WILTSHIRE WILTSHIRE 03 AVEBURY CIRCULAR 04 STONEHENGE A SOUTH WEST uDistance: 10.8km/6¾ miles uTime: 2½ hours uGrade: Moderate SOUTH WEST uDistance: 17.8km/11 miles uTime: 4 hours uGrade: Moderate B Avebury stone circle, PLAN YOUR WALK The view of those iconic PLAN YOUR WALK near point 5. stones from the north. FEATURE FEATURE SEE SEE ON PAGE 60 ONON PAGEPAGE 60?? PHOTO: PHOTO: TOM BAILEY TOM ROUTE BAILEY TOM ROUTE Start/parking National Start/parking Trust car park, just off the Working Men’s Club A4361, grid ref SU098696 car park in Figheldean, Is it for me? Mostly field grid ref SU153470 CHOSEN BY… touch the rocks themselves. walking, with a few short CHOSEN BY… head out onto the plain on Is it for me? Footpaths climbs and lane sections and tank tracks over open DAMIAN HALL The route includes parts of MARK SUTCLIFFE byway. Continue over track, Stiles 6 downland. One extended A wondrous stroll to the White Horse Trail (briefly) The landscape climbing gradually SW to section of road walking. and around World and a glorious section of the PLANNING around Stonehenge skyline between copses. Stiles 4 Heritage-listed Avebury, the Ridgeway National Trail. Nearest town has been extensively restored world’s largest prehistoric Even without these ancient Marlborough to make it much easier to 2km/1 miles PLANNING stone circle. This circuit wonders this would be a Refreshments The Red explore on foot. This circular 2At top of hills, continue Nearest town Durrington includes Silbury Hill, the stirring walk along the chalky Lion (01672 539266), route gets you almost as close over track and cross roads Refreshments Stonehenge Circles Café (National visitor centre and shops tallest prehistoric human- downs under big skies, with Trust), Avebury to the stones as paying across the point to point on route in Durrington made mound in Europe, far-reaching views. Public toilets Behind Barn visitors, while bypassing the course. At W edge of race Public toilets and other prehistoric sites. Gallery, Avebury visitor centre a couple of miles course, go L uphill on byway. Stonehenge visitor centre Built between 2850 and 2200 Start Public transport Bus 49 away. And if you do want to Public transport X5 bus BC, Neolithic Avebury stone 1From the car park, head from Swindon; APL Travel join the hordes, buses will take 3.5km/2 miles between Swindon and circle – strictly speaking, three back towards the road (A4361), from Calne infrequently you to the ticket office where Approaching top of hill, Salisbury with several Maps OS Explorer 157, 3 village stops – including circles – is encircled by a huge turn R and cross with care. Go Landranger 173 you can pay for admission and head for long barrow with trig Figheldean - in between bank and ditch, and is part of a through wooden gate on the grab a coffee before returning point on top. Views of the www.salisburyreds.co.uk system of Ancient monuments White Horse Trail (purple to get up close and personal trackless vastness of the plain Maps OS Explorer 130 that dot the landscape. To waymarker) onto a stony, Hill on your R. Go through two with this world-famous to the N are impressive. Skirt Landranger 184 many, Avebury is a superior broad farm track. Go through wooden gates, over a stile and neolithic monument. edge of Larkhill Camp on experience to nearby a small walkers’ gate (next to continue in the same direction. byway round the perimeter. keep L, sticking to perimeter of Stonehenge. Less crowded, bigger farm gate) to follow a Go over stile. After a wooden Start camp. At the busy Packway, go free admission (other than car narrow but clear path. After gate, directly opposite Silbury 1Head W out of village over 4.1km/2 miles L along verge for half a mile parking) and you can actually five minutes you’ll see Silbury Hill (though it can be difficult ¯ River Avon, cross A345 and 4After half a mile, at fork then R down Willoughby Road. ¯ GRADIENT PROFILE GRADIENT PROFILE 600 600 400 400 es es r r t t e e 200 200 m m 0 0 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 ¡ SOUTH WEST SOUTH WEST WILTSHIRE WILTSHIRE 04 STONEHENGE 03 AVEBURY CIRCULAR uOS Explorer map 130 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapshop uOS Explorer map 157 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapshop 7km/4 miles 5SS on byway to Cursus on to see due to trees here), turn L the N side of the Stonehenge START 1 and go directly up Waden Hill START 1 4 site. After last copse on R, on obvious grassy path. Turn suddenly the stones appear INASSOCIATION 2015 COPYRIGHT MAPPING©CROWN ORDNANCE SURVEY back for posh-seat views of on the crest of the next hill. 2 Silbury Hill. Path flattens at the 5 2 WITH MEMORY-MAP/BAUER MEDIA’S MEDIALICENCENUMBER057/15 MEDIA’S WITH MEMORY-MAP/BAUER top then tumbles you down the INASSOCIATION 2015 COPYRIGHT MAPPING©CROWN ORDNANCE SURVEY 7.5km/4¾ miles other side with the purposeful- 3 12 12 MEDIALICENCENUMBER057/15 MEDIA’S WITH MEMORY-MAP/BAUER 6Continue SW along byway 3 looking stones of the Avenue towards stones. Visitor centre soon seen on your L. 1 4 is accessed by shuttle buses, 4 but if you arrive on foot you 1.7km/1 mile 2 will need to pay to get nearer 2At the bottom of the hill, 11 the stones. Staff at entry point don’t go through the stile, START 11 should allow you onto shuttle instead stay in field and turn R. 5 10 bus back to visitor centre for Turn L through a KG to the 5 free, but you’ll need to buy 10 road and cross over to KG and tickets to get back to stones. 6 turn R on path. Go through KG 9 9 6 and follow permissive path to R. Path curves R to emerge on 8.5km/5 miles 8 8 Walk out NE along byway, road, Cross with care and go 7 7 7 then at GR SU126417 take path down steps over stile and into R across downland. After a field, turning L. Go over stile to 3 couple of hundred yards, you’ll 12km/7½ miles across field on L-hand path to lane and turn R. Lane bends L, intersect with The Avenue. 10Continue N along edge pick up path through woods. then R, over bridge and into Follow this E to gate in fence of woodland to Durrington Continue across lane to stile at East Kennet. Ignore road to R. 7.4km/4½ miles stones round again with huge and continue E to track. Walls Neolithic village. Follow farm track. N across paddock After long wall, take path to 4At crossroads on Overton embankment to R. Go through curve of the W wall to N edge to stile and exit next paddock L between wall and house Down, by Fyfield Down nature gate (turn R here for National 9.8km/6 miles of earthwork then follow faint via gate. Jink R then cross road (SP PF/Manor Cottage). reserve, turn L, downhill (SP Trust cafe) and turn L. Track 8Go through gate and L track to gate in N perimeter. taking FP heading N between Byway), towards Avebury on meets lane and turn L then along King Barrow Ridge then Follow FP round N of houses then across fields to 4km/2½ miles wide chalky path. As it levels R to explore the rest of the R and L onto Bridleway SP The roundabout and follow side Figheldean. At road L then 3Go L at lane. When lane out ignore path to L and head stone circle. Or kink R to follow Cursus. At E end of the Cursus, road leaving pub to your R. L again to return to start. bends R, keep straight on, on for farm buildings. Track path back to the car park. turn R along grassy path E to another lane. Go over a bridge, becomes a lane. Just after join disused railway briefly. 13.2km/8 miles TRAILZILLA ID: take L on main track at you see the village of Avebury TRAILZILLA ID: 11Follow road past TZID27065 junction, going uphill, soon ahead, turn R through a gate TZID27066 11.5km/7 miles Sainsburys towards River Avon. Use the TZID to download the bending R, continuing uphill. into the Avebury stone circle Use the TZID to download the 9At SE corner of copse At church go L for 200 yards walk from www.lfto.com/routes Path flattens out. Go past itself. Follow it round to walk from www.lfto.com/routes climb up bank away from then R on FP and across river or search for it in the Country tumuli mound on R. Cross the road. or search for it in the Country railway and head N along FP on FB. Follow FP to Milston Walking Best Walks in Britain App busy road at Overton Hill Walking Best Walks in Britain App signed Larkhill. At road, turn then L to Brigmerston. uDownload OS maps with care, and tumuli lumps 10km/6 miles uDownload OS maps R for 250 yards then L in FP for PC, iPhone, iPad and on R. Continue N along the 5 Cross busy road with for PC, iPhone, iPad and at GR SU147435. Woodhenge 15.3km/9½ miles Android from £12.50 Ridgeway. Stay on track, with great care.