CountrysideHampshire4.4
Arrive on foot, by bike or by public transport.
Selborne Common crowns the hill west of Selborne, the Hampshire village where the pioneering naturalist Gilbert White lived for most of his life. His book The Natural History of Selborne, published in 1789, records plants and animals here that are now rare. The National Trust looks after 267 acres here: the beech woods and flower-filled meadows of the Common, plus the valley meadows and woodland of the Lythes beyond St Mary's Church. The Zig-Zag path up the scarp was cut in 1753 by White's brother. The Trust's Selborne Common walk is a moderate 2-mile trail from the village car park up the Zig-Zag and around the Common. Dogs are allowed on short leads under close control, and leads are compulsory in spring and summer to protect ground-nesting birds. Reviewers agree the climb is stiff but the view from the top repays it. Tips from visitors: the public car park behind the Selborne Arms, which is not run by the Trust, has toilets, and the natural paths are rooty and slippery when wet, so no good for prams or wheelchairs.
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Dog friendly
Starts at the free public car park behind the Selborne Arms (not National Trust), grid ref SU742335; 2 miles (3.2km); about 2 hours; Moderate difficulty with one steep ascent and descent via the Zig-Zag path; unsurfaced paths, muddy in wet weather; optional longer circular extension off National Trust land.
