St Catherine's Hill - Twyford Circular

Distance: 8 miles approx
Parking: Tun Bridge car park
Map: Explorer 132 Winchester
Map ref for car park: SU484281

From the car park either go down to the path beside the River Itchen and turn left along this, or with your back to the entrance go along the path into the trees. This path runs alongside the west flank of St Catherine’s Hill. The River views are pretty and there are views of St Cross Hospital to be had beyond the hedges on the far side of the River. This forms part of the Itchen Way which you will return along at the end of the walk.

On the south side of St Catherine’s Hill a narrow valley opens up. There are two gates on to the greenway that passes around the base of the Hill. Between the two gates are information panels about the area. Follow the greenway around the base of the Hill until it climbs quite steeply up a chalk path to a gate. Go through the gate and across the bridge over the M3. On the other side turn right up through another gate and on to Twyford Down. With the fence on your left, make for the stile ahead and go over this on to the path that runs alongside the golf course. From the top of Twyford Down there are views to be had over Winchester and across to St Catherine’s Hill with the motorway mercifully lost to sight if not to hearing in the cutting, which has the effect of foreshortening the view between the two heights. There are also pleasant views to north and south as well.

The path you are on forms part of the Pilgrims Trail, which you keep along for about 1¾ miles, travelling up and down the trail as the Downs roll under your feet. Part of the Trail passes between wild hedgerows, in summer full of flowers and butterflies. This opens out on the left to wheatfields and as you come over the brow of the hill there is a racehorse training gallop with hurdles. The trail passes along the edge of the gallop. I wasn’t fortunate enough to see racehorses training on the day I was there.

The trail passes the gallop where it bends away to the north east, and passes a copse. A little further along it makes a crossroads with a by-way called White Lane. Go straight across and follow the waymarkers ahead.

Eventually, the trail comes down past farmland and emerges on to Hazeley Road. Cross the road and head along Mare Lane, still following the Pilgrims Trail. Mare Lane is a typical English country lane with branches meeting overhead. Continue along Mare Lane, until just before a crossroads there is a track off to the right. This track forms part of Monarchs Way. It is quite wide but becomes hedged on both sides for a while. Eventually, however, the hedges fall back and ahead you can see the roofs of houses on the outskirts of Twyford. Keep along this trail until you come to a stile into a wheatfield with a waymarker on the post. Follow the footpath just left of straight ahead to a broad greenway. Turn right along here and come down past the old Brickworks. Go through a gap in the hedge and turn left along the road.

This is the road into Twyford, as evidenced by a signpost on the left side of the road. Keep following the road into the village, where pavements begin. At the crossroads go right past the post office to the pelican crossing. On the other side of the road (B3335) turn left and then right heading towards Shawford. There are lovely views from the bridges along the river. Just before the you go over the river to the rail station the Itchen Way goes off along the River to the right. This trail has some enviable views of gardens coming down to the River banks on the far side. On the right bank of the river there are open meadows. This part of the walk does involve several stiles as well as kissing gates, and although most of the trail is clear, the latter part is overgrown and the river does encroach on the path in places. It is passable but consider wearing good waterproof footwear and long trousers unless you are immune to nettle-sting. Eventually the overgrowth gives way to a pavement which passes under the motorway. On the other side of the motorway, go down to the pelican crossings and cross to the other side of this busy slip road. You can see the sister hill to St Catherine’s rising to your right. Take the right-hand path heading towards the hill, then bear right on to an earthen path and through a kissing gate on to the slope of the hill. The climb is not steep but it is long.

Coming out of the trees over the brow of the hill, you are now looking across the narrow valley where your walk along the Pilgrims Trail began, and across to St Catherine’s Hill itself. Here, you can choose to go down to the gate and turn left back on to the path back to the car park, or you can cross the greenway and climb up to the top of St Catherine’s either on the slope or up the wired wooden steps purpose-built into the slope. Once at the top the path goes right and left. There are beautiful views over the surrounding countryside. Whichever way you choose, come round to the information panel in front of the maze. Here, you can try out the maze. The exit is behind you, through a gateway form by an ancient earthwork. The path downwards starts quite gently on beaten earth, then turns right down a steep slope and then a steep flight of steps. At the bottom of the descent a beaten earth path leads round to the left and through a tunnel. You are now back at the car park.