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Salisbury Circular Walk

Gentle start via historic Salisbury, the Chalke Valley, pretty villages. Strenuous afternoon via the Downs, a Roman Road, and a noted Water Meadows view of the Cathedral

Circular Long 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
Sun, 23-Jun-24 Salisbury Circular 3 mostly sunny conditions
Sat, 26-Jun-21 Historic Salisbury, The Chalke Valley, some Wiltshire Downs and a field of poppies: Salisbury Circular 5 sunny
Sat, 10-Aug-19 Historic Salisbury, The Chalke Valley and some Wiltshire Downs: Salisbury Circular 12 dry but cold for the season with a strong wind
Sat, 16-Sep-17 Chalke Valley and Cranborne Chase: Salisbury Circular 11 overcast with long sunny breaks
Sat, 01-Aug-15 Third walk 10 hot and sunny

Sunday 23-Jun-24

Stargazer
Stargazer
SWC 254: Midsummer Special -- Salisbury Circular T=swc.254

Length: 20 miles/32.2 km -- with various shorter options available (16.6 miles/ 26.8km; 15.5 miles/25km or 10.6 miles/17km) -- see walk description for details.
Train: Take the 9:31AM Great Western Swansea bound train from London Paddington (NOT Waterloo), changing in Reading (arrive 9:45; depart 10:12) to arrive in Salisbury at 11:18. Return trains are at 17:59; 18:44; 19:27; 20:21 and 21:21 -- some of these trains require a change.
Difficulty: 7 out of 10
This walk explores the Chalke Valley in the Cranbourne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It features a fine historic cathedral, pretty villages, atmospheric downland and water meadows. There are various options to reduce the length to suit most tastes. More information on the walk and its instructions and GPX can be found here.
Lunch: Looks like we will be spoiled choice -- as there are a selection of charming pubs along the route -- see walk notes.
Tea: The recommended tea/post walk refreshment spot is the Old Mill at Harnham -- about 1 km before the end of the walk.
  • Mon, 24-Jun-24

    Just a select group of 3 on this really rather excellent walk. We all enjoyed it and thought it possibly one of the more under-posted delights of the extensive SWC library. People (and posters) should not be put off by the 20 mile headliner as the shorter routes would also be enjoyable. In fact, we opted for the 16.5 mile/26.8km version which was fabulous and did include a substantial portion of the dramatic coombes featured on the full length route. Two of us had a very pleasant lunch in the garden at the White Hart in Bishopstone and were joined by our picnicker for a coffee. We all set off for afternoon together and enjoyed the grand views and dramatic scenery. We arrived at the lovely tea stop in Harnham at 18:30 which was most unfortunate (for me anyway) -- as we had just enough time to make the 18:44..... so sadly on we went.... had we only been 5 or 10 minutes slower...there would have been no reason not to stop to wait for the next train.... A glorious day out in mostly sunny conditions with group cohesion at 100%.

Saturday 26-Jun-21

Thomas G
COVID 19
Track-and-Trace: please provide email address (preferred) or mobile phone number at the start
Rule of Thirty: for the foreseeable
Length: 32.3 km (20.1 mi) [shorter walk possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 427m; Net Walking Time: 7 ¼ hours
Toughness: 7/10
Shorter routes , reducing the length by 5.4 km or 7.2 km respectively, are described.
Bus 29 Shaftesbury to Salisbury City Centre (10 mins walk from the train station) runs through the Chalke Valley and stops outside the lunch pubs as well as in the village of Stratford Tony (opp. Manor Farm), half-way through the afternoon (times at Broad Chalke: 14.05/15.49/17.05/18.20).
Cutting out the outer loop of this figure-of-8 walk and turning back in Stratford Tony, reduces the length to 17.0 km/10.6 mi.
Take the 09.20 Exeter St David's & Bristol Temple Meads train from Waterloo (09.27 Clapham J, 09.46 Woking), arrives Salisbury 10.42.
Return trains are on xx.47 and xx.21 to 19.21, then 19.33 (via S’ton), 20.26, 20.53, 21.26, 22.26.
This long walk explores the Chalke Valley in the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the South West of the quintessentially English Cathedral City of Salisbury. It leads out of town through the Cathedral precinct, past some of England’s finest historic houses and through the Harnham Hill suburb into open fields with far views over the Chalke Valley to distant Downs. The morning route then largely follows the Ebble River upstream in the Chalke Valley through several pretty villages in this picturesque part of Wiltshire, with three good lunch pubs and two community stores conveniently spaced out along the route.
Most of the climbing is left for the afternoon, starting with a steady ascent with splendid views into pretty coombes, from Broad Chalke up to an ancient Ox Drove on top of the Downs. A long stretch with more views from the Down into coombes and valleys follows, largely along the course of a Roman Road, before the descent back into the Chalke Valley, followed by an immediate re-ascent up another Down. A Drove Track with views into the Nadder and Wylye Valleys leads past Salisbury’s Race Course and through the steep Harnham Slope Nature Reserve to tea at Harnham’s charming Old Mill.
From there the route back to the station goes through the town’s Water Meadows and provides ‘Britain’s Best View’ (Country Life magazine): Salisbury Cathedral across the meadows.
Lunch : The White Hart in Bishopstone (11.9 km/7.4 mi, pre-booking essential for food service, which is to 14.00, pizza available from 15.00-17.00) or The Queens Head in Broad Chalke (15.4 km/9.6 mi, food all day), but only on the full walk, as well as the Chalke Valley Stores Coffee Shop (closes at 14.00).
For summary, map, height profile, some photos, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here . T=swc.254
  • Mon, 21-Jun-21

    The Chalke Valley History Festival is on this week (ticketed event), and we pass the site just after lunch in Broad Chalke. You may find some of the stuff of interest: https://cvhf.org.uk/

  • Sat, 26-Jun-21

    Not one poppy field, but two, in fact. The first one early on, off the route to the left as you exit S'bury's suburbia into the Chalke Valley, a fine visual appetiser to the day. We very much enjoyed the joyous green landscape of rolling hills and very pleasant downs, quiet villages and the often crossed or walked along clear chalk stream, the Ebble River. Some trout were spotted just after Bishopstone, an owl observed flying over one of the many hay meadows a bit later on, looking for food but not finding any. We reached the lunch pub in Broad Chalke exactly on time for the pre-booked table.

    90 minutes later we sautered on, up along the track that leads past Church Bottom, where the Chalke Valley History Festival takes place. And that was a rather impressive sight, we thought: two large tents where crowds were listening to the big name speakers. All kinds of enactment groups from Roman to (inevitably) WWI soldiers, artillery shots could be heard as well, and a Ferris Wheel was there to top things off!

    Up on the downs, we again struggled to locate the path in the first large arable field that is often not ploughed (I'll change the text to make that part easier), but after that it was easy going along well-ploughed paths along the old Roman Road, with fantastic views down scenic coombes and back into the Chalke Valley, and at times to the Cathedral's spire. Then through the second, rather large poppy field (which could be spotted from far from many points on the route) and onwards down and up through the valley and past the race course, and back into town.

    The sun had been out all day and we all could have done with some liquid refreshments at The Old Mill in Harnham, just 10 minutes from the station, but we were on course for the next train without any haste, so we walked on.

    19.21 train. A rather glorious day out.

    sunny 5

Saturday 10-Aug-19

Thomas G
Length: 32.2 km (20.0 mi) [shorter walk possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 460m; Net Walking Time: 7 ¼ hours
Toughness: 9/10
Shorter routes , reducing the length by 5.4 km or 7.2 km respectively, are described.
Take the 09.20 Exeter St David's & Bristol Temple Meads train from Waterloo (09.27 Clapham J, 09.46 Woking), arrives Salisbury 10.42.
Return trains are on xx.21 and xx.47 to 19.47, then 20.26, 20.54, 21.26, 22.26.
This long walk explores the Chalke Valley in the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the South West of the quintessentially English Cathedral City of Salisbury. It leads out of town through the Cathedral precinct, past some of England’s finest historic houses and through the Harnham Hill suburb into open fields with far views over the Chalke Valley to distant Downs. The morning route then largely follows the Ebble River upstream in the Chalke Valley through several pretty villages in this picturesque part of Wiltshire, with three good lunch pubs and two community stores conveniently spaced out along the route.
Most of the climbing is left for the afternoon, starting with a steady ascent with splendid views into pretty coombes, from Broad Chalke up to an ancient Ox Drove on top of the Downs. A long stretch with more views from the Down into coombes and valleys follows, largely along the course of a Roman Road, before the descent back into the Chalke Valley, followed by an immediate re-ascent up another Down. A Drove Track with views into the Nadder and Wylye Valleys leads past Salisbury’s Race Course and through the steep Harnham Slope Nature Reserve to tea at Harnham’s charming Old Mill.
From there the route back to the station goes through the town’s Water Meadows and provides ‘Britain’s Best View’ (Country Life magazine): Salisbury Cathedral across the meadows.
Lunch : The White Hart in Bishopstone (11.9 km/7.4 mi, food to 14.30), The Queens Head in Broad Chalke (15.4 km/9.6 mi, food to 14.15 only!).
Tea: The Old Mill at Harnham (1.0 km from the end of the walk), plus a couple of Indian restos by the station and lots of choice in Salisbury’s City Centre (a little off-route).

For summary, map, height profile, some photos, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here .
T=swc.254
  • Sun, 11-Aug-19

    And we were lucky!

    We were lucky that the route stays in the valley bottom most of the morning, when the wind was/seemed strongest and we were walking into it, but stays on the downs most of the afternoon when the wind came from behind and was/seemed a bit weaker anyway.

    We were lucky to have been fast enough to not have to abandon the idea of going on to the third pub in Broad Chalke, despite their website saying they had shortened food service hours and it might have been tight had we walked any much slower.

    We were lucky that said pub was under new management and was having its first day of food service after a refurbishment (lucky escape for the walk poster), and that the food was great (6 had food there)! And the people were nice!

    So, no rain, a fierce wind that never inhibited us much, no falling branches or other threats. Salisbury Old Town and Cathedral plus the Harnham leafy suburb were passed quickly and we dived into the open countryside after 30 mins or so. Soon enough we were into the Chalke Valley (of the River Ebble) and followed it upstream, with delight. River meanders, mill streams, watercress beds, thatched cottages, quiet hamlets, interesting churches (the cruciform St' John the Baptist, Bishopstone and the Grade I St. Mary & St. Lawrence, Stratford Tony especially), thatched walls! but also the same old over-excited cattle herd just before Bishopstone (although of course it must be different animals than 2 years ago) and - after lunch - shady droves, very pretty coombes, cereal fields swaying in the breeze, Salisbury Racecourse, Harnham Hill and the River Meadows in Salisbury near the end.

    Inbetween there had been a longish stretch with the sweet smell of manure present without us being able to point to its cause, very irritating that was, and we had passed the by now familiar stretch near the racecourse which is a fly-tipping heaven.

    Some of the 8 Main Walk-punters were getting a bit weary near the end, so the wonderful Old Mill at Harnham, 15 minutes from the end, came just in time to lift the spirits. There we met the shortcutters (1 had done the medium walk, 3 the short walk). All early finishers (the shortcutters plus 2 of the main walkers) ended up on the same train though anyway, due to theirs being terminated at Basingstoke with various faults...

    Perefct time of the year for this walk in my view: the cereal fields are either still up in their golden prime or already harvested to stubble but not yet ploughed, pastures are green but not overgrown, the river is clear (it always is, admittedly) and flowing fast but there are no muddy paths anywhere.

    And as Dr. Botanicus was on the walk, I can tell you what we saw apart from cows and sheep: kestrel, buzzard, pheasant, red admiral, meadow brown, assorted other butterflies, a large flock of/a murmuration of starlings/birds, clover, toadflax, dodder, hedge woundwort, blackberries, sloes, elderberries, beeches, poplars, willows (pollarded and not), elms, ash, field maple, limes, sycamore and hornbeams.

    Did I say it was a nice day out in nice company? 19.21 train for the laggards.

    12 dry but cold for the season with a strong wind

Saturday 16-Sep-17

Thomas G
Length: 32.2 km (20.0 mi) [shorter walk possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 460m; Net Walking Time: 7 ¼ hours
Toughness: 9/10
Take the 09.20 Exeter St David's & Bristol Temple Meads train from Waterloo (09.27 Clapham J, 09.46 Woking), arrives Salisbury 10.42.
Return trains are on xx.47 and xx.21 to 18.21, then 19.26, 19.50, 20.26, 21.26, 22.27.
This long walk explores the Chalke Valley in the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the South West of the quintessentially English Cathedral City of Salisbury. It leads out of town through the Cathedral precinct, past some of England’s finest historic houses and through the Harnham Hill suburb into open fields with far views over the Chalke Valley to distant Downs. The morning route then largely follows the Ebble River upstream in the Chalke Valley through several pretty villages in this picturesque part of Wiltshire, with three good lunch pubs and two community stores conveniently spaced out along the route.
Most of the climbing is left for the afternoon, starting with a steady ascent with splendid views into pretty coombes, from Broad Chalke up to an ancient Ox Drove on top of the Downs. A long stretch with more views from the Down into coombes and valleys follows, largely along the course of a Roman Road, before the descent back into the Chalke Valley, followed by an immediate re-ascent up another Down. A Drove Track with views into the Nadder and Wylye Valleys leads past Salisbury’s Race Course and through the steep Harnham Slope Nature Reserve to tea at Harnham’s charming Old Mill.
From there the route back to the station goes through the town’s Water Meadows and provides ‘Britain’s Best View’ (Country Life magazine): Salisbury Cathedral across the meadows.
Shorter routes , reducing the length by 5.4 km or 7.2 km respectively, are described.
Lunch : The White Hart in Bishopstone (11.9 km/7.4 mi, food to 14.30), The Queens Head in Broad Chalke (15.4 km/9.6 mi, food all day).
Tea: The Old Mill at Harnham (1.0 km from the end of the walk), plus a couple of Indian restos by the station and lots of choice in Salisbury’s City Centre (a little off-route).

For summary, map, height profile, some photos, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here .
T=swc.254
  • Anonymous
    Mon, 04-Sep-17

    Just wondered what will be the walk distance if I do a circular turning back from Stratford Tony, with lunch at Fox & Goose? Thanks

  • Wed, 06-Sep-17

    If you turn back from the church in Stratford Tony (recommended, as it's nice and in a nice location), then it's 17.03 km.

  • Sat, 09-Sep-17

    SouthWestern has a half price advance ticket offer.

  • Anonymous
    Sat, 09-Sep-17

    There don't seem to be any of the half price tickets available for this journey. Maybe they've sold out.

  • Sat, 16-Sep-17

    10 off the train plus 1 other off an earlier one, as we later found out.11.

    We started with a couple of very short periods of spittle, while the overcast skies were clearing to reveal blue, and it stayed overcast with long sunny breaks until the last 20 minutes, when the dark looming front from the left caught up with us and all waterproofs got donned.

    3, incl. the early starter, walked one of the shortcuts, 8 the full walk. We had an encounter with a large herd of young bulls, that were charging up and down a field erratically, prompting most to take to the road instead. The real drama at that point though was that one walker, while crawling under the elec lime surrounding that field, got her walking poles (attached to the backpack) into the elec line and nearly electrocuted herself. Shaken for a while, a whiskey at the lunch pub sorted her out.

    Else? Fine views, scenic downs in a quiet part of Wiltshire, a pretty part of Salisbury, two shooting parties, and a meal at the end for some at one of the Indian restaurants by the station. 19.26 train for the rest.

Saturday 01-Aug-15

DAC
DAC
L=3.254 Extra Walk - Salisbury Circular
Length: 32.2 km (20 miles). Toughness: 9/10
(Shortcut option I: 26.8 km Toughness: 8/10; Shortcut option II: 25 km Toughness: 7/10)

Catch the 9:20 from London Waterloo (CJ: 9:27) arrives Salisbury 10:42. Direct return trains xx:21, xx:47, 19:26, xx:26. 22:27 (change at Basingstoke).

For the first outing of this new walk by Thomas, we will be taking the opportunity to check the walk directions. From the text: "This long walk explores the Chalke Valley in the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the South West of the quintessentially English Cathedral City of Salisbury. It leads out of town through the Cathedral precinct, past some of England’s finest historic houses and through the Harnham Hill suburb into open fields with far views over the Chalke Valley to distant Downs. The morning route then largely follows the Ebble River upstream in the Chalke Valley through several pretty villages in this picturesque part of Wiltshire, with three good lunch pubs and two community stores conveniently spaced out along the route. Most of the climbing is left for the afternoon, starting with a steady ascent with splendid views into pretty coombes, from Broad Chalke up to an ancient Ox Drove on top of the Downs. A long stretch with more views from the Down into coombes and valleys follows, largely along the course of a Roman Road, before the descent back into the Chalke Valley, followed by an immediate re-ascent up another Down. A Drove Track with views into the Nadder and Wylye Valleys leads past Salisbury’s Race Course and through the steep Harnham Slope Nature Reserve to tea at Harnham’s charming Old Mill. From there the route back to the station goes through the town’s Water Meadows and provides ‘Britain’s Best View’ (Country Life magazine): Salisbury Cathedral across the meadows." Link to walk directions. gpx files

SWT Summer promotion booked in advance at £20 return (vs. on the day £25.30 NW Card return from Waterloo).

Since pointed out that 1st August is excluded from the promotion. It's well hidden in the T&C's: Summer Promotion 2015 terms and conditions
  1. Offer consists of Off Peak Day Return tickets between two stations for travel on South West Trains and Island Line services only.
  2. Excludes stations west of Salisbury (between Warminster – Bristol Temple Meads and Tisbury – Exeter St. Davids inclusive).
  3. Tickets are priced at £20 per adult and £8 per child. No further discount is available for Railcard holders and the offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount.
  4. Offer is valid Monday to Saturday between 20 July – 28 August 2015, excluding Saturday 1 and 15 August 2015.
  • Anonymous
    Mon, 27-Jul-15

    Will definitely be joining the walk.

  • Mon, 27-Jul-15

    fyi:

    - the webmaster has kindly set up the page for this new walk now (SWC 254), if you want to have a look at the overview route map (incl. the shortcuts), the elevation profile etc....

    - for anyone not too impressed with the LDWA-type length of this walk: apart from the two shortcuts mentioned, there is also the number 29 bus back to Salisbury, calling at all three pubs en-route, as well as mid-afternoon in the village of Stratford Tony. That's after 24.8 km (for details on all of this: see the top of page 2 in the file).

  • Anonymous
    Tue, 28-Jul-15

    Will go and do a short cut.

  • Sun, 02-Aug-15

    hot and sunny 10 Some of the regulars are holidaying for the month of August in their southern European villas, which left just 10 of us on this most picturesque and enjoyable walk. Finished off with a drink and meal at the Old Mill.

  • Anonymous
    Sun, 02-Aug-15

    It is holiday season, walker numbers are reduced for both long and short walks. However, sunny days like Saturday in summer often attract new walkers, net net it balances out.