Walks near Winchester by train
Hampshire · South East England
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations near Winchester and plan your next day of green.
Alternatively, view walks directly from Winchester.
Guildford Circular via Compton (Surrey)
45 minutes from Winchester, with one change.
Beginner-friendly: No coast or river to follow, but pretty straightforward long lines nonetheless, and Watt’s Chapel provides a lovely reward for reaching the midpoint of the circuit. The lunch stop is a simple café in the vicinity of Watt’s Chapel, so no messing around with booking a table in advance.
Watts Chapel: Beautiful Arts and Crafts creation of Mary Watts (1h45 in).
Watts Gallery (1h45 in)
St Catherine's Chapel Ruins (30 mins in)
1 lunch spot: Watts Gallery café (1h45 in)
5 end-of-walk rewards: the Withies Inn, Ye Olde Ship Inn, the Britannia, the White House, or the George Abbot
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Similar walk: Walking Post (inc. GPX).
Salisbury Circular via Stonehenge (Wiltshire)
45 minutes from Winchester, with one change.
Highly recommended
Old Sarum Ruins (1h in)
Stonehenge (4h30 in)
Stonehenge Landscape: A World Heritage Site famous for its ancient ceremonial landscape of great archaeological interest, set in over 800 hectares of chalk grassland (National Trust; 4h30 in).
1 lunch spot: the Bridge Inn (2h30 in; excellent)
Warnings: Have lunch a café or pub next to the river. Return from Stonehenge to Salisbury by bus (very frequent & reliable but check times).
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Mortimer to Bramley (Berkshire)
30 minutes from Winchester, with one change.
Highly recommended: Little known but quietly wonderful. Beautiful rather than spectacular, in a humble village pathways sort of manner. Mostly secluded.
Ruins of Calleva Atrebatum: once a thriving Romano-British city that survived into the Saxon period. Now ghostly ruins. Includes an evocative full circuit of city walls, and what's left of a 7,000-capacity gladiatorial arena (1h15 in).
St Mary the Virgin Church: charming medieval church on the site of a Roman temple (2h15 in).
1 lunch spot: the Calleva Arms (1h45 in; excellent)
1 end-of-walk reward: the Bramley Inn
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Similar walk: Reading to Basingstoke Community Rail Partnership.
Henley-on-Thames to Pangbourne (Oxfordshire)
45 minutes from Winchester, with one change.
Highly recommended: Thames riverside, ancient streets, broad valleys, beech woods, fields, small villages, alpaca farm and toll bridge.
Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.
1 lunch spot: the Red Lion (1h45 in)
1 end-of-walk reward: the Greyhound
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Farnham to Godalming (Surrey)
1 hour from Winchester, with one change.
Highly recommended: River valley, forest tracks, sandy bridleways, open parkland, country houses and wooded valleys.
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
Mother Ludlam's Cave: Sandstone cave associated with local folklore (1h30 in).
Godalming: attractive market town (5h45 in).
1 lunch spot: the Barley Mow, Tilford Green (2h15 in)
5 end-of-walk rewards: the Cyder House Inn, the Rose and Crown, the Richmond Arms, the Fox & Finch, or the Star
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walks: the Saturday Walkers Club and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).
Farnham to Blackwater (Surrey)
1 hour from Winchester, with one change.
Highly recommended: Deer park, heathland, MOD training area, Iron Age hillfort, reservoirs, stream valleys, woodland, nature reserve, wet meadows, lakeside sandy shores and common.
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
1 lunch spot: the Foresters (2h15 in)
1 end-of-walk reward: the Crown and Cushion
Warnings: MOD closures apply.
Source: Trains2Green.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Pangbourne to Goring & Streatley (Berkshire)
45 minutes from Winchester, with one change.
Highly recommended: Woods, hilly, river and quaint village.
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
3 lunch spots: Streatley (2h in) — Pierreponts, or the Swan at Streatley and the Coppa Club; plus the Bull (2h in)
2 end-of-walk rewards: the Miller of Mansfield, or the Catherine Wheel
Warnings: Relatively busy.
Source: Trains2Green.
Lymington to Brockenhurst (Hampshire)
45 minutes from Winchester, with one change.
Recommended
1 lunch spot: the Fleur de Lys (45 mins in)
2 end-of-walk rewards: the Snakecatcher Pub, or the Huntsman
Warnings: Can be EXTREME mud in Lymington Reeds Beds Nature Reserve.
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Reverse direction: the Saturday Walkers Club and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).
Pangbourne Circular via View of the Thames from Hartslock (Berkshire)
45 minutes from Winchester, with one change.
River Thames valley, wooded hillsides, chalk nature reserve, open fields, quiet lanes and pretty villages.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Lunch: Nowhere to eat en route — pack lunch!
3 end-of-walk rewards: the Greyhound, the Ferry Boat, or the Swan
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Gomshall to Guildford (Surrey)
45 minutes from Winchester, with one change.
Fields, wooded valley, pine woods, heathland common, stud farms and canal and riverside path into a historic town.
Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.
Abinger Roughs and Netley Park: Hidden woods with ancient trees and flower-sprinkled grasslands, just off the North Downs and Pilgrims Ways (National Trust).
Shere (30 mins in)
4 lunch spots: Shere (30 mins in) — the Dabbling Duck Café (excellent), Hillys Tea Shop, or the William Bray; plus the William IV (1h in)
3 end-of-walk rewards: the Britannia, the White House, or the George Abbot
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walks: the Saturday Walkers Club, Surrey Hills National Landscape and Blackwater Valley Nature Walks.
Milford to Godalming (Surrey)
1 hour from Winchester, with one change.
Linear countryside walk on bridleways and country lanes through woodland and an arboretum, finishing along the Wey Navigation towpath.
Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.
Hydon's Ball and Heath: Memorial to Octavia Hill overlooking the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (National Trust; 1h15 in).
Winkworth Arboretum: National Trust arboretum with over 1,000 species of trees and shrubs, noted for autumn colour (National Trust; 1h45 in; 2h to visit).
Busbridge Lakes: Ornamental lake gardens with rare waterfowl.
Hydon's Ball: Hilltop viewpoint with an Octavia Hill memorial and views toward the South Downs.
Wey and Godalming Navigations: Historic navigable waterway opened in 1653, now owned by the National Trust.
Phillips Memorial Park and Cloister: Riverside park with a cloister commemorating Titanic radio operator Jack Phillips.
Godalming: attractive market town.
4 lunch spots: Godalming — the Rose and Crown, or the Star; plus Winkworth Arboretum café (1h45 in), or Winkworth Arboretum Tea Room (National Trust café serving hot drinks, sandwiches and snacks, with mostly outdoor seating)
Warnings: A new housing estate at Tuesley has been built over the footpath with no signage; walkers can cross the estate to reach the road. Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walks: the Saturday Walkers Club and Walking Post (inc. GPX).
Wanborough to Godalming (Surrey)
1 hour from Winchester, with one change.
Open fields, holloways, mixed woodland, old churches, riverside path along the River Wey, and historic market town. Quiet and isolated.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Watts Chapel: Beautiful Arts and Crafts creation of Mary Watts (1h30 in).
Godalming: attractive market town (3h15 in).
2 lunch spots: the Tea Shop (1h15 in), or the Withies Inn (1h45 in)
4 end-of-walk rewards: the Star, Godalming Delights (great ice cream), the Fox & Finch, or the Richmond Arms
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.