ALTON Town Council is celebrating after the decision to extend the annual Walking Festival attracted record bookings and some “fantastic feedback”.

According to town council community and events officer Emily-Jane Messenger, the extension this year from a weekend to an entire week led to more than 350 bookings, with some walks attracting a waiting list, or having to be split into two.

The event, which took place during the Easter holidays, offered a packed programme ranging from shorter tree and Civil War walks around the town to spooky ghost walks, and from natural history walks to long-distance walks in the surrounding countryside.

Top of the popularity stakes, according to Mrs Messenger, were the ghost walks, which sold out within the first two weeks of being advertised, leading to an additional late-night walk being added, which also sold out well before the event.

Led by Dark Encounters, a professional theatrical company, the ghost walks featured a number of actors dressed in period costume and telling hauntingly imaginative stories, with alarming credibility.

Having enjoyed his ghostly trail, Peter Desmond-Thomas described the experience as “wonderfully enthralling, atmospheric and compelling”.

The event, he said, was “well enacted and exceptional value for money”.

Also fully booked was Sunday’s 18-mile trek to Holybourne, led by Alton long-distance walker Ian Beveridge, as was the Hartley Mauditt walk, led by Ian Fleming, who took his team on a well-trodden route past the ‘haunted’ church and pond, and the seven-and-a-half mile trek from Bentley station to Alton, taking in the scenic countryside around Binsted, passing Holy Cross Church and Montgomery’s grave.

Equally well supported was the midweek walk led by Diana Wood, of Alton Ramblers, which visited the parishes of Chawton and Upper Farringdon, while a good number of walkers enjoyed the Alton town trail, visiting Kings Pond and Flood Meadows under the guidance of Hazel Renye.

Alton’s town guide tours around the town centre proved popular, with Thursday’s family version of the ‘Alton Heritage Walk’ expanding from one to two. The town guides run walks every month, the next being on Saturday, May 21, bookable via Alton Community Centre on 01420 85057.

Historian Jane Hurst led two informative heritage walks around the town, while naturalist Dr June Chatfield fascinated her followers with a Natural History walk along the River Wey, were they learned about the plant and animal life in Flood Meadows.

Peter Hutchins led the ‘Go Birding Walk’, starting at Kings Pond where the find of the day was undoubtedly the three baby herons in their huge nests on the central island. They were compared to pterodactyls by a young walker in the group.

Kelvin Perry, from Alton Camera Club, ran this year’s photography walk when participants enjoyed an hour and a half of ‘touring tuition’ and were encouraged to take some interesting shots along the way.

Alton Matters also organised a town centre ‘welly boot hunt’.

Thanking all those who supported the initiative, Alton Matters chairman Tanya Applegarth said: “We hope this fun competition has encouraged people to explore the variety of businesses that we are lucky to have in the town. There has been lots of positive feedback from children and parents, and to date we have received nearly 200 entries.”

Mrs Messenger said: “Feedback from the Alton Walking Festival event has been extremely positive.”

The town council has extended thanks to the volunteers who led walks during the festival and to the walkers who took part in them.

Thanks go also to the seven district councillors – Andrew Joy, David Orme, Dean Phillips, Glynis Watts, Edward Brandt, Graham Hill and Robert Saunders – for supporting the initiative via their district councillor grant scheme funds.