Local knowledge required: The Clarendon Way

[User]

 

[Racing roadkill]

I’m after a bit of local knowledge...

I’m planning to walk the Clarendon Way over the end of May Bank holiday weekend. I may do it as a one day route march or as a two day meander, with a bit of stealth camping thrown in.

I’ll be parking up in Salisbury (my family is there) but the question is:

Do I go Salisbury —> Winchester or Winchester —> Salisbury?

What do any locals think?

Start in Salisbury, finish in Winchester.

 

[Bollo]

I’m after a bit of local knowledge...

I’m planning to walk the Clarendon Way over the end of May Bank holiday weekend. I may do it as a one day route march or as a two day meander, with a bit of stealth camping thrown in.

I’ll be parking up in Salisbury (my family is there) but the question is:

Do I go Salisbury —> Winchester or Winchester —> Salisbury?

What do any locals think?

Let me have a think. I've ridden most of the roads that track the Clarendon Way but never walked it (adds to to do list).

Had a thunk. I'd do Salisbury -> Winchester because I think the approach to Winchester is more pleasant than Salisbury and it'll feel like a destination, rather than just returning to somewhere you know.

There aren't many facilities along the official route - Kings Somborne is probably the only village of any size once you're past the Winterslows. It's about two thirds along the way west to east, has a nice-looking pub (The Crown) and a couple of village shops. Nearby there's the recently refurbed John O'Gaunt at Horsebridge as well if the bright lights of Kings Somborne are too much. It's worth a very small detour to visit the monument at Farley Mount. On a clear day you can see across to the IoW, Portsmouth and up to the North Wessex Downs.

 

[Bollo]

Interesting you should say that, as most of the commentary (e.g. the Rambling Man) I've read is about how poor the approach to Winchester is:

"It’s only downside is that some of the signage on the route isn’t brilliant, especially in Winchester which seems to go out of its way to be awkward for walkers (we found the South Downs Way signage in the city to be pretty bad too), but if you’ve got the maps you’ll have no trouble."
​

That said, your point about not just returning to somewhere you know (although I have been to Winchester on numerous occasions) is a good one...

I did take a look at the official approach and it takes a route through some old army land after Oliver's Battery, which isn't that great, but from the Hospital of St Cross to the flood meadows towards Winchester College and the Cathedral is lovely. In the last couple of years there've been some improvements for walking from the HoSC into the centre. The point about signage is probably right, but not something I would have noticed.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Interesting you should say that, as most of the commentary (e.g. the Rambling Man) I've read is about how poor the approach to Winchester is:

"It’s only downside is that some of the signage on the route isn’t brilliant, especially in Winchester which seems to go out of its way to be awkward for walkers (we found the South Downs Way signage in the city to be pretty bad too), but if you’ve got the maps you’ll have no trouble."
​

That said, your point about not just returning to somewhere you know (although I have been to Winchester on numerous occasions) is a good one...

The main reason I advise people to do it from Salisbury to Winchester, is the relatively better position of Winchester, for transport to *insert wherever they came from*. The last thing you want is to be buggering about with the road networks / multiple railway journeys, typically involved in getting back from Salisbury.