Local Products Directory Kennet and Avon Canal Mike Robinson
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WILTSHIRE OXFORDSHIRE HAMPSHIRE WEST BERKSHIRE UP! ON THE NORTH WESSEX DOWNS Mike Robinson The TV chef on life out of the limelight in Frilsham Ridgeway walks Local Products and rural rambles Directory Step-by-step walks through Find your nearest bakery, picture-postcard scenery brewery or beehive Kennet and Avon Canal Celebrating 200 years A GUIDE TO THE ATTRACTIONS, LEISURE ACTIVITIES, WAYS OF LIFE AND HISTORY OF THE NORTH WESSEX DOWNS – AN AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY 2010 For Wining and Dining, indoors or out The Furze Bush Inn provides TheThe FurzeFurze BushBush formal and informal dining come rain or shine. Ball Hill, Near Newbury Welcome Just 2 miles from Wayfarer’s Walk in the elcome to one of the most beautiful, amazing and varied parts of England. The North Wessex village of Ball Hill, The Furze Bush Inn is one Front cover image: Downs was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1972, which means of Newbury’s longest established ‘Food Pubs’ White Horse, Cherhill. Wit deserves the same protection by law as National Parks like the Lake District. It’s the job of serving Traditional English Bar Meals and an my team and our partners to work with everyone we can to defend, protect and enrich its natural beauty. excellent ‘A La Carte’ menu every lunchtime Part of the attraction of this place is the sheer variety – chances are that even if you’re local there are from Noon until 2.30pm, from 6pm until still discoveries to be made. Exhilarating chalk downs, rolling expanses of wheat and barley under huge 9.30pm in the evening and all day at skies, sparkling chalk streams, quiet river valleys, heaths, commons, pretty villages and historic market weekends and bank holidays towns, ancient forest and more... everyone will have their favourite place. As a newcomer, hardly a week passes but I discover another hidden gem. My favourite so far has Our Bars are Open All Day Every Day to be the southern reaches of the North Wessex Downs, with their secret valleys, quiet hamlets and We have 10 Ensuite Air Conditioned folding chalk hills crowned with magnificent woods. Bedrooms and a small Conference Room, Beautiful landscapes like these were made by people – at Avebury you can walk in a landscape visibly all with Complimentary Wifi Access inhabited by our ancestors for 5,000 years. Today it’s vital we find ways of reconciling modern prosperity with conservation of what we’ve inherited. Particularly in economically tough times, there’s always The Furze Bush Inn, Ball Hill, Newbury. RG20 0NQ. pressure to trade off what’s beautiful for short-term profit. To misquote Thomas Jefferson, the price of beauty is eternal vigilance. Part of what AONBs are for is to show that beauty really can bring Tel 01635 253228 prosperity, and tourism is a key part of that. www.furzebushinn.co.uk So ‘Welcome’, I hope you enjoy this fabulous place, and thank you for your part in protecting it for the future. DIDCOT RAILWAY CENTRE Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7NJ 01235 817200 [email protected] www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk Henry Oliver, Acting Director, Recreating the golden age of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Great Western Railway with wonderfully restored steam locomotives. Featuring the original 1932 built GWR four road shed, in full working condition. With other original GWR buildings and structures, including the coaling stage with 75,000 gallon water tank atop. (both working) Also a country station, signal box, and Produced for the Contact us transfer shed. North Wessex Downs AONB • 20 former GWR steam by Fellows Media Ltd North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty locomotives, including a Run, Walk and Cycle The Gallery, Manor Farm, T: 01488 685440 working (on special occasions) Southam, Cheltenham, E: [email protected] replica broad gauge (7 ft) locomotive, dating from 1840. through the heart of Wiltshire Gloucestershire GL52 3PB. www.northwessexdowns.org.uk • Learn about machines that changed the world, in the T: 01242 259241 interactive Science, Learning and Railways Exhibition E: [email protected] • Over 40 mostly GWR coaches. Over 50 mostly GWR wagons. ...landscapes aplenty www.fellowsmedia.com Four cranes. Carriage and wagon works. Contents • Working turntable, with demonstrations on steam days. Every effort has been made to 3 Welcome and Contents 12 Map your • Special events include Thomas, & GWR175 events during 2010. ensure the accuracy of the Sunday 2nd May 2010 North Wessex Downs visit Regular steam days during the year. Open every weekend, and daily contents and the publisher 4 News most school holidays. Telephone or refer to website for details. cannot accept liability for any 6 Ridgeway rambles 14 Landscaping the future • GWR small relics museum. Café. Shop. Picnic area. Register online at www.wiltshirewildlife.org error or omissions. 8 Walks in West Berks and 15 Supporting sustainability Reproduction of any part of RECREATING THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE or call 01380 725670 Hampshire 16 LEADER for rural economy this publication without GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY permission is forbidden. 10 Horseriding on the Downs 17 Feast of Local Products Registered Charity No 272616 26 miles, 15 miles, 11 miles or 7 mile routes 11 Kennet and Avon Canal 22 Wild food with Mike Robinson 2 UP! ON THE NORTH WESSEX DOWNS UP! ON THE NORTH WESSEX DOWNS 3 200 years old and News still moving along 2010 marks the 200th anniversary of the Kennet & Avon Canal’s opening, celebrated with numerous public events. otable among them is the re-enactment Non 5 June of the opening of the canal from Hungerford to Great Bedwyn. It marks the occasion on 2 July 1799 when a 50-ton barge laden with Wildlife Trusts ‘coals and deals’ arrived at Great Bedwyn Wharf. According to a description of the day, ‘a large Celebrate Biodiversity number of the inhabitants of Hungerford’ were on board and accompanied the barge. They were received at Great Bedwyn ‘with great Celebrate the rich diversity of life on Earth this year by demonstrations of joy’. visiting nature reserves managed by local wildlife trusts. From 15 July to 30 September West Berkshire Museum in Newbury is staging an exhibition about 010 is the International Year of Biodiversity, anniversary in 2010. You can take part in events the history of the canal, and the work of countless 2when many organisations including museums, at the Trust’s reserves including Hungerford Marsh, volunteers and engineers to restore the near-derelict theatre companies, protected landscapes and wildlife Inkpen Common and other locations listed on waterway during the latter half of the 20th century. trusts are encouraging us to learn more about the www.bbowt.org.uk or call the head office on Oxfordshire’s ancient hidden secrets revealed in Geotrail Other events will take place in Devizes, at Caen rich tapestry of life around us. 01865 775476. Hill where a flight of 16 locks lift the canal up a very Here in the North Wessex Downs AONB you can Spring and summer are good times to visit steep hill, and in Bristol, Bath, Reading and Thatcham. discover why biodiversity is important for a healthy Hungerford Marsh nature reserve which is a refuge The celebrations culminate on 28 December with environment, and enjoy getting involved in hands-on for a rich array of wetland birds and wild flowers. The Oxfordshire Geotrail, Starting from the Northmoor Trust at Little during the later Ice Ages. Many houses in a grand party at Caen Hill, Devizes on the exact activities to monitor and conserve the local wildlife. More than 120 species of birds have been recorded a new circular route starting Wittenham the trail begins on the chalk hills of Shillingford village are built of chalk clunch, a anniversary of the day when the canal was opened. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire at this riverside setting. Look out for heron, water and finishing at Wittenham Wittenham Clumps, also known as the Sinodun Hills, building material that flakes and weathers. The For more information visit www.katrust.org and Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) is celebrating its 50th rail, kingfisher, little grebe, moorhen and mute swans. and descends to the Thames valley. After crossing the trail goes through Little Wittenham Wood where look for K&A 200 Celebrations. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and Clumps and incorporating the river, the route goes towards Dorchester across fine- ponds are fed by springs at the base of the Upper The Kennet & Avon Canal is a significant Wiltshire Wildlife Trust also host public events Thames Path, gives a unique grained dark brown alluvial soil. Greensand, and climbs up Castle Hill where an waterway for wildlife, culture and heritage. There are throughout their areas. For information about events The nearby Dyke Hills are the ramparts for an Iron uprooted tree reveals high level river gravels seven Scheduled Ancient Monuments and hundreds in Hampshire visit www.hwt.org.uk or call 01489 view of the complex diversity Age settlement. In 1870 Augustus Pitt Rivers saved formed during one of the earlier Ice Ages. of listed buildings on or alongside the canal, 774400. For events in Wiltshire visit of soil in this part of the these ramparts from total destruction. He was so The Oxfordshire Geotrail is just under six miles including Crofton Pumping Station. Turn to page www.wiltshirewildlife.org or call 01380 725670. North Wessex Downs AONB. incensed by a local farmer’s desire to plough them long and uses public footpaths. The Northmoor Trust 11 to find out more about this important waterway. For more information about the International up that he started a national campaign to protect serves refreshments in the Poem Tree café which is Year of Biodiversity visit www.biodiversityislife.net he Geotrail, created by Oxfordshire Geology ancient sites.