Westbury Walkers: 10 and 8 mile walks

The monthly walk by 22 Westbury Walkers started at Nockatt Coppice car park near Heaven’s Gate. 

The group, led by Jan McCann, left behind the crowds including a group of very excited dogs setting out on a five mile run with their owners, and took a very peaceful route on the Mid Wilts Way down into Horningsham village, passing an old red telephone box, minus a telephone!

The weather was overcast but still, as they passed St John the Baptist Church on the hill and turned left by the village school. The lane took the walkers through to a muddy field entrance and down a wooded hillside, where they startled a great number of pheasants which eventually dived for cover or flew away over the hedgerows.

After a short walk on the Clay Street to Maiden Bradley Road, the footpath on the right took the walkers through Charnlock Hill Thicket with sheep and cattle grazing in the fields below Bidcombe Wood.

After walking two miles on field footpaths the group started a long climb through laden sloe bushes and blackberry brambles on a bridleway towards Cold Kitchen Hill, where lunch was enjoyed overlooking the ‘Deverills’ with the sun starting to filter through.

Heading even higher after lunch to 279 metres above sea level, the views to the horizons were outstanding, with hills and deep valleys all around. The track then descended steeply into woodland before retracing the first part of the route down across Charnlock Hill to the Maiden Bradley Road.

On the opposite side of the road they took a sunken lane back towards Horningsham, turning left near Parsonage Farm then right on to the road to Warminster which was lined with beautiful copper beeches.  Another left then right turn took the group back up the section of the Mid Wilts Way they had descended at the start of the walk, to the car park at Nockatt Coppice.

This 10.5 mile walk was greatly enjoyed by all on what turned into a lovely dry sunny autumnal day.

Report by Jan McCann

On Sunday 13th September, 17 Westbury Walkers met at Nunney car park for an 8 mile walk led by Teressa and Brian Mitchard.

It was a mild and dry day as the group left the car park and made their way into the village over the bridge passing the moated Nunney Castle and on towards the church.

Just after the church on the right they took a left turn then the next right and followed tracks and field paths to Critchill Farm, the site of Frome Golf Course.  Then continuing towards a minor road, they turned left and after a short distance on the road took another left turn through a gate and followed the footpaths to Lower Egford.

From here they crossed another road to follow the attractive wooded river valley through Vallis Vale on towards Great Elm where they stopped for lunch on the impressive stone bridge.

After lunch they took the top path to the road at Murder Combe.  Crossing the road they followed the path to Whatley, on a section of the Macmillan Way.  En route they passed the former Sun Inn, now a private house, and on through fields to reach the river at Nunney Combe and then back to the car park.

It was a gentle level walk through very pretty countryside which was enjoyed by all.

Report by Teressa Mitchard