- Overall Rating: 5
- Location: Mapledurwell, Hampshire.
- OS Explorer Map 144, 'Basingstoke, Alton and Whitchurch, Odiham, Overton and Hook'.
- Starting OS Grid Reference: SU682500
- Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N51 14' 43.30" W001 01' 28.11"
- Finishing OS Grid Reference: SU713496
- Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N51 14' 33.04" W000 58' 54.06"
- To see: Basingstoke, Civil War earthworks at Basing House and Oliver's Battery, source of the River Loddon, the course of a Roman road.
- ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!
NB: This lane is part of the Five Lanes End network. Please read the entries for all three lanes.
Rant over, apologies. Emerging from the copse, this lane runs along the edge of beautiful, lush and undulating pasture (anyone who's ever used Windows XP will have a good idea what I'm on about...). Make sure you use the right track here. Stick to the northern-most route and you can't go far wrong; the alternatives are not part of the BOAT and lead into a hedge.
Continuing eastwards, eventually the lane hits it's key feature (and the reason it scores a '5'!). At Five Lanes End both Down Lane and White Lane intersect Ragmore Lane in a very pleasant beech glade. Here you can continue in any direction (25 different possible combinations of greenlaning are at your disposal therefore!). Ragmore Lane itself crests the brow of a 125m AMSL hill just east of this point, and then begins a slow descent along field boundaries lined with high-hedgerows (see left) until it is crossed by Upton Grey Road (a metalled country road). You can choose (more options!) at this point to finish the lane here or carry on downhill for another 400m or so to emerge onto Bidden Road, where the lane finally ends. Here, near Bidden Water, a Roman coin hoard was found.
This lane, on Saturdays at least, seems to be popular with bike riders, joggers, ramblers and dog walkers, and a part of it parallels the route of the Three Castles Path. If you encounter anyone, drive accordingly.
View Ragmore Lane in a larger map
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