once known as ‘Aldbourne dabchicks’. The story goes that a dabchick arrived on the village pond but the local residents couldn’t identify it; this amused the people of Ramsbury, who taunted their Aldbourne neighbours by shouting ‘dabchick’ after them!
In 1971 the village had a starring role in a Dr Who story when it was transformed into Devil’s End, with The Blue Boar pub being renamed The Cloven Hoof. During the final episode a realistic model of the church was blown up.
2 SU264759 Turn right down the lane, ignoring the path off to the left, to reach The Green in Aldbourne, with the church off to the right. Continue down the lane past the Blue Boar pub. On reaching The Square, with the pond ahead, turn right past the Crown Hotel and then right along the B4192 for ¾ mile (1.2km) – take care on the road.
St Michael’s Church in Aldbourne
Alternative route
To miss out the centre of the village go to the right passing the church and turn right up the lane next to the church wall. Just before the gate leading to the house, turn left along the signposted path between the wall and hedge. Continue past the school playground, cross the stile and across the field, keeping to the right of the buildings to reach a small gate in the fence; turn right along the B4192 to rejoin the route.
3 SU255762 At New Barn, on the right, turn left along the farm track. After 200m take the left-hand track, signposted ‘byway to Snap and Ridgeway’, up the valley for about 2 miles (3.2km) passing Lower Lodge Barn on the way; the other track goes to Upper Upham. Not long after High Clear Plantation, ignore the track on the right and keep ahead through the field, following the boundary on the left. After 300m turn left uphill following the track as it bears to the right. On the right, at the bend, is a small memorial to Snap Toothill School and the remains of the village of Snap.
A small plaque reads ‘In memory of the people of Snap Toothill School 5–8–1991’. All that remains of the village of Snap are a few piles of rubble hidden amongst the undergrowth and trees. The village, once part of the Aldbourne parish, dates back to at least 1377 when it was mentioned in connection with the Poll Tax. By the end of the 19th century the hamlet consisted of 15 houses, a school and chapel. However, with changes from labour-intensive arable farming to animal grazing, the residents had to move on to find work. By 1905 the village of Snap was abandoned except for the farm, though during World War I the area was used by the War Ministry as a training ground.
Continue, ignoring the paths to Woodsend and Snap Farm. Go through the gate and follow the track uphill, passing under the telegraph wires to another gate. Go straight on, passing between the fields for 300m to join the Ridgeway National Trail.
The Blue Boar pub in Aldbourne
Looking north from the ramparts of Liddington Castle
4 SU213765 Turn right along the track and, at the junction, follow the signs for the Ridgeway to the right for 50m and then left, with good views towards Liddington Hill. At the junction take the middle path – Ridgeway Path. After 350m go through the gate and then uphill, keeping close to the fence on the right. Once over the top of the hill, go through the gate next to some trees and continue across the field to another gate. On the left are the clearly defined earthworks of Liddington Castle hillfort.
Detour
Although not on the main track, a detour can be made along a permissive path to Liddington Castle. At the gate, follow the path to the left, keeping to the fence on the right; at the field corner go left through a gate to follow the fence on your left. Go through another gate on the left to reach the hillfort, which offers some great views.
The remains of an Iron Age hillfort, one of several along the Ridgeway, crowns the summit of Liddington Hill – the highest point on the Ridgeway at 277m (910ft), with commanding views to the north. The fort, which is constructed of a single rampart and ditch with an entrance on the eastern side, was probably used after the Iron Age as Roman artefacts have been found in the area. Some claim this to be the site of the Battle of Mount Badon where the Britons, led by Arthur, defeated the Saxons.
Retrace your steps back to the gate on the Ridgeway path.
5 SU212797 Go through the gate and follow the track down to the road (B4192); opposite is a sign for ‘Sugar Hill ½’. Cross the road and stile and turn right along the field edge, passing a large and small gate. The path follows the fence left and right to reach another gate. Keep to the track, with the fence on the right; to your right are the remains of a Neolithic long barrow or burial mound. Go through the gate and continue for 120m to another gate; keep straight on, with the fence on the right, and pass two more gates. Continue between two fenced fields, go through the gate and keep ahead across the field, with the fence on the right. At the gate, turn right down the hill and later turn right along the road back to the lay-by.
WALK 3
The Bedwyns
| Start/Finish | Great Bedwyn Wharf car park on east side of canal (SU281644) |
| Distance | 13 miles (20.9km) or 9½ miles (15.3km) |
| Grade | 2 |
| Time | 5½ hours or 4 hours |
| Maps | OS Explorers 157 and 158/Landranger 174 |
| Refreshments | Little Bedwyn – The Harrow Inn (01672 870871); Shalbourne – Plough Inn (01672 870295); Wilton – Swan Inn (01672 870274); Crofton – shop selling refreshments at museum (opening times only); Great Bedwyn – The Cross Keys (01672 870678); The Three Tuns (01672 870280) |
| Transport | Trains to Great Bedwyn, bus links to Hungerford and Marlborough |
| Note | This walk can be shortened by missing out Wilton and Crofton. |
A fairly level route starting out from Great Bedwyn and passing through both Little Bedwyn and Shalbourne before heading through the wooded countryside of Bedwyn Brail, a remnant of Savernake Forest, to reach the little village of Wilton. The return leg follows the Kennet and Avon Canal from Crofton, which runs parallel to the railway line from London to the Westcountry. During the walk there is the opportunity to look at Wilton Windmill and the Cornish beam engines at Crofton, both of which are open to the public.
The Kennet and Avon Canal was formed by the joining of two waterways in the early 19th century. The Kennet Navigation from the Thames at Reading to Newbury was built in 1724, and the Avon Navigation from Bath to Bristol was completed three years later. In 1794 an Act of Parliament authorising the building of the connection between Newbury and Bath received Royal Assent, and in 1810 the canal was completed. Transporting goods along the canal proved successful for 40 years until the completion of the railway, which offered a faster transport route. In 1852 the canal was bought by the Great Western Railway Company (GWR), and allowed to go into decline. By 1955 the canal was in poor condition, though plans to abandon it were stopped by public opposition. The canal has since been restored by the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, and was reopened in 1990.
The railway running parallel to the canal is part of the line from Reading to the West Country. It was originally known as the Kennet Valley Line, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and operated by Berkshire and Hampshire Railways with backing from the GWR.
The section from Hungerford to Devizes only opened in 1862, but the section from Reading to Hungerford opened in 1847.
1 SU281644 Starting from Great
