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[winchester]
[the deverills]

St Catherine's Hill

...is one of my favourite places.

The hill in the distance

It's just outside Winchester (UK). The hill has a very distinctive stand of Beech trees on the top. They're the left-hand clump on the horizon above, the right hand being Arethusa's Clump, which is fenced off. My main reason for going there is to see the 'mizmaze', a turf cut maze that may date from the 17th Century.

You can get to the hill by walking out from Winchester or as part of a much longer circular walk: since "They" built the new road, access on foot is easy, it used to be fairly dangerous. Or, if you want, there's a car park at the bottom now, drive along the St Cross road until you're roughly level with the hill. Then either turn down Norman Road and left onto Kingsgate St, or down Romans Road and turn right. The road you want is marked "Household Waste Recycling": drive across the water-meadows and the car park is on your right.

Find Your Way in the Woods Steps, take a deep breath  

My preferred access to the hill is from the car-park, under the old railway bridge, and between a pair of trees which, if you're feeling romantic, look like guardians of the space...

Read the sign-boards, which are fun, then walk between the trees and along the path.

Soon, on the right, you'll find the steps Hampshire Conservancy have made, which go right up to the top...

Let's play a little game. There used to be a set of puzzle pages behind this one, but for various reasons I've taken them down (mail me for more details). But, take a moment or two to see if you can get to the maze and the page after it (there are similar links on the next pages as well, feel free to explore. If not, just click on "tour" at the bottom.