Winchester Circular - ** revised route ** - an ancient hill fort, the River Itchen and a Christmas market

Length: 16.7km (10.4 miles), with a 10.2km (6.3 mile) shorter walk possible if you want more time to do some tourism in Winchester T=swc.15

9.35 train from Waterloo (10.00 Woking), arriving 10.32

From Clapham Junction get the 9.27 Exeter train to Woking, arriving 9.47, to pick up the above train

For walk directions* click here, for GPX click here, for a map of the route click here

* The walk directions also include plentiful historical and touristic notes on Winchester, including a guided tour of Winchester Cathedral, all of which you can also find on the home page for this walk. See the walk directions or home page of this walk for details of a shorter 6.3 mile walk if you want more time to visit these attractions

I have recently re-jigged this walk, removing a rather dull section along the edge of a golf course mid-morning, which was also becoming overgrown with scrub. In its place the main walk now takes the former alternative morning route through the very attractive watermeadows of the River Itchen. I have also added a small (optional) extra loop around the rim of the valley beyond St Catherine's Hill, which gives fine views of this Iron Age hill fort. 

Lunch is in the pleasant Bridge Inn in Shawford - I have booked a table for six and we can adjust upwards on the day.

The afternoon takes you on a loop over farmed downland with fine distant views of Winchester Cathedral. You finish along more watermeadows, passing the ancient public school of Winchester College and the historic Kingsgate, to find a Christmas market in full swing in the Cathedral close. 

Tea options include the excellent Cathedral Cafe, open till 5pm, or various nice pubs, plus plenty of other options: see the walk directions or home page for some hints. Winchester High Street is cheerfully decorated for Christmas.

The fastest trains back to Waterloo are at 17 and 48 past, taking 1hr. There is also a slightly slower (1hr 11 mins) train at 53 past. 

The 17 past train also calls at Clapham Junction: or you could get the 31 past Cross Country train to Basingstoke (though these can be a bit unreliable and crowded...) and change there (arr 47, depart 57)