The Clarendon Way is a gentle introduction to the world of multi-day hikes, or it would be a gentle introduction if you wear the right shoes and check the weather forecast in advance. Two things I dramatically failed to do. 

Yet, despite two days of horrid abuse at the hands of the British weather gods and some soggy toes thanks to my own poor planning, I loved this hike and had a few epiphanies along the route. Such as the decision to start a hiking blog.

Clocking in at a tidy 26 miles, The Clarendon Way is the length of a marathon and could be run in a single day. But running is for sweaty weirdos who haven’t discovered that the best things in life are better done slowly.

For me and for most, it is a two-day jaunt with an overnight stay midway in a pleasant country village with a pleasant country pub.

The route links the historic cities of Winchester and Salisbury – two big names in Cathedral nerd circles – and took me across farmland, rolling downland, past peculiar pyramid-like tombs dedicated to heroic horses and through a hell of a lot of puddles. 

The Clarendon Way ticked a whole heap of boxes for a beginner hiker like myself. It was flat but not boring, it was easy to access by train from London and it had great accommodation choices.

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Both Salisbury and Winchester are well-heeled tourist hubs. I especially enjoyed the romantic couple's “bijou” love pad I accidentally booked for my solo stay in Winchester. 

Due to the grim November rain and biting November wind, I had the trail largely to myself which started off as a little glum but in the end made me feel like a bit of a legend. Where others hid in their beds I strode forth into the deluge. Like a real hiker hero.

To read the rest of this adventure check out this article on Mike McLeish’s HikerHero blog

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