Hangers Way, Buriton

The “Hampshire Hangers” were the beechwoods found on Hampshire hillsides, but I’m not sure that this is the derivation of Hangers Way.  We were told by a gentleman we met outside Petersfield that a young student teacher had found a different story…

In the 1700’s (the student-teacher said) the smugglers used to run rum and baccy up to Petersfield from Havant, on the coast between Portsmouth and Chichester.  One can see on a map how the waters around Hayling Island would have provided cover for illegal moonlight activities…  But the Customs Men were on their trail, in particular one Customs man.  So the smugglers vowed to rid themselves of him: they chased him up Hangers Way, caught him, trussed him up and threw him down a well.  Of course, the Customs had to get revenge: they found the smugglers, tried them in Havant and hanged them in Petersfield.  So the last journey the smugglers took was the same route they had taken so often before…

But did the drovers also use it to take their beef north to Taro Fair (see article “Petersfield” near the top of the page) or south to Portsmouth?  Answer: I’ve no idea, but it’s a great walk into Petersfield from Buriton and it has an old feel about it, so why not?  It certainly wasn’t tolled.

We started up from Buriton into the Downs on the old Chalton Road (#1) that would have taken us past Faggs Farm if we hadn’t turned left (east) at SU 733198, then turned north down Milky Way (#2).  The last bit was so mud-slippy (#3) that we turned west though the outskirts of Buriton and turned left at 741202 and we were on Hangers Way (#4,5).

The pictures explain the rest.  It’s a smashing walk.  Pity you have to go through Fairfields Park Home Estate before you reach the Causeway, but you can always turn back before you get that far.