East Kennett
1 . Begin at the Ridgeway Car Park opposite The Sanctuary, the site of a woodhenge (grid ref SU 118 681).
2. From the car park, head up the hill along The Ridgeway track. This gives stunning views out over the surrounding countryside.
The track flattens out towards the top and there are views of the ridge with its fields of scattered sarsen stones. These are the post-glacial remains of a cap of hard sandstone that once covered much of southern England.
The word "sarsen" is a shortening of "Saracen stone" which arose in the Wiltshire dialect. "Saracen" was a common name for Muslims, and came by extension to be used for anything regarded as non-Christian, whether Muslim or pagan.
3. At the cross roads, turn right onto the path through a nature reserve. Continue up the hill towards the edge of the wood.
Just before the gate straight ahead, take the gate on the right into the field heading down the hill. There is no obvious path here, but the public right of way heads towards a peak of stones and then down towards the farm buildings in the valley.
4. Continue across the field and down to the far corner by the large water trough. Follow the path through the gate towards the thatched farmhouse. At the house, take the track to the right and then past the farm buildings.
Here the footpath follows the edge of the fields down hill.
5. Looking back you can see the farmhouse and the hill you have walked down. In the evening light this reveals lynchets.
Go through the gate and onto the edge of the road. Put your dog on lead and hold on to small children and take care crossing this busy road.
6. Head towards the West Overton church tower in the valley. The path follows the edge of field of horses before going into a narrow stretch by some houses on the main road.
Put dogs on a lead and hold tight to children as you cross the busy road.
Cross the road and walk left along the pavement. Just after the house is a stile and footpath along the edge to a field. Head to the far right hand corner where a bridge crosses the stream. The path after this was bone dry in summer 2020, but there were signs that this could flood in winter.
Continue until you reach the road.
7. Continue through the village towards East Kennett for about 1km. At the T junction with a high stone wall, turn right up the lane, past the large "manor" house, over the bridge and along the track up the hill back to the road and the car park.
