Avon Valley Path: Downton to Salisbury

Directions

This leg starts off at the junction of High Street and Moot Lane in Downton. Turn left and follow the High Street as it heads westwards, curving around to cross a tributary of the River Avon. The road curves again to head northwestwards, soon reaching another tributary of the river. Cross this bridge, and then immediately turn right to join a footpath.

This footpath initially follows the river on the right, before curving away slightly to the left to head northwestwards for a few yards, before curving to the right to head northwards once more along an obvious path. The path curves to the left to reach a stile; cross this and reach a track on the other side. Turn right and start following this track northwards. When this curves to the left at SU175225, turn right to cross a stile and continue northwards across a series of fields. In the third field aim just to the right of a house; pass this and go through a clapper gate to join Warrens Lane. Turn left to head westwards along this road. After a few yards a junction with Lower Road is reached; turn right to head northwards along Lower Road.

Follow the road as it curves to the left near the church. The map shows the path heading off to the right across a playing field; instead, continue west along the road past the church and then turn right to cross a stile into a field. The path heads northwestwards across fields; it joins a track for a short distance before heading off to the right across fields before meeting a road at SU170245. Turn right along this road and follow it northwards for a third of a mile until just after Matrimony Farm, and then turn left along another footpath that heads northwestwards for a short distance across a field before ending at the A338 road. Carefully cross the A338 and turn left for a few yards before turning right uphill along a bridleway to the west, with a hedge on the right. After a tenth of a mile turn right to go through the hedge and join a footpath that initially heads northwards, passing under some power lines. It becomes a track that curves to the left to take a more westerly course.

The path passes a farm on the left and meets a road to the south of Nunton; follow this road westwards for a couple of hundred yards, and when it curves to the left cross a stile to continue straight on along another footpath that heads westwards for 0.4 miles to a track to the south of Odstock Farm. Continue on along the footpath as it squeezes past a wall on the right and enters a paddock. Head diagonally across this paddock to reach another road in Odstock. Cross this road and take a footpath directly opposite that heads up Shepher's Close. When this road ends, continue on through a car park and then across a playing field. The footpath soon curves to the right to end at a bend in a road at SU143261. Head down this road, and when it curves to the right turn left along another footpath.

This footpath heads slightly north of west for about half a mile to a footbridge over the River Ebble. The path winds around before heading northwestwards along a footpath that ends at a track. Cross the track, and on the other side climb uphill to the north along another track that climbs uphill north to Dogdean Farm. At the farm the track curves to the left to head westwards, and then turn right to follow another path northeastwards for 0.6 miles, descending and climbing until a crossroad with another track is reached at SU137279.

Turn left along a track for 0.4 miles to the A354 road; cross this, and continue along a track called Old Shaftesbury Drove for a short distance. Turn right to climb eastwards, and just after the first house on the right turn left to take a footpath that heads northwards across Harnham Hill, with houses on the right. When this ends at a T-junction with another track at SU134287 above Harnham Slope, turn right to head eastwards along the track. This slowly descends before ending at the junction of Glasmere Close and Old Blandford Road. Turn left and follow Old Blandford Road for a short distance down until it ends at the A3094. Turn right and then left, to follow Harnham Road northeastwards. At a road junction turn left to head north along St Nicholas Road and reach a bridge over the River Avon.

Continue on along this road from the bridge, and when it curves to the right turn left along another De Vaux Place. Head under a gateway and turn to the right to head northwards towards the cathedral. This walk - and the Avon Valley Path - ends at the statue of The Walking Madonna outside the Cathedral.

Places of interest

Transport

Twice-hourly X3 bus services run between Salisbury and Downton during the week, with an hourly service on Sundays.

Other walk accounts

This leg is mentioned in the following web pages:

• Salisbury to Downton
• Fordingbridge to Salisbury

Map information

Landranger (1:50,000)		Explorer (1:25,000)
Landranger 184 (Salisbury & The Plain, Amesbury)	or	Explorer 130 (Salisbury & Stonehenge)