Winchester ‘On the Edge’ walk explores countryside, history and nature

Fifteen people joined a free guided walk on Saturday 12 September to explore the beautiful countryside and fascinating history of Winchester’s southern edge, discovering more about its distinctive landscape, wildlife, historic military connections and future.

The approximately 4-mile walk, organised by CPRE Hampshire, led participants across some of southern Winchester’s most distinctive landscapes, including the Dongas trackways, Deacon’s Hill, St Catherine’s Hill and Cowslip Field under the guidance of local campaigner and heritage expert Chris Gilham.

The group, aged between 30 and 75, explored the countryside while learning about the history and ecology that have shaped these special landscapes. Chris Gilham shared historical photographs along the route, helping bring the area’s past to life and showing walkers how the landscape had changed over time.

Christopher Napier from CPRE and Chris Gilham also spoke about Bushfield Camp, the large former military site that is being considered for redevelopment, giving walkers an insight into its history and its place within the wider landscape.

The walk brought together perspectives on both nature and history. Dan Hoare from the Butterfly Conservation explained the ecology of the Dongas trackways, while Cllr Keslie Learney also attended, contributing to a discussion that connected the landscape’s environmental, historic and civil importance.

The event was well received by participants, who valued the opportunity to discover more about a familiar part of Winchester and see its countryside from a different perspective.

One participant commented:

“This has been so interesting to come to an area we have known for so long, but to see it in a new light with new eyes.”

Alison Talbot, Operations Manager at CPRE Hampshire said:

“This ‘On the Edge’ walk was a great opportunity to bring people together to explore and appreciate the beautiful countryside around Winchester, discover more about its fascinating past and consider the importance of protecting these special landscapes for the future.”