Alresford, a great choice for a countryside family walk and lunch

A 4km countryside walk with lunch in Alresford, Hampshire 🍀☕️🐟🥾

We love a trip to this market town in the Winchester district, full of charm, it is surrounded by stunning countryside with rivers and streams aplenty. We regularly visit for their famous annual watercress festival dedicated to the town being known as the UK’s capital for the stuff!🍀🍀

Alresford’s Alre Valley Trail

Alresford has a perfect circular walk we’ve been meaning to try, called The Alre Valley Trail, and today was the day. It starts from the town centre and takes in some lovely wooded areas, quiet country lanes and along the river alre as well as plenty of history with illustrated boards along route.

Highlights on route included the heritage buildings and cottages of the town centre like the old fire station, the essentially Georgian broad street, the thatched, timber-framed Fulling Mill, which spans the river and was built in the 13th century, and an interesting eel house, built in the 1820s but recently stored where eels were trapped on moonless autumn nights, as they undertook their once in a lifetime migration to breed.

Alternatively, you can take the shorter walk route of the Millennium Trail which is about one mile and is suitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs.

Walk route and info – www.newalresford-tc.gov.uk/Document/Default.aspx

Lunch at Party at the Mill

We’ve visited this spot a few times now, for brunch and dinner and it never disappoints. Light modern interior with open spaces and bookcases, nice atmosphere inside. First time visiting with dogs and after checking online and then asking staff, we were pleased they did allow dogs, hurrah! Inside cosy after our Autumn walk. They do a great brunch with the likes of avocado egg dishes and pancakes but lunchtime meant their toasties tempted us in. Pastrami toasties with sourdough bread were delicious, and good sized too, so very filling. Spiced fries had a nice kick.