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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 20 May 2018

Sunday Walk: Scottish Warm-up in Tempting Tisbury with Optional Navigation Exercise

SWC Walk 250:  Tisbury Circular from the Vale of Wardour an Exploration of the West Wiltshire Downs (Clockwise Version) T=SWC.250

Length: 16.2 Miles or 26.0 km for those more metrically minded (for those wanting something shorter, a shorter version of 13.1 miles/21 km is available)

Difficulty:  10 out of 10 (or 8 out 10 for the shorter version)

Train:  Take the 9:15 AM South West Exeter St. David’s train from London Waterloo arriving in Tisbury at 11:09.   Return trains are at 18:05; 19:05; 20:05; and 21:05.  Buy a day return to Tisbury.

This walk heads from the Vale of Wardour through the West Wiltshire Downs Area of Natural Beauty to the Cranborne Chase Area of Natural Beauty with views all the way to the coast. The route includes a number of pretty coombes, an iron age fort and picturesque villages. For the main walk, I would suggest using the new clockwise directions which should get you to the recommended lunch pub in time for last orders at 13:45.

As an alternative, since the open terrain with its undulations should prove good ground for those interested in honing their navigation skills before the Scottish trip, I would suggest we do the route in original anti-clockwise formulation relying on the trusty map and compass (not a line on a device) to navigate. With any luck, we will encounter the main group along the way and of course at the end at one of the hostelries in Tisbury. If interested in this option, please bring a compass and a print out of the route using the OS Map tab on the introduction page for the walk.
Whichever option you choose, you can find more information about the walk and download the walk instructions here.
On the main walk, the suggested lunch spot is at the Horseshoe Inn in Ebbesbourne Wake (01722 780 474), 6.1 miles/10.2 km into the walk. Please call ahead!  For those practicing their navigation, I would suggest bringing a picnic, as we will not make it to the pub in time for food…..maybe a drink before it closes at 16:00….Although there seems to be some signs of life from the pub in Alvediston, I do not think it has reopened yet…we can investigate….
Post walk refreshies can be had at various spots in Tisbury – including the Boot Inn and the Beckford Bottle Shop.

Enjoy the walk!

5 comments:

Paul A said...

Sadly, the Boot Inn & Beckford Bottle Shop are both closed on Sunday evenings. However the Benett Arms (no food) will be open, as will be the Co-op to stock up on supplies for the long train journey home.

Paul A said...

For those travelling from Victoria (changing at Clapham Junction), note that the ticket machines at this station last year did not offer the lowest-priced super off-peak fares for journeys on South Western Railways. I don't know if this has been fixed, but it might be prudent to book tickets online to collect from the machines (which gets round this problem) or to allow time to queue at the ticket office.

Karen said...

n=7 w=sunny-warm-a-light-breeze

7 off the train at Tisbury. 4 of us took the clockwise route, while 3 opted to test their navigational skills. We bid them a tearful goodbye as it was possible we might never see them again.

Wiltshire put on a good show and the countryside was awash with cow parsley, buttercups, dandelion clocks (I've never seen so many), hawthorn blossoms, many other flowers and can't name, and the last of the bluebells towards the end of the walk, some still looking quite good. Oh, and nettles. Yes, there were some of those.

3 picnicked on Sutton Down and enjoyed the views. One kept going to the Horseshoes Inn where the 3 picnickers caught up with him later. The pub was very welcoming, the food reported as being good, and unprompted offers to fill our water bottles (even with ice, if wanted) was a nice touch. One of the navigators caught us as we left, having taken the shortcut. So, she made it? But what of the others?

2 continued on for the full walk, 2 the shorter option. On the full walk, we crossed paths with the other two navigators. Phew! They made it. On us 2 went, stopping for refreshment at the Royal Oak and not long after catching up with the 2 short-cutters and making it back for the 19:05 back to London. Though time was tight, some had the energy to run to the Co-Op and back for refreshments.

A lovely day out. And having done it both ways, it is equally nice in either direction. Great views.

Karen said...

I should add, that all 7 made it for the same train back.

Heidi said...

I don't often leave comments but this is one of my favourite walks completed with a lovely companion on a bright sunny day. With amazing open views, secret valley's, steep climbs and the sound of the birds and the bees (and the odd baaaa!) you really feel you have gone backwards in time. I have never seen such an abundance of frothy white hawthorn but be warned..... as Karen mentions.......there are a few patches of nettles to be negotiated but do not detract from the walk in the slightest.