The North Wessex Downs Walking Festival 2023
2-11 June
And that’s a wrap!
This year’s walking festival has now finished and we would like to take this opportunity to express how grateful we are to all our partners who organise and lead walks, without whom this festival simply would not be possible.
Also thank you to all our walkers for talking part. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you and share this beautiful landscape with you. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. We will be sending out feedback forms as soon as possible. Please do return them as it really does help us for future events.
Details of walks that took place remain below for interest.
Cocklebury Farm family walk
This is a family focused, educational farm walk in a beautiful location west of Pewsey. It will be about 1.5 miles in total, taking around 2 hours at an ambling pace. Plenty of stops along the way to explain how the farm works and how they encourage and protect wildlife.
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Savernake Forest family walk
Join Community Ranger Greg for a short walk and fun facts about the trees in Savernake Forest. The walk itself will be 1.5 miles and the trail will be flat and pram-friendly, with plenty of stops for little legs to catch up, and some great nature-based activities.
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West of the Moon, East of the Sun
Join us for a short eventide walk through woods and over open fields from Hampstead Norreys. Along the way, as the golden sun sets and the Strawberry Moon rises, we take time to tune into the sights and sounds of the evening – look (and listen) out for owls, deer and more!
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Marlborough nature trail
A celebration of nature, this family friendly trail is the perfect opportunity to discover the sights, sounds and smells of the local environment in Marlborough’s many and varied open spaces.
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A Brails history walk
A gentle walk through the ancient woodlands of Bedwyn and Wilton Brails, which lie between Great Bedwyn and Wilton villages. Walkers will be accompanied by Richard Charles, custodian of the Brails, who will explain about the history of the area and its management today.
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Going underground: removing the pylons, revealing the secrets on Roundway Hill
Join members of the National Grid project team working on the Visual Improvement Programme for a morning walk to explore Roundway Hill, the site of the Civil War Battle of Roundway Down, near Devizes.
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Geology and landscape around Ashdown House
Ashdown House is set in the Lambourn Valley, a landscape we enjoy on this walk as we take in some of the interesting features of its geological history over the last 100 million years.
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The wildlife of Calstone Combes
A leisurely walk from the village of Calstone Wellington along the valley of the River Marden to its source in Ranscombe Bottom, taking in Cherhill Downs (famous for its white horse) and Calstone Combes. The combes are brimming with wildflowers, butterflies, moths and farmland birds, such as skylark and corn bunting.
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The history of Treacle Bolly and the margins of the River Kennet
Discover some of the history and stories of Marlborough on this gentle walk along the margins of the River Kennet and through “Treacle Bolly” with Wiltshire History Man aka Nick Baxter.
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Ridgeway ramblings
Let’s walk and enjoy some ‘Ridgeway Ramblings’! From the intimate valley of the Letcombe Brook, to the wide-open expanse of the downs, this 8.5-mile walk along the timeless chalk track of the Ridgeway is packed with interest, stories and views to take your breath away. Come and join us!
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