Stonehenge Trail Details

Distance: 8 ½ miles (13.7km)
Time: 4.5 hours
Maps: OS Explorer 130
Start/Parking: Recreation Ground car park, Amesbury. Grid reference 150412
Nearest Town: Amesbury
Terrain: Field paths and tracks
Refreshment: Public houses and cafes in Amesbury. Snacks at Stonehenge
Public Transport:  Rail: Salisbury, Buses: Travel Line – Tel: 0870 6082608
Tel: 0870 333 1181

1. From the car park walk along a wide track at the north-west end of the recreation ground.

Cross a footbridge over the River Avon and bear right to cross three further bridges close together.  The path now bears to the left and on reaching a finger-post, go right on a wide track to the right of a house.  The track is signposted to Durnford.

Continue on this enclosed track which ascends through farmland to reach a cross track. Keep ahead on this track which is still sign posted to Durnford.

The track now descends and just before it starts to climb uphill again go right at a Sergeant Walk finger-post.

2.  Pass through a metal gate and cross a field keeping the field edge to your left to reach a gate on the left in the far corner of the field.

Go through the gate and keep ahead on a grass track, which soon continues to the left of a stream. On reaching a footbridge go right to cross the stream and continue on a narrow path to reach another bridge.

Cross the bridge over the River Avon and keep ahead to cross a small brick bridge over a ditch and reach a stile in a fence.  Do not cross the stile but go right to follow the edge of the field, keeping the fence to your left.

Ignore another stile on your left by a high wall and keep ahead to cross a stile and join a metalled driveway. Go right on this driveway to reach a metalled road.

3. Go left and continue on this road to reach the driveway of Springbottom Farm on the right.  Go right on the driveway and in approx. 40yds (37m) go right again to join a tree-lined path, which runs parallel to the driveway.

Continue uphill on this path which after passing farm buildings descends and rejoins the driveway just before Springbottom Farm.

Continue on a wide track to the left of the farm buildings and at a fork take the right-hand track. This wide, enclosed grass track soon starts to climb uphill and Bronze Age burial mounds can be seen on both sides of the track.

On reaching the ridge the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge can be seen dominating the landscape directly ahead.

4. When the track starts to descend go left over a stile and cross a field, keeping the field edge to your left.

At the far side of the field cross another stile and go right on a wide enclosed track. Continue on this track which soon joins the A303. Take care crossing this major east-west trunk-road and keep ahead on the track opposite which then reaches the A344.

Cross the road and go right to visit Stonehenge.

5. After visiting Stonehenge return to the track by the car park and go right to continue on the track.

When the track bears to the left and descends towards a coniferous plantation, cross a National Trust stile on the right.

Bear left, downhill to a stile on the far side of the field. Cross this stile and keep ahead to cross another stile then continue with field edge and trees to your left.

At the far end of the trees, in the corner of the field, cross a stile and maintain direction on a wide track.

At a cross track keep ahead on a wide enclosed track which passes to the right of houses.  The track eventually bears to the left towards woodland to join the track bed of a dismantled railway.

At this point you will see a finger-post on the left.  Go left to the finger-post then immediately right on a narrow path, which runs to the left and parallel with the dismantled railway, and with the woodland on your left.

6.  Continue on this path to the far end of the woodland then go left on a track, with the woodland to your left, which soon joins a metalled road.

Go right and continue along this road to find Woodhenge on the right.

After visiting Woodhenge retrace your steps to the corner of the woodland then bear left on a narrow path which soon rejoins the track bed of the dismantled railway.

Continue on this track which heads back towards Amesbury to join the A345, ignoring a track on the right signposted to Old King Barrows.

7.  Go right on the A345 to cross a roundabout at a junction with the A303 and keep ahead towards Amesbury.

At a cross roads with traffic lights go right to continue through the High Street, passing the church of St Mary and St Mellor and crossing a bridge over the River Avon.

When the road bends sharply to the right, go left on Recreation Road to return to the car park

Full details of this walk and others in the area are outlined in 'Trails to Trust, Heritage Hikes, South West -Volume 1'. Priced at £5.95 it is available in most English Heritage site gift shops.