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Pewsey Circular via Avebury Walk

Long walk over Wiltshire downs to Avebury World Heritage Site

Circular Long Tough Wiltshire

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Sat, 27-Jul-24 Wiltshire Downlands and Megaliths: Vale of Pewsey to Avebury World Heritage Site (and back) 5 sunny with a breeze
Sat, 08-Aug-20 Wiltshire Downlands and Megaliths: Vale of Pewsey to Avebury World Heritage Site (and back) 17 very warm to hot mostly with a breeze
Sat, 22-Apr-17 Bluebells and Megaliths: Pewsey to Avebury or Circular (Daywalk or Overnight in Avebury) 10 bright breezy sunshine with a few passing clouds
Sat, 25-Jun-16 Saturday Second Walk - Neolithic Wiltshire (II): SWC 255 Pewsey Circular (via Avebury) 8 warm humid at times couple of heavy showers
Sat, 26-Sep-15 Saturday Second Walk – New Walk: From the Vale of Pewsey to the heart of Neolithic Wiltshire 13 bright sunshine and near full moon

Saturday 27-Jul-24

Thomas G
Length: 36.5 km/22.7 mi
Ascent/Descent: 616m
Net Walking Time: ca. 8 ½ hours
Toughness: 9 out of 10
Take the 08.35 Plymouth train from Paddington (09.02 Reading, 09.18 Newbury, 09.27 Hungerford), arriving Pewsey at 09.38.
Return trains: 17.05, 19.22 and 20.45 (56-65 mins journey time).
An Off-Peak Return is £49.00 at full price, and cheaper with Senior, Two Together, etc. (but not Network) Railcards or as a Group Ticket. At the station on the day, you may be able to fetch a slightly cheaper Super Off-Peak Return. Splitting the ticket is the cheapest option if travelling on a Network Railcard (buy separate London – Newbury [with Network RC discount] and Newbury - Pewsey [without a discount] returns). Note: the 20.45 return train does not stop at Newbury so you’d have to split tickets at Reading if intending to take that train. Freedom Pass travellers may have to split the ticket at Reading, as the machine may say “No fare available” from BZ6 to Pewsey.
This is a strenuous excursion into the heart of Neolithic Wiltshire, a mysterious landscape full of pre-historic earthworks, standing stones, sarsen fields and hillforts as well as barrows – burial mounds of kings and warriors. The route passes through or past four of the most important prehistoric sites in Britain: Fyfield Down Sarsen Stones Field, Avebury Standing Stones and Bank & Ditch Earthworks, Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow (two other sites, The Sanctuary and Windmill Hill, can be explored on extensions).
You walk out of the beautiful Vale of Pewsey over the southerly ridge of the Marlborough Downs, from where there are stunning far views over this land of wave-like hills, with its scarps, ridges and valleys, before heading through West Woods, England’s best bluebell wood (source: Forestry Commission), to Fyfield Down and Avebury.
Later the walk leads along the Wansdyke, a 5th century earth bank and deep ditch. It was built by the beleaguered Romano-British Celts as a fortification to stem the Saxon advance. From there it is just a short walk to Wiltshire’s highest peak (Milk Hill) with its stunning Down.
After a scenic descent into the Vale of Pewsey an undemanding stretch along the Kennet & Avon Canal leads back to Pewsey.
There are four different options to finish the walk in Avebury, with a rating of between 4/10 and 8/10. Buses to Swindon or Marlborough (for connections to Bedwyn station) are then needed.
[Buses 42 and 49 serve Avebury, enabling a finish there on a shorter walk:
Line 42 (Calne - Marlborough) runs 7 buses on weekdays and 6 on Saturdays (in Marlborough connect to lines 20/22 to Bedwyn Station); Line 49 (Devizes-Swindon) runs hourly Mon-Sat and two-hourly Sun (this requires a separate train ticket Swindon–Reading!).]
Lunch: The Who’d A Thought It in Lockeridge, 9.7 km (6.0 mi) into the walk. Open from 12.00;
Circles Restaurant at Avebury Museum , 17.5 km (10.9 mi) into the walk;
The Red Lion in Avebury, 18.1 km (11.2 mi) into the walk. Open all day every day. Food served all day.
Tea: Plenty of options in Pewsey, for details check the pdf.

For a detailed route map, gpx/kml file, photos and pdf directions click here. T=swc.255

Stargazer is away





  • Sat, 27-Jul-24

    5 walkers, incl. 1 returnee from The Land Down Under, in weather that was sunny with a breeze

    Some muddy patches on the forest bridleways and water in the often dry Upper Kennet River, they must have had some rain up here recently! Else there were no obstacles to a brilliant day for walking, the temps being not too high, the breeze always blowing, so hardly any sweat was broken.

    We reached Avebury at 13.20, did the loop around the stone circle and went to the pub, where 1 ate inside, 2 outside and 2 picnicked to then come inside. The returnee had plans on taking a bus to Swindon (not much walking was done Down Under apparently), so only 4 set off an hour later. 2 of us had never been to the West Kennet Long Barrow, so of course they went inside, as one must and 1 of those then went on his very own afternoon route (a little longer with a bit more tarmac), as he so often does.

    The remaining 3 got to Pewsey with just enough time on our hands for having a drink at The Waterfront Bar before taking the on time 19.22 train, where we met walker 4.

    Brilliant far views today, wiht no haze at all: the Downs by Westbury, some faraway hills in Somerset, all crystal clear.

Saturday 08-Aug-20

Thomas G
Length: 36.3 km/22.6 mi
Ascent/Descent: 666m
Net Walking Time: ca. 8 ½ hours
Toughness: 10 out of 10
Take the 08.35 Plymouth train from Paddington (09.01 Reading, 09.16 Newbury), arriving Pewsey at 09.34.
Return trains : 17.06, 19.23 and 20.45 (59-63 mins journey time).
Cheap Advance Single Tickets are still available (25/07/20), else an Off-Peak Return is £41.50 at full price, and cheaper with Senior, Two Together, etc. (but not Network) Railcards. At the station on the day, you may be able to fetch a slightly cheaper Super Off-Peak Return.
Splitting the ticket is the cheapest option if travelling on a Network Railcard (buy separate London – Newbury [with Network RC discount] and Newbury - Pewsey [without a discount] returns). Note: the 20.45 return train does not stop at Newbury so you’d have to split tickets at Reading if intending to take that train.
This is a strenuous excursion into the heart of Neolithic Wiltshire, a mysterious landscape full of pre-historic earthworks, standing stones, sarsen fields and hillforts as well as barrows – burial mounds of kings and warriors. The route passes through or past four of the most important prehistoric sites in Britain: Fyfield Down Sarsen Stones Field, Avebury Standing Stones and Bank & Ditch Earthworks, Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow (two other sites, The Sanctuary and Windmill Hill, can be explored on extensions).

You walk out of the beautiful Vale of Pewsey over the southerly ridge of the Marlborough Downs, from where there are stunning far views over this land of wave-like hills, with its scarps, ridges and valleys, before heading through West Woods to Fyfield Down and Avebury.
Later the walk leads along the Wansdyke, a 5th century earth bank and deep ditch. It was built by the beleaguered Romano-British Celts as a fortification to stem the Saxon advance. From there it is just a short walk to Wiltshire’s highest peak (Milk Hill) with its stunning Down.
After a scenic descent into the Vale of Pewsey an undemanding stretch along the Kennet & Avon Canal leads back to Pewsey.
There are four different options to finish the walk in Avebury (for a bus to Swindon [on a different train line]), with a rating of between 5/10 and 10/10. See the pdf or the webpage for details.

Lunch: The Who’d A Thought It in Lockeridge, 9.7 km (6.0 mi) into the walk. Open from 12.00;
The Red Lion in Avebury, 18.1 km (10.7 mi) into the walk. Open all day every day. Food served all day.
Tea: Plenty of options in Pewsey, for details check the pdf.

For a detailed route map, gpx/kml file, photos and pdf directions click here. T=swc.255
  • Wed, 29-Jul-20

    And what a timely walk posting it turns out to be...this from today's papers: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/stonehenge-stones-sarsen-archaeology-a9644436.html

    We'll be walking right through that wood and after that through the area where there are still hundreds of the Sarsens lying about.

  • Anonymous
    Tue, 04-Aug-20

    Sounds like a great walk. May just double check the logistics please.

    If I drive to Pewsey and park there, will we finish the walk in the same location?

    On that note: anyone wants a lift on Saturday from SE London (Borough of Bromley)

    Thank you

  • Tue, 04-Aug-20

    Hi Anon. Yes, we'll be finishing back in Pewsey. The station car park may be pay and display but there are residential roads very close by, so parking shouldn't be a problem.

  • Thu, 06-Aug-20

    Cant decide between the two walks, both seems interesting. I live in Bromley Borough too, will be nice to make new friends and go to the walk. Let me know if the lift is still available. Thanks

  • Thu, 06-Aug-20

    Hi there

    You are welcome to come in the car too. We are just by Chinese roundabout in Beckenham. Let me know how I can get in touch with you and we can arrange all the details.

    Thomas, thank you for the info. Look forward to it.

  • Mihkar Majeed
    Fri, 07-Aug-20

    Hi Yuliya

    Apologies, I thought I would get a message on my mailbox. Been a busy Friday hence the late reply. I am in Chislehurst and the trains are not running tomorrow so I may have to give the walk a miss this time.

    Hope to meet up in the next walk. Thanks for offering the ride.

    Mihkar

    mihkarm@gmail.com

  • Fri, 07-Aug-20

    Mihkar

    Wrote you an email.

    Thomas, is the walk still on despite the heatwave? Just worried about driving all the way and being the only crazy ones to tackle the heat.

    Cheers!

  • Fri, 07-Aug-20

    sure. heatwave? what heatwave?

  • Sat, 08-Aug-20

    13 off the train, 3 more in the car park, having driven from SE London, plus 1 other who had kind of arrived on time in her car from North London, but still left after the group for reasons difficult to comprehend for me and I for one only saw her at the very end, at the pub.

    The weather was just very warm until lunch, not overly hot, ie much easier to walk in than the forecast had suggested, basically on account of a layer of fluffy clouds shielding us from the direct sun and there mostly being a breeze about. That changed a little after lunch, as the clouds thinned and the temperatures increased and the breeze became less frequent, but it never had the feeling of a route march to hell (not to me anyway).

    We started nicely spaced out in small groups, but most then bunched up at the top of the steep ascent in Huish, but that was quickly sorted. One fell behind a bit and - I understand - returned to Pewsey and took an early train back. The first few got to the Avebury pub for 13.15, and after a short bit of queueing we had a table. It's a Greene King pub, so no great food, but quite servicable. At Pewsey, most headed for the 19.23, but 4 had drink and food at The Waterfront Inn, joined there by the North London car driver. 20.45 train for those 4.

    The going was generally very good, but there was one large field just before Wilcot where we had to wade through the prickly growth, as the corn had been planted right up to the field edge. Not pleasant.

    Mystery of the day: 4 CCTV cameras dressed up as bird boxes, in a field corner on the descent from the Pewsey Downs, all seemingly trained on the wildflower field margin. What are they all about? Rare butterflies? Crop Circle makers?

    17 very warm to hot mostly with a breeze

Saturday 22-Apr-17

Thomas G
SWC Walk 255 – Pewsey to Avebury (World Heritage Site) or Circular
[Revised route! Now including Windmill Hill and The Sanctuary, i.e.: ALL the important Neolithic sites within walking distance of Avebury!]
Walk one of the Pewsey to Avebury Options or the full Pewsey Circular and return the same day or walk Pewsey to Avebury incl. Silbury Hill, West Kennett Long Barrow and The Sanctuary on Saturday, stay overnight (see a list of B&B’s on the webpage or in the pdf) and walk the Windmill Hill Loop from Avebury (see webpage or pdf for details) plus Avebury to Pewsey on Sunday (no lunch pub unless we divert to Honeystreet as in SWC 127)
Pewsey to Avebury
Length: 18.1 km (11.3 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 352 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ¼ hours
Toughness: 5 out of 10
or
Pewsey to Avebury (incl. The Stone Avenue, Silbury Hill, West Kennett Long Barrow and The Sanctuary)
Length: 27.1 km (16.9 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 526 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 6 ½ hours
Toughness: 8 out of 10
or
Pewsey Circular (incl. The Stone Avenue, Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow)
Length: 36.3 km (22.6 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 666 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 8 ½ hours
Toughness: 10 out of 10
“W ithout doubt, Avebury is the most impressive of all remaining pre-historic earthworks in Europe.” http://www.stonehenge.co.uk/avebury.php

Take the 08. 00 Exeter St. David's train from Paddington ( 08.35 Reading), arriving Pewsey at 09. 25 .
Pewsey suffers from an infrequent train service, explaining the early start (the next train is at 1 1.00 , arriving 1 2.02 , just about early enough to make it to Lockeridge for lunch on the short option). Return trains: 1 6.23 or 20. 23 on Saturday (66-68 mins journey time) and 16. 11 , 18. 13 or 21. 59 on Sunday (74-8 8 mins journey time).
Buy cheap Advance Singl e Tickets ( available as of 03/02/17 ) , else… Super Off-Peak returns are £37,90 at full price , and £25. 00 with Senior, T wo Together, etc. (but not Network) Railcards .
Splitting t he ticket !! is the cheapest option though if returni ng on Saturday !! , especially if travelling on a Network Railcard (buy separate London - R eading and Reading - Pewsey ret urn s ) .
If you are going to walk “just” to Avebury , the Bus #49 takes you from outside the pub in Avebury to Swindon Station in 25 mins (roughly hourly service until 20.36). You should buy separate tickets as follows: London to Reading return, Reading-Pewsey single and Swindon-Reading single!
The full circular walk is a strenuous excursion into the heart of Neolithic Wiltshire, a mysterious landscape full of pre-historic earthworks, standing stones, sarsen fields and hillforts as well as barrows – burial mounds of kings and warriors. The route passes through or past four of the most important prehistoric sites in Britain: Fyfield Down Sarsen Stones Field, Avebury Standing Stones and Bank & Ditch Earthworks, Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow (two other sites, The Sanctuary and Windmill Hill, can be explored on extensions).
You walk out of the beautiful Vale of Pewsey over the southerly ridge of the Marlborough Downs, from where there are stunning far views over this land of wave-like hills, with its scarps, ridges and valleys, before heading through West Woods, The Forestry Commision’s best bluebell wood in England, to Fyfield Down and Avebury.
Later the walk leads along The Wansdyke, a 5th century earth bank and deep ditch. It was built by the beleaguered Romano-British Celts as a fortification to stem the Saxon advance. From there it is just a short walk to Wiltshire’s highest peak (Milk Hill) with its stunning Down.
After a scenic descent into the Vale of Pewsey an undemanding stretch along the Kennet & Avon Canal leads back to Pewsey.
For the walk directions click here . For a map, a height profile, gpx/kml files and photos click here .
The lunch pub on any of the long walk options is The Red Lion in Avebury (18.1 km/11.2 mi),
the one on the short walk is The Who'd A Thought It in Lockeridge (9.7 km/6.0 mi).
For the tea options in Avebury and Pewsey check page 2 of the walk directions.
T=swc.255
  • Thu, 01-Dec-16

    accomodation booked

  • Thu, 13-Apr-17

    bluebells explained: http://theconversation.com/bloomageddon-seven-clever-ways-bluebells-win-the-woodland-turf-war-74086

  • Fri, 21-Apr-17

    Where and at what time can I meet for the Sunday walk?

  • Fri, 21-Apr-17

    9.30 outside the Red Lion in Avebury.

  • Sat, 22-Apr-17

    Then we'll do the Windmill Hill loop, which takes about an hour, and pass the pub again.

  • Mon, 24-Apr-17

    10 bleary-eyed walkers (including 2 first-timers) emerged from the train at Pewsey station probably before many other walkers had even left London on Saturday into bright breezy sunshine with a few passing clouds . Weather conditions could not have been much better for this magical journey through the heartland of Britain's Neolithic past. The group set off together -- but split early on at a peaceful clearing in the heart of West Woods -- one setting off for the full Pewsey circular, three doing some off-piste bluebell exploration and the rest continuing on to Avebury. The bluebells in West Woods certainly lived up to their billing -- even the official SWC Bluebell Monitor commented that it was a very good bluebell wood (and made various notes on his map)....Having taken longer in the wood, we sampled the fare at the early pub before heading across the ancient landscape of Fyfield Down Sarsen Stones Field, littered with numerous large stones of the type used in Neolithic monuments (sometimes looking a bit like stationary sheep)....and even more bluebells brightly visible in a small wood slightly off-piste. Arriving in Avebury, it was a delight to have some number of hours to have tea at a NT museum cafe then leisurely explore the surrounding area. The updated walk instructions provide a great guide to visit the most interesting sites in and around the village -- which, today at least, even included a crop circle in an oilseed rape field....visible en route to the always mysterious Silbury Hill (UFO landing pad, stage for ancient ceremonies, a hiding place for a secret laboratory???). Finding ourselves enjoying the fading sun atop the West Kennet Long Barrow at 6:00pm we took a shortcut route back to the Red Lion for an early dinner where we caught up with some of the advance party before they set off for their evening accommodation. After dinner 4 of us communed further with the Stones in the light of a fading sunset and caught the late 20:35 bus to Swindon where we caught the 21:30 back to London -- for those of us taking advantage of the information provided on advance tickets -- the train tickets (out and back) totaled less than 20 pounds.....a great value for such an epic outing....

Saturday 25-Jun-16

Thomas G

This is for all you Pagans out there...flanking the longest day of the year, two exp ed itions to t he most remarkable N eolithi c sites in England

SWC Walk 255 – Pewsey Circular (via Avebury World Heritage Site)
Length: 34.7 km (21.5 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 560 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 8 hours
Toughness: 10 out of 10
or
Pewsey to Avebury (incl. out-and-back to Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow)
Length: 22.9 km (14.3 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 390 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 5 hours
Toughness: 6 out of 10
or
Pewsey to Avebury (excl. out-and-back to Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow)
Length: 17.2 km (10.7 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 368 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 4 hours
Toughness: 5 out of 10
Take the 08.35 Exeter St. David's train from Paddington (09.03 Reading), arriving Pewsey at 09.38
Pewsey suffers from an infrequent train service, explaining the early start (the next train is at 10.35, arriving 11.34, just about early enough to make it to Lockeridge for lunch on the short options). Return trains: 15.45, 16.59 and 20.23 hours (69-77 mins journey time)
Cheap Advance tickets are gone now , so… buy separate London-Reading return and Reading- Pewsey return tickets. !! And if you are using a Network Railcard, buy a discounted Reading return ticket and an undiscounted Reading-Pewsey return. !! If you are going to walk “just” to Avebury , the Bus #49 takes you from outside the pub in Avebury to Swindon Station in 25 mins (roughly hourly service until 20.36). B uy separate tickets as follows: London to Reading return (Network RC discount possible), Reading-Pewsey single and Swindon-Reading single!
Or make it a weekend: stay in or near Avebury for t he night, visit the sights in your own time, and walk the second half of this walk on Sunday...
This is a strenuous excursion into the heart of Neolithic Wiltshire, a mysterious landscape full of pre-historic earthworks, standing stones, sarsen fields and hillforts as well as barrows – burial mounds of kings and warriors. The route passes through or past four of the most famous Neolithic sites in Britain: Fyfield Down Sarsen Stones Field, Avebury Standing Stones and Bank & Ditch Earthworks, Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow. You walk out of the beautiful Vale of Pewsey in a northerly direction over the southerly ridge of the Marlborough Downs, from where there are stunning far views over this land of wave-like hills, with its scarps, ridges and valleys, before heading to above attractions. Later the walk leads up to Wiltshire’s highest peak (Milk Hill) with its stunning Down. After a scenic descent into the Vale of Pewsey an undemanding stretch along the Kennet & Avon Canal leads back to Pewsey with its many tea options.
For the walk directions click here.
For a map, a height profile, gpx/kml files, and some photos click here.
The lunch pub is The Red Lion in Avebury (17.2 km/10.7 mi), or The Who'd A Thought It in Lockeridge (9.7 km/6.0 mi), if you are walking one of the shorter versions of the walk at a leisurely pace (or if you take the later train). For the tea options in Pewsey check page 2 of the walk directions (the cafes will be shut by the time we get there, of course...).
T=swc.255
  • Anonymous
    Mon, 20-Jun-16

    is anyone getting the later train 10.35 and doing the short walk Pewsey to Avebury ?

  • Anonymous
    Wed, 22-Jun-16

    The day return to Pewsey costs ~£37, For those wish to do short cut, plus bus to Swindon and separate train ticket from Swindon to Reading ~£14, you are looking at £50+ for train journey, if I am not mistaken.

  • Wed, 22-Jun-16

    as far as I can see...

    a full price Pewsey rtn is 37.20.

    a split ticket full price return (see above) is 33.10.

    a Network Railcard discounted split ticket is 26.90.

    any other Railcard discounted split ticket is 21.85.

    at full price, ending in swindon costs 45.10 plus bus (reading rtn plus 2 singles, more if you buy 2 singles London-pewsey and swindon-london).

    38.90 plus bus with Network Railcard,

    and 29.75 plus bus with all other Railcards

  • Karen
    Sat, 25-Jun-16

    8 warm humid at times couple of heavy showers

    7 long walkers on the 08:35 train and 1 on the later train.

    A fine day out in mystical Wiltshire. Cool morning quickly turned warmer and slightly humid, but with no rain until about 15 minutes outside Lockeridge when the heavens briefly opened. A quick stop for refreshments in The Who'd A Thought It in the village where a member of staff informed us of the fine bluebell woods in the area (something to be noted for bluebell enthusiasts for next year).

    4 dined inside at The Red Lion at Avesbury. Quick, efficient service. Food fine. The 3 non-indoor diners went on ahead, leaving us 4 to finish up our lunch and then take a turn around the village, visiting the local purveyors of crystals, dowsing rods and miscellaneous geegaws.

    The afternoon was a feast of undulating hills in many shades of green, far views, big skies and a wonderful display of poppies that produced a red strip that could be seen for miles. The weather behaved itself quite well, but there was one longish downpour. All in all, considering the forecast, it would be churlish to complain about that. Back in Pewsey with about an hour to spare before the 20:23 train. Ran into the late walker and decamped to the Shed Alehouse.

    This is one of the nicest walks I've done with the SWC. It is a very lovely area, with the added bonus of a rich and mysterious history. But, even if the stones disappeared tomorrow, the rolling hills and views would still be worth the price of the ticket. Despite being just over an hour away from London, you feel like you've really gotten away from the commuter belt. Splendid.

  • Marion
    Sun, 26-Jun-16

    JUST FOR THE RECORD

    Freedom Pass holders can travel on all buses throughout England for free saving between £2 and £7 on single journeys. On the trains if the booking office is shut or you are running late, you cannot use the ticket machines unless you know the Boundary zone 6 station to commence your journey. Walk posters please note. You could end up toughing it out with the train guards who may or may not have a ticket machine on board. The regulations stipulate that you are supposed to find the guard yourself rather than waiting for them to find you to avoid accusations of fare evasion! Try this on a 10 car train to the south coast!!

Saturday 26-Sep-15

Thomas G

SWC Walk 255 – Pewsey Circular (via Avebury World Heritage Site)
Length: 34.7 km (21.5 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 560 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 8 hours
Toughness: 10 out of 10
or
Pewsey to Avebury (incl. out-and-back to Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow)
Length: 22.9 km (14.3 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 390 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 5 hours
Toughness: 6 out of 10
or
Pewsey to Avebury (excl. out-and-back to Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow)
Length: 17.2 km (10.7 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 368 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 4 hours
Toughness: 5 out of 10
First posting of this new walk, we will take the opportunity to check the walk directions.
Apologies for posting a new (and very long) walk in the 2nd walk slot, but we are running out of daylight for this one before I have a 3rd walk slot available.
Take the 08.18 Exeter St. David's train from Paddington (08.48 Reading), arriving Pewsey at 09.39

Pewsey suffers from an infrequent train service, explaining the very early start (the next train is at 11.06, which is too late to finish the full walk before darkness, but early enough for the short versions to Avebury only). Sunset in Pewsey will be at 18.57 hours, giving good light for walking until close to 19.30 hours, and the last stretch is along a road through Pewsey anyway, so we should be fine for light, but bring a torch if you have one, just in case!
Return train (there is only one reasonable service): 20.23 hours (69 mins journey time)
Buy a Pewsey return ticket.
!! But as Pewsey is just outside the Network Southeast Area: if you are using a Network Railcard, buy a discounted Reading return ticket and a separate Reading-Pewsey return.!!
If you are going to walk “just” to Avebury, the Bus #49 takes you from outside the pub in Avebury to Swindon Station in 25 mins (roughly hourly service until 20.36). You will need a separate Swindon-Reading train ticket!
This is a strenuous excursion into the heart of Neolithic Wiltshire, a mysterious landscape full of pre-historic earthworks, standing stones, sarsen fields and hillforts as well as barrows – burial mounds of kings and warriors. The route passes through or past four of the most famous Neolithic sites in Britain: Fyfield Down Sarsen Stones Field, Avebury Standing Stones and Bank & Ditch Earthworks, Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow. You walk out of the beautiful Vale of Pewsey in a northerly direction over the southerly ridge of the Marlborough Downs, from where there are stunning far views over this land of wave-like hills, with its scarps, ridges and valleys, before heading to above attractions. Later the walk leads up to Wiltshire’s highest peak (Milk Hill) with its stunning Down. After a scenic descent into the Vale of Pewsey an undemanding stretch along the Kennet & Avon Canal leads back to Pewsey with its many tea options.
For the walk directions click here.
For a map, a height profile, gpx/kml files, and some photos, click here.
The lunch pub is The Red Lion in Avebury (17.2 km/10.7 mi), or The Who'd A Thought It in Lockeridge (9.7 km/6.0 mi), if you are walking one of the shorter versions of the walk at a leisurely pace (or if you take the later train).
For the tea options in Pewsey check page 2 of the walk directions (the cafes will be shut by the time we get there, of course...).
T=swc.255

  • Anonymous
    Sat, 19-Sep-15

    Gorgeous walk but you are welcome to do it as a day trip! I would only ever stay over. It is too sad to leave it in the evening.

  • Marion
    Mon, 21-Sep-15

    Thomas the Pewsey to Avebury section looks like a great walk for the Mid-week senior walkers who prefer shorter walks and can get a third off all train fares after 9.30am. If you haven't checked the short walk option maybe we could do that if Arthur Dent is agreeable?

  • Mon, 21-Sep-15

    Marion: good idea, but the short walk is route-identical with the long walk all the way to Avebury, so doesn't need a separate walk-check. And on the current timetable it only works with a packed lunch option on weekdays anyway (11.33 dep/12.43 arr). Not sure you'd fancy that...

  • Mon, 21-Sep-15

    Correction: food served until 15.00 hours weekdays at The Who'd A Thought It. No packed lunch necessary.

  • Wed, 23-Sep-15

    Intend going.

  • Mon, 28-Sep-15

    13 bright sunshine and near full moon

    Thirteen intrepid SWC walkers alighted at Pewsey station about the time most others were probably just leaving London on their respective trains. All but two of these completed the full journey through time across the mysterious neolithic Wiltshire landscape (including two who had had no intention of doing so!); one person was unaccounted for on "the" return train -- possible alien abduction??? The walk itself, although very long, is quite a gem (nearly perfect -- aside from 2 recommendations --already relayed to the author) and the walk instructions come complete with detailed guidance notes on the various points of interest passed along the way.

    In more detail -- not far from Pewsey, the route climbed one of the many ridges for stunning views of the swooping hills of Wiltshire; then passed through a forest with a peaceful clearing almost alpine in nature. Further along, 4 stopped for a brief refreshment to provide much needed energy to complete the 10 mile walk to lunch! The 2 doing the short walk arrived about the time we left (and later caught the 4:30 bus in Avebury). After passing through an interesting valley full of "sarcen" stones, the four caught up with most the others just finishing their lunch in Avebury and ultimately formed the "rear guard" after stopping to admire the West Kennet Long Barrow. The early evening light cast a magical glow across the landscape as this group crossed over Milk Hill and past the White Horse. A near full moon reflected in the water of the canal provided an atmospheric ending to this journey around 7:45 pm -- with just enough time for a well deserved and much needed drink in the pub before catching a Penzance express back to London.

  • Pia
    Mon, 28-Sep-15

    It is indeed one of the finest walks that I have done from London. Even the short walk (we only managed 10m and then succumbed to the delicious NT scones & tea) was delightful. The first pub 'Who w'd have thought it' served excellent food very fast and good beers I understand, and is in a quieter and more idyllic location than the 2nd one for the long walk, which was inundated with tourists, scaffolding and on a busy road. Ideal Wednesday walk I would think, as already suggested. Glorious views, very quiet lanes and paths, a little muddy at times but no tarmac. A blissful outing.