Easton
Winchester
Children will enjoy the play area and paddling in the river on this walk.
Streams of the Itchen River are constant highlights of this walk
Ambling Path Members get 10% off food at The Cricketers
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Ambling Path Members get 10% off food at The Cricketers 🍴 Scroll down to sign up 🍴
The Basics
Time: 1 hr 20 mins
Distance: 5 km / 3.1 miles
Terrain: Some quiet village roads with no pavements, a couple of fields that may be muddy in winter, one or two narrow stretches that have nettles in summer, a few metres by a busy road, two stiles with spaces for dogs.
Pushchairs: This route is not suitable for pushchairs.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk, but should only enter the water at the two locations stated in the route description and should be on leads through farmland.
Refreshments: The route passes two pubs in Easton, The Cricketers and The Chestnut Horse. Ambling Path Members get 10% off food at The Cricketers, please see the member’s area for the discount code.
Toilets: There are no public toilets.
Public Transport: Stagecoach route 67 between Winchester and Petersfield stops at the top of Mill Lane in Abbots Worthy from where you can catch join the walk at Abbots Worthy Mill in section 4 of this walk.
Parking: There is a limited amount of roadside parking in the village on Easton Lane opposite The Cricketers. If no spaces are available, try parking further north along Easton Lane at the point where the river crosses under the road (Postcode: SO21 1EJ - W3W: ///digit.croaking.earphones)
There are a couple of fords where children can paddle on this walk
As it approaches Winchester, the River Itchen splits into many streams, some of which are crossed on this walk. The focal point is the gorgeous village of Easton with its dreamy thatched cottages and two pubs.
The Route
We began the walk at The Cricketers pub, but if you cannot find parking on the road around the pub, we suggest using some of the spaces at the side of Easton Lane just north of the village where the road and footpath crosses the river before Newbridge Cottage. If you park here, you may prefer to start and finish at section 7 below.
With The Cricketers behind you, walk up Church Lane and pass the church on your right. Just after the church and the Old School House, look for the start of the footpath on your right going around a gate and into a recreation ground. Here you will find a small, but well kept play area, picnic benches and a tiny patch of woodland. The walk continues in the bottom corner of the recreation ground, just past the climbing frame.
Go through the kissing gate and then follow the worn path across the field and under the power cables. Continue all the way to the other side of the field and go over the stile and keep to the right hand fence as you cross the next field. Walk under the trees and you will start to hear the roar of the motorway. Fork right when you come to the fence at the edge of the scrubby woodland and then follow the path as it bends to the right and then takes you under the motorway via a subway.
After the subway, you have just one choice of path, so keep with this as it bends its way through the trees with the occasional glimpse of the river to your right. Eventually you will come to a gravel parking area and should turn right through what feels like the front garden of Fulling Mill. Walk over a bridge with black metal railings at the start of their drive and then another bridge just past the house.
Continue parallel to the river and then bend right and over another bridge, now heading away from the river. Cross a bridge over a muddy stream and then walk through the meadow on the other side. You will now meet a series of two bridges one after another. The first one has an old ford where children and dogs could have a paddle. The second one passes by the stunning Abbots Worthy Mill on your right. Just after the mill, turn right through the rusted metal kissing gate and walk away from the road.
Fork left when the path splits and pass some old farm buildings on your left before walking through a meadow and up towards a busy B road. Turn right and walk along the verge/gravel at the side of the road, and just after the second set of gates to the property to your right, re-join the footpath on your right and walk along the perimeter of the field. Go over the stile when you reach the edge of the field and then cross under the M3 again.
Follow the path until you reach a metal kissing gate and then turn immediately right, following the fence line across the middle of two fields. At a telegraph pole, the path will take you through a gate as you switch into the other field (there may be cattle in this field). Continue to the lane at the edge of the field.
Cross the lane and re-join the footpath directly opposite to the right of Newbridge Cottage . Follow the path straight ahead and then go through another kissing gate. Stick with the same path as it bends its way between a series of beautiful properties and then descend down onto the lane.
Turn right and almost immediately join the footpath again as it goes over a long wooden footbridge. Cross the main river and then a smaller stream. At the second bridge, dogs and children can cool off in the stream. Enter the field (livestock may be grazing) and turn right when you get to the corner of the fence line to your right. Turn left just before the entrance to another field and exit through the gate onto a gravel driveway.
Turn right at the lane and then bend left with the lane. Immediately before The Chestnut Horse, take the footpath squeezing down the side of the building. Continue along the grassy path and until you reach the lane on the other side. Turn left to pass The Cricketers.
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Did you know?
Mill Lane in Abbots Worthy is part of an ancient route connecting Winchester to Basingstoke and leads down to a crossing point in the river that has been in use for over a thousand years.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one just up stream at Itchen Stoke
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