1. Route walked from Winchester to Bishop's Waltham. Starting point outside Winchester Guildhall. Walk along the front of the Guildhall, away from the town and towards the river. This part is fully paved. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
2. Take the right turn along the river without crossing over the bridge. There are parallel steps and slope. Both are fairly narrow but a wheelchair should be able to fit on the ramp. Walk along the river, sticking left. I'd advise ignoring the slight diversion to the right that the route tells you to do towards the end – it is literally pointless and the next photo assumes you stick left. Other than bricks shown in the image, the whole area is concreted. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
3. When you cannot walk further, turn left to cross the river. Follow the outside of the building in the photo and turn right onto the road. Again, the terrain is concreted. There is a path along the road. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
4. When the road bears right, cross and continue straight forward. This section involves road walking, but the road is generally very quiet and walkers are expected. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
5. On this road, there are two footpaths leading right. Take the SECOND one. The first is fingerposted and has a sign warning about cattle. The second is not signposted, as per the photo. This footpath is made of large gravel and dirt, and has uneven steps at the start. The next image shows the reverse view to help illustrate the path quality. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
6. Reverse view of previous step for path quality. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
7. Continue on the same path, following the river on your right. The path starts off narrow as seen in the previous two images, but widens out. Some sections of the path are eroded or uneven, but shouldn't be a problem. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
8. Towards the end of the footpath, there are three possible exits. Take the middle (gated) or right (minor obstacle, see next image). km from start — 29 Apr 2024
9. Obstacle at the right-most exit from the footpath. Whichever exit you took, continue on through the car park on the other side of the road. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
10. Stick to the right of the carpark and follow the path along the river. It is fully paved for cyclists and wheelers and is probably the best section of the route for all travellers. There is a bench a short way along. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
11. Take the left turning through the gate into the St Catherine’s Hill nature reserve. The footpath follows along the base of the hill, all the way round to the other side. You could go up and over, but it’s steep. The footpath starts off gravelled but becomes grassy, and when I walked it there were small holes across the path in one section. Next two images show path quality in this section. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
12. Path quality image 1. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
13. Path quality image 2. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
14. Eventually, the path begins to slope upwards to the right and towards and the sound of traffic gets louder. Pictured terrain lasts maybe 150 metres. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
15. Exit the nature reserve through the gate and cross the motorway bridge. This bridge is for walkers and cyclists only, no motorised traffic. The ground is concreted. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
16. On the other side of the bridge, take the gate on the right and follow the left path. This path is uneven and made of dirt and gravel. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
17. Uneven path. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
18. This section of the footpath is narrow. There is long grass on both sides, which you may have to step into to let others pass, and there are occasional tree roots. There is a golf course on the right. The path eventually slopes downward through trees and the ground becomes more uneven. Next image shows the most uneven and sloped section. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
19. Reverse view for path quality. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
20. At the bottom of the slope, take the middle path. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
21. Eventually you will exit the path onto a wider dirt and gravel road. The route says to take a diagonal path through the field in front. That path doesn’t exist, so turn right here. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
22. Turn left at the first opportunity. At the end of this section you will be back on the slow ways route. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
23. When you pass through some trees, you’ll see this cross. Continue down the path until you reach the road. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
24. Cross the road taking the footpath marked on the other side. The terrain here goes from uneven gravel to concrete, to dirt. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
25. As soon as you've crossed the road, go through the gate. This section of the path is mostly dirt and narrow, flanked by long grass or crops. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
26. The footpath continues forward into the next field, so go through the gate. The terrain in the next section becomes grassy and uneven. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
27. At the end of this footpath there is a gate, but it was broken on the day I visited. To close it, you need to lift the gate and lean it against the post. Next image shows this. On the other side of the gate, turn left. The terrain is dirt. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
28. Reverse view of the broken gate. To close it, you need to lift it up and rest it against the pillar. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
29. You will pass a metal frame and concrete stumps, which you can use to rest on. The terrain is dirt and widens out until it hits a road. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
30. When you emerge onto the road, turn right. This section involves road walking. I walked this during the early hours – this was perhaps 8am on a Sunday and I saw no cars. As in the image, the road is concrete. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
31. At the junction, cross over. The footpath is not quite where slow ways route or the OS map indicate. Instead, it starts a little way down from the corner – aim for the bright spot in the trees. Next image shows the spot you're aiming for from a closer spot. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
32. The fingerpost is unhelpfully buried in the trees, so it’s not easy to see unless you’re coming from the other direction. The start of the path here is a little overgrown but easy to walk through. It widens out as seen in the next photo. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
33. The path through the field is dirt and flanked by crops. It is wider than some of the earlier parts of the route but still not wide. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
34. At the end, pass through the gap in the hedge to enter another field. This part is fairly narrow. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
35. Continue forward along the left perimeter of the field. Again, go through the gap in the trees/hedge. The terrain here is a little rougher than before, mostly because it’s a mix of dirt and grass. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
36. Follow the path upwards - there will be a fence on your left. The terrain here is dirt with tree roots. At some point, the route says to turn off to the left, but the footpath actually continues on forward along the ‘Millennium Pilgrim’s Trail’. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
37. There is a kissing gate at the top of the path. The ground has many tree roots. Next image shows a closer view of the same kissing gate and next step. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
38. Through the kissing gate, the path continues through a narrow gap between two fences. Next photo shows a closer view of the next step. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
39. This path is fairly narrow and I had to turn slightly sideways to get through - the width is probably around 30-40cms. On this stretch, there’s an electric tape fence on the right. The path is dirt and grass. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
40. At the end of the path with the electric tape fence, there is a wooden post in the way, but the exit is about 30-40 cms. Head for the kissing gate opposite. Closer view of the kissing gate in the next image. The path here is grassy. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
41. Go through the kissing gate. This stretch is narrow as you pass between shrubs, trees and a building wall. The terrain is dirt. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
42. Exit into Owslebury where there is a kerb down onto the road. Turn right on the road - there is no path but this is a short stretch and I didn’t see any cars. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
43. Continue along the road until you see a church on your left. Pub stop: At this point, you can choose to divert slightly to rest at a the Ship Inn. To get there, continue along the road. The pub is on the right. Once you choose to move on, you’ll need to backtrack to the church pictured, which will be on your right. Once at the church, go through the kissing gate by the fingerpost. Ignore the gravel path and instead take the grassy path left between the headstones. On the other side of the graveyard, go through the gate and down the steps. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
44. Path through the churchyard. The path is grassy and wide. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
45. At the end of the churchyard path, there is a gate. At the bottom of the steps, turn right onto the road. This involves road walking but it’s a very short stretch and not at all busy. There is a gate at the end. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
46. Once through the gate, follow the footpath forward. This path is wide and in good condition, though not paved so it’s still a little rough. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
47. At the end of the path, squeeze between the barriers. These gates are not moveable but you could in theory climb over them if the 20-25cm gap is too awkward. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
48. The narrow exit of the previous step opens onto a field with dirt bike tracks. Turn left along the perimeter of the field and go up onto the ridge. Continue following the perimeter. The path is wide and grass/gravel all the way along. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
49. As you pass out of the field, there’s an odd fence. It’s a single wire across the path (you may need to squint to see it in the photo), so go to the yellow signs on the left side and go through the narrow gap (20-25cm). km from start — 29 Apr 2024
50. At the end of the path, there are two exits, both gated. I took the left one, which had a metal bar a little way off the ground (10-15cm), which is somewhat of a trip hazard. The next part of the route is opposite the right-hand gate, so that way may be easier. If you took the right-hand gate, just walk straight across the road. If you take the left-hand gate turn right on the road until you reach the other gate and then turn to face left. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
51. Continue up the path in front of you. If the main gate is closed, there is a stile on the left for you to climb over. This route does lead to a farm, so it’s possible that farm vehicles use this track though I didn’t see or hear any on my walk. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
52. Midway along the track, you will find a 3-way junction. Take the footpath on the right through the kissing gate. This footpath is uneven dirt. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
53. At the end of the path, there’s another kissing gate. On the other side of this kissing gate the footpath is a bit rougher and there’s a fallen tree that you have to climb through. Next image shows the fallen tree. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
54. Once past the tree, go through the tall metal kissing gate. NOTE: There is a sign stating that this part of the path is for walkers only. Next image shows the sign. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
55. Walkers only sign. Continue through the gate. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
56. Once through the gate, the path becomes overgrown. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
57. Make sure to keep an eye out for a displaced post pointing the way. You will probably walk that way anyway because of the line of the path, but I recall double-checking it so it's something to note. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
58. At the end of the overgrown path, exit through a second tall kissing gate. A few paces away from the gate is a road with no paths. Face left on the road. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
59. Facing left on the road, you will see this T-junction. Take the right-hand turning. There are no paths here and the road is stoney/gravelly. I didn’t encounter any cars but I did move out of the way of some cyclists. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
60. A short way along the road, turn left and take the path through middle of the fields. The path is a little rough, but nothing troublesome. There is an almost unnoticeable landing strip in the middle of this farm, only visible because the grass is shorter. The airfield isn’t used a lot, so it’s unlikely you’ll have to wait or divert because of light airplanes taking off or landing. Continue straight forward through the airfield. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
61. At the end of the path, turn left along the trees. The terrain here is grassy, as you can see. Go through the stile marked. Next image shows the view from the stile. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
62. Through the stile is a field used for cows. Cross the field to the stile almost opposite, slightly to the left. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
63. Climb over the stile and continue along the dirt track. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
64. At the end of the dirt track, go through the gap and walk forward on the right-hand side of the fence. The terrain here is dirt and grass. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
65. Go to the kissing gate in the top left corner of the field. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
66. This kissing gate is narrow. Once through, the path is wide at the start but has tree roots. There is also a shallow rut in the middle of the path but this angles off and only affects the area immediately after the gate. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
67. Tree roots. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
68. The path exits onto fields, where the path is grassy. Continue forward until you reach a stile. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
69. Go over the stile and then forward along the perimeter to the next gate at the end. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
70. Go over the stile and turn right on the road. Again, there is no path but this road wasn’t busy when I walked it. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
71. The road leads to a junction. Turn left. Pub stop: This road takes you through Upham, where you pass a pub on the right (Brushmaker’s Arms). It comes recommended by locals from Bishop’s Waltham. If you have your own food/drinks, there are benches just a little way further down the road, by a pond. Once past the pub, keep going forward until you reach a junction. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
72. Continue on the road, past the red phone box and the pond (fenced off on the right here), and turn right on the road. This is the longest stretch of on-road walking, and cars can go fast, but there’s generally enough room for cars and pedestrians and visibility is good so drivers do usually slow down and you don’t have to fully stop to let them pass. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
73. After several minutes, take the footpath on the left. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
74. The terrain here is relatively smooth for a dirt path, but it is narrow between the crops. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
75. When you reach the trees, go straight forward through the gap. Do not turn left. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
76. There is a barrier with a broken stile but you can walk round the right-hand side. This section is a wide-ish dirt track. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
77. At the end of this path, climb over the stile and continue forward along the right-hand perimeter of the field. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
78. The path splits towards the end of the field. Take the right-hand path, which is narrow and has prominent tree roots. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
79. Climb the stile and turn left along the perimeter of the field. The route becomes grassy here. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
80. Cross from one field to the next by continuing forward. You can see the path, which is grassy, going into the distance in this image. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
81. At the end of the path, climb over the stile and turn right on the road. The next part involves a short stretch of road walking. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
82. Walk along the road towards the house. Before reaching the house, look for the fingerpost and take the path there. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
83. There is a very low stile to step over. The path is narrow and very uneven and rough. It exits into a field that is rather overgrown. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
84. At the end of the field is a double-stile, which is also overgrown. This double stile is essentially two stiles, 1 metre apart. The second stile is a little unstable. The next stile is at the opposite end of the field, where you see a gap in the trees. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
85. Climb over the stile and take the path straight forward through the field opposite. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
86. Continue forward through the field. On the other side you will see buildings. The exit is to the left of those buildings. The path shown on the Slow Way is accurate, so you can continue forward through the centre of the field. There are alternative footpaths that run around the perimeter of the field, so if you’re more comfortable taking those then it makes no difference. The owners have put up a 'No Horses' sign. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
87. This was the exit I took from the field, to the left of the buildings. Turn right onto the road. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
88. Continue forward along the road (centre path). Terrain here is gravel. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
89. Eventually, the road narrows to a gravel path. Continue forward and avoid the signed footpath to the right (just out of shot). A short way along, a path will appear on the left. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
90. Take the path going left. Do not pass through the gate. This section is a dirt path. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
91. At the end of the path, turn right onto the road. This section requires road walking. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
92. This is a continuation of the road you are already on. Continue forward and turn right. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
93. Facing right on the road, step up onto the narrow pathway. There is no dropped kerb. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
94. Cross the road where possible and take the first turning on the left (Free Street), where there’s a path on the right-hand side. Cars here often go fast and I did not see any traffic lights or pedestrian crossings. I travelled at a quiet time so crossing was easy, but rush hour is a different story. NOTE: At the top of Free Street, the route says to divert left onto a footpath between two trees. Ignore that part of the route – it adds about 5 metres distance for no benefit and rejoins the road you’re already on. Continue on Free Street until you reach Maypole Green. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
95. Turn right onto Maypole Green. This is a very short section where there are no paths. It’s an entrance area to multiple buildings and has no through route. Therefore, cars can be expected to travel slowly here. There is a dropped kerb. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
96. Go through the metal gates into the churchyard. Take the path through the middle towards the church. The path here is wide and gravelled. I don't know whether the gates ever close. They were open when I walked the route. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
97. Continue past the church and go through the similar-looking gates onto a residential street. This is road walking, but cars driving here is very infrequent. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
98. Walk along the street until you reach the end. Then, turn right and immediately left onto the main shopping street. The paths here are probably of average width, but where there is outside seating for cafes there may be narrow parts. km from start — 29 Apr 2024
99. At the end of the main shopping street is a square, where the bus stop and bus shelter are. This is the end of the walk. km from start — 29 Apr 2024