Would you like to explore the best of Winchester? This guidebook covers 15 of the best short walks in the area (between 3 and 11km), including the Cathedral, Keat's Walk, Hockley Viaduct, Wolvesey Castle, St Giles Hill, Ovington and the South Downs.

Why choose this guidebook?

• Walks under three hours, plus one challenge route
• Easy to follow with clear route descriptions
• Facilities, parking and highlights for every route
• No specialist gear needed, walk all year round
• Ordnance Survey mapping

Cicerone’s Short Walks guidebooks contain everything you need to get outdoors and discover the best of an area. The routes are perfect if you’re new to walking or looking for something you can enjoy with the whole family. Let the adventures begin!

Map key
Overview map
Using this guide
Route summary table
Introduction
Walking in Winchester and the surrounding area
Places to stay
Travel to and from Winchester
The walks
1. Winchester Cathedral, St Cross and Tun Bridge
2. St Catherine’s Hill, Hockley Viaduct and Kingsgate
3. Hyde Gate, Kings Worthy, Abbots Worthy and Easton
4. Chilcomb and the South Downs Way
5. City Mill, St Giles Hill and Wolvesey Castle
6. Westgate, St Cross and Shawford
7. Cheriton, Hinton Ampner and Kilmeston
8. New Alresford, Abbotstone and Old Alresford
9. Itchen Stoke and Ovington
10. Itchen Abbas, Martyr Worthy, Easton and Avington
11. Stockbridge Down
12. Stockbridge and Houghton
13. Micheldever, Stoke Charity, Hunton and Wonston
14. Wherwell and Chilbolton Cow Common
15. Longparish
 
Useful information

Seasons

Suitable for year-round walking. A small section of Walk 9 can be quite muddy and in winter some of the other routes will also have short sections that are muddy.

Centres

Winchester, New Alresford, Hinton Ampner, Ovington, Avington, Stockbridge, Wherwell, Easton, Shawford, Itchen Abbas, Micheldever, Hunton, Longparish

Difficulty

All the routes are straightforward and no special equipment or challenging navigation is required. Only four of the routes have a stile to negotiate. The level of fitness required is modest apart from Walk 5 which includes a short but sharp ascent up to St Giles Hill.

Must See

The Cathedral, Kingsgate, Keats’ Walk, St Cross Almshouse, Hockley Viaduct, St Catherine’s Hill, Wolvesey Castle, The Itchen by the Weirs in Winchester, Statue of King Alfred the Great, St Giles Hill viewing platform, South Downs Way, City Mill, Westgate, Hinton Ampner, Watercress Heritage Line, New Alresford, Ovington, Stockbridge Down, Stockbridge including the dismantled Sprat and Winkle railway, Wherwell

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