• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hugh Stewart

  • Home
  • Books
    • Hillwalks from the Settle to Carlisle Railway Stations
    • Settle to Carlisle – Hill Walk with Return by Classic Train Route
    • Mountain Biking Adventures: Multi-day Routes in Northern Britain
  • About Hugh
    • Author
    • Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Walking Blog
  • Contact

Calstone and Cherhill Downs

By Hugh Stewart August 4, 2019 Leave a Comment

Just after Lammas our daughter Rachel took us on this delightful Wiltshire chalk Downs walk, with flowers you don’t get up north, and too many butterflies to identify for sure. The six mile walk starts at the car park by north Wiltshire Golf course and heads east along a sunken Roman road, then down Horsecombe Bottom and past the hidden church of Calstone. It is obvious by now that the dominant umbiliferous around here at this time is wild carrot, never seen in the north, and much more attractive than our common Hogweed. Past South Farm turn north up a lane, soon along field edges till due west of Cherhill Hill, then climb up to it, with a view of the White Horse, which some liken to a white Llama. The chalk downs here at this time have quite a few lovely Chiltern Gentians, only seen in books before, and much bigger and showy than our northern Autumn Gentians; round headed rampions; scabious; restharrow; woolly and small thistles. Interestingly the National Trust website – they own the Down- does not mention the Chiltern Gentian. Wander through the extensive ramparts of the Iron Age hillfort of Oldbury, and turn down south on the Wessex Ridgeway. At the Roman road turn back home, but you will be delayed by the impressive number of butterflies, the ever present (this year anyway we’re told) painted lady; peacocks; red admirals; small blue; large white. Or so we named them. The Morgan Hill nature reserve can be returned through, but we stuck to the ancient way as it looked more interesting today. The combination of ancient pathways and fort, and the plethora of flora and insect fauna make this one of the best walks of the year.

  • The “Llama” and Cherhill monument.
  • Woolly thistle.
  • Red Bartsia.
  • Yellow wort.
  • Chiltern Gentian.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Download file: cherhill.gpx

Filed Under: Walks

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Post Categories

The Latest Comments

  • Carol on Troughton Beck, Langdale.
  • Peter Smith on Harrisend Fell to Grizedale Head, Bowland.
  • Peter Smith on Harrisend Fell to Grizedale Head, Bowland.
  • Hugh Stewart on Ambleside Grasmere circular via Loughrigg.
  • Monica Placzek on Ambleside Grasmere circular via Loughrigg.

Enjoying the Blog Posts?

If you are enjoying my content please consider supporting my passion by purchasing one of my books. Many thanks, Hugh.

Hillwalks from the Settle to Carlisle Railway Stations

24 walks into the hills surrounding the historic and iconic Settle to Carlisle railway, based on the stations between Settle and Appleby. The area has some of the finest walking of the north Pennines: the Craven district around Settle; the Three Peaks area; Dentdale, and Mallerstang and the upper Eden valley.

£12.95 (P&P may apply)

View Book

Mountain Biking Adventures: Multi-day Routes in Northern Britain

Over the last two decades, mountain biking has developed enormously as a “sport”. We greatly admire the technical and athletic capabilities of modern day mountain bikers and recognise that many excellent guides have been written and custom-built trails set up. In this guide we try to reopen a sense of adventure and wilderness to mountain biking, providing multi-day routes with a remoteness, continuity and “arc” missing from many modern guides with their focus on day and half day outings.

UK £13.95 ( inc. P&P)

View Book

Settle to Carlisle – Hill Walk with Return by Classic Train Route

With over 22,000 ft of ascent in 105 miles set out over 8 days, this walk sets out from Settle, taking in the classic summits of the North Yorkshire Dales, Howgills, Eastern and Northern Lakeland Fells, to arrive at Carlisle. The return journey to Settle by one of the classic train journeys. Illustrated with photographs and route maps.

£12.95 (P&P may apply)

View Book

Footer

Correction to Horton Circular and the Quarries walk.

That is, walk 9 in the Hillwalks book. From the Station in Horton and turning right into Crag Hill Road, the first track left, to "Poppy Cottage", now has a sign "Private Road, No Footpath" on it. You have three alternatives: go back and carry on the main road towards the Bridge and turn right onto

Continue Reading

Watendlath and Borrowdale circular

A suitable pre-Theatre by the Lake evening production, when the cloud level is low and you don't fancy walking with no views in the damp. It comes to just under 9 miles with 2100ft of ascent. From the Lodore Wood car park up the Watendlath road, take the road south till an obvious track leads off

Continue Reading

Addition to the book of Trespass: Warcop.

This is an 8 mile walk over Little Fell and down and along the side of Scordale. A wild, lonely, and in places rough walk, with 2100ft of climbing. The trespass refers to the fact that most of the walk is in the MOD's land, with access granted by them on 12 weekends per year and other odd days. The

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2023 · Hugh Stewart All rights reserved. · Website created by LeePritchard.com