Route: Sarsen Trail (United Kingdom)

Submitted by Jeremy Hawkey on Wed, 03/31/2021 - 02:15am
Location
United Kingdom
Distance
41.9 km
Vertical Gain
535 m
Description

Multi-terrain running between the Neolithic sites of Avebury Stone Circle and Stonehenge

The start of the Sarsen Trail is found in Avebury.  The trail makes its way out of Avebury along the Wessex Ridgeway Path which you join at Overton Hill.

After crossing the A4 you continue towards East Kennett and head up onto Cow Down from where you can get a good view of Silbury Hill.

From here you take the steady ascent up Walkers Hill to Adam’s Grave, a Neolithic long barrow.

As you head down towards Alton Barnes you are treated to a great view of the Alton Barnes White Horse chalk figure, which was cut into the landscape in 1812. 

From here the route takes you through the villages of Woodborough and Bottlesford eventually reaching the White Horse Trail. You soon find yourself at the top edge of Salisbury Plain. 

Soon enough you will be on the Great Stones Way that will take you over the River Avon. Further down the route you will come across the Stonehenge Brewery at the Old Mill. 

After passing various villages and walking across many fields you will reach Durrington where there is a war memorial.

Soon after that you are on Stonehenge Road which leads uphill to the Stonehenge Pub. 

You will soon briefly join the route of the disused Larkhill branch line of the Amesbury Military Light Railway

After a short while walking the route of the railway you will reach some access land that takes you across to Stonehenge.

http://wiltshireweb.co.uk/walks/sarsen-trail

GPS Track
2344_0.gpx273.82 KB

Comments

We actually ended up taking a different route from the Sarsens trail by following the ridgeway route to the east of the Avebury Stone Circle, hoping to cross back to it at some point.  In the end we met up with the Sarsens trail route at Salisbury plain, about half way and then we couldn't follow the Salisbury plain route for very long as the flags were up indicating military training exercises, so I continued to the east of the plains.  Please see this link for a more accurate version of of my run https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/4493226/Avebury-to-Stonehenge, where you can also download the gpx file.  Much more map reading than we intended, and probably added some distance too.