frozen, making the normally porous chalk impermeable (good examples of coombes are seen on Walks 10, 11 and 12).
Wilton Windmill – the only working windmill within the North Wessex Downs (passed on Walk 24)
Another major feature caused by glaciation was the creation of the Goring Gap, through which the River Thames now flows. The gap was created when a large glacial lake, which formed over the Oxford area about 450,000 years ago, eroded a line of weakness in the chalk. The Goring Gap now forms a junction between the Berkshire Downs to the west and the Chiltern Hills to the east.
The Kennet and Avon Canal (Walk 21)
Brief history
The earliest inhabitants of the area were nomadic hunter-gatherers who travelled through the wooded landscape over 10,000 years ago. However, by the Neolithic period (4200–2200BC) a farming lifestyle was developing, permanent camps were being constructed, and areas of land cleared for crops and animals. This is the period when the great monuments at Avebury came into being. The Bronze Age (2200–750BC) saw further developments at Avebury, as well as the building of numerous characteristic round barrows. It was during this period, some 3000 years ago, that the stylised galloping outline of the Uffington White Horse was carved into the chalk. Later, during the Iron Age (750BC–AD43), defensive hill forts such as Barbury Castle (Walk 16) were built.
The Romans left little visible evidence in the region, although they did construct several roads that are still used today. Archaeological investigations have shown that they built a fortified town near Mildenhall (Walk 14) and a number of villas, including one near Ramsbury (Walk 13).
The demise of the Roman Empire in Britain around AD410 was followed by a Saxon invasion. In AD556 Saxons led by Cynric and his son Ceawlin (who later became King of Wessex in AD560) defeated the Britons at the Battle of Beranburgh (Beran Byrig); the site of the battle is claimed to be Barbury Castle (Walk 16). It was during the early part of the Saxon period that the Wansdyke – a massive linear earthwork across the Marlborough Downs – was constructed (Walk 21).
During the ninth century Danes were invading parts of England, and in AD871 Alfred the Great, who was born at Wantage, defeated the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown in Berkshire (‘Ashdown’ was the ancient name for the whole expanse of the Berkshire Downs). He later became King of Wessex and Overlord of England, funded church schools, brought in a code of laws and developed his capital at Winchester, where he is buried.
The Norman period, following the Battle of Hastings in 1066, was the time of the Domesday Book, when many motte and bailey castles were built, along with monasteries and churches characterised by Romanesque rounded arches over windows and doorways. Many churches within the North Wessex Downs have their roots in the Norman period.
Prosperity and growth in the late 12th and the 13th centuries led to the expansion of towns surrounding the downs. In the 18th and 19th centuries, transport improved with the opening of the Kennet and Avon Canal, quickly followed by the arrival of the railways. During the Second World War a number of airfields were built, including Wroughton and Alton Barnes.
Monument to Colonel Robert Loyd-Lindsay, soldier and philanthropist (Walk 6)
Major transport connections in the area, such as the opening of the M4 and A34, have allowed towns and villages to continue to grow, but this has put more pressure on precious countryside. However, in 1972 much of the rolling chalk countryside was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and this should help to preserve this special area for future generations.
Plants and wildlife
The North Wessex Downs form a patchwork landscape with areas of open chalk grassland, broadleaved woodland and farmland. Chalk streams flow from the spring-line that forms along the boundary between the upper porous chalk and the lower impervious layer of clay, where water that has seeped through the porous layer is forced to the surface. Chalk streams support a diversity of plant and animal life. Some of these streams in their upper reaches are termed ‘winterbournes’, and appear only after sustained heavy winter rainfall, such as the River Lambourn between Lambourn and East Garston.
Common blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) (L); Small heath butterfly (Coenonympha pamphilus) (R)
Throughout the region there should be plenty of opportunities for catching glimpses of local wildlife, from foxes to roe and fallow deer (or the much smaller muntjac) – and perhaps even the elusive badger as dusk approaches.
The open chalk grasslands support a wide range of butterflies, plants (including gentians and orchids) and birds, such as the skylark and yellowhammer. High above, you might see the silhouette of a buzzard or hear the high-pitched whistling call of a red kite, with its distinctive forked tail and chestnut-red plumage.
Alongside the streams and rivers, as well as the ever-present ducks and mute swans, there may be glimpses of the vivid turquoise-blue-and-orange flash of a kingfisher as it darts along the river, or of an otter or the endangered water vole.
Clockwise from left: Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia); Clustered bellflower (Campanula glomerata); Autumn gentian (Gentianella amarella)
Where to stay
The North Wessex Downs has a wide range of accommodation ranging from youth hostels and campsites to pubs with rooms, guesthouses and hotels. To find out more about accommodation, visit the tourist information websites listed in Appendix B.
Getting around
Major roads passing through the North Wessex Downs include the M4, A4 and A34. If travelling by car to any of the walks always remember to park considerately and never block access routes.
Rail stations that provide access to the North Wessex Downs include Didcot, Goring and Streatley, Great Bedwyn, Hungerford, Kintbury, Newbury, Pewsey and Swindon. The majority of the walks are accessible by public transport, and brief information is provided in the box at the start of each walk. However, most bus services do not operate on Sundays, and some services are quite limited. Only a few of the walks can be accessed by train, and a note of the nearest station is given in the box at the start of these walks. For the latest information relating to public transport use the contact details in Appendix B.
Food and drink
Food and drink may be bought at the start of some walks (at a shop, café or pub), while others offer opportunities for stopping off en route at a pub or shop – although these are not always conveniently placed along the route. Brief details of refreshment opportunities are given in the information box at the start of each walk, but bear in mind that there is no guarantee they’ll be open when required. It’s therefore always a good idea to carry some food and drink with you, along with a small ‘emergency ration’ in case of an unexpected delay.
The Bell Inn at Aldworth (Walk 3)
Long-distance routes
A number of long-distance paths run through the North Wessex
