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The Great Britain Guide logoThe Great Britain Guide

Forests & woodlands · South East England

Magdalen Hill Down

In or near Chilcomb.

Free admission🐾 Dog-friendly👪 Family-friendly

Magdalen Hill Down is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.

Magdalen Hill Down, forests & woodlands in Hampshire

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1 h–3 h
Nearest railway station
Winchester · 2.9 km
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Dog-friendly

Getting there & planning your visit

To visit Magdalen Hill Down, the nearest railway station is Winchester, located 2.9 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is SO21 1HD, and entry to the site is free.

Directions on Google Maps →

About

Magdalen Hill Down is a named forest, woodland or nature reserve in the United Kingdom. Coordinates: 51.0598°, -1.2799°. This entry is part of The Great Britain Guide, a free, ad-free, open-data tourist directory.

Photo gallery

Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Test SSSI
  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Itchen - 2000227 SSSI

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Magdalen Hill Down is a chalk downland hill, situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the east of the centre of the city of Winchester in the English county of Hampshire. It is crossed by the B3404 road, the old main road from Winchester to London via New Alresford and Guildford. Most of the land to the south of the road is now a reserve run by the Butterfly Conservation, but part of it is used by the Magdalen Hill Cemetery, Winchester's principal cemetery. The land to the north of the road is largely farmed, but is also home to St Swithun's School and Leigh House Hospital. The down lies in the Winchester district, mostly within the parish of Chilcomb. At its highest point, the down reaches 124 metres (407 ft) above mean sea level.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The down contains a set of Bronze Age barrows, which are situated to the south of the road, and are designated as a scheduled monument. This includes a linear arrangement of five bowl barrows extending over a distance of approximately 85 m with the ground sloping steeply below them to the south. In the mediaeval period, Magdalen Hill Down was home to St Mary Magdalen's leprosarium, or leprosy hospital, which was situated to the north-eastern end of the site and was established in the 12th century. This was remodelled in the 14th century, but was largely demolished in the 16th century to make way for brick-built almshouses, although the medieval chapel survived. The almshouses were used as…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.0598, -1.2799
County
Hampshire
District
Winchester
Parish
Winchester, unparished area
Postcode
SO21 1HD
Parliamentary constituency
Winchester
Nearest railway station
Winchester2.9 km

Sources

Other places nearby

Nearby

Morn Hill area (8) - geograph.org.uk - 7438920📷 5

Mountains & hills · South East England

Magdalen Hill Down

Magdalen Hill Down — mountain in england south east. Elevation: 124 m.

🐕
The entrance to Leigh House hospital, Alresford Road - geograph.org.uk - 3020876📷 5

Historic houses · South East England

Leigh House Hospital

Leigh House Hospital — a school heritage in england-south-east, United Kingdom.

👶
Magdalen Hill Cemetery📷 5

Cemeteries · South East England

Magdalen Hill Cemetery

Magdalen Hill Cemetery is a cemetery in the United Kingdom.

Free🐕winchestersciencecentre.org
Entrance to St Swithun's School, Winchester - geograph.org.uk - 347377📷 5

Theatres · South East England

Saint Swithun's Performing Arts Centre

Saint Swithun's Performing Arts Centre is a theatre in the United Kingdom.

Chilcomb📷 5

Towns & cities · South East England

Chilcomb

Chilcomb — village and civil parish in Hampshire, United Kingdom.

Free🐕👶
Winchester - Intech Centre - geograph.org.uk - 1150671📷 5

Museums · South East England

Winchester Science Centre

Winchester Science Centre — a museum in england-south-east, United Kingdom.

👶winchestersciencecentre.org

Where to eat & stay near Magdalen Hill Down

Places to stay

Morn Hill area (3) - geograph.org.uk - 7438898📷 5

Hotels · South East England

voco Winchester Hotel and Spa

voco Winchester Hotel and Spa — a hotel in england south east.

winchester.vocohotels.com
Parking area on A31 east of Winchester - geograph.org.uk - 5457510📷 5

Caravan parks · South East England

Morn Hill

Morn Hill — a caravan park in england south east.

Remains of St Peter's Chapel, Winchester - geograph.org.uk - 3217231📷 5

Hotels · South East England

Winchester Royal Hotel

Winchester Royal Hotel — a hotel in england south east.

winchesterroyalhotel.com
Finand AP.244.DH (13608303354)📷 6

Hotels · South East England

The Winchester Hotel

The Winchester Hotel — a hotel in england south east.

thewinchesterhotel.co.uk
Wedding at Lainston House Hotel - geograph.org.uk - 5050059📷 5

Hotels · South East England

Lainston House Hotel

Lainston House Hotel — a hotel in england south east.

lainstonhouse.com
B3354 Main Road, Colden Common - geograph.org.uk - 7381632📷 5

Caravan parks · South East England

Colden Common Farm

Colden Common Farm — a caravan park in england south east.

Places to eat & drink

Picador Vauxhall on Easton Lane, Winchester - geograph.org.uk - 6260306📷 7

Historic pubs · South East England

The First in and Last out Public House

The First in and Last out Public House in England South East, United Kingdom.

Bridge Street at the junction of High Street Winchester - geograph.org.uk - 3020758📷 7

Restaurants · South East England

The Chesil Rectory

The Chesil Rectory — a restaurant in england south east.

chesilrectory.co.uk
Extra Care homes on Barfield Close - geograph.org.uk - 6799313📷 7

Restaurants · South East England

The Black Rat

The Black Rat — a restaurant in england south east.

Abbey Gardens - Winchester - geograph.org.uk - 2489940📷 5

Restaurants · South East England

River Cottage Kitchen & Deli

River Cottage Kitchen & Deli — a restaurant in england south east.

rivercottage.net
The Eclipse Inn - geograph.org.uk - 5135798📷 7

Restaurants · South East England

The Dispensary Kitchen

The Dispensary Kitchen — a restaurant in england south east.

findglocal.com
Victorian letter box, Kingsgate Street, Winchester - geograph.org.uk - 1717377📷 7

Historic pubs · South East England

Wykeham Arms

Wykeham Arms in England South East, United Kingdom.

wykehamarmswinchester.co.uk

More forests in this region

Darland Banks📷 5

Forests & woodlands · South East England

Darland Banks

Darland Banks is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.

Free🐕👶
Inholms Lane Clay Pit Nature Reserve📷 5

Forests & woodlands · South East England

Inholms Lane Clay Pit Nature Reserve

Inholms Lane Clay Pit Nature Reserve is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.

Free🐕👶
Jeskyns Community Woodland📷 5

Forests & woodlands · South East England

Jeskyns Community Woodland

Jeskyns Community Woodland is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.

Free🐕👶forestryengland.uk
Oxmore Copse📷 5

Forests & woodlands · South East England

Oxmore Copse

Oxmore Copse is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Magdalen Hill Down?
Magdalen Hill Down is in Hampshire, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode SO21 1HD), in the parish of Winchester, unparished area.
What is Magdalen Hill Down?
Magdalen Hill Down is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.
How do I get to Magdalen Hill Down?
The nearest railway station is Winchester, about 2.9 km away. Drivers can use postcode SO21 1HD.
Is Magdalen Hill Down a protected site?
Yes — Magdalen Hill Down is part of the River Test SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the River Itchen - 2000227 SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Is Magdalen Hill Down free to visit?
Yes, Magdalen Hill Down is free to enter.
How do I get to Magdalen Hill Down?
The nearest railway station is Winchester, about 2.9 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SO21 1HD.