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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Sunday, 9 October 2022

Sunday Walk - West Wiltshire Downs: Tisbury Circular via Hindon

Length: 21.9 km (13.6 mi) [longer or shorter walk possible] 
Ascent/Descent: 428 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ¼ hours
Toughness: 6 out of 10

Take the 09.15 Exeter St. David's train from Waterloo (09.24 Clapham J., 09.48 Woking), arriving Tisbury at 11.06Return trains: 17.01, 17.28, 18.01, 19.01, 20.01, 21.01, 22.03.

This walk leads mostly around the very large Fonthill Estate in the West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is spectacular walking country with some breath-taking views. You’ll find picturesque villages and excellent pubs in the beautiful undulating countryside, as well as plenty of woodlands and some dry chalky U-shaped downland valleys. The morning route is a steady ascent out of Tisbury along the scenic Oddford Vale to the highest point of the walk. This stretch is also characterised by some slack way-marking though, and a map and a compass are recommended.
The walk then leads through a grassy valley and across a wooded ridge to lunch in Hindon, where the two recommended pubs are right opposite each other. Most of the ascent lies before lunch, but there are still two climbs through woods in the afternoon. The final part of the walk is a scenic descent into the Nadder Valley and then passes one of Britain’s largest thatched buildings, followed by a stretch along the river back into Tisbury, a remarkably unspoilt village.

Walk Options:
A westerly extension via East Knoyle adds 5.7 km, 2.1 km to the tarmac count and 92m ascent/descent (8/10).
Shortcut I just after lunch reduces the walk by 1.8 km, but adds 0.4 km to the tarmac count.
Shortcut II at the end reduces the walk by 1.3 km but adds 0.4 km to the tarmac count.

For walk directions, a map, a height profile, gpx/kml files, and photos click here.

LunchThe Grosvenor Arms or The Lamb in Hindon (both: 10.4 km, food all day). The Fox and Hounds  in East Knoyle on the extended walk (9.8 km, food to 14.15).  
There are several other good pubs en route in the afternoon, see the webpage or the pdf for details.  
Tea: Tisbury has a tearoom, a café, a deli, a supermarket, two pubs and a bistro/wine bar. See the webpage or the pdf for details. T=swc.248


1 comment:

Thomas G said...

n=6 off the train for a walk in w=sunny-then-lightly-cloudy weather.
Very fine day out in good company all the way, apart from one who early on went over the ankle upon coming off a stile and then took both afternoon shortcuts, as no cabs were available in the afternoon to pick her up from the lunch pub.
Blessed are the small villages that can still support two good pubs in their midst with decent food quality, such as Hindon is. Both the Grosvenor Arms and The Lamb Inn had a table for 6 available, but only The Lamb had one inside, so that's where we went. And stayed for close to two hours! Very nice indeed.
We got to Tisbury with enough time for a visit to the shop before catching the 18.02 train, with the swollen-ankle walker having arrived on the platform about 30 minutes earlier.