Mob: 07810 898846 | Email: info@whitehorsewalking.co.uk
The White Horse Trail
We can offer you a number of options regarding walking the Trail. You can walk part or all of it during your holiday. We are currently working on routes which allow you to use public transport to get to your start and finish points each day. Alternatively, we can provide you with individual circular walks to include each of the horses. Experienced walkers might wish to walk the entire Trail but others prefer shorter walks. To that end we have devised separate Northern and Southern Loops, each easily managed in 5 days walking, averaging around 10 miles per day. There is also a separate section which visits Avebury and we have incorporated it into a 12 mile walk so that you don't miss any part of the White Horse Trail. We can also provide transport for group bookings, subject to all rooms being booked.
BACKGROUND
The White Horse Trail is a 90 mile walk taking in all 8 existing white horses cut into the Wiltshire hills. This is a quiet and peaceful part of Southern England, steeped in history and mysticism, much of it designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It incorporates sections of other long distance trails, such as The Ridgeway (said to be the oldest road in Europe), the Wansdyke, the Wessex Ridgeway and the relatively new Mid-Wilts Way, as well as parts of the Kennet & Avon Canal towpath including the famous flight of 29 locks at Caen Hill, Devizes.
Roundway is virtually at the centre of the Trail with no point being more than 14 miles away by road, so Southdown is in a perfect location for those wishing to walk all or part of the Trail without the hassle of finding accommodation every night and carrying everything with you or arranging luggage transfers. Only one lot of unpacking and repacking to do too!
The Trail also passes through or nearby to the towns of Westbury and Marlborough and a number of villages, large and small. There is a section which includes prehistoric Avebury and Silbury Hill and the Kennet Long Barrow nearby are worth a short detour. The terrain is varied and during the 90 miles walkers will also encounter valleys, woods, hills, open fields and plenty of wildlife.
The Trail can be taken up at various points but some sections are fairly remote and it is possible to walk 10 or more miles without seeing anyone else. There are some pubs and cafés en route but they may not be open on arrival. Others can be reached via detours off the Trail but it makes more sense to take a packed lunch to avoid going hungry!
The original White Horse Trail booklet is out of print but can now be found on the Visit Wiltshire website. This can be used in conjunction with our own maps and directions. Click here to see the booklet.
White Horse trail - Southern Loop
White Horse trail - Northern Loop