Take a stroll around East Meon and Drayton Down in this week's walk of the week.

Start from East Meon High Street beside the red telephone box that now houses a village defibrillator, passing the Izaak Walton pub on your right hand side.

Once you reach the war memorial at the end of the road, turn right following the sign saying Langrish and Petersfield.

Pass Ye Olde George Inn on your left and then head up towards the 11th century All Saints Church, with the imposing 910 feet high Park Hill looming high above it in the background.

Go through the churchyard gate, and follow the grassy path up diagonally left through the graveyard until you come across a bench.

Step beyond it and a pathway will reveal itself under the tree cover leading out of the church grounds.

Continue on, ignoring steps leading up to Park Hill on your right, to go through a gate.

Head straight through and continue along the path following the tree line.

Cows are in the fields here, so if you are with a dog, make sure it is kept under control and on a lead.

Follow the path as it dips down and back up again and crosses into the next field.

Keep going along the perimeter until you pass through the next marked gate.

Descend down onto the road, past Chalk Dell Cottages, and follow the public footpath sign opposite.

This will lead on to an obvious path to the right, with a fence on the left hand side and a hedgerow on your right.

You may be interrupted by the sounds of cockerels crowing as you advance through the fields, with beautiful South Downs National Park horizons out in the distance.

Once you reach the edge of the field and proceed through the next gate into a cornfield on your left hand side.

Once you’ve reached the field edge, go past the tree boundary here and turn left before following the field edge all the way around. This will bring you to a gate to climb.

Vault the fence and continue following the obvious path which takes you through the next field. Eventually the perimeter path will turn right and begin to climb upwards.

Ignore an obvious gap in the hedgerow on your left hand side because a wooden gate will appear about 20 paces further on.

Turn left here and proceed through two grazing fields, taking care not to spook any horses. Eventually you will come to an obvious pathway beside Drayton Barns and this will take you onto West Meon Road.

Head left along the main road until you arrive at a fork in the road.

Choose the path right that says byway and head up there past some cottages towards Drayton Down. The tarmac will disappear and be replaced by a footpath with trees overhead.

When you reach a wooded hillside, keep progressing on the lower path through the trees, ignoring an inviting climb up the downs on the right. The woodland will protect you from the glare of the sun and provide some wonderful glimpses of Drayton Down and Middle Down away to your left. You’ll likely be joined by pheasants, rabbits and squirrels scurrying around the path as you walk here.

After 15 minutes walking, you’ll reach a crossroads. Turn left and head down onto a track between two fields.

Follow the path as it drops and rises to take you past Fourty Acres Cottages. Here join the road as it descends to join Coombe Road.

Turn left and the road will lead you back towards East Meon. Cross a little white bridge over the stream, pass a row of houses and turn left into Duncombe Road and follow all the way down to The Green housing estate, where a path will take you through a freshly mowed green that comes out in East Meon Village car park.

Proceed through to the entrance, turn right and head straight up the road until it returns you back into the village High Street where you started.

Walk at a glance

Start: The Izaak Walton, High Street, East Meon, GU32 1QA

Distance: 6.02 kilometres

Time: 1 hr 43 minutes

Difficulty: Difficult in places

URL: https://explore.osmaps.com/route/9636895

Map: OS Explorer OL3 (Meon Valley – Portsmouth, Gosport & Fareham)

Toilets: None

Nearest Pub (and café): The Izaak Walton, High St, East Meon, GU32 1QA

OS Maps App rating: 4 stars

Three tips to navigate with OS Maps App

1. The red triangle on the OS Maps App is your friend. Hold your phone out in front of you like a torch, and if you turn 180 degrees, so will the triangle. That points you in the direction you need to go.

2. Don’t slavishly follow the red line on the route. Remember, in OS Maps App, this line is only a navigational guide. Pay close attention to the pathways (denoted by black dotted lines on the map). In practice these are the markings you’ll need to make your way around on the ground.

3. Keep an eye on the app whenever approaching forks in the route. Use common sense - if a suggested path looks untrodden or in bad condition, then stay on the main one.

Download OS Maps App from the Ordnance Survey shop. Full annual subscription is available for £34.99.

David Jones, Senior Press Officer at Ordnance Survey