BOAT: Brick Kiln Lane

• Overall Rating: 4
• Location: Whitway, Hampshire.
• OS Explorer Map 144, 'Basingstoke'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: SU475592
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N51 33' 10" W001 31' 80"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference: SU460591
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N51 33' 00" W001 34' 00"
• To see: Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway, hill forts, Highclere Castle.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

When taken in to account with West Street, these two byways make a cracking drive (hence their combined '4' rating!). Starting at the eastern end, then, this greenlane begins as a graveled/flint/chalk surface departing westwards from an unusual 'island' in a country lane, and soon gets stuck in to a gentle uphill gradient. Sometimes grass has invaded the centre of the greenlane, and sometimes it hasn't, but it's easy going.

After a few hundred metres the course of the byway crossed a brick bridge over the former Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway (now dismantled; the track bed now serves as part of the Brenda Parker Footpath) and finishes its climb before plunging down to where the two byways meet and cross one another, demarcated by a four-way finger board. Brick Kiln Lane climbs away to the west, and soon levels out to pass along more well-kept field boundaries.

The byway eventually then starts heading gently downhill for the remainder of its course until ending up back on tarmac serving as a driveway for a couple of houses (including one called 'Brick Kiln', which gives this greenlane its name) and finishing just shy of the bridge over the A34 granting access to Highclere Castle. The surface is very easy going throughout, the hedgerows are kept well cut back, the greenlane is a very simple, non-technical drive and it really is most suitable for any vehicle in all weathers.

If you have brought 'her indoors' along for the journey, she may well be totally stoked out by a visit to Highclere Castle, which lies just over the bridge to the west of this byway. You don't need telling that this is where they filmed Downton Abbey! For those with an interest in actual history, two highly impressive Bronze Age hill forts (Ladle Hill and Beacon Hill) are both within very easy striking distance of this greenlane, and both are unrivaled as picnic spots.

To Hampshire County Council this is Byway 38.

Statistics
Total distance: 2.08 km (1.3 mi)
Total time: 10:47
Moving time: 08:08
Average speed: 11.55 km/h (7.2 mi/h)
Average moving speed: 15.30 km/h (9.5 mi/h)
Max speed: 34.23 km/h (21.3 mi/h)
Average pace: 5:12 min/km (8:22 min/mi)
Average moving pace: 3:55 min/km (6:19 min/mi)
Fastest pace: 1:45 min/km (2:49 min/mi)
Max elevation: 224 m (736 ft)
Min elevation: 159 m (522 ft)
Elevation gain: 68 m (223 ft)
Max grade: 10 %
Min grade: -6 %
Recorded: 04/10/2013 16:18

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