Walk Details

NZ Walking Routes > Canterbury > Christchurch > Cracroft Hill Walk

Cracroft Hill Walk

Location

Car park beside Old Stone House (Cracroft Community Centre) off Shalamar Drive.

Description

This is a hill walk with gentle grades. This circuit features the Cracroft Cavern and Old Stone House. The Indian connection is obvious as you follow the streets and quiet acessways of this attractive suburb.

From the Old Stone House walk down Shalamar Drive to Cashmere Road. At the junction there is a steep pedestrian accessway that leads up a public driveway to Bengal Drive. You have to return down this accessway so note the entrance/exits carefully. This route avoids crossing the busy Cashmere Road twice.

Walk down Bengal Drive turning right into the grounds of Princess Margaret Hospital. Continue walking up onto a broad grassy area that goes between an avenue of flowering cherry trees. Take the track behind the tennis courts which joins a broad track leading up a pretty wooded gully.

Your climb takes you to an open grass glade and buried in the hillside, is the fortified steel door of the Cracroft Cavern. This was built during the Second World War as an army headquarters base, but was never actually used.

Walk uphill on the woodland track (past the first sidetrack which leads to Delhi Place) and onto the second track junction. The left-hand branch leads into Lady Polson Lane and Hackthorne Road. Take the right-hand branch as it climbs up a flight of steps, each curiously numbered with roman numerals, up to Sasaram Lane.

There are good views over the Port Hills from here, and it is easy strolling down Bengal Drive. At one point you follow a sealed path through a small reserve, then look out for the pedestrian accessway and number 32 on your left (almost opposite Nehru Place). Walk down this public driveway to where it divides, then turn left to number 30 and the accessway is obvious.

Back on Shalamar Drive, cross the road bridge, and take the streamside track into Worsleys Reserve. The track has sheltering trees along Cashmere Stream to Worsleys Road. Short distance from here to Holmcroft Court and over the stone bridge to the Old Stone House and car park.

Short walk options: from the car park walk past the Old Stone House and turn right into Worsleys Reserve, 20 mins return.

Distance

2.0 km

Duration

0.4 hours

Level

Medium

Amenities

• Birds
• Carpark
• Historical
• Plant Life

Source

Christchurch City Council Brochure – Into the Hills 2006

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