I make absolutely no excuses for posting this walk
again and again, as I think it is – pound-for-pound and train minute-for-train
minute – amongst the very best walks we have.
Outside of the Network Railcard Area, and without lunch pubs. But the scenery…!
Length:
26.9 km (16.7 mi) [shortcuts possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent:
410 m
Net
Walking Time: ca. 6 hours
Toughness:
6 out of 10
Take the 10.34 Paignton train from
Paddington (11.03 Reading, 11.19 Newbury), arriving Pewsey
at 11.37.
Return trains: 17.01 (64
mins), 19.04 (63 mins) or 22.14 (84 mins). All return trains stop
in Newbury and Reading, so a split ticket London – Newbury and Newbury-
Pewsey will give you the best prices. The Network Railcard is valid to Newbury.
Cheap Advance Tickets are currently (31 Jan) available.
Exhilarating excursion through the solitude of the
Vale of Pewsey, which separates the chalk upland of the North Wessex Downs to
the north from that of Salisbury Plain to the south, including an ascent up the
southerly hill chain of the Marlborough Downs, from where there are stunning
far views in all directions over this land of wave-like hills, with its scarps,
ridges and valleys. It is a mysterious landscape, full of pre-historic
earthworks and hillforts as well as barrows – burial mounds of kings and
warriors. After a scenic descent back into the Vale of Pewsey, your tea
option is in the hamlet of Honeystreet. Finally, an undemanding
stretch along the Kennet & Avon Canal leads back to Pewsey.
Two Shortcuts on the Downs are possible, they reduce the walk by 3.5 km (2.1 mi) or 3.4 km (2.1 mi)
respectively. See route map and pdf for details.
Lunch: Picnic.
Tea: Honeystreet Mill Café
in Honeystreet (19.6 km/12.2 mi, open to 17.00), or The Barge Inn
(open all day), also in Honeystreet, plus one other en route and several others
in Pewsey; check page 2 of the walk directions pdf.
For summary, walk directions, map,
height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.
T=swc.127
2 comments:
I’ll be driving so I will meet you at the station. Kasia
10 off the on-time train plus 1 car driver, making n=11 walkers in weather that was w=sunny-with-a-bracing-wind. Many of the group I had never seen before or not for a long time, but no one was a SWC first-timer. All opted for the 26 km version.
The 'bluebell path' was the only muddy bit, where one had to watch each step to not start sliding along, further complicated by the odd fallen tree, else the going was easy and on firm ground. The cold wind made for excellent far views, and the faraway haze added to the scenery, as it accentuated the rolling hills in the distance. Cold was the wind, but not cold enough to not sit down for the picnic on the edge of the escarpment with fantastic views! Else: just blue skies all day. Most of the group had not been in this part of the world before and seemed to thoroughly enjoy their first experience of it. The historic and pre-historic features certainly kept the interest going, and the late afternoon low sun brilliantly highlighted some of the stunning rounded hills and the Wandsdyke's long curving bank-and-ditch. Silbury Hill and Avebury's church spire were admired some distance away, as was the Alton Barnes White Horse when passed.
We reached the Honeystreet Mill Cafe with 40 minutes to go to closing time (early in comparison with other outings of this walk), and everyone had some well-deserved hot drinks and cakes.
On to the canal stretch, where a fallen tree needed full concentration to avoid slipping into the water. The group started to stretch out a little, as some legs were wearier than others, but at the turnoff for Pewsey village we all waited to re-group. The 19.04 train was still 40 minutes away, so most entered the Waterfront for a drink and some warming up. Back at Paddington just after 8.
Flowers: snowdrops galore, some primroses, many crocuses, daffs still all closed though.
Birds: egret, heron, coots.
Several model plane enthusiasts in a couple of locations on the ridge, but no hang gliders (too windy for them, I guess).
Group Cohesion Rating: 9/10.
Walk Experience Rating: 10/10
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