Winchester & The Itchen – A Journey from Our Ancient Capital

The River Itchen, one of the world’s finest chalk streams, rises in central Hampshire and flows between gently rolling hills through the ancient city of Winchester, past the medieval Hospital of St Cross, the Iron Age fort on St Catherine’s Hill and the former Victorian railway viaduct at Hockley to the village of Shawford before eventually emptying into the sea at Southampton. This walk (which has been written by and will be led by the delightful Tim Lawes as he endeavours to become a Lowland and Hill Walk Leader for OutdoorLads) follows the river’s (largely) peaceful course between Winchester and Shawford, taking in many historic sights along the way.

The sights:

Winchester: The city was founded more than 2,000 years ago as an Iron Age tribal capital, and has been a centre of administration ever since. The Romans built a fortified town here known as Venta Belgarum, and after their withdrawal it eventually became the Anglo-Saxon ‘Wintanceaster’. Under Alfred the Great, Winchester was the capital of Wessex and, with London, the capital of England during the struggle in the late 9th Century against the invading Danes. Although its importance gradually declined after the Norman Conquest in 1066, the city retained local prominence, and today is the county town of Hampshire and the location of a cathedral, crown court and university. Among its many historic buildings, the Cathedral (started 1079) is one of the great buildings of England and with a length of 558 feet is the longest medieval cathedral in the world. The Castle was largely destroyed in the Civil War, but the Great Hall (1222) survives and contains a 15th century representation of King Arthur’s Round Table. At the eastern end of the High Street stands the magnificent Victorian Guildhall (1871) and outside the bronze statue of Alfred the Great (1901).

St Cross: The Hospital of St Cross is a medieval almshouse founded in 1132. It is still home to 25 Brothers and continues to provide refreshment to travellers.

Hockley Viaduct: Built in 1891 to link the Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway with the London & South Western Railway. Although it appears to be a brick structure, it is in fact one of the earliest modern structures made of concrete, with the brick performing a largely decorative function. It last carried trains in 1960, and was restored in 2013 as a cycle & foot path. It is 2,000 feet long with 33 arches.

Shawford: The Bridge PH acquired fame as the location of Victor Meldrew’s hit-and-run death in the final episode of BBC comedy One Foot in the Grave. There are fine views from the war memorial on Shawford Down south west of the village.

Twyford: A village of 1,500 south of Winchester. St Mary’s Church dates from 1878 on Norman foundations. The nearby Victorian pumping station & waterworks are now a scheduled monument and museum.

Twyford Down: An area of chalkland lying south-east of Winchester behind St Catherine’s Hill. In the early 1990s, it was the scene of violent protests against the construction of the M3, which passes through the Down in a deep cutting and has resulted in the cutting-off of the hill from the rest of the Down. Hockley Golf Club was established on the Down in 1914.

St Catherine’s Hill: This chalk downland hill rising to 97m (320 feet) lies south-east of Winchester and provides magnificent views of the city from its summit. Most of the hill is an Iron Age hill fort, with the remains of the 12th century chapel of St Catherine at the top. There is also a turf maze constructed after 1647, one of only eight in England.

The route (please click the link in red to see it):

From the station, we will walk down Sussex Street to Westgate and The Castle, then along High Street to the Cathedral and Guildhall. We will then turn south and follow the path beside the Itchen and around the city wall to Winchester College. Here we will continue beside the river, past St Cross to pass under and then along the Hockley Viaduct. From the eastern end of the viaduct, we will cross the A3090 and pass under the M3 to continue along the Itchen, past Compton Lock to reach Shawford. Here we will pause for lunch. After the break, we will head east to Twyford Church and then north up the B3335 and White Lane to reach Hockley Golf Course. We will follow public footpaths across the course and Twyford Down to cross over the M3 and into the Iron Age enclosure of St Catherine’s Hill. Climbing to the summit, we pause to take in the spectacular view of Winchester before descending to the river and following the east bank back into the city where the walk will finish at the Guildhall.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome on this walk, and this is suitable for them, with few obstacles to negotiate. However, there is at least one point where the path passes grazing livestock, and a couple of busy roads to cross or walk along. At these points, dogs must be on a lead. At other times, a dog off the lead must be obedient.

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(Photos: The Castle Winchester, High Street Winchester, Cathedral, Guildhall, King Alfred Statue, Itchen Path, City Walls, Hospital of St Cross, Hockley Viaduct, Signal on Viaduct Path, Shawford, Twyford Church, Hockley Golf Course, View of city from St Catherine’s Hill. All images taken by Tim Lawes 31st May 2023.)