Clarendon Way

Given that we live in one of its endpoint towns, the Clarendon Way from Salisbury to Winchester has always been an attractive proposition to us, and we finally decided to walk it one weekend during autumn 2015.

Part of the reason for choosing the weekend we did was the perfect weather predicted for the first day, and the trees were just at the turning point where the leaves are at their most colourful. The other reason was that we were getting itchy feet after being dormant for a couple of months since completing the South West Coast Path.

It made sense for us to train out to Salisbury and walk all the way home. We always try to do walks this way so that you can just collapse in the bath when you finish it, rather than sitting around on a cold train platform waiting for the slow transport home. The slight downside to this approach is that it takes a reasonable amount of time to get to the start point. By the time we took the train to Southampton Central, changed to a train to Salisbury, walked from Salisbury station to the cathedral, and recorded a little intro video, it seemed like half the morning was gone and we still had 15 miles to walk. Plus being autumn, the sun set fairly early and any lateness in reaching our accommodation would mean walking in the dark. This did in fact happen.

All in all, a pretty walk, a scenic time of year to do it and a good distance for an adventurous weekend. The accommodation at The Three Cups Inn in Stockbridge was perfect, albeit needing a detour of a few miles off the track to get it. But there's not much else around, so it's kind of the only option if you want lodgings somewhere half-way. We preferred the first leg of the trip to the second, as it had prettier, quieter woodland paths. But happy to report that start and finish both have stunning cathedrals to look at, so overall it's a rewarding walk.