Winchester Trail

Route Direction

Leave car park to road, turn left and turn right before river (Signpost Pilgrims Trail). Straight on with river on left following path, playing field then houses on right, to gate (Private No Access) where path turns away from river, up 3 steps to road. Turn left to T junction, turn right (Wharf Hill) on right hand pavement and follow to right uphill past Black Boy PH (interesting eccentric interior) to X roads. Straight on up East Hill (use pedestrian crossing to left if traffic heavy). Keep left at junction (Quarry Road), straight on past St Giles Close, 25m at railings turn left [St Giles Hill viewpoint]. Immediately turn right, straight on to top of steps. Turn left round summit of hill, straight on at X paths down concrete steps to viewpoint visible to right.
Q1. On stone by view-point is a bronze disc. At the bottom when was the last Saxon earl executed?

From viewpoint turn left and continue round top of hill to first gap in railings on left. Turn left down first flight of 44 steps only. Turn left on path through trees, straight on tarmac keeping to right. 50m turn right past cast iron bollard down steps to road. Turn left along road to pedestrian crossing and turn right immediately before Black Rat Restaurant past wooden bollard down passageway, straight on along pavement to car park and bridge over river in front of mill.
Q2. At far side of bridge is an information plaque on mill wall. From what did the medieval mill take its name?

Turn right with river on right to road. Turn left up High Street past King Alfred’s statue into pedestrianised part of street. Straight on to traffic lights. Straight on uphill to stone gateway (museum in gateway). At gateway turn left (Signpost Great Hall), past excavated castle remains on right, across courtyard and up steps to enter Great Hall visitor centre (free admission). (If Hall closed exit down wide cobbled path to road and turn left uphill to Museums.) Straight on to exhibition, turn left and through door down steps into Great Hall. Through Great Hall and with Round Table behind you exit Hall through doorway on right into garden, up steps to road. Turn right past Gurkha Museum, then turn right past The Rifles Museum. (If Great Hall closed route rejoins here but worth looking in at museums etc.) Turn right downhill past stone gateway to traffic lights. Turn left (Jewry Street), straight on to traffic lights at X roads, straight on (Hyde Street). Turn right into Hyde Gate, 35m bear left through walkway under housing to pass through the Hyde Gate (the room adjoining the gate has several historical information boards). Turn right then straight on over stream, continue straight on (Alswitha Terrace on right) to gap in wall at end, with notice board on left.
Q3. When was the garden opened?

Continue through garden, down ramp, over stream (note pew-style railings on bridge), turn right follow path round keeping stream on right, over humpty-back bridge, turn right, straight on over bridge towards white building, turn left then turn right on street past Winchester School of Art on left. At junction straight on (Middle Brook Street) cross to left side at end to use pedestrian crossing and continue straight on pedestrianised street across junction, past Marks & Spencer to T-junction. Bear right under archway (toilets on right at end) across road bearing to right on flagged path to right hand end of Cathedral. Follow path across cathedral west front and turn left through bollards and archways keeping alongside cathedral. Turn right with grass area on right (50m on left Dean Garnier Gardens afford unusual views of cathedral). At end of square bear left, 20m bear right (signpost Wolvesey Castle) to gateway. Turn right through gate, immediately left under arch with church above, and left again into College Street. After 100m......
Q4. Which famous novelist died in house to your right?

At end of college wall on right, turn right (College Walk). At end turn right (signpost St Cross). At end turn left through gap in railings continuing on footpath with stream on right. Straight on over road (signpost St Cross Hospital) on Clarendon Way. Ignore footbridge on right. Straight on through gate, over wooden footbridge then ahead to left of wall of St Cross (well worth a visit). Through gate, straight on over stile, stream on right over 2 stiles to track Straight on 100m turn left (signpost Bridleway) past barrier on lane closed to traffic, over bridges past gate at end to T-junction, turn left and follow path under bridge. 800m at entrance to St Catherine’s Hill, by Information Board, turn right through gates, bear left up steps. At top of steps bear to left of trees on summit of hill to Information Board hidden behind bush. Turn right to mismaze. Exit mismaze from left side to Information Board also hidden behind bush.
Q5. On Information Board, what is the old country game similar to the pattern of the mismaze?

With your back to mismaze Information Board go through gap in earth bank. After 10m turn left on stony path descending by wooden rails then down steps. Continue on path through gates, under archway into car park.