Getting here
Getting to Odiham and where to park
Odiham is easy to reach without a car. Hook station is about 2½ miles away, with fast trains to London Waterloo, and if you drive, the M3 is ten minutes away.
By train: Hook station
Hook is the nearest station, about 2½ miles from the High Street, with direct South Western Railway trains to and from London Waterloo in about 55 minutes. Basingstoke is the next stop the other way.
From the station it's about 10 minutes to Odiham by taxi or car, or take the bus (below). There's a taxi rank on the station side, but there isn't always a car waiting, especially in the evening, so book one ahead.
By bus: the Stagecoach 13
The 13 (Basingstoke to Alton and Bordon) stops by Hook station at Hook Rail Station, on the southbound side. It takes about 7 minutes: get off at Odiham, opp Crownfields on Alton Road, then it's about a 5-minute walk to the High Street.
From Monday to Saturday it runs roughly every hour from about 6am, with the last bus at around 8pm. On Sundays there are only about six buses, between mid-morning and early evening, and there's no late-evening service on any day, so check times before you travel.
By car: the M3, junction 5
Odiham is about 10 minutes from junction 5 of the M3. Coming from London, leave at junction 5 and follow the signs for Odiham. The village is small and the High Street is wide, but it gets busy on Friday mornings when the market is on.
Parking in Odiham
Deer Park View car park
Just off the High Street, next to the health centre. Run by Hart District Council: pay and display every day, by coins, card or the MiPermit app, with a cheaper flat rate on Sundays. Blue Badge holders park free in any marked bay. It's about 35 spaces and fills up on market mornings and event days. There are rapid EV chargers here (below).
The Bury car park
A small Hart car park by All Saints' Church, off Church Street, with only about a dozen spaces. Same pay and display rules as Deer Park View, and there are rapid EV chargers here too. Handy for the heritage trail and the Greywell walk, which start from The Bury.
On the High Street
There are on-street spaces along the High Street. Some bays are time-limited, so read the signs when you park.
Colt Hill Wharf car park (free)
The free car park by the canal, about 15 minutes' walk from the High Street. It's where most of our walks start, and handy for the Common, the John Pinkerton and the boatyard. From the High Street, take London Road, go past the Waterwitch, cross Colt Hill Bridge and turn right at the end of the road.
Mill Lane, North Warnborough
A small car park close to King John's Castle, if you only want the castle and the canal.
EV charging
There are two Be.EV rapid charging hubs in the village, each with two 50kW CCS chargers you can pay for by bank card or the Be.EV app:
- Deer Park View car park, by the health centre.
- The Bury car park (listed as Church Street car park), a few hundred metres away.
If one's busy, try the other. You still pay for the parking.
Public toilets
- King Street toilets, at the bottom of King Street, just off the High Street. Run by the parish council and open from 7am to 7pm.
- The Bridewell on The Bury has an accessible toilet, refurbished by the parish council. The council doesn't publish opening times for visitors, so check before you travel.
- Hook station has toilets, opened with a RADAR key, only while the ticket office is open.
Most of the pubs and cafés have toilets for customers.
Without a car
You can do a whole weekend here without a car: train to Hook, the 13 bus or a taxi into the village, and everything in Odiham is walkable, including the canal, the castle and the pubs in North Warnborough. Our weekend itinerary has a car-free version.
Cycling the towpath: bikes are allowed on the Basingstoke Canal towpath, but you need to give way to walkers. The canal society asks you to keep to the path, ride at a sensible speed, give a friendly ring of the bell when you pass people and take care at narrow bridges and blind corners. It's a shared path, so it's not the place for a fast ride.
Quick answers
What is the nearest station to Odiham?
Hook, about 2½ miles away, with direct trains to London Waterloo in about 55 minutes. The Stagecoach 13 bus or a 10-minute taxi gets you to the village.
Where can I park in Odiham?
Deer Park View and The Bury are Hart District Council pay and display car parks near the High Street, there are on-street spaces on the High Street, and the car park at Colt Hill Wharf by the canal is free.
Is there a bus from Hook station to Odiham?
Yes, the Stagecoach 13, about hourly from Monday to Saturday until around 8pm, with only about six buses on Sundays. It takes about 7 minutes.
Can I charge an electric car in Odiham?
Yes. There are Be.EV rapid chargers in the Deer Park View and The Bury car parks, two at each.
Can you cycle on the Basingstoke Canal towpath?
Yes, but walkers come first. Ride at a sensible speed, ring your bell when passing and take care at narrow bridges and blind corners.