UCR: Wyck Lane

Location: Binsted, Hampshire, UK
  • Overall Rating: 5
  • Location: Binstead, Hampshire.
  • OS Explorer Map 144, 'Basingstoke, Alton and Whitchurch, Odiham, Overton and Hook'.
  • Starting OS Grid Reference: SU759397
  • Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N51 15' 20" W000 91' 60"
  • Finishing OS Grid Reference: SU772407
  • Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N51 16' 10" W000 89' 70"
  • To see: Watercress Line.
  • ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!
An absolute cracker, this one. Were that it were longer!

Starting from the village of Wyck, the byway is the left-hand turning (i.e. westerly) when facing The Old Stables. It proceeds around the aforementioned large house before taking a north-easterly track for the remainder of its route. The surface soon deteriorates from gravel into lightly-rutted mud as this tree-lined green lane begins to descend downhill, but its easy going for the most part.

On passing abeam Fir Copse, the passing banks of wild garlic (or ramsons, if you are so inclined) produce the most glorious smell if you time your visit to coincide with their flowering. They are second only in smell to bluebells (and maybe honeysuckle)!

Soon the nadir of the descent is reached, just after the lane turns to the right and then almost immediately back to the left, and it is here that things can get a little tricky. It's a wet lane, this, and even in the drywest of weather there is always a bit of a flood in the ruts at the lowest point, even though efforts have clearly been made to drain the water off into the lakes that border the greenlane at this point. Here the ruts are quite deep too, so Freelanders would possibly struggle . However, the base is solid enough and it's not much of an obstacle for anything with decent ground clearance (see picture, below). This section was blocked by a tree that had been pulled down under the weight of ivy on a previous visit and we had to turn back, but its great to see that someone is caring for this lane and has long since cleared it.

On leaving the flood the lane immediately begins a steepish climb out flanked by even steeper banks on either side, a climb that is made effortless by the stony surface providing plenty of grip. We were soon on top of it and back on the tarmac as we emerged from the woods at last to finish this great byway where it emerges in the village of Binstead. Well worth a drive in springtime!

If you're looking for a stonkingly good day out, you can do far worse than a visit to the Watercress Line steam railway which can be found just up the road from this byway, in Alton.

A video by YouTuber 'Jamie Love' is embedded below and sheds more light on the byway.

Statistics:
Total distance: 1.89 km (1.15 mi)
Total time: 15:04
Moving time: 13:14
Average speed: 7.93 km/h (4.9 mi/h)
Average moving speed: 9.04 km/h (5.6 mi/h)
Max speed: 34.20 km/h (21.3 mi/h)
Average pace: 7.56 min/km (12.2 min/mi)
Average moving pace: 6.64 min/km (10.7 min/mi)
Fastest pace: 1.75 min/km (2.8 min/mile)
Max elevation: 183 m (599 ft)
Min elevation: 151 m (494 ft)
Elevation gain: 51 m (166 ft)
Max grade: 9 %
Min grade: -10 %
Recorded: 21/05/2013 16:24



View Wyck Lane in a larger map

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