Cheesefoot Head: a circuit of the Downs
For mornings when you want to stretch the coffee stop into a proper outing. Take the circular route from Cheesefoot Head and make the return to the car park your finish line.
- Distance
- Approx. 6.6 km / 4.1 miles
- Walking time
- Allow 1¾–2¼ hours, excluding stops
- Route
- Circular; moderately hilly
- Start & finish
- Cheesefoot Head car park
The plan.
Open Sally Broom’s mapped circuit before leaving. From the car park, the walk crosses the A272 and loops through fields and farm tracks, returning to the same crossing. Follow the mapped public route throughout; this is not a circuit around the bowl’s edge.
Choose this walk if…
You want to start and finish in the same place, with enough walking between the two to make a coffee afterwards welcome. The time allowance is our planning estimate, rather than a target pace.
Before you go.
This route includes a busy road crossing and narrower paths. It is not recommended for pushchairs. Cross only when it is safe.
Make time for coffee.
Plan your coffee at Cheesefoot Head when our truck is operating there. This circuit does not include a confirmed stop at the roastery; keep the short Temple Valley walk for another visit. Check Visit Us for current locations and opening information before planning your stop.
Follow signed public paths and current diversions. Keep dogs under control, respect crops and private woodland, and leave gates as you find them. Check Hampshire’s rights-of-way map before setting out. Temporary festival arrangements can change local access.
Route notes & mapping
Route information researched on 21 October 2026, using Sally Broom’s route on plotaroute. These are planning notes, not a field-surveyed navigation guide. Open the linked mapping and follow current waymarks; conditions and access can change.