Monday Walk - Salisbury Circular (Long walk with several much shorter options) [Salisbury Trip]

Gentle start via historic Salisbury, the Chalke Valley, pretty villages. Strenuous afternoon via the Downs, a Roman Road, and a noted Water Meadows view of the Cathedral

Length: 32.2 km (20.0 mi) [shorter walk possible, see below] 

Ascent/Descent: 427m  

Net Walking Time: 7 ¼ hours  

Toughness: 7/10

 

Meet outside Salisbury Station at 09.25.

From London, take the 07.50 Yeovil Pen Mill train from Waterloo (07.57 Clapham J, 08.16 Woking), arrives Salisbury 09.19. 

Return trains are on xx.21 (or a few minutes later) and xx.47 (or a few minutes later) to 21.25, then 22.25 (last train).

 

This long walk explores the Chalke Valley in the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the South West of the quintessentially English Cathedral City of Salisbury. It leads out of town through the Cathedral precinct, past some of England’s finest historic houses and through the Harnham Hill suburb into open fields with far views over the Chalke Valley to distant Downs. The morning route then largely follows the Ebble River upstream in the Chalke Valley through several pretty villages in this picturesque part of Wiltshire, with three good lunch pubs and two community stores conveniently spaced out along the route.

Most of the climbing is left for the afternoon, starting with a steady ascent with splendid views into pretty coombes, from Broad Chalke up to an ancient Ox Drove on top of the Downs. A long stretch with more views from the Down into coombes and valleys follows, largely along the course of a Roman Road, before the descent back into the Chalke Valley, followed by an immediate re-ascent up another Down. A Drove Track with views into the Nadder and Wylye Valleys leads past Salisbury’s Race Course and through the steep Harnham Slope Nature Reserve to tea at Harnham’s charming Old Mill.

From there the route back to the station goes through the town’s Water Meadows and provides ‘Britain’s Best View’ (Country Life magazine): Salisbury Cathedral across the meadows.

Walk Options:

Bus 29 Shaftesbury to Salisbury City Centre (10 mins walk from the train station) runs through the Chalke Valley and stops outside the lunch pubs as well as in the village of Stratford Tony (opp. Manor Farm), half-way through the afternoon (times at Broad Chalke: 14.12/15.51/17.22/18.32). 

Cutting out the outer loop of this figure-of-8 walk and turning back in Stratford Tony, reduces the length to 17.0 km/10.6 mi. 

Shorter routes, reducing the length by 5.4 km or 7.2 km respectively, are described.

 

Lunch: The White Hart in Bishopstone (11.9 km/7.4 mi) is closed on Mondays and The Queens Head in Broad Chalke (15.4 km/9.6 mi) is closed due to works adding five bedrooms, so there is the Chalke Valley Stores & Café (15.4 km/9.6 mi, hot food to 14.30, cakes to 15.00). 

Tea: The Old Mill at Harnham (1.0 km from the end) plus endless options in Salisbury, including the CAMRA-recommended Deacons near the station.

 

For summary, map, height profile, some photos, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.254