Itchen Way 4 - Peter Jordan

Winchester to Abbots Worthy (3.4km)

I completed this small remaining section of the Itchen Way from Winchester to Abbots Worthy on 19 October 2020. It’s a relatively unattractive section between the river, roads and industrial estates, but ends more spectacularly.

The route starts where I ended my Itchen Way 1 walk on 15 July , where Water Lane meets the junction of Durngate Place and Wales Street in Winchester.

Start of itchen Way 4. River Itchen, river bank and trees — River Itchen at Water Lane

The Way skirts passes a new flood gate and the entrance to Winnall Moors Nature Reserve and continues along Wales Street past houses and a small industrial estate. It then turns left onto a track past a few houses and the car park for a fishing club. After a stile, the route crosses scrub land between the fishing lakes to the west and industrial estates on higher ground to the east.

To west of Itchen Way, ponds and trees — Winnall Lakes (Angling club)

Further north, the path leaves the lakes, running parallel to the river through scrubby woodland.

Fallen leaves on path and overhanging trees — The Itchen Way

And eventually reaches the two separate bridges carrying the carriageways of the A34 over the river. After the second bridge, there is a brief view of a more bucolic scene.

Concrete bridge carrying A34 over the River Itchen. A fisher stands on the bank. — A34 bridge

But the Way then runs along a grassy path within earshot of the M3 for 400m before arriving at a track and path junction. The route turns left running right in front of the Fulling Mill which sits between two channels of the river.

Itchen Way runs in front of the Fulling Mill and across the river. View of lawn, house, river and willow trees. — **Footpath across River Itchen south of Abbots Worthy**
cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Peter Facey – geograph.org.uk/p/227645

After the small footbridge, the path turns left and meanders between channels of the river then over meadows before meeting yet another channel of the river at the Abbots Worthy Mill – now a splendid house with a beautiful, though rather public lawn.

Old mill converted into a house with garden and the River Itchen. — Abbots Worthy Mill

Just after this information board, this walk ends where the Itchen Way 3 walk also ended.

Mill Lane information board and Itchen Way signpost. — Mill Lane Abbots Worthy

So that’s the Itchen Way completed, albeit a bit hapharzardly:

Walk	Route	Direction	Date
Itchen Way 1	Bishopstoke to Winchester (12.4km)	North	15 Jul 20
Itchen Way 2	Bishopstoke to Sholing (18.9km)	South	26 Aug 20
Itchen Way 3	Source to Abbots Worthy (22.9km)	North and West	29 Sep 20
Itchen Way 4	Winchester to Abbots Worthy (3.4km)	North	19 Oct 20

Itchen Way 4