Ascent/Descent: 557m or 465 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 7 hours or ca. 5 ½ hours
Toughness: 9 out of 10 or 7 out of 10
Take the 09.20 Exeter St. David's &
Bristol Temple Meads train from Waterloo (09.27 Clapham J., 09.46
Woking), arriving Tisbury at 11.06.
Return trains: 17.01, 18.01, 18.28, 19.03, 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.
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.
A westerly extension via East Knoyle leads
to the edge of Blackmore Vale, providing for fine views into Dorset.
For some shortcuts see the webpage or the pdf for details.
For some shortcuts see the webpage or the pdf for details.
For walk directions and all options to
shorten or lengthen the walk, a map, a height profile, gpx/kml
files, and photos click here.
Lunch: The Angel Inn or The Lamb in Hindon
(10.4 km/6.4 mi, food all day), or on the longer
walk: The Fox and Hounds in East Knoyle (9.8 km/6.1 mi,
food to 15.00). 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 deli, a supermarket, two pubs (one is shut at
the moment) and a bottle shop/wine bar. See the webpage or the pdf for details.
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1 comment:
n=9 w=hot-and-sunny
9 familiar faces off the train at Tisbury. It wasn't long before we encountered an overgrown section of the route, with not much option but to plough on through the nettles. A challenge, especially for those in shorts.
Everyone decided to do the extension via pretty East Knoyle, meaning lunch was at The Fox and Hounds. The sandwichers, all 6 of them, enjoyed the stunning views from Windmill Hill, while the remaining 3 enjoyed the efficient and friendly service at The Fox and Hounds. The sandwichers arrived, some opting for an ice-cream, which then tempted the pub diners to finish their meal with an ice cream.
Not long after leaving the pub, there was again a challenging overgrown section on the Monarch's Way. More nettles and long grass to trudge through, the path is not maintained. After that, things got easier, and the afternoon was a mix of shady woodland and golden fields of wheat (?). 5 took one of the shortcuts so that they could pay a visit to The Beckford Arms.
3 just made it back in time to catch the 18:28 train, while the rest took advantage of the 30 minutes before the departure of the 19:03 to stock up o provisions at the Co-Op in Tisbury. The journey was back was quite jolly and we made it to London by 21:00.
Overall, the walk was a good option on a hot day as there was quite a bit of walking in the shade. Just a pity about the nettles.
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