Hangers Way

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Hangers Way: East Hampshire’s Beech-Hanger Walk

Published 17 July 2025 Updated 5 June 2026

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Ranked #435 of 974

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HikeList Score

Hangers Way scored 81/100 on HikeList's trail-quality metrics.

Very Good

See score breakdownHide breakdown

Ideal length 59
Balanced challenge 100
Scenery & wildness 98
Varied terrain 71
Accommodation 66
Food & support 75
Path quality 98
Season flexibility 89

Computed from length, challenge, scenery & wildness, terrain variety, accommodation, food & support, path quality and season flexibility.

The Hangers Way is a 34 km waymarked footpath in East Hampshire, southern England, from Alton railway station to Queen Elizabeth Country Park. It takes 1–2 days and is moderate: there is no technical ground, but the repeated steep climbs and descents make it tougher than the mileage suggests. It suits fit day walkers or a relaxed inn-to-inn weekend. For more routes in England, compare this short chalk-hill walk with the Amber Valley Route or the longer Beacons Way.

Route Overview

This is a point-to-point trail, officially walked north to south from Alton railway station to Queen Elizabeth Country Park, where it joins the South Downs Way National Trail. The route threads through Alton, East Worldham, Binswood, Wick Hill Hanger, Selborne, Noar Hill, Hawkley Hanger, Steep, Petersfield, Buriton and War Down before finishing below Butser Hill. Petersfield is close to the southern end but is not the terminus. Both Alton and Petersfield have railway stations, making public-transport access practical. Waymarking is by Hampshire County Council green-and-white discs showing a single tree on a slope.

Hangers, Gilbert White and Edward Thomas

The name “hanger” comes from the Old English “hangra”, meaning a wood on a steep slope — exactly the beech woods that cloak East Hampshire’s chalk scarps. Selborne is strongly linked with Gilbert White, whose 18th-century natural history writing made the village famous. Farther south, the hills around Steep are Edward Thomas country: the poet drew on this landscape before his death in the First World War. The Hangers Way is a modern recreational path promoted by Hampshire County Council to link Alton with the South Downs Way.

Notable highlights

Selborne and Gilbert White’s House: Selborne was the lifelong home of naturalist Gilbert White, author of The Natural History of Selborne. The village sits below Selborne Hanger and makes the most obvious cultural stop on the route.
The Zig-Zag Path: A switchback path cut into the steep face of Selborne Hanger by Gilbert White and his brother John. It climbs to Selborne Common with views back over the village and Oakhanger woods.
Noar Hill: A chalk-grassland nature reserve on old chalk-pit workings south of Selborne. Hikers come for open views, wildflowers, orchids and butterflies in season.
Ashford Hangers National Nature Reserve: Beech, ash and yew woodland on steep chalk scarps near Steep. The slopes are part of the “Little Switzerland” landscape that gives the walk much of its character.
Edward Thomas country, Steep: Shoulder-of-Mutton Hill and the surrounding hangers are linked with the poet Edward Thomas. A memorial stone on the hill looks across the landscape that shaped his work.
Queen Elizabeth Country Park: The southern terminus is a wooded chalk-downland park below Butser Hill. It has a visitor centre, waymarked trails and the junction with the South Downs Way.

Challenges to expect

Expect short, sharp climbs and descents rather than mountain terrain: the route gains about 840 m over 34 km. Chalk, leaf litter and woodland tracks can be slippery after rain, especially under the hangers. Navigation is generally straightforward on waymarks, but carry a map for field edges, lanes and woodland junctions. Services are concentrated in villages and towns, so plan food and overnight stops. For coastal terrain instead, see the Anglesey Coastal Path.

435

Ranked #435 of 974

See the Top 100 →