Garden Trails - Trust Annual Report 1984
The impressive quality of the buildings of Winchester and their fascinating history are so dominating that it is easy to forget the importance of their settings, the spaces between buildings, and the glimpses of field-and tree-clad hill which form the ever present background.
In previous centuries agriculture and the utility of wood and copse provided the surrounding scenery and these uses came close to the town centre, but now the outward expansion of the town is filling its valley and many of the green hillsides are built on. The same pressures lead to the replacement of town gardens with offices and car parks, and the landscape spaces, both large and small, are gradually becoming less.
The Trust, in association with the Hampshire Gardens Trust, is preparing a guide to the more noteworthy gardens and landscaped open spaces in and around the city to bring these spaces to people's attention, to create awareness of their importance, and to encourage their enhancement and care.
It is thought that the guide, which could be increased in scope later, might be organised to offer a series of walks of varying duration around the town. We hope that it will not only complement the other guides available to tourists but also improve local understanding and thus generate a greater concern for our open spaces.