Length: 31.0 km (19.3 mi) or 22.4 km (13.9 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 407m or 281m
Net Walking Time: ca. 7 or 5 hours
Toughness: 7 out of 10 or 4 out of 10
Many other – longer or shorter – options are possible. See the webpage or the pdf for details.
Take the 09.08 Newbury train from Paddington (Reading 09.36), change at Newbury (10.01/10.22, coffee shop and waiting room), arriving Bedwyn at 10.42.
Return trains (change at Newbury apart from where mentioned): 16.55, 18.04, 18.55, 19.55, 20.42 (direct) and 21.16.
A meandering route through Savernake Forest with its veteran trees and through historic Marlborough.
Savernake Forest today is just a fraction of its historical size, but yet is the largest privately owned forest in Britain. It stands on a Cretaceous chalk plateau within the North Wessex Downs AONB, presenting as rolling downland serrated by four shallow dry and wet valleys. This creates the damp heavy soils well suited to oak and beech woods. Pollarding has taken place for many generations, leading to the trees developing sizeable girths and having curved pieces of bows. Some of the picturesque veteran trees are over 1,000 years old and many have recently been protected, named and signed. More than 20 of the named trees are passed on this walk, as well as numerous other grand oak, beech and chestnut specimen.
The forest itself is a mixture of some plantations (outside of the core area), Ancient Woodland, landscaped spaces, pastures, commons and other open areas and a few long avenues with grand vistas.
Its timber has been managed by the Forestry Commission since 1939, but under the condition that the public shall have access to it (apart from a few clearly marked private areas).
The link routes from and to Great Bedwyn cross some pastures and smaller woods and lead through the landscaped Tottenham Park, ending with a scenic descent into a valley, while the route from the forest into Marlborough follows a dismantled railway line and goes through the river meadows of the Kennet and the Old Town. After lunch, you walk out of the historic market town with its extra-wide High Street and through fields back into Savernake.
Amongst the many walk options are several out-and-backs or loops to or past veteran trees not on the main walk, as well as one through the Chisbury Camp hillfort site.
Lunch: Numerous options along Marlborough’s High Street, see the walk directions for details.
Tea: The Three Tuns (open from 18.00), located 300m from the end of the walk.
For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.399