Itchen Valley Churches Trail

Winchester Museums and the South Downs Sustainable Development Fund have got together to produce a leaflet designed to encourage local residents and visitors to the area to get out and about in the glorious countryside of the Itchen Valley.

The newly available Itchen Valley Churches leaflet outlines a number of circular walks in the valley. Set along or very near the river between Otterbourne and Bishops Sutton are many attractive and unspoilt villages, each with its own distinctive church.

These buildings exhibit a wide range of architectural styles - for example Saxon at Headbourne Worthy, Norman at Bishops Sutton, Easton and St Cross, Georgian at Avington and late Victorian at Itchen Stoke and Otterbourne. The leaflet is designed to encourage visitors to visit these and other churches, which can easily be reached in a series of self-guided circular walks and cycle trails.

The churches and their associated walks and trails are divided into three groups. Those in the lower Itchen valley stretch from St Cross to Otterbourne, those in the middle Itchen extend from Headbourne Worthy, eastwards to Itchen Abbas and the churches of the upper Itchen form a group centred on New Alresford

A number of circular and walks and cycle trails are suggested for each group of churches. Public transport information has also been included, as has information about suggested refreshment stops and overnight accommodation.

The leaflet, which is free, is available to order online form Winchester Tourist Information Centre, and other local outlets. Also available is the companion leaflet about Meon Valley Churches, in which similar walks and trails are outlined.