{"id":40856,"date":"2024-10-13T17:33:29","date_gmt":"2024-10-13T15:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/f8ba849a-2cf4-44f1-b8d4-808d132e02d3"},"modified":"2024-10-13T18:26:40","modified_gmt":"2024-10-13T16:26:40","slug":"best-walks-in-wiltshire-explore-scenic-trails-through-beautiful-countryside-woodlands-and-ancient-landmarks","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/best-walks-in-wiltshire-explore-scenic-trails-through-beautiful-countryside-woodlands-and-ancient-landmarks\/","title":{"rendered":"Best walks in Wiltshire: Explore scenic trails through beautiful countryside, woodlands, and ancient landmarks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\">Hike along winding towpaths and wooded valleys in one of England&#8217;s most beautiful counties and take in the best walks in Wiltshire. <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By <\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Sunday, 13 October 2024 at 15:33 PM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>Wiltshire is a large county in south-west England that shares its borders with a number of other counties, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/best-walks-in-dorset\">Dorset<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/best-walks-in-somerset\">Somerset<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/best-walks-in-hampshire\">Hampshire<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/best-walks-in-gloucestershire\">Gloucestershire<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/guide-to-oxfordshire\">Oxfordshire<\/a> and Berkshire. Wiltshire gets it name from the original county town Wilton, which has since been replaced by Trowbridge.<\/p><p>Among the county&#8217;s most notable landmarks are the astonishing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/days-out\/stonehenge\">stone circles of Stonehenge<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/the-ridgeway-wiltshire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Avebury<\/a>. Salisbury and its medieval cathedral lure further visitors to the area, along with the beautiful country houses of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.longleat.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Longleat<\/a> and the National Trust&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationaltrust.org.uk\/visit\/wiltshire\/stourhead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stourhead<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/walk-savernake-forest-wiltshire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Savernake Forest<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/walk-caen-hill-locks-wiltshire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Caen Hill Locks<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/kennet-and-avon-canal-wiltshire-somerset\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bradford-on-Avon<\/a> offer further temptations for walkers and day trippers.<\/p><p>Discover the very best of the county with our favourite walks in Wiltshire.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-columns highlight-box is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-layout-6 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-layout-9\"><div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Explore England on foot<\/h4><p>Discover the beauty of the English countryside on foot, from the quiet country lanes and riversides of South England to the spectacular hills and dales of North England.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/best-hikes-in-england\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">England&#8217;s best walks<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sunlight, Boathouse, Derwent Water, Keswick, Lake District, Cumbria, England\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best walks in Wiltshire<\/h2><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Savernake Forest<\/h3><p><em>5.9 miles\/9.5km | 3.5 hours | easy-moderate<\/em><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-landscape_thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4896\" height=\"3264\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2021\/01\/Savernake-Forest-in-autumn-3e5281b.jpg\" alt=\"Autumn in Savernake Forest\" class=\"wp-image-124312\" title=\"Savernake Forest, Wiltshire\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Autumn foliage in Savernake forest\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>A few miles south of the historic town of Marlborough lies a sprawling 2,750-acre forest, once a popular hunting area where royalty chased stags past trees that still stand today.<\/p><p>Savernake is now in private ownership (but open to the public and managed by the Forestry Commission) and is believed to hold the highest concentration of veteran trees in Europe. Several of these specimens have been bestowed with names that reflect their age and history, including the imposing Big Belly Oak, one of the oldest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/wildlife\/trees-plants\/oak-tree-guide-lifespan-uk-species-identification\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">oak trees<\/a> in Britain.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/walk-savernake-forest-wiltshire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Savernake Forest walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Caen Hill Locks<\/h3><p><em>3.8 miles\/6.1km | 2.5 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-landscape_thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5400\" height=\"3600\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2020\/12\/Caen-Hill-Locks-76d9a16.jpg\" alt=\"Flight of locks\" class=\"wp-image-66544\" title=\"Caen Hill Locks at Devizes, UK\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caen Hill Locks is a flight of locks rising 230ft over Caen Hill in Devizes\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>The Kennet and Avon Canal, built at the turn of the 19th century to link London\u2019s waterways with the Bristol Channel, is a shimmering 87 mile-long necklace studded with man-made gems.<\/p><p>But the apogee of engineer John Rennie\u2019s genius can be found at the aquatic stairway descending from the Vale of Pewsey to the Avon valley: a series of 29 locks \u2013 the UK\u2019s longest continuous flight, dropping half a mile in two \u2013 including the 16 tightly packed locks of the Caen Hill Flight.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/walk-caen-hill-locks-wiltshire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Caen Hill Locks walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"wp-block-columns highlight-box is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-layout-7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-layout-10\"><div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Discvoer more walks nearby<\/h4><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/best-walks-in-somerset\/\">Best walks in Somerset<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/best-walks-in-dorset\/\">Best walks in Dorset<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/best-walks-in-gloucestershire\/\">Best walks in Gloucestershire<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3447\" height=\"2298\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2018\/10\/Cadbury-Castle-Somerset-45ec436.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31066\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cadbury Castle, Somerset \u00a9Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading heading-1 template-article__title\">Castle Combe<\/h3><p><em>4.5 miles\/7.2km | 3 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-landscape_thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2011\/05\/GettyImages-461451897-629e5d5.jpg\" alt=\"Pretty English village in autumn\" class=\"wp-image-42358\" title=\"Castle Combe, Wiltshire\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Castle Combe is considered by many to be Wiltshire&#8217;s most charming village\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>In certain places, the centuries seem to pass by with barely a ripple of change. The Cotswold village of Castle Combe \u2013 a living antique adrift in the Wiltshire countryside \u2013 is one of them.<\/p><p>It looks no less exquisite today than it did when its weavers played their part in the medieval wool industry: think narrow lanes, a meandering brook, and storybook cottages with tile-stone roofs. The last new house? Built in the 1600s.<\/p><p>No matter what the season, Castle Combe is filled with charm, and the surrounding valley is laced with walks through gorgeous woodland.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/castle-combe-wiltshire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Castle Combe walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading heading-1 template-article__title\">Avebury and the Ridgeway<\/h3><p><em>9.2 miles\/14.8km | 6 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-landscape_thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5100\" height=\"3400\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2018\/09\/GettyImages-566444929-f43d446.jpg\" alt=\"Avebury, Wiltshire\" class=\"wp-image-11745\" title=\"Avebury, Wiltshire\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Avebury is the largest stone circle on Britain\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>With the possible exception of the A5 in North Wales, the Ridgeway may well be the most romantic road in southern Britain. This 5,000-year-old path runs for 89 miles high over the prehistoric landscapes of Wiltshire and Berkshire to finish in the Chilterns. The sheer number of barrows, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/days-out\/the-history-of-britains-secret-hillforts-and-best-places-to-see\">hillforts<\/a> and other ancient sites mean that you don\u2019t have to tax your imagination too hard to transport yourself to a magical, forgotten era.<\/p><p>The Ridgeway clings to the hilltops because these were once the only safe places to travel. The lowlands were choked with dangerous forests, swamps and flooding rivers. So early hunters and settlers chose the dryer heights for their droveways and trade routes. This particular walk, near the start of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationaltrail.co.uk\/en_GB\/trails\/the-ridgeway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ridgeway National Path<\/a> samples a section of the road and passes through historic Avebury.<\/p><ul><li class=\"body-copy-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/the-ridgeway-wiltshire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Avebury walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading heading-1 template-article__title\">Bradford-on-Avon to Bath<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-landscape_thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1392\" height=\"928\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/10\/Bradford-on-Avon-%25C2%25A9Getty-8404f13.jpg\" alt=\"Rural village, river and bridge in summer\" class=\"wp-image-47906\" title=\"Bradford-on-Avon, England\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Walk to Bath then catch the train back to Bradford-on-Avon (pictured)\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>The Kennet and Avon Canal is a huge success story; over many years it has been transformed from a derelict, watery resting place for shopping trolleys into a leisure hub.<\/p><p>You can walk, cycle or hire a canoe or a barge to enjoy the canal\u2019s stunning surroundings at your own pace, and there\u2019s also an abundance of wildlife, good fishing and fine pubs along the way.<\/p><p>The beauty of this walk, from the pretty Wiltshire town of Bradford on Avon to the Georgian splendour of Bath in Somerset, is that you can tackle it however you please. Trains run regularly between Bath Spa and Bradford, so you can walk one way and get the train back, or if you\u2019re driving, you could park the car at a point along the canal and then walk in whichever direction you choose.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/kennet-and-avon-canal-wiltshire-somerset\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bradford-on-Avon to Bath walk<\/a><\/li><\/ul><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Morgan\u2019s Hill<\/h3><p><em>6.5 miles\/10.5km | 4 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-landscape_thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3648\" height=\"2553\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/02\/Morgans-Hill-and-the-Wessex-Ridgeway-647e9df-e1676386344106.jpg\" alt=\"Morgan's Hill and the Wessex Ridgeway\" class=\"wp-image-139162\" title=\"Morgan's Hill and the Wessex Ridgeway\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Morgan&#8217;s Hill and the Wessex Ridgeway\/Credit: Trevor Rickard, Geograph<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Morgan\u2019s Hill nature reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest that bursts into life in the spring. The slopes of the Wansdyke, old quarry, and surrounding grassland, are an orchid-hunter\u2019s paradise. Up to 11 species can be found here including early purple, marsh helleborine and common fragrant-orchid.<br\/>Just as thrilling are the abundance of butterflies such as the Adonis and chalkhill blue, and moths like the mother shipton.<\/p><p>With the imposing Lansdowne Monument a constant companion on the horizon, this is an ideal walk to lift your head up and take in everything the stunning Wiltshire landscape has to offer.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/morgans-hill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Morgan\u2019s Hill walking route and map<\/a><\/li><\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hike along winding towpaths and wooded valleys in one of England&#8217;s most beautiful counties and take in the best walks in Wiltshire. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":40857,"template":"","categories":[1,115],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/10\/best-walks-in-wiltshire-explore-scenic-trails-through-beautiful-countryside-woodlands-and-ancient-landmarks.jpg",2253,1330,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/10\/best-walks-in-wiltshire-explore-scenic-trails-through-beautiful-countryside-woodlands-and-ancient-landmarks-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/10\/best-walks-in-wiltshire-explore-scenic-trails-through-beautiful-countryside-woodlands-and-ancient-landmarks-300x177.jpg",300,177,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/10\/best-walks-in-wiltshire-explore-scenic-trails-through-beautiful-countryside-woodlands-and-ancient-landmarks-768x453.jpg",768,453,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/10\/best-walks-in-wiltshire-explore-scenic-trails-through-beautiful-countryside-woodlands-and-ancient-landmarks-1024x604.jpg",800,472,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/10\/best-walks-in-wiltshire-explore-scenic-trails-through-beautiful-countryside-woodlands-and-ancient-landmarks-1536x907.jpg",1536,907,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/10\/best-walks-in-wiltshire-explore-scenic-trails-through-beautiful-countryside-woodlands-and-ancient-landmarks-2048x1209.jpg",2048,1209,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Hike along winding towpaths and wooded valleys in one of England's most beautiful counties and take in the best walks in Wiltshire.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/40856"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}