Trailblazer Guide Books

Worth watching out for.
 - John Cleare

WINCHESTER TO OLD WINCHESTER HILL MAPS 1-7

(Note: The route from Winchester used to go to Exton but from summer 2009 will bypass the village: see p82 and Maps 7a and 7b pp80-1.)

These 12 miles/19.5km begin at the cathedral in the centre of Winchester. The route takes you from the cathedral grounds, along the main shopping street and over the River Itchen. It does not take long for the South Downs Way to leave the city and enter the rolling East Hampshire countryside but first you must cross the M3.

On crossing the bridge spanning the noisy motorway spare a thought for the remains of Twyford Down. This once beautiful hill a few miles to the south was, despite vociferous and well-publicised demonstrations, ruthlessly sliced in two as part of a highly controversial road improvement scheme (see box p47).

Once away from the noise of the road the path crosses a field before arriving at Chilcomb (see below). The church aside, there's little in the way of shops or services to keep you in Chilcomb so once you have admired the thatched cottages head on up the lane for the gradual but steady ascent to Cheesefoot Head (Map 3) where there are great views to the north over the Itchen Valley.

CHILCOMB MAP 2, p74
Chilcomb is the first of several beautiful Hampshire villages passed through on the way to Sussex. In fact Chilcomb is one of the older settlements, with a church (off the path to the south) that pre-dates Winchester Cathedral.

For accommodation, campers will find pitches from around £12 for a two-man tent at Morn Hill Camping and Caravan Site (tel 01962-869877; mid Mar to end Sep). To get there turn left where the path hits the junction of lanes just before Chilcomb.

Follow the lane up to the busy A31 then follow this road as far as the big roundabout a mile further east.

There's also a B&B, Complyns (tel 01962-861600, www.complyns.co.uk; 1D/1T, shared bathroom), a seventeenth-century former farmhouse with rooms for £58 or £30-35 single occupancy. They have a boiler house where you can dry clothes and packed lunches are available on request.

CHERITON MAP 4a
On hot sunny days the locals can be seen paddling in the clear waters of the tiny River Itchen, which bubbles out of the chalk about a mile south of Cheriton and runs straight through the village passing beautiful thatched houses and the village green. The village is some 40 to 50 minutes from the official route of the South Downs Way so unfortunately, unless you are planning on staying the night here, you are likely to miss Cheriton's quaint charms.

Those who do make the visit should bear in mind that it was not always such a peaceful and charming spot. In 1644, during the English Civil War, the Battle of Cheriton took place just to the east of the village, off Lamborough Lane. The clash between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists resulted in the deaths of 2000 men with the Parliamentarians coming out on top. To this day it is claimed that 'Lamborough Lane ran with the blood of the slain'.

In the centre of the village is a very useful combined post office, shop, newsagent and off-licence (tel 01962- 771251; Mon-Sat 7am-6pm, Sun 7am-1pm) that is open long hours but note that the post office part opens on Monday and Thursday only (9am-1pm).

Accommodation-wise, the 14th-century, thatched Old Kennetts Cottage (tel 01962-771863, email: dglssmith@aol.com; 1S/ 1D private shower room) has a self-contained part of the house for guests costing £65 for the double and the single costs £45.

The charming Flowerpots Inn (tel 01962-771318; 1D/3T all en suite; food daily noon-2pm & 7-9pm, except Sun & Bank hol eves, though these hours can vary depending on demand) on the outskirts of the village has a range of excellent beers; the Flowerpots Bitter is definitely worth a taste though the pub is closed 2.30-6pm (3-7pm on Sundays). As well as the beer they have a decent bar menu and B&B from £70, or £45 for single occupancy.

Stagecoach bus No 67 passes through Cheriton on its way between Winchester and Petersfield and stops in the centre of the village, next to the church; see the public transport map and table, pp38-40.

The route continues along leafy country lanes and tracks through a typically English landscape of patchwork fields, hedgerows and pockets of woodland. Along this section is The Milbury's (Map 5, p78; tel 01962-771248; food daily noon-2pm, Mon-Fri 6.30-9pm, Sat 6-9pm) which makes an ideal lunch stop; the liver saut�ed with bacon and onions (�8.95) is delicious. Even if you do not plan on eating here it is still worth dropping in for a drink, though the pub is closed 3-6pm. While you're here you should take a few minutes to admire the 250-year-old indoor treadmill and 300ft-deep (92m) well which is lit all the way to the bottom.

The pub's name refers to the Mill Barrow, a Bronze Age burial ground just a short distance to the south-east.

The highlight of the day appears rather unexpectedly at the top of Beacon Hill (Map 6, p79), a National Nature Reserve and the first real taste of steep downland scenery. The view over the Meon Valley to Old Winchester Hill is a fine reward for the day's effort. Beacon Hill is one of a number of hills in southern England where beacons or bonfires were lit to warn of invasions, most notably in the 16th century because of the Spanish Armada.

The course of the South Downs Way across the Meon Valley is changing. After a lengthy battle between Hampshire County Council (HCC) and the landowners concerned, the new path has now been given the go-ahead. This new route no longer calls in at Exton, but instead heads across Beacon Hill and continues north of the village. By way of compensation for losing a visit to pretty Exton, the new path offers stunning views east and south from the summit of the hill.

That said, although the new route has been agreed, at the time of writing (December 2008) the actual path had yet to be finished and there are still fences to be removed and signposts to be placed. It is unsure when the new route will finally be established and opened to the public. As such, in this book (see Maps 7a and 7b, pp80-1) we have marked both trails; and the best advice we can give you is to follow the signposts closely when you come to this section, to ensure you are on the correct trail.

EXTON MAP 7a, p80
The Meon valley is known for its natural beauty and also for the Meon villages, all of which claim to be the prettiest in the area. Exton is the smallest of them, if you discount the adjoining hamlets of Meonstoke and Corhampton, and dates back to at least 940ad when it was first mentioned in official documents. It also merited an entry in the Domesday Book of 1086 in which it is described as a hamlet of one church and two mills. This guidebook today describes it as a charming hamlet of attractive old cottages and one rather good public house. And though the new route (see above) takes you away from the village, those in need of a pint or a spot of lunch could do worse than to call in at the pub (see Where to stay and eat), and there is also somewhere to stay nearby.

The bus stop is situated on the main road just outside the village. Brijan Tours' bus No 17 heads to East Meon and onto Petersfield from here; see the public transport map and table, pp38-40.

Where to stay and eat
A little way from the village, about a mile down Corhampton Lane (off Map 7a), is Corhampton Lane Farm (tel 01489-877506; 1S/1T, shared shower room) with simple camping pitches for £5 per camper and B&B for £60, or £35 for the single room. Campers can use the toilet and wash basin in the barn. The owner can put up a camp bed in either of the rooms if an extra bed is needed. All rates include a ‘free taxi service’ by the owner from/to Exton provided he knows your expected time of arrival by noon on the day concerned.

There is only one choice in terms of food but it is a good one: The Shoe Inn (tel 01489-877526; food Sun noon-2pm & 6-8.30pm, Mon noon-2pm, Tue-Thur noon-2pm & 6-9pm, Fri & Sat noon-2pm & 6-9.30pm) is a friendly village pub with real ales and real food though it's closed every afternoon (3-6pm). The pub's name derives from the building next door which used to be the village cobbler's.