A Pewsey Ponder
10 people attending
5 places left
The Vale of Pewsey is a broad, green river valley to the north of Salisbury Plain. At its eastern end is the summit of the Kennet and Avon Canal, and rail line from London through to Westbury; to the west is the Wiltshire town of Devizes. To the north is the ridge of the Pewsey Downs, on which runs Wansdyke, the White Horse Trail and the Mid Wilts Way.
Our walk takes in both the valley and the hills, with a little section of the canal, for good measure. We'll mainly be walking on field boundary paths with the occasional section of road and towpath. There can be quite a lot of mud on these in the winter, so please come prepared!
Well-behaved dogs are welcome on this walk.
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All photos were taken by the author and OutDoorLads has permission to use them.
What to bring
The walk is mainly on chalk lanes and paths across open fields. If it is wet, the chalk becomes slippery and the field mud sticky, so good footwear with plenty of grip is recommended.
There is limited shelter on the route, either from the wind/rain or beating sunshine: please dress appropriately to the forecast, bringing waterproofs and a sun hat.
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
Bring sufficient food and drink for the day; there is a potential pub stop near the end of the walk.