A Day in Winchester and New Forest
On one of our free days on our great UK road trip, we dived into medieval English history combined with a scenic walk in ancient, but New Forest! For us, this was the perfect blend of a day because I got my history nerd on in Winchester, the first capital of an united England, and we had lovely walks in New Forest!
Logistics:
Because these places are so close to London, there are many options to get to these amazing destinations!
By Car
Depending on the origination, driving can be much easier! Because we were coming from Arundel, it was an easy 40 minute drive to Winchester. Since the city is fairly large and use to tourists, there are plenty of car parks, including a park and ride if the city is really busy! I would download the “Just Park” app on your phone before you go and you can skip the queue to pay!
In New Forest, there are two options - free and paid! Depending on where you go, most of the “walk” lots are free while the villages will usually have a pay and display car park. Parking can be tricky on the small, narrow roads but we managed fine!
Travel Tip: Download the “Just Park” app on your phone before you go and you can skip the queue to pay!
By Train
From London, there is a direct hour train ride to Winchester from London Waterloo that leaves every hour. Once at the train station, it is an easy walk down into the town centre. Tickets can be a little expensive at 40GBP, but the destination is worthwhile!
For New Forest, there are a few villages that have train stations such as Ashurst and Brockenhurst. For all your needs, I would say train to Brockenhurst and then you can walk to your hotel as well as nearby walking trails. Although we drove, we did see the train stations and it wasn’t too far from the villages!
Lodging
Because I love staying in remote, quiet places, we chose to stay in New Forest near the village of Ashurst. By staying in New Forest, it meant we had more time on the lovely walking trails and I had a great place to run in the morning! There are a ton of really nice hotels and B&Bs in the area. By the time we booked, most places were sold out but we found a fun gem in AirBnB! With our own room in the Annex, it offered plenty of space for our one night stay. Plus, the bed was comfortable and we didn’t hear a sound all night!
Exploring Medieval History
Beginning on the high street, we began to notice there were medieval buildings everywhere! Initially, we found a string of buildings at dates back to William the Conqueror days and further expanded during Edward III. Ironically, one of the buildings now hosts a Starbucks! I really enjoyed finding the historical plaques that dot this street and reading them! Even in those days, they had a central street with shops and everything else, just they called it very unusual and funny names.
The Great Hall
One of the most important buildings in Winchester is the Great Hall, dating back to the early 1100s after William the Conqueror ordered the castle’s construction. Now, the hall is the only section of the original castle that survived the Civil War because they found it to be useful!
For a long while, we were the only people in the hall. Costing only 4GBP each, it is a great way to get out of the sun and learn some history! On one side of the hall, there is a giant mural of all the famous Winchester citizens who served the city above these “Game of Thrones” steel door.
Facing on the opposite side is a true treasure - a wooden table! There are a few theories about this table but one is the table certainly dates back to the 1200s, although most believe it is the genuine table from the “Knights of the Round Table” in King Arthur’s story. During Henry VIII reign, he painted the table with the names of those knights.
Winchester Cathedral
Definitely one of the main highlights, the famous Winchester Cathedral towers over the city and surrounding fields. Here is where we really felt history come alive! While we did not go inside the church, the grounds give useful historic information.
Back in the 600s, there was an original church built by the first kings of England. Later destroyed in favor of the cathedral, we still saw the outlines in the grass. Fast forward to the 11th century, the Normans decided to build a cathedral for their capital city. Gradually, the kings and bishops added onto this historic cathedral but much of the original structure still stands. Buildings like these make England really old!
Walking in New Forest
Located near Southhampton, New Forest is not quite so new, but it certainly is a gorgeous forest! With amble walking trails and plenty of sunshine, we were ready for excellent walks!
Tall Trees Trail
Thanks to a friend’s recommendation, we began with an easy walk called the Tall Tree tail. Dotted with giant sequoia and douglas fir trees, the trail name certainly fits the bill! While the parking lot was filled with families and children, once we got onto the trail, we were the only ones for a long time! It was so peaceful walking through the forest with no one around us!
Afterwards, we decided to go on a run to begin MF’s Couch to 5K program. While it sounded like a great idea, MF was not so happy mid way through the run! However, I was really enjoying the crisp, cool air underneath these giant trees!
Trees Everywhere!
Lynhurst
On the way back from our forest walk, we stopped at one of the main villages in New Forest, Lynhurst. While it is a very small village, the high street is quaint and full of independent shops selling everything from ice cream to outdoor gear. There is also a picturesque red brick church on a hill!
Although the high street was entertaining, we were starting to get a little hungry so we went back to our AirBnB to gorge on our meat and cheese plates! I had booked two reservations in case we wanted to go out to dinner, but we didn’t want to get cleaned up and drive an hour! Both restaurants are highly recommended in Brockenhurst - The Pig and the BBBBBBB.
The UnChartered Summary
Visiting the ancient English capital and getting to walk under giant trees in New Forest is a fantastic day! While we combined the two activities, Winchester would make for a great overnight stay and we could spend a whole week in New Forest alone!
- Winchester is one of the best cities if you love history and want to discover the medieval history of England!
- In New Forest, I would stay in Brockenhurst at the Pig Inn and just enjoy the hotel and restaurant. This would also allow you to be within walking distance of the major trails or you could rent a bike!