bikeaboutWinchester’s bike hire scheme

The green way to tour Winchester

1885 – Didcot, Newbury &Southampton Railway opened theextension to a new station atWinchester (Chesil) but financescould not be raised for thecontinuation to Southampton. TheLondon & South Western Railwaybuilt a 1.5 mile line from Winchesterto their main line in Shawford.

1960 – the last passenger serviceused the viaduct in March.

2007 – The Friends of HockleyViaduct Trust was established.

2013 – therefurbished HockleyViaduct opens aspart of the NationalCycle Route NetworkRoute 23 by Olympiccyclist Dani King.

1891 – the LSWR,engineer WLGalbraith, built theHockley Viaduct. It was constructed of concrete andbrickwork arches andparapets. Consistingof 33 arches, it isover 600 metres longand 12 metres high.

1914 – in WWI, the viaduct was onthe main supply route to France.

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Hockley Viaduct through history...

You can hire bikes from two outlets:

Winchester Tourist Information CentreLocated at the GuildhallMonday to Saturday10am to 5pmTel. 01962 840 500

or Winchester ShopmobilityLocated in the upper car park ofThe Brooks Shopping CentreMonday to Friday 9am to 4pm Tel. 01962 842 626 or emailwinchesterbikeabout@waca.org.uk

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Awaiting a good dayto take photograph

Viaduct Way

Opened in 1891, the Hockley Viaduct was part of theDidcot to Southampton railway.

It closed to passengers in 1960, and to freight in 1966 aspart of the national programme of closures proposed byDr Richard Beeching. Winchester City Council acquiredthe Viaduct in 1968.

Until recently, the viaduct was in a state of disrepair. It has now been repaired to begin a new life as part of theNational Cycle Route Network Route 23, for walkers andcyclists to enjoy. Take the Viaduct Way and enjoy somescenic views from a lovingly restored local landmark.

"The dandelions are gliding into the woods, I leap up andtry to make a grab for them - but I miss every time."

Becky Witheyman, Compton All Saints Primary School.

Winchester City Council would like to thank The Friends of Hockley Viaduct,Nicola Henshaw, and the following organisations...

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Nicola Henshaw was commissioned by WinchesterCity Council to produce interpretive artwork thatreflects the history of Hockley Viaduct and marksthe restoration of Viaduct Way. Nicola tells storiesthrough wood and other media to create workthat is both functional and sculptural. She drawson local stories remembered and reinvented bylocal people through lively workshops.

1942– In WW2, therailway line wasclosed to passengersand used for militarytraffic for theinvasion of Europe.In the year prior toD-Day, 16,000 trainscrossed the Viaduct’ssingle track to jointhe Southamptonmain line.

...for their contributions to this leaflet and to the creation of The ViaductWay. Thanks also to Pru Hatton from Winchester Museums service. Coverimage from a postcard c.1905, reproduced with kind permission from theMike Pettigrew Collection.

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Viaduct Way - route instructions

Viaduct Way

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Begin at the Victorian GuildhallWinchester ; turn right onto Broadway,passing King Alfred’s Statue .

When you draw parallel with WinchesterCity Mill on your left, turn right on tothe river footpath. Follow the footpathalong the river eventually bearing to theright on to College Street .

On your right is the present-day Bishop’sPalace . Beyond lie the ruins of theextensive palace of the medieval bishops,known as Wolvesey Castle .

Turn left into College Walk and then rightinto Domum Road, keep a look out for theViaduct Way route markers andinformation boards designed by localartist Nicola Henshaw and inspired bypupils at All Saints Primary SchoolWinchester.

The route now followsthe newly laid path upthe ramp onto the oldrailway embankmentwith the ItchenNavigation below. The River Itchen isfamous for its trout, moorhens and wildflowers. The angler Izaak Walton, who isburied in the Cathedral once fishedalong this stretch of the river.

Continue along the footpath until youpass under a small bridge, bringing youout into the Garnier Road car park .Here turn left and continue to follow thefootpath along the Itchen Navigation(see the information board ).

Through the trees on the right you willbe able to see the Hospital of St Cross. Founded in 1132, the hospital is

home to 25 Brothers and continues toprovide refreshment for traveller.

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Take in the fantastic scenery andhave a rest on the inscribed stone seat .

As you continue along the path look out for the stone barge and theremains of the old St Catherine’s lockand mill . While you are here whynot take a detour up St Catherine’s Hill tosee the spectacular views of the city.

Take a rest on the railway benchbefore you walk up onto the viaduct. Theslats have been intensively burnt to createtrack and sleepers with natural oak ballastin between.

At the end of the pathway go straightover the cross roads and up the ramponto the Hockley Viaduct .

As you make your way along the viaductyou will pass the newly restored railwaysignal . Look back towards the city forsome magnificent views of the landscape.

Before renovation, the viaduct was amass of wild flowers. See how many ofthe 103 painted dandelion headsyou can count as you cross the viaduct.

Look out for the benches in therecesses of the viaduct that were designedby Nicola Henshaw. The wording is from apoem written by a pupil at Compton AllSaints Primary School.

At the end of the field look back at theview . Turn left and go across therailway bridge, then join the path on yourright. Keep following the path toBushfield Roundabout .

Go straight across the arm of theroundabout. Follow the path up toOtterbourne Road which will lead you toSouth Winchester Park & Ride .

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© Crown copyright and database rightsOrdnance Survey 100019531