Mills and Meadows
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Walk Highlights MILLS AND MEADOWS Water meadows are areas of pasture within a river As well as being used for barge transport and flooding valley which were deliberately flooded to encourage water meadows, the waters of the Navigation were used Winchester better grass growth for grazing or hay production. for powering corn and timber mills. In the 19th century, They were a common feature from the 18th to the early St. Catherine’s Lock was home to a mill, which supplied 20th century. Old structures from the water meadows sawn timber for the Navigation’s locks and bridges. The (sluices, hatches, weirs and bridges) can still be seen in Wildlife Trust has preserved the old brickwork here so the Itchen Valley today as well as traces in the landscape the important archaeology survives for people to see. of former carriers and drains. Three arches near Twyford Lock and saw mill 1870s St. Catherine’s Water crowfoot is an aquatic plant closely associated The Itchen Navigation Heritage Trail Project is a Heritage with chalk rivers like the River Itchen. It produces Lottery Fund project managed by the Wildlife Trust, preserving Distance: beautiful, white, yellow centred flowers on the surface an internationally important chalk river system for future 3 miles / 5km of the water from May to August. The submerged parts generations. Find out more about the Itchen Navigation at: Walking time: of the plant provide cover for dragonfly larvae and other www.itchennavigation.org.uk 1 hour aquatic creatures and help to maintain water levels in Terrain: flat the summer. Yellow Irises © David Kilbey Yellow Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Beechcroft, Vicarage Lane Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP www.hwt.org.uk Water crowfoot © Lawrence Talkst Water Mills and Meadows route Footpaths Minor roads Winchester Motorway Cathedral Railway Winchester Landmarks Mills and Meadows Railway Station 1 mile Public House or Café 5 College Walk P Car Park Take a walk along two branches of the 6 River Itchen alongside historic water Winchester College Wharf meadows and the Iron Age hill fort of Bridge Bar End St. Catherine’s Hill nature reserve. P WINCHESTER 4 1 From the Garnier Road car park, follow the Itchen Path Navigation path south along the bottom of Jct 10 St. Catherine’s Hill. St. Cross Garnier Rd Tunbridge P 2 Just before the motorway, turn right onto the old Cross Rd Mead Rd 1 P Five Bridges Road. 3 Turn right onto the footpath off Five Bridges Road. The footpath follows a stream up to St. Cross St. Cross Hospital Hospital. Continue on the path up to Garnier Road. River 4 Cross the road and rejoin the riverside footpath Itchen St. Catherine’s through Winchester College’s land. Hill St.Cross 5 Turn right onto College Walk. Farm St. Catherine’s 6 Turn right onto Domum Road. Take the first footpath Lock M3 3 Twyford off to the right down to Wharf Bridge. Follow the Down Path Itchen Navigation back to Tunbridge and Garnier Road. Five Bridges Rd 2 Alternative route: From Garnier Road, take the path Hockley Golf Course up the top of St. Catherine’s Hill and rejoin the route near St. Catherine’s Lock. Itchen Farm P Twyford Hockley Link Rd End Lock Path P 500m Jct 11.