Kinwin one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 57.14% of reviewers

I walked this route as Day 2 of completing the full Clarendon Way from Salisbury.
Overall I think this is a great addition to the SlowWays network especially as the amount of road walking is massively reduced from what you expect by looking at the map, if you are able to find the adjacent paths particularly in the section from Farley Mount to Crab Wood.
Don't rely on the Clarendon Way markers to help with this - they are very hit and miss.
The most confusing section is from Teg Down to Badger Farm, where the green markers are still there for the old route, but the OS Map shows the new route which is more circuitous, but definitely nicer. Whilst this SlowWay route shows the more direct road walk though the housing estate, I would recommend following the OS Map marked Clarendon Way here out over Teg Down and past the masts and then along the new permissive paths out to Pitt. After crossing the main A3090, follow the path across South Winchester golf course and then through the estate to rejoin the stated route near Compton Down.
The stretch across access land above Badger Farm is delightful with great views to the cathedral in the distance, and then its back to some residential roads at St Cross before you hit the water meadows.
The final stretch passed the back of Winchester College is lovely, although likely to be busy, and then its really just a case of which pub to choose for your end of walk drink!.

This is a great walk and generally quite easy to follow. I missed the path that runs parallel to Sarum Road. Road walking can be further reduced by taking a slightly longer route along Latham Lane and Clarendon Way to the north of Ten Down. Also, a much pleasanter route through the outer suburbs of Winchester is via the 'formal' Clarendon Way route which crosses the A3090 near Pitt and then goes on a marked path through South Winchester Golf Club, into Oliver's Battery and then out across Badger Farm Road on a pedestrian footbridge to re-joing the route shown here in Bushfield. Note also, other comments about the route from St Cross into the city centre.

We did the reverse of this walk- Winchester to Kings Somborne and it was really easy to follow the route (as getting out of Winchester we had the benefit of local knowledge!) It was fairly muddy in some places, especially coming down from Farley Mount.

I walked this several months ago - late May. I added a survey but forgot to review!

At that time, it was a very pleasant walk and for me was my first significant exercise after lockdown. There are some steep uphills and more gentle downhills. There is some road walking but as other reviewers have said, a little looking around and you can usually find a path off to the side.

This is a long route and there aren't many obvious seats/benches, though there are a couple mid-way along the route. The tea shop that people have mentioned looked rather sorry and I'm not sure I'd go in there - the infrequency of it being open is also a vote against it. There are lots of spots along the route that you can use for an impromptu picnic, especially as you go through the Farley Mount area.

There is one significant problem with routing: the end part shows a route that cuts through houses but it doesn't actually exist. You can either take the road route, or detour into the water meadows.

Water meadows (intended) route:
When you reach St Cross road opposite the First Plaice chippie and The Bell Inn pub, there's a small road that runs between the two. Take that road and you will end up in a field. Follow the path a little and take the left turn. That will take you onto the intended path through the water meadows. Follow that path along until you reach the back of Winchester College. At that point, the route is accurate again.

I would absolutely walk this route again and would take friends with me.

Rated 3/5. I knocked off 2 stars for the poor routing at the end, an awkward road crossing just outside Winchester (see photo 31 of the photo survey), and lack of toilet facilities throughout the walk. The rest I kind of take as part of walking - bring your own food, etc.

I ran this route as part of a Salisbury to Winchester run along the Clarendon Way. It is a nice, mostly off-road trail with some beautiful views and it takes a good route into Winchester avoiding the cars and along the river to the Cathedral.

I really enjoyed this route. For the road walking segments, about half had a parallel path I could hop over to (took a little creativity, but it was fun exploring), and the other half was just on the road. It wasn't terrible, and a car only came about once a minute, but it definitely was no path in the woods!

Once I got closer to Winchester, I was actually amazed by the Slow Way route--every time it took me somewhere where I didn't think there was going to be a path, a path magically appeared exactly where it said there'd be one! It takes a little bit of thinking on your feet but I followed the map and had no real trouble getting there!

The views around Farley Mount are just fantastic. The Beechcroft Farm Shop & Tea Barn was a lovely stop for snacks too.

Potentially a great route, but you have to be a little creative here to avoid just following roads. Instead of following Sarum Road, there are miles of beautiful and fairly direct paths through West Wood and Crab Wood not marked here but just north of the main road, which pass through beautiful nature reserve.

The route out of/into Winchester is beautiful but easy to get lost. This is generally following the Clarendon Way which is waymarked terribly at this stage of the walk. Bring backup maps and directions!

Outside of Winchester, there are no services/towns/tap water apart from a nice farm shop a few minute's walk east from where Sarum Road hits Sparsholt Road, open very rarely indeed as of May 2021 (three days a week, only for lunchtime.)

There are no better ways to walk this route, but use your head to explore the woods rather than following the narrow rat run of a Roman road that's thronging with land rovers and cycling pelotons. No peace to be had there.

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