Ness' bit of everything

One gloriously warm weekend in April, the forecast promised two full days of sunshine. It felt too good to waste indoors, so I started searching for walks close to home. I wanted something that felt like a mini adventure without travelling too far, and the idea of a two-day hike with an overnight stop quickly became the perfect plan.

That’s when I stumbled across the Clarendon Way – a 26-mile route linking Salisbury Cathedral with Winchester Cathedral. You can walk it in either direction, but we chose to start in Salisbury and make our way east towards Winchester.

The route splits almost perfectly into two 13-mile days, which made planning easy. Even better, I found the sweetest Airbnb in the tiny Hampshire village of Houghton, almost exactly halfway along the trail.

Day 1

Our adventure began beneath the towering spire of Salisbury Cathedral. Despite living relatively nearby, I’d never actually seen it up close. It’s an impressive place to start a walk, and after taking a few moments to admire the cathedral, we picked up coffees from a lovely independent café before weaving through the city streets and out into the countryside.

It didn’t take long before the buildings disappeared behind us and we were surrounded by fields and woodland. Spring had well and truly arrived. Woodland floors were carpeted with bluebells, while the surrounding countryside glowed with the bright yellow of flowering rapeseed. Nearlky every field was bursting with colour.

The route itself was wonderfully varied, winding through quiet forests, rolling farmland and sleepy villages. We had a picnic on trail but in the afternoon we reached the village of Broughton, where we rewarded ourselves with refreshments at a local pub before the final couple of miles into Houghton.

Our Airbnb turned out to be every bit as charming as the photos had promised. Set within a beautiful Georgian house, our hosts were incredibly warm and welcoming while still giving us plenty of privacy. It was clearly popular with Clarendon Way walkers, and for good reason – it was less than 300 metres from the trail, making it an ideal overnight stop.

After dropping our bags, we wandered down to The Boot Inn for dinner. Sitting beside the crystal-clear waters of the River Test, it was the perfect place to end the first day. Good food, a peaceful riverside setting and tired legs.

Distance: 13 miles
Route: Salisbury to Houghton
Highlight: Walking through carpets of bluebells and ending the day beside the River Test.

Day 2

We woke to the smell of breakfast already being prepared downstairs. Our hosts had laid on a fantastic full English using homemade and locally sourced produce, and it was exactly the kind of hearty breakfast you hope for before a long day walking.

As we chatted over coffee, time seemed to disappear. Our hosts were full of recommendations and stories, and before we knew it, we realised we’d been lingering far longer than we’d intended. As tempting as it was to enjoy a slow morning, we still had another 13 miles to walk before reaching Winchester.

Leaving Houghton, we crossed the crystal-clear waters of the River Test. The Clarendon Way follows the Test Valley for part of the route, and crossing the river almost felt symbolic – as though we were leaving one part of the walk behind and heading towards the next.

The route continued through idyllic Hampshire villages, quiet country lanes and gently rolling hills. Once again, the countryside was alive with spring colour. The bright yellow rapeseed fields stretched across the landscape, contrasting beautifully with the fresh greens of the hedgerows and woodland. Every so often we’d reach a viewpoint that seemed too good to simply walk past, so we took our time, stopping for lunch while looking out across the patchwork of fields.

As the miles passed, the landscape gradually began to change. Open countryside gave way to roads, houses and the outskirts of Winchester. Before long we found ourselves weaving through the city’s historic streets, following the route towards its final destination.

By mid-afternoon, Winchester was buzzing. Cafés spilled onto pavements, tourists wandered between historic buildings and shoppers meandered from one window display to the next. It’s always one of the strangest parts of finishing a long-distance walk. After hours of quiet footpaths where your only focus is the path ahead, you’re suddenly immersed in the bustle of everyday life. Ironically, those final few hundred metres can feel like the longest of the entire journey.

Eventually, Winchester Cathedral came into view, marking the end of the Clarendon Way. Standing outside, it was satisfying to look back and realise we’d walked all the way from Salisbury over the past two days. There’s something incredibly rewarding about travelling under your own steam, watching the landscape gradually unfold with every mile. It wasn’t an epic expedition, but it didn’t need to be. A Micro Adventure. The Clarendon Way was a brilliant reminder that sometimes the best adventures are the ones waiting just a short drive from home.

Distance: 13 miles
Route: Houghton to Winchester
Highlight: Watching the countryside gradually transform into the streets of Winchester before reaching the cathedral.

Logistics

The Clarendon Way is straightforward to organise, with a few different options depending on how you’d like to complete it.

• Drive to the start and leave your car in Salisbury or Winchester. Once you’ve finished, either take a taxi back to your car or catch the train.
• Travel by train to the start of the walk and catch another train home from the finish, avoiding the need to return for your car altogether.

We originally looked at taking the train, but because we were walking over a weekend, engineering works made the journey far more complicated than we’d hoped (a very British problem!). Instead, we drove to Salisbury, completed the walk to Winchester over two days, and then took a taxi back to collect the car. It was simple and worked really well for us.

A few tips

• Distance: Around 26 miles (42 km), which splits nicely into two 13-mile days. We also came across people running the whole distance in one day too.
• Accommodation: Houghton makes an excellent halfway stop.
• Food & drink: There are several villages and pubs along the route, but it’s still worth carrying plenty of water and snacks, particularly on warm days.
• Navigation: The route is generally well waymarked, although having a GPX route (I used All Trails) on your phone provides extra reassurance.
• Best time to walk: Late April and early May were spectacular, with carpets of bluebells and vibrant rapeseed fields in full bloom.

Overall, the Clarendon Way makes for a fantastic weekend adventure. It’s close enough to be accessible, yet long enough to feel like you’ve escaped for a proper walking trip. If you’re looking for a gentle introduction to multi-day hiking or simply fancy exploring some beautiful Hampshire countryside, I’d thoroughly recommend adding it to your list.

Have you done any micro adventures recently? 

Ness x