Villages of the Itchen Valley

This walk is a short circular tour along the River Itchen from Winchester to three ancient villages strung along its banks - Kings Worthy, Martyr Worthy & Easton.

The sights:

Hyde: This attractive little area just north of the city centre was once the site of Hyde Abbey, consecrated in 1110. Dissolved in 1539, the only substantial surviving part is the 15th century gatehouse. Opposite stands the church of St Bartholomew, originally 12th century, but enhanced in the 1540s with stonework from the abbey. Substantially rebuilt 1857 - 1880.

St Swithin's Way: Following part of the ancient pilgrimage route from Winchester to Canterbury, this 34-mile long-distance path runs to Farnham. It is denoted by waymarks showing a shell and two croziers on a green background.

Hillier's Haven: A public open space created by Winchester City Council in 2018, featuring nature & sculpture trails.

Winnall Moors: This area of the Itchen floodplain sits between the suburbs of Abbotts Barton and Winnall, and forms part of the South Downs National Park. Consisting of woodland, wet meadows, chalk streams and reedbeds, it is a haven for birdlife. It acts as protection for the city centre to the south by absorbing winter flooding.

Kings Worthy: A pretty little village two miles north of Winchester, but now hemmed in by the major traffic arteries of the M3 & A34. The church of St Mary dates back to the late 12th century, but with Victorian rebuilding & extensions.

Worthy Park House: This large country house was originally constructed in 1722, but demolished and rebuilt in the Georgian style in 1820. After being taken over by the Army in WWII, it functioned as a training centre before becoming a school in 1999.

Martyr Worthy: Lies three miles north-east on Winchester at a crossing point of the Itchen. The church of St Swithin dates back to the mid-12th century. Next to the church, in 36 acres of grounds, stands the listed 18th-century Martyr Worthy Manor, which sold for £5 million in 2019.

Easton: A village of some 800 people lying on the south bank of Itchen opposite Martyr Worthy. The grade 1 listed church of St Mary is the earliest and largest church in the Itchen Valley, dating to the 12th-century. There are two pubs in the village, The Cricketers and The Chestnut Horse.

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

From the station, we will head up Andover Road and into the suburb of Hyde. Passing St Bartholomew's Church, we will join the St Swithin's Way footpath heading north out of the city. Passing Hillier's Haven and Winnall Moors Nature Reserve, we use subways under the A34 to reach Kings Worthy. 

Crossing the A33 at surface level, we continue eastwards along the north bank of the river, passing Worthy Park House and under the M3 to eventually arrive at Martyr Worthy. Here we turn south to cross the Itchen and reach Easton, where we will stop for lunch.

After the break, we will climb south-west out of Easton to reach the highest point on the walk at 273 feet before descending past farms to reach junction 9 of the M3, where we use footpaths and subways to cross the M3 & A34 and re-enter the city through the commercial suburb of Winnall**. Eventually we will reach the city centre at Durngate from where it is a further half-mile west along North Walls and City Road to reach the station.

** NB, The more attractive route back into the city along the Itchen Way was blocked by floodwater at the time of the reconnaissance walk.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome on this walk, but if we encounter grazing livestock or walk along busy roads, a lead must be used. This particularly applies at the point where we have to cross the busy A33. At other times, a dog off the lead must be obedient. There is one stile on the walk which your dog will have to negotiate, and two occasions where we cross the cold, fast-flowing Itchen via narrow bridges.

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Photo credits:

The Itchen Valley; St Bartholomew's Church, Hyde; the Itchen at Hyde; Winnall Moor Reserve; waymarkers on St Swithin's Way; St Mary's Church, Kings Worthy; Worthy Park House; St Swithin's Church, Martyr Worthy; the Itchen at Martyr Worthy; Easton village; St Mary's Church, Easton; parking charges Winchester Station.

All images taken by the walk leader 28th December 2023.