“ “ Devizes. to Pewsey before making visits. making before m) from the river. the from m) 122 ( feet 400 water Produced on behalf of the Council of Partners of Council the of behalf on Produced AONB Family AONB Design/production: www.publicityproject.co.uk Design/production: 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 One of the of One Printed on FSC approved stock using recycled content recycled using stock approved FSC on Printed 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 DOWNS “ “ X WESSE NORTH the North Wessex Downs, following the the following Downs, Wessex North the the steam-powered engineering at at engineering steam-powered the email: email: © Lord Carnarvon [email protected] Burghclere. Burghclere. web: www.northwessexdowns.org.uk 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 War Salonika filling a small chapel at at chapel small a filling Salonika War tel: tel: 01488 685440 01488 is one one is 4 route Network Cycling National through the area. It’s worth taking taking worth It’s area. the through Spencer’s striking pictures of First World World First of pictures striking Spencer’s RG17 0UN RG17 Hungerford country lanes and byways by bike? The The bike? by byways and lanes country © Jon Cruise way the all meanders Canal Avon & , Denford Manor, Lower Denford, Denford, Lower Manor, Denford , 3-4 Units house appearance and for Sir Stanley Stanley Sir for and appearance house > Map of the area the of Map > 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 Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area 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 Downs Wessex North National Trust cares for Ashdown House House Ashdown for cares Trust National > What to see to What > 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 plenty of opportunities whether you 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 > Where to go go to Where > 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 “ 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 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 landscape views “ balloon. air hot a in skies the to take or © Nick Tipper the around getting on information “ canoeing and kiteboarding paragliding, ancient ancient to book some services. For more more For services. some book to and panoramic panoramic and pulse racing a little faster, you could try try could you faster, little a racing pulse the area. You can “dial-on-demand” “dial-on-demand” can You area. the A most visibly visibly most A Big open skies skies open Big 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 can also fish on the Kennet, Lambourn, Lambourn, Kennet, the on fish also can innovative bus services which will take take will which services bus innovative narrow boat hire. hire. boat narrow “ compete at Newbury Racecourse. You You Racecourse. Newbury at compete The area benefits from a network of of network a from benefits area The towns all have companies offering offering companies have all towns flesh in your travels – or watch them them watch or – travels your in flesh friendly and cost-effective option. option. cost-effective and friendly way of enjoying the area. The main main The area. the enjoying of way across some very expensive horse horse expensive very some across Public transport is an environmentally- an is transport Public Canal holidays are another relaxing relaxing another are holidays Canal 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 eauty atural utstanding of rea B N O A , 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 to the to Getting here Getting places Famous wander a Take WELCOME WELCOME 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 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 are a truly special place. united by one single factor – chalk. The Britain’s 46 AONBs, covering an area of 668 square miles (1,075 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 Undoubtedly one of Britain’s 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- most beautiful landscapes, the horses, dramatic scarp slopes, majestic towns of Hungerford and Marlborough. rich scabious, early gentian, birdsfoot trefoil, pyramidal orchid ancient woodland and sheltered valleys Downs are somewhere to be The fact that rain runs so readily The North Wessex Downs have a rich and hairy violets. They in turn attract insects and you could well with sparkling rivers and streams.