We normally walk on Wednesdays and Sundays and we start at 10am unless stated otherwise in the walk details. Most walk leaders like you to book a place on their walk, usually by text. This is so that they can manage numbers of walkers (car parking space is sometimes an issue) and also to let you know in the event that the walk has to be cancelled or the start location changed at short notice. We don’t want people making wasted journeys, especially in bad weather.
Wednesday walks are usually of between five and six miles, so we finish by 1pm or slightly later. We tend to average around two miles per hour on these walks, depending on how many stiles or gates there are and how often we stop to admire the view. We will always stop about half way through to sit down, have a drink and a snack and admire the view.
Sunday walks can be from ten to fifteen miles, sometimes shorter or longer but they are all-day walks, so you need to bring enough food and drink for lunch and at least one snack stop. The walk details will indicate how many stops to cater for. These walks are necessarily slightly faster paced and can sometimes be located further afield. Generally travelling further for a walk is easier on Sundays as there is a lot less traffic.
Details of our upcoming walks can be found on our Home page.
Please visit our Facebook page to see photos from our recent walks and maybe join our Facebook Group.
Where We Walk
The Bristol river Avon runs through much of our area, flowing south from Chippenham, through Melksham and almost to Trowbridge before doing a U turn and flowing north west through Bradford on Avon to Bath. To the west the river Frome forms the Somerset/Wiltshire border for much of its course north from Frome to the Avon at Freshford. To the south of our area, Warminster is over the watershed and sits within the catchment of the south flowing river Wylye which joins the river Nadder and then the Hampshire river Avon at Salisbury. The Kennet and Avon canal follows the course of the Bristol Avon from Bath to Bradford on Avon before heading east towards Devizes and the mighty Caen Hill flight of locks. This is the area where we walk. From the World Heritage city of Bath to the World Heritage site of Stonehenge, from the National Trust gardens at Stourhead to the National Trust village of Lacock; we walk there and everywhere in between.
At least once a year we try to arrange a Sunday coach trip to an interesting location further afield. A long walk and a shorter walk are provided, or you can just wander around the destination at your own pace, eating cakes or ice cream (optional!). Recent trips have gone to Bridport, Bourton on the Water, Swanage and Monmouth. We also arrange long weekends or weeks away. You have to book your own accommodation and arrange your own travel (we try to encourage car sharing where practical) but a full programme of walks is laid on. Recent destinations have been Minehead and Abergavenny. Sometimes we also venture into Europe; the Italian lakes have proved a popular destination in recent years. Details of all these events appear in our Newsletters, which are emailed out at frequent intervals, generally monthly.
What to Wear
Apart from bringing sufficient food and drink, the other main consideration is what to wear. It is not necessary to spend a fortune on expensive outdoor clothing but a sturdy, comfortable pair of walking boots (or walking shoes in our brief dry, mud free summers) is essential. Apart from that, a lightweight waterproof jacket and maybe over-trousers are a good idea. Other than that, any comfortable clothing will do. Remember that it is always better to be wearing too many clothes at the start than not enough; dress in layers and you can always take off a layer when you get hot but if you get cold and do not have anything else to put on then that could turn into a problem for you, especially if there is a cold wind. If the weather forecast is really bad then the walk leader will probably cancel the walk before the day but if you don’t fancy getting soaked then don’t feel you have to turn up. If you have booked a place then please let the walk leader know you are not coming, preferably before 8:30am on the day. We are not masochists; nobody will think less of you for pulling out.
Getting Started
If you have not walked with Ramblers before but are thinking of starting, choose a walk you think will be suitable from our list of upcoming walks on our Home page and contact the walk leader by sending a text. They will get back to you and answer any questions you may have. If you are not a member of Ramblers you can take part in two or three walks to see if it is for you. If you decide to continue walking with us, then you are expected to join Ramblers. Click here to view the main Ramblers website and membership details.
Once you are a Ramblers member you are welcome to join any Ramblers walk, organised by any Ramblers Group, anywhere in the country. Just remember to take your membership card with you in case the walk leader asks to see it. Other Groups walk in our area just as we sometimes walk in theirs, so to see a list of all Ramblers walks near where you live, go to the Ramblers Go Walking page.
Walk Leading
All of our walks are provided by our friendly team of experienced walk leaders but new leaders are always welcome. Once you have been walking for a while, you may wish to consider leading a walk yourself to give something back to the Group. Ramblers has recently introduced a suite of online training modules which new walk leaders must complete before they can lead a walk. Don’t worry, it is largely common sense, not rocket science. If you do not know how to read a map, we can provide guidance and training on both map reading and navigation skills. Contact Us by sending an email and we will get back to you with help and guidance.
We recommend using Ordnance Survey maps, preferably the 1:25,000 Explorer maps but 1:50,000 Landranger maps are better than nothing. If you have a smart phone, you can pay an annual subscription to use the OS Maps app. You can use it to plot a route on the map and then use it to guide you around. Bear in mind that if mobile phone coverage is poor then it is wise to download the map to your phone before setting off!