Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew walk

The Vale of Wardour in the Wiltshire Downs AONB. Wardour Park, Nadder Head, a neolithic hill fort, Barkers hill, Old Wardour Castle. Long and shorter version.

Old Wardour Castle from Ticket Office SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew
Old Wardour Castle from Ticket Office

SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew

Jul-15 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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High Wood from near East Hatch SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew
High Wood from near East Hatch

SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew

Jul-15 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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New Wardour Castle SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew
New Wardour Castle

SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew

Jul-15 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Towards Donhead St. Andrew, Win Green Hill behind SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew
Towards Donhead St. Andrew, Win Green Hill behind

SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew

Jul-15 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Ansty village and Swallowcliffe Down SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew
Ansty village and Swallowcliffe Down

SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew

Jul-15 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Castle Ditches Iron Age Hill Fort Site from near the start of the walk from Wick Wood SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew
Castle Ditches Iron Age Hill Fort Site from near the start of the walk from Wick Wood

SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew

Jul-15 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Pond at Wick Wood Farm SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew
Pond at Wick Wood Farm

SWC Walk 252 Tisbury Circular via Donhead St. Andrew

Jul-15 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Length 23.3 km (14.5 mi), with 561m ascent/descent. For a shorter walk, see below Walk Options.
Toughness 7 out of 10, 5 hours 40 minutes walking time. For the whole outing, including trains, sights and meals, allow at least 10 ½ hours.
Walk Notes

This walk explores the Upper Nadder Valley (also known as the Vale of Wardour) in the south westerly parts of the West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is spectacular walking country with some breath-taking open vistas in a varied landscape. The route heads west from Tisbury along the Nadder Valley and through Wardour Park with its large mansion. After lunch at an award-winning gastro pub in Donhead St. Andrew, a series of ascents through some large estates and several woods take you all the way to the Nadder Head in another large country estate. Looping back, the route passes a Neolithic hill fort site on a ridge right on the boundary with Dorset, with occasional views through trees to surrounding steep downs.
An exhilarating descent and an equally exhilarating route through the wooded Barkers Hill lead back down to the Nadder. The return route then leads right past the romantically ruined 14th century Old Wardour Castle and through High Wood back into Tisbury, a remarkably unspoilt village.

Walk Options A shorter version of the walk, rated 4/10, and allowing enough time to visit Old Wardour Castle (English Heritage), exists in a separate file.

Maps

OS Explorer: 118 (Shaftesbury & Cranborne Chase)
OS Landranger: 184 (Salisbury & The Plain)

Travel

Tisbury Station, map reference ST 945 290, is 20 km west of Salisbury, 145 km south west of Charing Cross, 94m above sea level and in Wiltshire. It is on the London Waterloo to Exeter St. Davids West of England Main Line. Journey times are 106 minutes Monday to Saturday (hourly) and 114 minutes on Sunday (hourly).

Saturday Walkers’ Club: Take the train closest to 9.20 hours.

Lunch

The Forester Lower Street, Donhead St. Andrew, Shaftesbury, Wiltshire, SP7 9EE (01747 828 038). The Forester Inn is located 7.0 km (4.3 mi) into the walk. Originally called "The New Inn", The Forester has been a public house since the 15th century and is housed in an old thatched building made from greensand stone with a large inglenook fireplace and original beamed ceilings.

Tea

Plenty of options in Tisbury. See the Walk Directions pdf for details.

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By Train

Out (not a train station)

Back (not a train station)

By Car

Start SP3 6JT Map Directions

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Help

National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Traveline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

Version

Apr-24 Thomas G

Copyright © Saturday Walkers Club. All Rights Reserved. No commercial use. No copying. No derivatives. Free with attribution for one time non-commercial use only. www.walkingclub.org.uk/site/license.shtml

Walk Directions

Full directions for this walk are in a PDF file (link above) which you can print, or download on to a Kindle, tablet, or smartphone.

This is just the introduction. This walk's detailed directions are in a PDF available from wwww.walkingclub.org.uk