Stourton Forest and Alfred's Tower (Wilts)

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Lowland and Hill Walks
Nov 11
2017

16 people attending

24 places left

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9.5 miles and 980' of height gainabout 5 hours

An Autumn Leaves walk through some famous landscapes.

Our walk starts off by passing the Palladian villa at Stourhead which was finished in 1725 when Henry Hoare 1st pulled down the near derelict Stourton Manor to build his fashionable Palladian country house which sits on high ground and is surrounded by vast lawns. Then we will catch sight of the autumn colours as we walk around the periphery of the internationally famous Stourhead NT Gardens and explore the 2,650 acre Stourhead estate where chalk downs, ancient woods and farmland are managed for wildlife. 

Then passing KIng Alfred's triangular tower 49-metre-high, visible for miles around, which was designed by Henry Flitcroft for Stourhead's second owner, Sir Henry Hoare 2nd  in the 1760s. The Tower is also known as The Folly of King Alfred the Great or Stourton Tower, and is a grade I listed building.  It is near the location of 'Egbert's stone' where it is believed that Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, rallied the Saxons in May 878 before the important Battle of Edington. It was damaged by a plane in 1944 and restored in the 1980s.

We will continue through forest before dropping down into Kilmington a hamlet with a nice pub, before heading back to the car park.

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