The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Badger Farm

The Hospital of St CrossClick to open side panel for more information is a hidden gem in Winchester that feels like stepping through a time portal. Located about a twenty-minute walk from the city center along the scenic River Itchen water meadows, it is often described as England's "oldest and most perfect" almshouse. It’s not a hospital in the modern sense but a medieval charitable institution that still houses 25 "Brothers" today. The atmosphere is incredibly tranquil, characterized by flint-walled buildings, quiet quadrangles, and a sense of living history that has remained largely unchanged for centuries. The Wayfarer's Dole: One of the most charming traditions you can experience is requesting the "Dole" at the Porter’s Lodge. For nearly 900 years, any traveler who asks is given a small horn cup of ale and a morsel of white bread—a custom started by a Cluniac monk to support pilgrims. The "Miniature Cathedral": The onsite church is far grander than a typical chapel, featuring massive stone walls and beautiful Norman "chevron" carvings. Visitors often mention the peaceful, spiritual vibe inside, and some even suggest lying on the floor in the center to appreciate the "sacred geometry" of the architecture. The Gardens: You can wander through the Master’s Garden and the Compton Garden, which were inspired by 17th-century botanical collections. They feature sculptural borders, old-fashioned roses, and a large carp pond, all set against the backdrop of St Catherine's Hill. The Hundred Men’s Hall: This 14th-century hall, where a hundred poor men were once fed daily, now serves as a cozy tearoom. It’s run by volunteers and is famous for its homemade cakes, artisan sausage rolls, and "legendary" buns from a local bakery. The Brothers: You might see the residents walking around in their traditional medieval-style gowns—black for the original order and claret (dark red) for the "Noble Order of Poverty."

From the summit of St Catherine's Hill, a chalk downland hill ringed by the ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort and topped by a distinct copse of beech trees, visitors are afforded a magnificent panoramic view, primarily looking north over the historic city of Winchester. The most prominent landmarks visible are the spire of Winchester Cathedral rising above the city's rooftops, the distinctive architecture of the Hospital of St Cross nestled in the River Itchen water meadows below, and the winding course of the River Itchen itself as it cuts through the valley floor. Looking south and east, the view encompasses the rolling chalk downland of the South Downs National Park and the prominent cutting of the M3 motorway through Twyford Down.

The mural depicting "Boys with a Kite" is a piece of street art by the anonymous Winchester-based artist known as Hendog, who is often compared to Banksy. This particular work is a newer iteration, painted on a bridge near the Handlebar Café on Garnier Road, at the base of St Catherine's Hill. The mural shows two children gazing up, and a real kite has been cleverly left nearby, creating an interactive installation where the boys appear to be watching it fly overhead. This artwork is part of a series of popular, nostalgic, and often emotionally resonant pieces by Hendog across Winchester and the wider Hampshire area, with an earlier, single "boy with a kite" piece having previously been painted on the wall near the same cafe.

The Faladoon Nature Reserve is a peaceful, lesser-known area, historically associated with Winchester College, that lies alongside the internationally important River Itchen chalk stream. Located near Winchester, this reserve forms a green corridor that offers tranquil walks, including a loop that connects to the historic Hockley Railway Viaduct. The area is significant for its diverse flora and fauna typical of a managed chalk-river flood plain, providing habitat for various bird species like kingfishers and woodpeckers, and serving as a key spot for local wildlife enthusiasts and conservation groups like the Conchological Society due to the presence of rare mollusc species.

The iconic, but deteriorating, wooden steps on the main path up St Catherine's Hill have recently been replaced by the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust as part of a crucial refurbishment project. The new steps are constructed from durable, anti-slip treated timber to provide a safer, more stable, and more sustainable route for visitors, with an expected lifespan of at least 30 years. This essential conservation work is designed not only to improve public access to the historic Iron Age hillfort but also to safeguard the site's fragile chalk grassland and biodiversity by preventing visitors from creating unsanctioned, damaging paths.

The Handlebar Cafe, now operated by Cadence Cycle Club, is a unique and award-winning community café and bike workshop located on Garnier Road at the foot of St Catherine's Hill and the Viaduct Way cycle path in Winchester. Conceived by local teenagers through the SPUD Youth program, the building's distinct architecture resembles two railway carriages to reflect the site's history as an old railway line. It serves as a popular hub for cyclists and walkers, offering locally-sourced food, specialty coffee, and essential bike repair services, all within a welcoming, dog-friendly environment that provides lovely views over the Itchen Valley.

St Catherine's Hill is a prominent chalk downland hill on the outskirts of Winchester, notable for its layered historical and ecological importance. Now a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) managed as a nature reserve, its summit is ringed by the impressive earthworks of a univallate Iron Age hillfort dating back over 2,000 years. The top is marked by a distinctive copse of beech trees, known as 'The Clump', which contains the scant ruins of the 12th-century St Catherine's Chapel, while the hillside features a turf-cut labyrinth known as the Miz-Maze; the entire site provides spectacular views over the city, the Itchen Valley, and supports a rich variety of wildflowers and butterflies, including the protected Chalkhill Blue.

St Catherine's Hill is a prominent chalk downland hill on the outskirts of Winchester, notable for its layered historical and ecological importance. Now a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) managed as a nature reserve, its summit is ringed by the impressive earthworks of a univallate Iron Age hillfort dating back over 2,000 years. The top is marked by a distinctive copse of beech trees, known as 'The Clump', which contains the scant ruins of the 12th-century St Catherine's Chapel, while the hillside features a turf-cut labyrinth known as the Miz-Maze; the entire site provides spectacular views over the city, the Itchen Valley, and supports a rich variety of wildflowers and butterflies, including the protected Chalkhill Blue.