On our first morning home, we woke up early and it was a blazing Saturday morning. Thus, it seemed apt that we went on a long walk along the Pilgrim’s Walk up to St Catherine’s Hill. It’s a beautiful mile-long walk into Winchester, the ancient capital of England.
There’s old wooden steps, 333 in total, hewn into the chalk hill. And getting to the top rewards you with the beautiful views of Winchester Cathedral, the town in the shadows of the imposing cathedral and glimpses of the peaceful Itchen.
In the 1990s, these chalklands were seeded with chalk grassland flower mixes collected locally, followed by planting of species such as Cowslip, Kidney Vetch, Thyme Rockrose and Devil’s Bit Scabious, and form favourite nesting places for skylarks. The tiny Small Blue Butterflies love the Kidney Vetch. I love the peace of the meadows here.
You can get the footpath map here.
www.lifeGO.me 