There has been a historical interest in creating a mixed use track from Salisbury to Downton as safe route for pedestrians and cyclists. A number of interested parties including Cllr Mike Sneddon, Samuel Langley and Paula and Richard Downard are proposing a Greenway connecting Downton with Alderbury as an alternative to the steep, windy, narrow, scary Withering to Road or A36
The former railway carves a gently Curving relatively flat brownfield route which avoids traffic and steep Hills, and should already have a well prepared aggregate base which just requires clearance of scrub and preferably a tarmac surface so it is suitable for road bikes and easier going. This would create a Dutch style cycle route connecting Alderbury with Downton, a route which would be popular for active travel including commuting, tourism for New Forest access by bike or more likely visiting Salisbury by cyclists touring the New Forest. It has the potential to be a better stretch of cycleway than the highly fragmented Castleman Trailway as the route could be continuous from Downton to Alderbury encouraging many people who otherwise wouldn’t cycle to take pleasant 5-8 mile ride each way safely away from Cars on easy terrain in open countryside. This would rival the Bristol Bath railway path, especially when linked up to lower sections in Fordingbridge and Ringwood linking to the castle man trailway and South Coast
The potential route is currently composed of a mixture of footpath and bridleway either side of the former railway from Salisbury to Downton. The route starts from Whaddon Junction by Matrons College Farm. Farmer has rerouted bridle path around farm buildings but public access exists along the former railway route to access new allotments by new housing development at Matrons college Farm.
The route from Kiln Close to the farm track runs below matrons college farm shown in the map lined in green. Current bridleway runs to left of this behind farm buildings and crosses bridge which they are talking of demolishing, going off across fields under pylons rather than along former railway.
The dismantled railway is in a cutting and then embankment all overgrown with dense scrub. Current Path goes across fields under pylons to T junction at field boundary, where it cuts back to former railway and crosses 2nd bridge. The route then turns south to follow former railway alongside cutting.
The next section runs east of the railway alongside it across fields prone to mud and sometimes ploughed to 3rd railway bridge. After the 3rd bridge footpath on west side of track curves toward Sidings development in Downton while bridlepath on east side climbs sharply uphill across fields to Redlynch. It would Be preferable to have a Greenway follow the footpath route into Downton which would take it into the sidings development to bring people out close to the back lane to Wood Green past Downton Moot.
