South Downs Way - Queen Elizabeth Country Park to Winchester (★★★★★)

Today I am back down in the south of England to finish off the South Downs Way. 

Four weeks ago I had set out on the first of four days on the same trail - walking the South Downs Way from Eastbourne to Queen Elizabeth Country Park - and today I am back to complete the length of the trail.

And here, we are picking up where we left off - having previously finished at Queen Elizabeth Country Park (on a day when I had been walking from Amberley to Queen Elizabeth Country Park).

I had really enjoyed my time on this trail last time out, but had faced challenges with the bus coming back from Queen Elizabeth Country Park - but this time I am (mistakenly) more hopeful, as I set out by train to Petersfield, with the plan of returning to where I left off by bus.

But as seems to be the case with the buses to/from Queen Elizabeth Country Park, it is not as simple as it seems - and the very promisingly timed 737 bus (which Google Maps tells me to use), turns out to be a student only bus that cannot be used. 

As a result, it is very important that you ignore the timetable for the 737, and instead aim for the earlier 37 service (at 8:15), else you will get bumped back to the later 9:50 bus (also the 37).

With this information, the journey down shouldn't be too bad - but Google Maps hardly helps matters, by telling you that you can use the 737 for this journey.

But as it is, I make it down to Queen Elizabeth Country Park early enough to get through the day of walking - and having been dropped off by the side of the busy dual carriageway, I'm able to cut my way along the verge and through the bushes (this is the official route) to a slip road. This then takes me under the A3, and to the point where I last left the South Downs Way (hurrah for great public transport).

With all this over, I am now heading immediately out across Queen Elizabeth Country Park - and whilst this was forest on the far side of the A3, on this side it is prettier open grassland. And here we are making our way up Butser Hill.

Butser Hill from below

The hill itself peaks at 270 meters (although we don't quite hit the peak) - and here we have the high point of the South Downs Way.

On the map you can see a number of embankments and ditches that date to the Iron Age - albeit with no clear idea of what their purpose was - but the hill is probably best known for being the filming location for the 'hang-gliding episode' in Only Fools and Horses.

At Butser Hill

But it's a nice start to the day - with views out both across the pretty countryside, and down to the busy road below.

Looking down at the pretty countryside (and busy road)

But really, the countryside here is surprisingly lovely - and very unexpected having come down on a busy dual carriageway. And soon the road noise also disappears as we head on along a ridge - with more views out across the countryside.

Peaking out through the trees (without disturbing the sheep)

After clearing Tegdown Hill and Hyden Hill (just points for us on this ridgeline), we pass a cluster of very posh-looking houses surrounding Leydene Park.

The Park Estate seems to be function as one block - with surrounding houses, and parts of the main house, being bought individually - but with shared access to common facilities. 

This seems to result in some sort of posh communism - and this also seems to be an increasingly popular outcome for these old houses.

And then from here we continue on past the Sustainability Centre - where there should be one of the drinking taps that can be found along the trail (I didn't use any today, so can't confirm any locations).

From here we turn down a farm track, heading up Wether Down to Salt Hill - and once again we find ourselves passing a Long Barrow (we have seen plenty previously on the trail), and enjoying some pleasant views.

Next we drop down from this hill, before turning left to start a short walk towards Whitewool Farm.

Heading on towards Whitewool Farm (on the right behind the trees)

Having dropped off the ridge, we next turn right onto a quiet road, and then reach this farm - where there is not just a cafe, but also a variety of activities going on, including camping, fishing and also plenty of farming activity.

This doesn't look a bad place to stop off if you want some food or drink (with the cafe overlooking the fishing ponds), and again there should be a water tap here. But for myself, I remain well provisioned - and so continue through, and start to head up the ridge on the far side.

Looking down from the ridge

From further up the ridge

This very pretty climb takes us up to a path that runs alongside a very quiet road - and at first we continue to get views out across the valley below from this side path - before our path crosses over the road to the far side.

Last look out before crossing the road

Having crossed over the road the views have gone - but here we have entered Old Winchester Hill Nature Reserve, and with this being Open Access land, we are free to walk wherever we please - with plenty of paths put down that offer better views than the official route of the South Downs Way.

Here I pull off the official route of the trail, and instead enjoy the better experience offered by a parallel track, which looks out over the valley on the opposite side of this ridge to before.

And soon we find ourselves arriving at the site of a particularly impressive hill fort.

Just before reaching the fort (we have come from the far ridge)

From here we are able to look back, and see a path that would have offered better views than the one I had followed (even with my having pulled off the official route) - and here I would encourage walkers to take the best path possible, rather than feeling you have to stick to the official route.

For some this would be classed as cheating - but it is worth bearing in mind that the South Downs Way is designed to accommodate not just walkers, but also horses and cyclists - and so it is one of those trails where there may be a better route that just isn't suitable for non-walkers.

And whilst the bridleway (and official route of the trail) heads around the fort, walkers can take the route over the top on a footpath - which is exactly what I chose to do.

Looking back from inside the fort

Looking out from the far side of the fort

From the same spot

The logic for placing a fort here is pretty obvious - there is a large area of ground on top of the ridge, and yet it has a slope almost all the way round - with clear views out across the surrounding countryside.

The fort itself dates back to the Iron Age (and is assumed to have been used around 600 to 300 BCE) - with additional Bronze Age barrows dating back to somewhere between 2100 and 750 BCE.  

And for those traveling at a slower pace - the effect of visiting here may be improved by having earlier paid an additional visit to Butser Ancient Farm (which lies to the south of Queen Elizabeth Country Park) (and which is accessible by footpath from the South Downs Way).

There you will find reconstructed Iron Age buildings that might give more of a taste of how these Iron Age buildings would have looked back in the day:

Butser Ancient Farm (off the trail near the end of my previous day)

But for us here, we must make do with the picture on the sign which gives at least an idea of how it would look back in the Iron Age (I looked for more images online, but with no success).

The sign (by the bench in the first picture - 'Just before reaching the fort')

But whilst the fort is quite special historically - the walk down the hill towards Exton is simply special for the scenery - with great (and far reaching) views out across the countryside.

The views heading down the hill

Basically the same picture, but I liked both

And from further down the hill

At the base of the hill we meet up with the Meon Valley Trail - which is a cycling / walking path along the former route of the Fareham-Alton railway (essentially following the route of the A32).

And here we have a split in the trail - with cyclists continuing on down the Meon Valley Trail, whilst walkers have a separate route along a footpath.

We'll take the Walker's route

Initially the 'walker's route' is a bit of a ragged little path - before it opens out as we start to close in on the pretty village of Exton - where we get the chance to take a look at some lovely old cottages and buildings.

The church at Exton

Here there are a lot of pretty houses, but I always figure it is a bit rude to be endlessly photographing people's houses - and so here instead is a photo from the 1950s of the same village.

Photo from 1955 - some of the houses still look like this, but not all

But with Exton being quite a small village, we are are quickly through it, and heading up to Beacon Hill.

Looking towards Beacon Hill

Looking back on our way too the hill

Starting to climb the hill

From higher up the hill

Flint flakes have been found near here that are believed to date back to the Mesolithic era (15000 to 5000 BCE) - and these are thought to be part of a flint working site - but one again it is just a really pretty spot to be.

And these views continue to be excellent as we continue along the ridge.

From Beacon Hill

From a similar location

Soon we meet up with a very quiet road (which we briefly follow), and then continue on past a deserted medieval village.

This was formerly the village of Lomer - and there is evidence that there could have been habitation here back to the Iron Age - but grew to have an estimated 50 inhabitants by the publication of the Doomsday book.

Lomer Village location (easily found on OS Map)

Village Plan

The reason for the village being deserted is given as being the result of 'enclosure' - which is the practice of taking what was common land and fencing it off (usually for something like wool farming that had become more lucrative over time).

This practice would reduce the ability of the villages to earn a living or to feed themselves - and over time they would be forced to abandon their homes.

And as we go past there isn't all that much to be seen from this former habitation, except for the few shapes that remain in the turf.

Leaving this site behind - we soon join up with a busier road (which we mostly follow via a side path, and where there should be another drinking tap) - before we turn off and head down a farm track, with the countryside now starting to flatten out, as we start to reach the end of the South Downs National Park.

And here the going is a little less interesting for the next phase of walking, until we eventually reach Gander Down, and start to head round towards Cheesefoot Head.

Gander Down

Reaching a rare (but very good) trail map

And as we close in on Cheesefoot Head, we get a bit of a final hurrah, as the hills return for a bit to improve the quality of our walking.

Near Cheesefoot Head

But generally the country is still generally flattening out along this section of the trail - as we continue on past Telegraph Hill - and start to drop down into Chilcomb.

On the way down into Chilcomb

At Chilcomb we find some very attractive buildings - and a number of barn conversions - before we turn off the road to begin our final run to the M3 crossing (and our entry into Winchester).

On that final run

Crossing the M3

Having crossed the motorway, we are walking through the suburbs of Winchester - before we reach the centre of this city, which has a lovely (but busy) centre.

Here the map ceases to be very useful, as the tangle of named trails flowing through the city make it impossible to work out where to go, and the signposts ceased to be useful at the one tricky bit just past Wharf Mill.

Even at home with all the maps and files, I'm still not entirely sure exactly where I should have gone after crossing the stream here - but really it doesn't matter, because Winchester offers up the chance for some enjoyable exploring wherever you go.

By Wharf Mill (at this point still on the South Downs Way)

And it turns out that this was indeed the end of the South Downs Way

In general I ended up following the correct route (minus the loop at Wolvesey Palace) - but in the end I didn't reach the official end point (which sits across the road from the bridge in the photo above).

The ending explained

Here it feels a bit of a shame that I missed this end point by such a small margin, as I do like to give the start and end points a little tap, but from here there is still plenty more to explore.

The Cathedral from the side

From the front

Some more of the old buildings

There is plenty to see in Winchester - and really I would have ideally stayed over and then spent the next day having a poke around.

But as it was, it was time to head home in the happy knowledge, that I'd made it to the end of this excellent trail.

In my mind the Pennine Way remains the best (and most magnificent) of the National Trails - but if you were to only ever walk one National Trail end to end, the one to do is definitely the South Downs Way.

The trail has few bad bits, has some excellent views - and aside from being quite heavy on the feet due to the number of tracks followed - it really does have very few downsides to it.

Close behind it would be Hadrian's Wall, but whilst that has a dreary section passing through Newcastle, this trail is excellent for the vast majority of the trail - with places you are very keen to linger in at both ends as an added bonus.

Total Distance: 23.5 miles (22.5 miles on the South Downs Way)

Total Ascent: 2,208 feet (2,113 feet on the South Downs Way)

Enjoyment Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5

Disclaimer: This writeup provides a narrative of what to expect rather than a route guide to follow. The route is covered by the 185 and 197 OS Landranger maps - while there is also a South Downs Way guidebook which includes OS mapping (links redirect to Amazon). The route is in general well way-marked (until you reach the core of Winchester)