BOAT: The Hollow

• Overall Rating: 2
• Location: Broughton, Hampshire.
• OS Explorer Map 131, 'Romsey, Andover & Test Valley. Stockbridge & Ludgershall'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: SU314318
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N51 08' 50" W001 55' 40"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference: SU308317  
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N51 11' 60" W001 56' 20"
• To see: Danebury, Museum of Army Flying, tumuli.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

This short byway starts out south-west High Street in the village of Broughton, just over the road from the ford on Rookery Lane. Two branches of the BOAT are offered where the tarmac ends, and this entry is concerned only with the arm with a westerly track: the one that takes a south-easterly direction quickly changes to a RUPP and is therefore closed to motorised traffic (i.e. it's a dead end).

The lane is for the most part is poorly maintained and could do with a bit of a clearance effort: except for at the western end, paint will most certainly be scratched. The surface of earth and gravel is in remarkably good condition, so it follows that this lane sees little activity.

Heading south-west and climbing ever up hill, the lane eventually takes an almost due-westerly track and eventually ends where it meets the B3084 just short of the summit of Broughton Hill. Not really worth the investment of time, given the state of the lane.

For those even mildly interested in history, or even those simply searching for a nice view, the hauntingly beautiful Danebury Iron Age hillfort is worth every second. Definitely go and see it. There are also three tumuli just over the B3084 at the byway's western end, although two of them seem to have been almost completely ploughed out. A little further afield, and much more recent, is the Museum of Army Flying on Middle Wallop airbase, with a decent collection of aircraft. Both lie to the north-west of Broughton Drove.

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