If the New York Post names Winchester the best city to see at Christmastime, you can be sure it is worth the visit. Make the most of your wander through the former Capital of England, with this Winchester Winter Market walk, taking you through the main landmarks of the town before heading to the market for some shopping time. Be sure not to waste your time wondering where to go by downloading the GPS map at the end of this post.
When the end of the year is approaching, the Christmas Spirit begins. To make the most of the festive season, let’s go for a Christmas Market walk. From Canterbury to Oxford passing by Kingston -Upon -Thames Christmas Markets, there are so many choices. In this article, I take you on a walk around Winchester and its Winter Market.
Disclaimer: Some London-based hiking groups may offer similar or different walks to Winchester Winter Market. For more information on these groups, please check my post here.
Logistics of the Winchester Winter Market Walk
- Distance:4 miles (6.4 km)
- Total Ascent: 161 ft (49 m)
- Highest Point: 322 ft (101 m)
- Walking Estimate: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
- How to get there:
- Direct trains from Waterloo Station to Winchester. The journey takes 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- It is a circular walk so you can buy a day return ticket.
- What to pack:
- Comfortable clothing and footwear
- Backpack
- Snacks
- Packed lunch if you are not planning on stopping at the Winter Market for food
- Rain gear if you are going on a rainy day
- Headcover, sunscreen and sunglasses if you are going on a bright day
- Additional Information
- There are public toilets at the Winchester Winter Market
- This is a stile-free walk
- Dog-friendly walk
- Where to eat and drink:
- Winchester Winter food stalls
Highlights of the Winchester Winter Market Walk
- Winchester
- Winchester Cathedral
- Buttercross
- Town Clock
- Guildhall
- River Itchen
- St Catherine’s Hill
- Winchester College
- Winchester Winter Market
- Carol Service at the Cathedral
The Winchester Winter Market Walk
So now we covered the basics, let’s get to the walk!
Winchester
A little bit of history
Welcome to the medieval town of Winchester. It was settled during prehistoric times as shown by the remains of 3 iron forts around the town, one of them being St Catherine Hill which we are going to on this walk.
The town thrived under the Roman occupation and became one of the largest Roman settlements in Britain. However, after the withdrawal from the Romans, Winchester reduced considerably in size and became a religious hub.
Winchester is well known to have been the centre of the royal administration of King Alfred the Great. A commemorative statue of the great King, raising his sword, can be found nowadays in the middle of Broadway.
The most important landmark of Winchester is its Cathedral, which we visit during this walk. Erected in 1079, it remains to this day the longest Gothic cathedral in Europe. It is the starting point of the Pilgrim Way, a 119-mile (192 km) historical trail taken by pilgrims to get to St Thomas Becket’s shrine in Canterbury.
Town Center
Our walk starts at Winchester Train Station. When you come out of the Station, walk up Station Hill and continue onto City Road. At the crossroad, turn right onto Jewry Street, where you pass in front of St Peter’s Church, a Roman church built in 1924. At the end of the street, turn right onto the High Street.
As you walk down the main street, you find on your way some important landmarks of Winchester;
- The Buttercross: Erected in the fifteenth century and composed of 12 statues representing the Virgin Mary and other saints, it marks the emplacement of the market during medieval times
- The Town Clock: Unmissable as you walk down the High Street, the Town Clock was erected in 1713
- The Guildhall: This municipal building was constructed in 1875 on the site of a former Abbey disbanded in the late 1530s on the order of King Henry VIII
After the Guildhall, you arrive in front of the Offices of the Mayor of Winchester and then the entrance of the Abbey Gardens.
River Itchen
Behind the Abbey Garden, turn right just before the bridge. This footpath leads you to the banks of the River Itchen. This 26-mile (42 km) long River takes its source near New Alresford, Hampshire, and runs to Southampton where it merges with the Southampton Water.
Walk alongside the towpath by the River. On your way, you can see the rear of a Church. The twelfth-century St Peter Chesil Church is now the home of an intimate 75-seat theatre. It is owned by the Winchester Dramatic Society since 1966.
Continue your walk and you come across a wooden bridge. Do not cross yet! Walk till the end of the path where you find another bridge. This time, cross over.
Turn right onto College Walk and when the street makes a bend, continue straight onto Domum Road. You will find a footpath a little bit further down on your right. Cross over the bridge to join the towpath on the bank of the Itchen Navigation.
Continue your wander by the River. This part of the walk is flat and very easy. You can see some houses on the opposite bank, followed by the Kingsgate Lawn Tennis Club and the Plamer Field.
At the end of the towpath, take left onto Garnier Road and then take right onto an alley leading to a car park. Walk across the car park and the footpath is on your right. It is time to start going up St Catherine’s Hill.
St Catherine’s Hill
And here starts the ascent of St Catherine’s Hill.
How high is St Catherine’s Hill?
324 ft or 99 m.
The hill had been inhabited long before the Romans came to Winchester. 2500 years ago, the Iron Age tribes built a fort on top of the hill. They settled there, raising livestock and growing vegetables at the bottom of the hill and using the fort as a sanctuary when the settlement was under attack.
Why is it called St Catherine’s Hill?
When you arrive at the top, you come face to face with a hurdle of beeches. This is where used to stand St Catherine’s Chapel 900 years ago. The chapel was destroyed in 1537 and its ruins remain buried in the ground underneath the trees.
Ancient Mystery
Behind the group of beeches, you can find a maze drawn on the ground. Its origin remains unclear, however, the legend says that sometime during the seventeenth century a young misbehaved boy was sent to the hill as a form of punishment during the summer break. Bored, he designed and cut the maze for the purpose of filling in some time. He died on the last day of the holiday but his work remains forever.
Do you know any other explanation? Let me know in the comments below.
How many steps does St Catherine’s Hill have?
After you get to the top of the hill, you need to go back down. Take the staircase on the other side of the hill and walk down the 333 steps (minus a broken one) to reach the valley below.
Winchester College
Once the descent is completed, turn right and follow the path at the bottom of the hill leading back to our starting point. From there you can admire the beauty of the hill you just came down from.
When you are back at the parking lot, turn left onto Garnier Road. This way, we are going back to Winchester town centre via Winchester College.
The College, founded in 1382 by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, is still standing on the exact same grounds as when it first opened. It is a boarding public school, which in England and Wales means that it is a fee-charging school. It is called public because it is open to pupils of all backgrounds and localities. When it was first established, the school was providing education to 70 pupils, a number that is 10 times greater nowadays.
As you are following the towpath by the River Itchen, you can see the red brick Science building of Winchester College on the opposite bank. Continue on the same path alongside the river where you can see swans swimming and sheep grazing in the meadow. When you reach College Walk, go around the Warden’s Garden and take left onto College Street.
Winchester Winter Market – What to Do and See?
At the end of the street, you come face to face with an old building in grey bricks with arches. Adventure under the arches where the wooden beams are apparent. On the other side, you find a brick gate garnished with a coat of arms.
Follow the road going under the gate and through a patch of medieval timber-framed houses. The Winchester Winter Market is just at the end of this street.
Started in 2006 with a couple of stalls, this magical German-influenced Christmas Market now counts 112 chalets and attracts 400,000 visitors every year. As you arrive at the square, you find gigantesque cauldrons boiling mulled wine. Have a little wander around the different stalls selling gifts and Christmas decorations. Once you get to the Cathedral, the food market is located just opposite, in the centre of the square. You can enjoy a selection of food & drinks, such as French tartiflette and German sausage hot dogs, sodas and beers.
Bon appetit!
After the food break, listen to the Carol singers in the food square. Follow them back inside the Cathedral for a 30-minute Carol service. On the way out, walk up the stairs to the Dean Garnier Garden, where the Artisans Market is located.
Exit the Winter Market, walk around the Cathedral and start making your way back to the train station.
Have a safe journey back to London!
Winchester Winter Market Walk Map
Do you want to do this walk? Simply download the GPS map by clicking on the link below. If you require a little extra help to learn how to upload the map onto your navigation app, follow my step-by-step guide here.
Final Thoughts on the Winchester Winter Market Walk
If you like mixing Christmas shopping and hiking, why not check out the Best Winter Walks near London selection? Enjoy a day out in the winter cold and the Christmas festivities all in one day.
And you, what is your favourite Christmas walk? Let me know in the comments below.
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