A walk on the wild side (suggestions please)

Avebury & the Marlborough Downs 64

Image by tuesday

seanj May 18, 2004 17:27:46

I have a day, whilst passing thru, to take in a good chunk of the Avebury area with a first timer. Ideally I'd like to park up somewhere then walk around taking in as many sites as possible, breaking for a bite to eat around lunch and getting back to the car around early evening.

I do have Os maps and have been before, but I don't want to set off on a route then realise at teatime we're 20miles from the car!

Maybe some of you have a good walking route you'd like to share??

I vaguely recall JC walking the ridgeway to Avebury via the Santuary in the Mod Antiq TV prog - any suggestion with this in mind??

Pete G May 18, 2004 18:51:19

Replying to seanj

If you want to walk part of the ridgeway then park in Avebury main car park and walk down green street up to the ridgeway, turn right and walk to the sanctuary, walk the kennet Ave back to Avebury or go via Silbury & WKLB and stop at the Waggon & Horses for lunch and walk the beckhampton ave back to avebury.
Do Not park at the sanctuary as vehicles are often broken into there.
PeteG

Littlestone May 19, 2004 20:36:31

Replying to seanj

You could also park at the main Avebury car park and then strike out towards Silbury along the Winterbourne footpath. Waden Hill is on your left and you could take a detour to the top or carry on straight towards Silbury and then on up to West Kennet Long Barrow.

Making your way back from WKLB head for the Wagon and Horses where you can have lunch (nice garden at the back of the pub). Also at the back of the Wagon there's a footpath that will take you to the main road into Avebury. Cross the main road almost where the footpath emerges and then follow the farm road that will bring you to the Adam and Eve stones; take a right there and then a left through Avebury Trusloe and follow another farm road up towards Windmill Hill.

Coming down from Windmill Hill take a left along the road and footpath that leads back over the Winterbourne (great view of Silbury form there) into the bottom of Avebury High Street. Carry on straight up the High Street to the Red Lion - go in, ask for a couple of pints and then decide if you want to to carry on up Green Street towards the Ridgeway as Pete suggests or call it a day and have another pint and early dinner at the Lion (know what I'd do at this point).

Ike May 22, 2004 11:21:54

Replying to seanj

Park at Hackpen Carpark or Barbury Castle
Walk the Ridgeway towards Avebury
Drop into Avebury
West Kennett Avenue
Silbury
Back towards The Sanctury
Back along the Ridgeway
Cross Fyfield Down Check out the Greyweathers, Long Tom.
Headback along the path to Barbury Castle.

Bit of a march , it can be done.

Better on a Mountain Bike :-)

Some pix here: http://www.mountainbike.jediknights.co.uk/Marlbouroughdowns_Oct_2003/index1.htm

Regs,

Ike