Walking in Wiltshire
Wiltshire is chalk country: the open Marlborough Downs around Avebury, the vast grassland of Salisbury Plain and the white horses cut into its escarpments, with the Ridgeway setting out from Overton Hill. In the north-west are the stone villages of Lacock and Castle Combe.
Walks with a mapped start point are plotted above; the rest appear when you search their town. Zoom, drag or click a pin to explore, or search a town to list its walks.
Choose a starting town
Marlborough Downs & Avebury
Devizes, Salisbury Plain & Longleat
Chippenham, Lacock & Castle Combe
Salisbury & the south
Top walks by area
A starting point for each part of Wiltshire: well-documented routes that finish back where they start, between 1 and 12 miles.
Marlborough Downs & Avebury
- West Overton West Woods LoopWest Overton · 4.9 mi
- Ogbourne St Andrews via The Marlborough DownsOgbourne St Andrew · 3.5 mi
Devizes, Salisbury Plain & Longleat
- Heytesbury To Tytherington Circular WalkHeytesbury · 3.5 mi
- Heavens Gate Loop WalkHorningsham · 1.8 mi
- Market Lavington via West Lavington and Wessex RidgewayMarket Lavington · 4.2 mi
Chippenham, Lacock & Castle Combe
- Ford via Castle Combe and Long DeanFord · 4.4 mi
Popular in Wiltshire
Know before you go
Practical points for walking in Wiltshire. Rules and timetables change, so check the linked sources before you set off.
Stonehenge and Avebury
Stonehenge, Avebury and their surrounding monuments were inscribed together as a World Heritage Site in 1986. The great henge at Avebury lies about 17 miles north of Stonehenge, and several of our walks pass through it.
Salisbury Plain
Much of the Plain is a military training area. Check live firing times on GOV.UK before you go, keep to public rights of way and marked permissive routes, obey red flags, red lights and signs, and never touch military debris.
White Horse Trail
This 91-mile circular trail links the county’s eight white horses, at Westbury, Pewsey, Marlborough, Hackpen Hill, Broad Town, Cherhill, Alton Barnes and Devizes.
Wessex Ridgeway
The Wessex Ridgeway runs about 138 miles from Marlborough to Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast, and one of our Market Lavington walks follows part of it along the edge of Salisbury Plain.
Lacock
Lacock is owned almost entirely by the National Trust. Lacock Abbey was home to the photography pioneer Henry Fox Talbot, and the village has been a film location for Pride and Prejudice, Cranford and Harry Potter.
Maps
Avebury and the Marlborough Downs are on OS Explorer 157 (Marlborough and Savernake Forest), and Salisbury and Stonehenge on OS Explorer 130.
Walking in Wiltshire: questions
How many walks are there in Wiltshire?
We list 13 walking routes in Wiltshire, starting from 11 towns and villages. The typical route is about 4 miles; 4 are under 4 miles and 5 are 10 miles or more. Every route is free to view.
Which towns have the most walks?
Wroughton (2), Market Lavington (2) and Beckhampton (1). Use the town search or the town list on this page to see every walk from a particular place.
Are there short circular walks in Wiltshire?
Yes. 3 routes under 4 miles finish where they start, including Heavens Gate Loop Walk (1.8 mi), Heytesbury To Tytherington Circular Walk (3.5 mi) and Ogbourne St Andrews via The Marlborough Downs (3.5 mi). Choose Under 4 mi and Back to start in the filters above to see them all.
Can I take my dog on Wiltshire walks?
Yes, on most routes. Keep dogs under close control around livestock on the downs, and on a lead no longer than 2 metres on open access land from 1 March to 31 July. See Know before you go for more.
Can I walk on Salisbury Plain?
Yes, on public rights of way and marked permissive routes, but much of the Plain is a military training area. Check live firing times on GOV.UK first and keep out wherever red flags, red lights or signs say access is closed.
How many white horses are there in Wiltshire?
The White Horse Trail links eight of them, at Westbury, Pewsey, Marlborough, Hackpen Hill, Broad Town, Cherhill, Alton Barnes and Devizes, on a 91-mile circuit.
Which long-distance trails pass through Wiltshire?
The Ridgeway National Trail, Wessex Ridgeway, White Horse Trail and Mid Wilts Way all pass through Wiltshire, and each has its own guide on Walking Rambler.