Robust Rambles

Section 49

Downton to Nunton

Walk Details

Walk Instructions

Greatstone to Gillingham Robust Ramble

Section 49  Out

Downton to Nunton

Map: OS Explorer 130 Salisbury

Distance: 4 miles/ 2 hours

Start: The Wooden Spoon pub in Downton. It has a car park for patrons. There is parking at The Moot.

Comment: At last a mainly flat walk in the Avon River Valley. Because of the wide river valley on the east and no north-south paths in the downs on the west this walk uses some of the route for both out and return. There are few stiles but one section of path could very overgrown and boggy in wet weather.

With The Wooden Spoon behind, turn right, down the main road. Keep on for some way, winding through the village.

Cross two bridges. Immediately over the second, by a thatched cottage, turn right on a path along side the river, to Charlton All Saints.

Reach a kissing gate. Through this, leave the river and bear left across the centre of a meadow to a bridge on your left, behind a metal fieldgate. Cross and turn right on a concrete track (this is the Avon Valley Path).

At a metal fieldgate reach a division of ways. Ignore the metal kissing gate on your right, instead cross a stile by the metal fieldgate ahead and walk up towards a farm.

Pass the farm on your left and continue on a gravel track through trees.

Reach two metal fieldgates. Go through the one on your left and immediately turn right to go up with a wire fence on your right.

At the top, bear left to a stile into a wooded path. The first half of this path could be overgrown and very boggy at wet times of year (the top half is fine). Keep forward for some way eventually emerging on a road.

Cross and continue up the leafy track opposite. Ignore paths off right and left and continue to a road.

Bear slightly right, across the road to a metal fieldgate by a house. Go around the gate and on up a shady track.

Soon reach a cross track. Turn left on it (Avon Valley Path again). Go through bushes and turn diagonally right across the corner of a field.

At the far side, by a concrete farm track, turn left, over a stile, into a narrow enclosed path.

Soon emerge onto a road. Turn right for ¼ mile.

Having passed houses right and left continue looking for double fieldgates on your left. Go through and turn diagonally right on a path across the field centre to the far opposite corner.

Go through a metal kissing gate to a busy road. Do not go straight over but bear left to an unsigned gap, up a bank to an equestrian gate. Go on up the side of a field with a hedge on your right.

In 100 metres, by double metal fieldgates, turn right through a gap in the hedge to a metal kissing gate. Continue on along the top edge of the field.

At the corner ahead go through a metal kissing gate by a metal fieldgate and cross over to a metal kissing gate onto the higher of two tracks. Continue with hedge on the left.

At Nunton Farm, turn right down through two swing gates and across a farm track into and enclosed path between hedge and wire fence; a church tower may be seen below.

Halfway down this path go up the bank on your right to continue down a bushy path. At the bottom emerge onto a road through a wooden kissing gate.

Go up the road opposite, passing the church on your left. At a T-junction turn left and soon reach the Radnor Arms in Nunton and the end of the section.

Greatstone to Gillingham Robust Ramble

Section 49  Return

Nunton to Downton

Map: OS Explorer 130 Salisbury

Distance: 4 miles/ 2 hours

Start: The Radnor Arms, some on road parking

Comment: A return using much of the outward path but a pleasant walk.

With The Radnor Arms behind, turn left along the road. Look for a footpath off right through a wooden kissing gate into cottage gardens. Turn right on this, past the cottages to enter a field.

Bear left across to pass a gate into the church (worth a visit). Just beyond the church look for a wooden kissing gate through the hedge onto a drive. Turn right down to a road.

Turn left on the road a few paces, then right, uphill, on a path through trees. Halfway, drop down onto field edge and continue uphill.

Go through two swing gates at the top to entrance of Nunton Farm. Turn left on a farm track through trees.

After some way reach the end of the track at a metal fieldgate. Go through and across to a metal kissing gate by a metal fieldgate. Into a field.

Turn right along the top of the field. At the corner ahead go through a metal kissing gate and a gap in the hedge. Turn left down a field edge with hedge on the left.

At the bottom exit with care onto a busy road. Cross, bearing left, to a metal kissing gate into a field.

Bear diagonally right across the centre of the field to the far opposite corner. Exit by double metal fieldgates onto a road.

Turn right on the road for ¼ mile.

Where the road turns sharp right, turn left into an enclosed path by a metal fieldgate and concrete drive.

Go up between wire fences to a stile into a field. Go diagonally left across corner of field, then left at the far side on a path into bushes.

Ignore paths off on the right and go through a gap into a field corner. Bear diagonally right across the centre of the field (well right of distant church) and exit through a metal swing gate onto a road in Charlton All Saints.

Turn left here. Just before the church, turn right through an old kissing gate and cross the graveyard to a wooden kissing gate into an enclosed path.

Follow this along the back of houses. Near the end dog-leg right and left then on to the end corner.

Concealed in the corner on the left, up a bank behind discarded rubbish, is an enclosed path down to a road.

Turn right on the road, back on the Avon Valley Path. Follow this all the way back to Downton.

Where the road turns sharp right, turn left on Warren Lane. Past the last building on your right, turn right into a field edge.

Continue down field to bottom, then on down a second field. Cross a footbridge at the bottom and again continue down by hedge and trees on your left.

With a farm over on the right, go through a metal kissing gate and continue forward on the Avon Valley Path. This is back on the outward route.

Look for a substantial bridge on your left and cross into a meadow. Go diagonally left across the meadow to the far corner. Go through a kissing gate onto a path by the river and follow along to exit onto a road in Downton.

Turn left for some way over two bridges to return to The Wooden Spoon pub and the start of the section.