Plan a weekend
A weekend in Odiham
Friday night on the High Street, Saturday on the canal and at the castle, Sunday on the footpaths with a long pub lunch. It all works without a car too.
Friday evening: arrive
From London by train
Waterloo to Hook, then the 13 or a taxi
Direct trains from London Waterloo to Hook take about 55 minutes. The Stagecoach 13 bus to Odiham takes about 7 minutes, but the last one leaves at around 8pm, so after that book a taxi for the 10-minute ride. Getting here has the details.
By car
M3, junction 5
Odiham is about 10 minutes from the junction. If you arrive in daylight, park and stretch your legs along the High Street before dinner.
Dinner
El Castello, Odiham Tandoori or the Red Lion
All three are in the middle of the High Street. El Castello is Italian and takes bookings online (closed Mondays), the Tandoori is closed on Tuesdays, and the Red Lion does seasonal British pub food.
Saturday: the village, the canal and the castle
Breakfast
The Red Lion or Fountains
The Red Lion opens early for breakfast from Friday to Sunday. Fountains Coffee Shop in Fountains Mall does a proper cooked breakfast from 8am.
Morning
Odiham village heritage trail
0.8 miles (1.2 km) · about an hour with stops · Easy. Past All Saints' Church, the Pest House, the stocks and the old coaching inns, starting from The Bury.
Coffee
The Folly
A family-run coffee shop on the High Street. Its hot chocolate is our go-to on a cold day.
Lunch
Bel & the Dragon at the George
A Grade II-listed former inn with roots going back to 1540, made for a long lunch.
Afternoon
Canal towpath to King John's Castle
3.4 miles (5.4 km) · about 1½ hours · Easy. A level towpath from Colt Hill Wharf to the ruin of King John's Castle and back. In the boating season you could hire a rowing boat or kayak at Galleon Marine instead. Galleon Marine is closed for the winter and opens again for the boating season in spring.
Early evening
The Bell
The tiny community-owned pub opposite the church, with real ales and old pub games. It opens from noon on Saturdays.
Sunday: a longer walk and a pub lunch
Morning
Greywell Moors, Greywell and the castle
4.0 miles (6.5 km) · 2 to 2½ hours · Moderate. Field paths, the nature reserve and back along the canal. Wear boots. For something shorter, try Odiham Common and the canal (1.6 miles (2.6 km) · 45 minutes to 1 hour · Easy).
Sunday lunch
The Mill House, the Fox & Goose or the Waterwitch
The Mill House in North Warnborough has a Sunday menu and gardens round the millpond, so book. The Fox & Goose in Greywell is at the end of the walk: It's under new management, so check first whether dogs and children are welcome and whether food is on. The Waterwitch changes hands on 1 November 2026 and reopens under new owners some time in November (no date yet), so check it's open before you go.
On the way home
Newlyns farm shop
Just outside North Warnborough and open seven days a week, for the farm's own meat, cheese and something for supper.
The no-car version
Everything above works without a car, apart from Newlyns (about 2.6 miles away, so a taxi).
- Getting here: train to Hook, then the 13 bus (Monday to Saturday, about hourly until around 8pm) or a taxi you've booked.
- Getting about: Colt Hill Wharf is about 15 minutes' walk from the High Street, the Mill House about 23 minutes and Greywell around half an hour, mostly along the towpath.
- Going home on Sunday: there are only about six buses on a Sunday and none in the evening, so check the times or book a taxi back to Hook.
- Arriving on a Friday morning? The Friday market is on the High Street from 8am to 1pm.
Quick answers
Can you get to Odiham from London without a car?
Yes. Trains from London Waterloo to Hook take about 55 minutes, then it's about 7 minutes on the Stagecoach 13 bus or 10 minutes by taxi.
Is a weekend long enough for Odiham?
Two days covers the village, the canal, the castle and a longer country walk with a pub lunch. Add a day if you want Farnham or Winchester too: see days out from Odiham.
Do the Odiham pubs need booking at the weekend?
For Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch, yes, it's worth booking, especially at Bel & the Dragon, the Red Lion and the Mill House.