field edges.

It drops into a valley and an open space appears on the right (3.63 miles).

Climb up in the same direction, leaving the open space behind on a path between houses.

The path crosses Olympic Way (3.73 miles) and continues between houses to meet the outward route (3.87 miles).

Go right along the path to join Brackley Avenue and bear left at the end of the straight to pick up the path down to Sandy Lane and turn right along it.

After passing the shops, turn left down Witt Road and then turn right on the path that goes to the car park (4.19 miles).

Allow just over two hours for the walk and it involves 330 feet of climbing.

A Community Café is diagonally across the open space from the car park.

If this type of walk suits you, look up your local Ramblers group at hampshireramblers.org.uk and enjoy the huge variety of walks available in Hampshire.

Written by Richard Kenchington, Hampshire Area Walking Environment Officer of the Ramblers’ Association