“ “ Pewsey to Devizes. to Pewsey before making visits. making before Produced on behalf of the Council of Partners of Council the of behalf on Produced m) from the river. the from m) 122 ( feet 400 water AONB Family AONB Map created by Jubilee Computing Services Ltd Services Computing Jubilee by created Map One of the of One to Newbury, Hungerford, Bedwyn and and Bedwyn Hungerford, Newbury, to own timetables and should be checked checked be should and timetables own the highest point on the canal and lifts lifts and canal the on point highest the www.generateuk.co.uk Design/production: DOWNS Kennet & Avon Canal out of Reading Reading of out Canal Avon & Kennet All venues quoted here are open to their their to open are here quoted venues All the Crofton Pumping Station which is is which Station Pumping Crofton the Printed on FSC approved stock using recycled content recycled using stock approved FSC on Printed X WESSE NORTH “ “ the following Downs, Wessex North the www.northwessexdowns.org.uk web: the steam-powered engineering at at engineering steam-powered the © Lord Carnarvon ©Mark Somerville Burghclere. of the most pleasant ways to explore explore to ways pleasant most the of time out from your stroll to admire admire to stroll your from out time email: email: [email protected] War Salonika filling a small chapel at at chapel small a filling Salonika War is one one is 4 route Network Cycling National through the area. It’s worth taking taking worth It’s area. the through tel: tel: 01488 685440 01488 www.northwessexdowns.org.uk Spencer’s striking pictures of First World World First of pictures striking Spencer’s country lanes and byways by bike? The The bike? by byways and lanes country & Avon Canal meanders all the way way the all meanders Canal Avon & RG17 0UN RG17 , Berkshire Hungerford, house appearance and for Sir Stanley Stanley Sir for and appearance house about touring the profusion of quiet quiet of profusion the touring about great for walks and picnics. The Kennet Kennet The picnics. and walks for great , Denford Manor, Lower Denford, Denford, Lower Manor, Denford , 3-4 Units Where to go > What to see > Map of the area the of Map > see to What > go to Where near Lambourn with its unusual dolls’ dolls’ unusual its with Lambourn near somewhere to stay with stables. Or how how Or stables. with stay to somewhere only just outside Marlborough and is is and Marlborough outside just only Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area National Trust cares for Ashdown House House Ashdown for cares Trust National North Wessex Downs Downs Wessex North are a beginner or an owner wanting wanting owner an or beginner a are on market days. Savernake Forest is is Forest Savernake days. market on a visit to the mystical stone circle. The The circle. stone mystical the to visit a View from the White Horse, Uffington Horse, White the from View “ you whether opportunities of plenty festival have much to offer, especially especially offer, to much have festival gardens well worth seeing as part of of part as seeing worth well gardens argument for taking to the saddle, with with saddle, the to taking for argument Georgian High Street and annual jazz jazz annual and Street High Georgian transformation which makes it and its its and it makes which transformation The amazing scenery is also an an also is scenery amazing The and Marlborough with its impressive impressive its with Marlborough and as part of a TV TV a of part as 2011 in fame to came Hungerford (famous for its antiques) antiques) its for (famous Hungerford our website. our . Avebury Manor Manor Avebury . © Peter Orr Abbey Downton a thatched country pub. Towns like like Towns pub. country thatched a recommend some excellent walks on on walks excellent some recommend for the hugely popular ITV series series ITV popular hugely the for include a fine church and sometimes sometimes and church fine a include miles of footpaths – we we – footpaths of miles 900 over are achieved national fame as the location location the as fame national achieved © Nick Tipper have their own attractions which often often which attractions own their have train visit www.traveline.com. There There www.traveline.com. visit train More recently, Highclere Castle has has Castle Highclere recently, More Edward Thomas 1878-1917 Thomas Edward Picturesque downland villages each each villages downland Picturesque North Wessex Downs by bus, coach and and coach bus, by Downs Wessex North views landscape or take to the skies in a hot air balloon. balloon. air hot a in skies the to take or information on getting around the the around getting on information “ panoramic panoramic paragliding, kiteboarding and canoeing canoeing and kiteboarding paragliding, ancient ancient to book some services. For more more For services. some book to www.our-land.co.uk “ try could you faster, little a racing pulse the area. You can “dial-on-demand” “dial-on-demand” can You area. the with their their with For accommodation visit: visit: accommodation For A most visibly visibly most A Pang and Avon. If you want to set your your set to want you If Avon. and Pang you out into the more remote parts of of parts remote more the into out you Big open skies skies open Big can also fish on the Kennet, Lambourn, Lambourn, Kennet, the on fish also can hire. hire. take will which services bus innovative “ compete at Newbury Racecourse. You You Racecourse. Newbury at compete have companies offering narrow boat boat narrow offering companies have of network a from benefits area The flesh in your travels – or watch them them watch or – travels your in flesh enjoying the area. The main towns all all towns main The area. the enjoying option. cost-effective and friendly across some very expensive horse horse expensive very some across Canal holidays are a relaxing way of of way relaxing a are holidays Canal environmentally- an is transport Public racehorses, so you may well come come well may you so racehorses, most prolific centres for training training for centres prolific most others nearby. nearby. others 12 and area the in stations railway eight than . Prejudice and Pride Austen’s The Lambourn valley is one of Britain’s Britain’s of one is valley Lambourn The Andover, Devizes and Didcot at their gateways, with no fewer fewer no with gateways, their at Didcot and Devizes Andover, Jane of film feature 2005 the for setting the was mansion larger towns like Reading, Swindon, Newbury, Basingstoke, Basingstoke, Newbury, Swindon, Reading, like towns larger Georgian impressive its with Pangbourne near Park Basildon nights. clear on star-gazing are only two modest-sized market towns, the Downs have much much have Downs the towns, market modest-sized two only are Trust’s National The area. the about wrote all Betjeman and – riding fishing, walking, cycling, watching, bird for ideal North Wessex Downs are actually very accessible. While there there While accessible. very actually are Downs Wessex North John and Thomas Edward Jefferies, Richard Pepys, Samuel countryside the make views panoramic their with skies open big AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY NATURAL OUTSTANDING OF AREA anywhere. But the reality is that, given their central location, the the location, central their given that, is reality the But anywhere. alike. producers TV/film and writers of imaginations the The attraction. specific more some or outdoors great the means NORTH WESSEX DOWNS WESSEX NORTH Stand on the top of the Downs and you could be many miles from from miles many be could you and Downs the of top the on Stand captured has Downs Wessex North the of beauty simple The that whether wander, a worth well are Downs Wessex North The Discover Getting here Getting places Famous wander a Take A truly special place So precious Digging down Simply wild From remote, rolling downland An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is a precious Scratch the surface in the North Wessex Downs and you find The North Wessex Downs offer wildlife a diverse range of special If you love all that is best in the to charming market towns British countryside, you cannot fail to landscape whose distinctive character and natural beauty are what really makes it tick – chalk. The area lies at the heart of the habitats. Not least amongst them is the chalk grassland on thin, and picture postcard villages, appreciate this often unheralded patch recognised as so outstanding that it should be protected for the chalk band that stretches across southern England and was once well-drained soils that are low in nutrients. Traditionally grazed the North Wessex Downs are straddling four counties. It is an area nation. The North Wessex Downs make up the third largest of under a warm sea. The geology is based on tiny creatures that by sheep and rabbits, the characteristically springy turf is a rich truly special. Undoubtedly united by one single factor – chalk. The Britain’s 46 AONBs, covering an area of 668 square miles (1,730 lived in the sea around 65 million years ago and are the source of habitat that is teeming with farmland birds, chalk-loving flowers geology gives this area its wide open among Britain’s most downland topped by rampant white square kilometres) and taking in 173 parishes including the market today’s soft rock. and rare butterflies. Wild flowers that thrive include the nectar- beautiful landscapes, they are horses, dramatic scarp slopes, majestic towns of Hungerford and Marlborough. rich scabious, early gentian, birdsfoot trefoil, pyramidal orchid ancient woodland and sheltered valleys somewhere to be treasured, The fact that rain runs so readily The North Wessex Downs have a rich and hairy violets.