100 Walks in Wiltshire E-Book

Tim Jollands

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Wiltshire is a walker's paradise with many unexpected delights. With half the county designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this new collection of 100 walks of up to 12 miles will help you explore the best of this beautiful, mystical and timeless landscape. The Crowood Walking Guides give detailed and accurate route descriptions of the walks, with full-colour mapping sourced from the Ordnance Survey. Details of where to park and where to eat and drink are included and also places of interest to see along the way. Easy-to-follow directions are given along with clear and detailed route maps. Illustrated with 87 route maps.

Leseprobe

100 WALKS IN WILTSHIRE

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2015 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2016

© The Crowood Press 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 044 7

Mapping in this book is sourced from the following products: OS Explorer 118, 130, 131, 142, 143, 155, 156, 157, 158, 168, 169, 170

© Crown copyright Ordnance Survey. Licence number 100038003

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this book. However, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. The Publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions or for the consequences of any reliance on the information given in this book, but should be very grateful if walkers could let us know of any inaccuracies by writing to use at the address above or via the website.

As with any outdoor activity, accidents and injury can occur. We strongly advise readers to check the local weather forecast before setting out and to take an OS map. The Publishers accept no responsibility for any injuries which may occur in relation to following the walk descriptions contained within this book.

Contents

How to Use this Book

Walks Locator

WALK 1

Malmesbury

2¼ miles (3.5km)

WALK 2

Near the River Avon

3 miles (5km)

WALK 3

Oare & Martinsell Hill

3 miles (5km)

WALK 4

Drew’s Pond & Potterne Woods

3¼ miles (5km)

WALK 5

Wardour Castle & Woods

3½ miles (5.5km)

WALK 6

Easton Grey to Pinkney

3½ miles (6km)

WALK 7

Highworth to Sevenhampton

3½ miles (5.5km)

WALK 8

The Winterbournes

3½ miles (6km)

WALK 9

Great Bedwyn & the Brails

3½ miles (6km)

WALK 10

Ramsbury & Littlecote

4 miles (6.5km)

WALK 11

Around Wilton

4 miles (6.5km)

WALKS 12/13/14

Coate Water

4 miles (6.5km); longer route 6 miles (9.5km), shorter route 2 miles (3.25km)

WALKS 15/16

Cherhill Down

4 miles (6.5km) or 6 miles (10km)

WALK 17

Mildenhall & the River Kennet

4 miles (6.5km)

WALK 18

Westwood & Farleigh Hungerford

4 miles (6.5km)

WALK 19

Bremhill & Maud Heath’s Highway

4 miles (6.5km)

WALK 20

Bradford-on-Avon to Avoncliff

4 miles (6.5km)

WALK 21

A Flight of Locks Near Devizes

4 miles (6.5km)

WALK 22

Boyton Down & Sherrington

4 miles (6.5km)

Walks 23

Buttermere & Inkpen Hill

4¼ miles (7km)

WALK 24

Around Tollard Royal

4½ miles (7.5km)

WALK 25

Luckington

4½ miles (7.5km)

WALK 26

Holt & Great Chalfield

4½ miles (7km)

WALK 27

Around Dundas Aqueduct

4½ miles (7km)

WALK 28

Hilperton & Whaddon

4½ miles (6.5km)

WALK 29

South Wraxall & Monkton Farleigh

4½ miles (7.5km)

WALK 30

Chute Causeway

4½ miles (7.5km)

WALKS 31/32

Cherhill to Compton Bassett

4½ miles (7km) or 6 miles (10km)

WALK 33

Ludgershall Castle & Collingbourne Wood

5 miles (8km)

WALK 34

Gasper Mill

5 miles (8km)

WALK 35

Salisbury Plain & the Lavingtons

5 miles (8km)

WALK 36

Around Winterbourne Bassett

5 miles (8km)

WALK 37

Pigs Hill & Marridge Hill

5 miles (8km)

WALK 38

Wootton Bassett to Greenhill

5 miles (8km)

WALK 39

Whiteshard Bottom

5 miles (8km)

WALK 40

Middle Hill

5 miles (8km)

WALK 41

Roundway & Heddington

5 miles (8km)

WALK 42

Stanton Fitzwarren to Castle Hill

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 43

Wroughton & Clouts Wood

5½ miles(9km)

WALK 44

Sugar Hill & Liddington

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 45

Windmill Hill

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 46

Around Broad Hinton

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 47

Lacock & Bowden Park

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 48

Somerford Common & Braydon Wood

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 49

Castle Combe & Long Dean

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 50

Foxholes

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 51

Bishops Cannings & Wansdyke

5½ miles (9km)

WALK 52

Old Sarum & Lower Woodford

6 miles (10km)

WALKS 53/54

Rockley

6 miles (10km) or 5 miles (8km)

WALK 55

Biddestone & Slaughterford

6 miles (9.5km)

WALK 56

Around Brinkworth

6 miles (9km)

WALK 57

Wootton Bassett & Lydiard Tregoze

6 miles (9.5km)

WALKS 58/59

Swindon Old Town

6 miles (9.5km)

WALK 60

Clyffe Pypard & Broadtown Hill

6 miles (9.5km)

WALK 61

Around Milton Lilbourne

6¼ miles (10km)

WALK 62

Wootton Bassett to Bushey Vowley

6¼ miles (10km)

WALK 63

Whitesheet Hill

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 64

Bidcombe Down

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALKS 65/66

Bishopstone

6½ miles (10.5km); shorter route 3 miles (5km)

WALK 67

Shaston Drove

6½ miles (10km)

WALK 68

Bradford-on-Avon & Iford

6½ miles (10.5km)

WALK 69

North Bradley & West Ashton

6¾ miles (11km)

WALK 70

Bratton & Edington

6¾ miles (11km)

WALK 71

Barbury Castle, Burderop Down & Smeathe’s Ridge

7 miles (11km)

WALK 72

All Cannings & Stanton St Bernard

7 miles (11.5km)

WALK 73

Bradenstoke & Great Wood

7 miles (11.5km)

WALK 74

Ancient Wiltshire

7 miles (11km)

WALK 75

Around Crofton

7 miles (11km)

WALK 76

Broad Chalke & the Ebble Valley

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 77

Great Wishford

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 78

Purton & Ringsbury Camp

7½ miles (12km)

WALK 79

Aldbourne to Hilldrop

7½ miles (12km)

WALKS 80/81

Lockeridge

7¾ miles (12.5km)

WALK 82

Upavon & North Newnton

8 miles (13km)

WALKS 83/84/85

Hackpen Hill

8 miles (13km); shorter routes 3 miles (5km) and 6¼ miles (10km)

WALK 86

Dauntsey & Great Somerford

8 miles (13km)

WALK 87

Around Bishops Cannings

8 miles (13km)

WALK 88

Kingston Deverill

8½ miles (14km)

WALK 89

Devizes, Seend & Poulshot

8½ miles (13.5km)

WALK 90

Around Ashton Keynes

9 miles (14.5km)

WALKS 91/92

Barbury Castle

9½ miles (15.5km)

WALKS 93/94

Chiseldon

10½ miles (17km)

WALK 95

Pewsey Wharf to Knap Hill

10½ miles (17km)

WALKS 96/97

Aldbourne

11½ miles (19km) or 9 miles (14.5km)

WALKS 98/99

Bishops Cannings & Wansdyke

12 miles (19km) or 14½ miles (23km)

WALK 100

Around Sutton Veny

12 miles (19km)

How to Use this Book

The walks have been written in distance order, starting with the shortest at 2¼ miles and ending with the longest at 12 miles.

Readers should be aware that starting point postcodes have been supplied for satnav purposes and are not necessarily indicative of exact locations.

MAPS

There are 86 maps covering the 100 walks. Some of the walks are extensions of existing routes and the information panel for these walks will tell you the distance of the short and long versions of the walk. For those not wishing to undertake the longer versions of these walks, the ‘short-cuts’ are shown on the map in red.

The routes marked on the maps are punctuated by a series of numbered waypoints. These relate to the same numbers shown in the walk description.

Start Points

The start of each walk is given as a postcode and also a six-figure grid reference number prefixed by two letters (which indicates the relevant square on the National Grid). More information on grid references is found on Ordnance Survey maps.

Parking

Many of the car parks suggested are public, but for some walks you will have to park on the roadside or in a lay-by. Please be considerate when leaving your car and do not block access roads or gates. Also, if parking in a pub car park for the duration of the walk, please try to avoid busy times.

COUNTRYSIDE CODE

•

Consider the local community and other people enjoying the outdoors

•

Leave gates and property as you find them and follow paths

•

Leave no trace of your visit and take litter home

•

Keep dogs under effective control

•

Plan ahead and be prepared

•

Follow advice and local signs

Walks Locator

WALK

1

Malmesbury

START Station Yard (long stay car park), Malmesbury SN16 9JT, GR ST931875

DISTANCE 2¼ miles (3.5km)

SUMMARY Urban walk

MAPS OS Landranger 173 Swindon & Devizes; OS Explorer 168 Stroud, Tetbury & Malmesbury

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Numerous places in Malmesbury

A gentle stroll along the picturesque streets and water meadows of England’s oldest borough.

1 Cross the river by the bridge at the end of the car park and go up the steps in front of you, bearing left as soon as you begin to climb. The steps lead to the remarkable Abbey House Gardens and Malmesbury Abbey, which you will want to explore in detail. Equally interesting is the picturesque wisteria-clad hotel called The Old Bell beside the Abbey. Leave the Abbey through the south door and go towards the Tolsey, or gatehouse, directly in front of you. Halfway along to the left of the path you may wish to search for the intriguing gravestone to the memory of Hannah Twynnoy. Go through the Tolsey and, passing the old Market Cross, cross Oxford St and head down the High St, bearing left downhill into Lower High St, from where a fine view of the Almshouses can be appreciated.

2 Join the pavement on the right of the road and just before St John’s Bridge go through a gateway on the right and then turn left over a footbridge above the Avon. As you cross the footbridge, you will see the town’s silk mills, now converted into flats, to your left. Walk a few yards along the road before turning right through a gate into the watermeadow. Keeping the river on your right, proceed along the path for about half a mile, then cross a stone footbridge over a small stream. Turn to the right and go through a squeeze stile and along an embankment, then over a second and larger footbridge to the left.

3 Go along the path between two stone walls then turn right up the sloping path marked ‘Burnivale’. Turn left up the stone steps and follow the path to reach Gloucester St. Turn right to return to the Market Cross, then go straight on along Oxford St and turn right into Market La to reach Cross Hayes. Take the road in the opposite corner of the square. This is Silver St, so called because it once contained Malmesbury’s mint. After a few yards the road gives way to gentle steps, until you reach the bottom of the hill, whereupon you turn left over the bridge and past the bowling green. At the edge of the green, turn left again, down a gravel footpath. This will take you first over a sluice-cum-footbridge and then over a stile into watermeadows.

4 After a further hundred yards or so, by an old derelict railway line, you will come to another stile. Go over this, keeping between the two courses of the River Avon (the Tetbury branch is alternatively known as the River Ingleburn). Eventually you reach a stile by a road going over a bridge.

5 Cross the road and take the path immediately in front of the pub car park. Continue along this path, with the river on your left, through the Conygre Mead Nature Reserve to return to the car park.

Points of interest

Malmesbury claims to be the oldest borough in England, having been granted a charter by Alfred the Great in 880. King Ethelstan, who is buried in the Abbey, later gave land to the town after its menfolk had helped him defeat Norse invaders. This land is still known as King’s Heath. Virtually every building in Malmesbury has its own points of interest and is worth a moment of your time. Here we consider only those that, in the opinion of the author, are quite outstanding.

Abbey House: This fine building was erected in the sixteenth century after William Stumpe had bought the Abbey and its lands after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the time of Henry VIII. He paid only £1,516 for the entire Abbey property. William Stumpe was a wealthy local clothier who set up his factory inside the Abbey itself, though two years later he gave the nave to the town for use as a church. Abbey House Gardens have been developed since 1994 and are open 11am–5.30pm daily 21 Mar–end Oct.

Malmesbury Abbey: The first abbey was founded by St Aldhelm in the seventh century, though what we now see was mainly built in the twelfth century. Restoration work was carried out in the fourteenth century when a mighty tower was added, standing some 445ft high. This collapsed in the fifteenth century, destroying much of the eastern end of the church, but nevertheless the abbey is still one of the finest examples of Norman ecclesiastical architecture anywhere in the country. Notice particularly the magnificent twelfth-century carved porch, the tomb of King Ethelstan, the first Saxon king to rule the whole of England, who died in 940, and the mysterious little watching loft on the south wall. When the Parvise is open, some fascinating manuscripts, coins and documents are on view. In the eleventh century a monk at the Abbey, one Elmer, jumped off the tower wearing home-made wings in the vain belief that he had discovered the secret of man-powered flight. One story has him gliding over 200yds before he crashed. He broke both his legs and was crippled for the rest of his life. Elmer’s flight is today commemorated in a stained-glass window.

The Old Bell: It is believed that the inn may well have once been part of a Saxon castle which is known to have been demolished in 1216. Since the site was then used for the Abbey guesthouse, part of the inn’s walls are thought to be from that building.

Tolsey: This gatehouse guards the entrance to the Abbey grounds and was possibly the town lock-up. The Apostle’s Spoon, on the left as you leave the Abbey, is the oldest private house in the town.

Market Cross: Nearly 500 years old, the market cross was built, it is recorded, for poor market folks to stand dry when rain cometh!

High Street: The street once contained many public houses, almost all of which have now changed their use. The exception is the King’s Arms Hotel, reached via an archway into a courtyard. On the opposite side, The George Veterinary Hospital was once an eighteenth-century coaching inn.

Almshouses: A hospital was first founded on this site in the late thirteenth century by the Order of St John of Jerusalem. At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the Order was banished and the buildings were later bought by the Capital Burgesses, who donated £10 a year for the provision of almshouses on the site. The old archway is all that remains from the original hospital building. The inscription above it records the Burgesses’ gift of £10.

Cross Hayes: The word Hayes means ‘common’ and this area was the market place for the town from Saxon times until quite recently. At Queen Victoria’s Jubilee the area was turned into an outdoor dining room for the whole town.

WALK

2

Near the River Avon

START Lower Woodford (north end), SP4 6NH, GR SU126353

DISTANCE 3 miles (5km)

SUMMARY Easy

MAPS OS Landranger 184 Salisbury & The Plain; OS Explorer 130 Salisbury & Stonehenge

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK The Wheatsheaf Inn, Lower Woodford, T01722-782203

An easy walk through rich water meadows with fine views over Salisbury Plain.

START At the northern end of the village turn up the side road opposite a long thatched wall. Just before you reach the farm buildings, turn left along a footpath and follow it between fields and past a wood on the left. Continue across the next field to the road.

1 Follow the road to the junction with Wilton Rd, where you turn left down a private, gated road through the estate of Little Durnford Manor. You will eventually emerge through a door in a wall. Cross the road and continue up the lane by a wood.

2 Turn left at the crossroads by Keeper’s Cottage and continue along the bridleway to a copse. Go ahead through the trees and turn left just before a gate. Follow the footpath down the hill, keeping the fence on your right. The path ends beside a farmyard and emerges onto the road.

3 Turn left and then immediately right down a lane, marked as a bridleway, by the post box. This crosses three bridges on the way back to Lower Woodford and the starting point.

WALK

3

Oare & Martinsell Hill

START Oare, SN8 4JA, GR SU158631

DISTANCE 3 miles (5km)

SUMMARY Short but strenuous

MAPS OS Landranger 173 Swindon & Devizes; OS Explorer 157 Marlborough & Savernake Forest

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK The White Hart, Oare, T01672-562273

A steep climb (and equally steep descent) to reach attractive downland with spectacular views.

START Cross the main road in Oare and go southeast along Pound La for a short distance. Rising to the left is a hill that appears to be a more distinct peak than is usual in downland. This summit is your first objective.

1 Beyond the village houses, and opposite another track coming in from a field on the right, look out for a stile on the left with waymarks for the Mid Wilts Way and White Horse Trail. Cross the field to another stile. The track now heads quite purposefully to the top. Climb steeply to the trig point, by which time it will be obvious that the peak is merely the end of a prominent shoulder of the flat-topped upland of Martinsell Hill. After admiring the views of the Pewsey Vale and recovering your breath, continue on more level ground, crossing a barrow known as Giant’s Grave. The large house in the depression to the left is the late Georgian Rainscombe House. On reaching a gate and stile, bear slightly left, following a ‘Martinsell’ signpost. Bear left again around the clump of trees at the top of the hill.

2 Turn left into a broad grassy track, with a fence on your left. This track bends sharply to the left at the end of the field, where the outer bank of Martinsell hill fort is visible under the trees ahead. Follow the track along Oare Hill, then go straight across the main road and follow the bridleway sign along another track for about ½ mile. The track goes left by the entrance to Huish Down Farm.

3 As it bends right, go straight on along a footpath between a fence and a hedge. Just beyond the pond on the right, go through a wooden gate and continue straight down Huish Hill, aiming directly for Oare village. Halfway down, on the rim of an earthwork, a seat is placed in a strategic position. Below the seat, the path continues down the grassy hillside in an uncomfortably steep descent. When the ground levels, the path leads along the side of a field to the road by the school. Turn left, then right at the main road, passing the White Hart Inn, to return to the start.

Points of interest

Oare House is a small mansion of 1740, with wings added in the 1920s by Clough Williams-Ellis (of Portmeirion fame). The church is red-brick Victorian.

WALK

4

Drew’s Pond & Potterne Woods

START Lay-by on A360 between Devizes and Potterne, SN10 5LN, GR ST998591

DISTANCE 3¼ miles (5km)

SUMMARY Easy, mainly on tracks and by-ways

MAPS OS Landranger 173 Swindon & Devizes; OS Explorer 130 Salisbury & Stonehenge, 143 Warminster & Trowbridge, 156 Chippenham & Bradford-on-Avon, 157 Marlborough & Savernake Forest

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK The George and Dragon, Potterne, T01380-722139 (closed Mon–Tue lunchtimes)

A short, pleasant ramble on elevated ground and through ancient woodland, with an optional detour into an award-winning nature reserve.

START Take the broad track from the Devizes end of the lay-by, signposted ‘Drew’s Pond Lane 1’. On reaching Montecello Farmhouse at the top of the track, take the footpath on the right between two sets of farm gates and follow the obvious path along the edge of a field.

1 Shortly after entering woodland you reach a junction. Our route is to the right, but a short detour to the left drops down to Drew’s Pond, a charming small lake that gives its name to the surrounding nature reserve, which can be explored along well-marked paths through the woods. Returning to the route, the path climbs steadily along the edge of a field. On emerging from a wooded section, there is a gap in the fence on the left. Take this and carry on for about ½ mile on elevated ground, with views over Devizes to Roundway Hill beyond.

2 On reaching a broad cart-track, turn right and at a junction turn right again to reach Potterne Woods. Turn right yet again and follow the byway along the edge of the woodland, with occasional long views to Salisbury Plain.

3 At a meeting of several broad trackways bear gently right downhill. This is Coxhill La, which descends through a surprisingly deep and leafy cutting towards Potterne.

4 At the first road junction, swing right then left along a path protected by bollards (not up the steps), continuing along a quiet road past the youth club to reach the A360 near the general store. Turn right to return to the lay-by, 1/3 mile up the main road. (This route bypasses the village centre; if you wish to make a detour to Porch House, the church and the pub, continue to the end of Coxhill La at the road junction 4.)

Points of interest

Drew’s Pond Wood is a local nature reserve with 7.5 acres of ancient woodland, interpretation boards and a picnic area.

The large village of Potterne has a good Early English church. Porch House is a well-preserved, half-timbered, fifteenth-century building on the main street. Church House, by the church gates, dates from 1614.

WALK

5

Wardour Castle & Woods

START Old Wardour Castle car park, near Tisbury, SP3 6RR, GR ST941271

DISTANCE 3½ miles (5.5km)

SUMMARY Easy

MAPS OS Landranger 184 Salisbury & The Plain; OS Explorer 118 Shaftesbury & Cranborne Chase

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK The Forester, Donhead St Andrew, T01747-828038 (award-winning food, menu changes daily)

Well-defined field paths and woodland tracks in the Nadder Valley, starting from a romantic ruin.

START Cross the road from the car park and take the track to Ark Farm, with the lake on your left. Walk between the farm buildings and follow the track downhill until it turns left.

1 Here, cross the stile beside a farm gate to the right and follow the field edge until you reach a fence corner, then go straight on along a well-defined track to a stile that takes you into the grounds of New Wardour Castle (now converted into apartments). Follow the curving drive past the main building and the hexagonal lodge beyond, then turn left on a footpath up two steps in the low wall. This leads to the left of a statue and a large neo-Georgian building, then through a sparse wood to a stile. Cross the stile into a field and walk diagonally left across it towards the red-tiled roof of Westfield Farm, which soon comes into view. In the boundary fence to the right of the farmhouse there is a stile and another immediately opposite. Cross these and cross the field to a farm gate in a cross-fence by a ditch.

2 Go over another stile, crossing a stream at the edge of a wood. With the wood and fence on your left continue to Park Gate Farm. Go through the gate and between hedges to the farmyard. Cross the yard and a farm road, then go through the gate on the bank to the left. Turn left and walk up the field to the top left-hand corner to pass through a gate into a woodland clearing. Walk through the clearing to the top right-hand corner and turn right onto a well-defined path that leads through the wood and across a field to a stony track.

3 Turn right here to walk down to the village of Donhead St Andrew if you want to visit the Forester pub; otherwise turn left past Pile Oak Lodge to reach the entrance to Wardour Wood. Go along the track to where it bears right.

4 Turn left on a path leading down through a gate and out of the wood across a field to another gate. Go straight on, following the edge of Pale Park pond. Continue through an opening, keeping close to the fence, left, then go on with the wood on your right. Join a well-defined track and follow it back to Old Wardour Castle.

Points of interest

Old Wardour Castle, built in the fourteenth century by Lord Lovell, subsequently became the home, for some 400 years, of the Arundell family, of whom Lady Blanche was the most famous. With a total compliment of around twenty-nine souls, she held out against a besieging force of 1,300 Parliamentarian troops for nearly ten days, before being forced to surrender. The castle is now administered by English Heritage and is open for most of the year.