The Vale of Wardour in the Wiltshire Downs AONB. Wardour Park, Nadder Head, a neolithic hill fort, Barkers hill, Old Wardour Castle.
Length: 23.3 km (14.5 mi) [much shorter option
available, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 561m
Net Walking Time: ca.
6 hours
Toughness: 7 out of 10
09.20 Yeovil Junction train from Waterloo (Clapham
J. 09.27, Woking 09.47), arrives Tisbury 11.06
[In Tisbury you have to be in the front three cars of the train
due to a short platform].
Returns are at xx.01 (or a few minutes later).
Last train to London: 22.03; last
train to Salisbury: 00.08.
This walk explores the Upper Nadder Valley (also known as the Vale of
Wardour) in the south westerly parts of the West Wiltshire Downs Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is spectacular walking country with some
breathtaking views. It heads west from Tisbury along the valley and through
Wardour Park with its large mansion. After lunch at a gastro pub in Donhead St.
Andrew, some serious ascents take you all the way to the Nadder Head in another
large country estate. Looping back the route passes a Neolithic hill fort site
on a ridge right on the boundary with Dorset, with occasional views through
trees to surrounding steep downs.
An exhilarating descent and an equally exhilarating route through the wooded Barkers Hill lead back down to the Nadder. The return route then leads right past the romantically ruined 14th century Old Wardour Castle and through High Wood back into Tisbury, a remarkably unspoilt village.
A shorter version of the walk, rated 4/10, and allowing enough time to visit Old Wardour Castle (English Heritage), exists in a separate file.
Lunch: The Forester Inn
in Donhead St. Andrews (7.0 km/4.3 mi) is closed and awaiting a
community buy-out, so this will be a Picnic Lunch.
Tea: Several options in Tisbury, see the pdf or the webpage for details.
For summary, map, height profile, walk
directions, photos and gpx/kml files click here.t=swc.252
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