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Winchester Cathedral

Winchester

Self-guided walks for the Curious...

Explore Winchester city centre with two self-guided heritage walks with a treasure hunt theme. Discover Winchester's "hidden treasures" whilst having a fun day out with family and friends!
Winchester is a Hampshire city famous for its monumental cathedral, having the greatest overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe. Set in captivating grounds and host to an atmospheric Christmas Market, it sits beside an ancient and famous college. Blending beautifully with the city around it, you can follow winding streets with quirky shops, or sit or play in charming gardens by a bubbling stream. Once a centre for Alfred the Great, Winchester now boasts Arthur's Round Table, housed in a medieval hall. A truly delectable city.

EXPLOREDISCOVERENJOY

Code Curious20 at checkout for 20% discount on purchases over £12

The Booklet

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Curious About... Winchester

  • An exploration of Winchester's city centre with two self-guided heritage walks with an optional treasure hunt. Completing the treasure hunt keeps everyone actively engaged, and urges you to look up, down and every which-way - so you won't miss out on any of the city's treasures.
    Explore, Discover, and Enjoy!
  • Most clues are chosen for their historical value, so you'll learn about the diverse culture, significant people and extraordinary events which have influenced Winchester in becoming what it is today.
  • This is an outdoor, unsupervised activity - so you can go at a pace which suits you, whilst keeping you healthy!
  • A Curious About walk is a fun and social activity for all the family and friends. Different people can take on different roles - follow the map, identify picture clues, read directions, etc - it's ideal for children from the age of 6, and if you can walk/wheelchair it, you're young enough!
  • The two walks have been designed so that the second one follows on from where the first one ends. Do both, or have a breather and do the second one another day! They both start and finish in the heart of the city - so buses, trains and car parks are easily available to get you there and back.

1. Cathedral Circular - 1.5 miles / 2.4 kms
From the leafy exterior of Winchester’s Cathedral, this route moves quickly into the city centre - past specialist shops and quaint pubs, wrapped in fascinating history. Past a Middle Ages’ gate and an ancient Hall housing King Arthur’s Round Table, you now arrive at six military museums, situated on the historic site of Peninsula Barracks - before returning to a gentler side of the city, and the magnificent Cathedral.
1.5 hoursOK, but diversion maybe needed for steps

2. Cathedral to Abbey Gardens - 1 mile / 1.6 kms
Start your walk with stunning views of the magnificent cathedral, none better than from Dean Garnier's Garden. Past Pilgrim School (the cathedral's choir school), through an ancient gate, and out into some quaint and timeless streets. Take a look at Winchester College, which dates back to the 14th century. Pass Wolvesey Castle, and walk alongside the pretty River Itchen, before ending at the fabulous Abbey Gardens.
1 hourOK

Each booklet has a page dedicated to the history of the city and 2 pages summarising each walk with suggestions on what to visit along the way. Walk 1 has 21 clues & walk 2 has 14 - both with detailed directions to follow. There are interesting stories about important people, places & events along the way; detailed instructions on how to find a clue if you're stuck; and a comprehensive map with the routes marked on.
Buy a booklet by clicking on the Add to Basket button, then either checkout, or continue shopping. Checkout takes you through payments via a quick & secure process managed by a third-party company called SendOwl. At the end of the payment process SendOwl will email you a confirmation email (inc download link if relevant).

Downloads
You have 14 days to complete your download, and up to 3 attempts are permitted. If you buy the print-at-home version you will need to print it on normal A4 paper and the email you receive, with the download link, explains how best to fold the pages to make it into an A5 booklet. If you buy the download to mobile version you will need pdf reading software on your phone or tablet, eg using the Adobe Acrobat App (free).

Printed Copy
The booklet has a flexible cover, which has been professionally printed. The inside pages are printed to order, to ensure that they are as up-to-date as possible. We post booklets out 1st class Royal Mail, usually the same, or next working day. A small postage & packing charge is added.

"You must have spent ages finding all the different places to see in Winchester! We particularly enjoyed Arthur's round table and the 'secret garden' and the riverside walk. I have to admit we ended up back at a fantastic hotel that we passed, for a fabulous lunch. Superb day out!"


Latest Revision : December 2022


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Winchester

Places you'll pass along the way - tap an image for more detail