The North Wessex Downs is an area of great beauty, biodiversity and stunningly dramatic landscape. It’s also here, right on our doorstep, something that many of who have lived around this part of North Wessex for many years tend to forget. We often take it for granted.
To encourage people – local residents and tourists from further afield – to explore the whole area the North Wessex Downs AONB is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary by holding a walking festival of twenty eight specifically chosen individual routes across different parts of the entire the area.
Details can be found on the AONB’s website – click here – but also each individual walk is shown here on marlborough.news in the ‘Events’ section on each day that a walk is scheduled to take place. The festival kicks off with a walk around Barbury Castle, above Wroughton on Saturday 11 June and concludes on Sunday 26 June with a ‘leisurely walk’ from the village of Calstone, near to Calne, along the valley of the River Marden.
Some (most) walks are free, but where specific expert guides are leading a group there will be a charge. All details are displayed both in the marlborough.news ‘Events’ section and on the North Wessex Downs website.
Ann Shepley, North Wessex Downs Communications Officer told marlborough.news: “We are very excited about this year’s festival and are particularly pleased to have been able to include some wheelchair-friendly events in the programme. We hope that people will be able to explore more of this fantastic and precious landscape by joining one of our walks. And, as always, we are really grateful to all the organisations and individuals who have got involved and are helping us bring the festival together.”
Find out about Advanced Driving – Bikes and/or Cars? Introduction at Three Trees Cafe, Chiseldon
