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Relaxed Guided Walks around the woods, downs and ancient sites of Wiltshire
Wootton Rivers and Savernake
Wootton Rivers, lying 5 miles south of Marlborough, makes an excellent starting point for many walks, and a pretty village to visit. The church of St. Andrew is especially interesting, with its clock dating from 1911/12, having three faces, and being made by Jack Spratt from domestic items donated by visitors. One of the faces has letters instead of numerals, reading ‘Glory be to God’ (left). Take a stroll to the canal, and you may recognise a cottage on the canal side - this being the ‘lock-keepers’ cottage (‘Chumley Lock’)from the BBC TV series “The River” (1988) starring David Essex (pictured below left).
A more strenuous walk starting in Marlborough and travelling cross-country crossing The Wansdyke , the old disused ‘high-level’ and ‘low-level’ railway lines from Savernake to Marlborough (now with talk of resurrection of the high-level line) with a nearby local ‘microlight’ airfield. We cross ‘Mud Lane’ and, if the weather is good, will be greeted with a fantastic view of Martinsell Hill (a possible walk for another day? - Click here) and The Vale of Pewsey. We drop down into Wootton Rivers, where we spend time to view the village, the canal , St. Andrew’s Church, and perhaps a visit to the local pub..... We retrace our steps back through the village to Mud Lane but travel eastwards and into Savernake Forest to view the ancient Oaks following tracks back to Postern Hill and down into Marlborough.
|
Distance: |
11 miles |
Walk Time: |
4½ - 5½ Hrs |
Total Time: |
6 - 7 Hrs |
|
No of Climbs |
2 |
Terrain: |
Rises - 150 ft |
Difficulty: |
Moderate 2 |
|
Price Band: |
E |
Features: |
B M F S G |
Day: |
2nd Fri A.M. |
A lovely walk covering different terrains with a variety of sights along the way. We start in the centre of the village and proceed back along part of the the original linear settlement with its thatched cottages. A climb up 150 ft out of Wootton Rivers takes us up into Savernake Forest. If time is available in the summer months, we will take a look at some of the named ancient Oak Trees close to our main route. Our walk takes us to The Column, built by Capability Brown, then to the hamlet of Durley and onwards to the Kennet and Avon Canal and the famous Bruce Tunnel. A gentle picturesque towpath walk takes us back along to Wootton Rivers and the lock-keepers cottage from ‘The River’.
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Distance: |
7 miles |
Walk Time: |
2½ - 3 Hrs |
Total Time: |
4 - 5 Hrs |
|
No of Climbs |
1 |
Terrain: |
Rise of 150 ft |
Difficulty: |
Easy 1.5 |
|
Price Band: |
D |
Features: |
M F S |
Day: |
1st & 3rd Fri A.M. |
Dates and Times: See our Dates Pages for more details
Prices and Discounts: Click here for our current Prices Page
Prices and Discounts: Click here for our current Prices Page
Key to Features
available during walks
available during walks
A
Ancient Site
B
Bluebells (mid April - end May
M
Monuments
N
Suitable for Newcomers
F
Fruit & Nuts
(Autumn)
(Autumn)
G
New - Geocache on this Walk
S
Scenic Views
