{"id":1910,"date":"2019-12-07T02:45:23","date_gmt":"2019-12-07T01:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=1910"},"modified":"2019-12-07T08:29:41","modified_gmt":"2019-12-07T07:29:41","slug":"great-bedwyn-wilton-wilts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=1910","title":{"rendered":"Great Bedwyn &#038; Wilton, Wilts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">function popwalk(walk) {var url = \"\/Walks\/amap.php?f=\"+walk; varwalkwindow=window.open(url,\"walkwin\",\"height=740,width=1230,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes\"); if (window.focus) {walkwindow.focus()}}<\/script><br \/>\nFirst published in: The Times <a href=\"javascript:popwalk('GreatBedwyn.jpg');\" rel=\"nozoom\" title=\"Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window\">Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919254128_7207e73571_z.jpg\" title= \"48919254128 Kennet &amp; Avon Canal at Great Bedwyn 1\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919254128_7207e73571_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919256433_6e3dbe1f02_z.jpg\" title= \"48919256433 Crofton Lock pumping station 2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919256433_6e3dbe1f02_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919256068_2c7a28bac5_z.jpg\" title= \"48919256068 path in Wilton Brail\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919256068_2c7a28bac5_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919787286_38c05f3743_z.jpg\" title= \"48919787286 path from Wilton Brail to Bedwyn Brail\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919787286_38c05f3743_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919786881_2590ed8eb9_z.jpg\" title= \"48919786881 totem poles on Bedwyn Brail ridge\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919786881_2590ed8eb9_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919993847_b3b12d6e06_z.jpg\" title= \"48919993847 Kennet &amp; Avon Canal at Great Bedwyn 2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919993847_b3b12d6e06_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919993602_d44b6f4aae_z.jpg\" title= \"48919993602 Kennet &amp; Avon Canal at Great Bedwyn 3\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919993602_d44b6f4aae_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919254558_5ceca67e30_z.jpg\" title= \"48919254558 Kennet &amp; Avon Canal at Great Bedwyn 4\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919254558_5ceca67e30_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919253868_22ef40a3ec_z.jpg\" title= \"48919253868 Kennet &amp; Avon Canal near Great Bedwyn\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919253868_22ef40a3ec_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919785316_a867ee2d84_z.jpg\" title= \"48919785316 Crofton Lock pumping station 1\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919785316_a867ee2d84_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919253233_e94420a2ce_z.jpg\" title= \"48919253233 Wilton Water, reservoir for the Kennet &amp; Avon Canal\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/48919253233_e94420a2ce_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nFacebook Link: <script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=1910\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" width=\"200\" colorscheme=\"dark\"><\/fb:like><br \/>\n<a href=\"javascript:pwindow=window.open('\/Walks\/prn.php?f=1910','pwin','height=700,width=1000,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes');\" title=\"Click for printable version\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/Walks\/print.gif\" align=\"right\"><\/a><br \/>\nIt was cool and misty across the Wiltshire downs. I hung over the twin bridges at Great Bedwyn, first watching the train rattle away towards Newbury, then admiring the slender curves of the Kennet &#038; Avon Canal.<\/p>\n<p>The lacy stonework of the church tower rose among autumn trees \u2013 crimson, gold, lemon yellow, scarlet. Beyond the bridge lay narrowboats with cosily smoking chimneys, a wintering community of water gypsies that looked almost as settled as the village itself.<\/p>\n<p>The towpath of the Kennet &#038; Avon led south. The canal lay as still as a pond, its grey-brown water disturbed only by the gentle pat and ripple of falling willow leaves. A milky sheen glinted on chalky fields newly sown with spring wheat. Beside Lock 61 a tremendous grunting came from a pig palace of straw bales, where a massive ginger sow luxuriated in the mud.<\/p>\n<p>The tall chimney of Crofton pumping station loomed ahead, softened by mist. Built in 1812 to pump water to the adjacent summit ponds of the Kennet &#038; Avon, nowadays its preserved Boulton &#038; Watt steam engine, a mighty monster, is the oldest working beam engine in the world.<\/p>\n<p>Here I turned aside along the canal reservoir of Wilton Water, a rushy lake winding under willows. A young heron, disturbed at my approach, took off from its fishing stance and flapped away like an animated umbrella.<\/p>\n<p>Above the brick-and-timber village of Wilton, larks sang over Dodsdown. The path led across a rain-pearled beet field into the neighbouring woods of Wilton Brail and Bedwyn Brail, deer parks in the long ago. An eerie half-light lingered among the enormous storm-shattered carcases of fallen beech trees. Long tailed tits passed in a twittering flock. Sweet chestnut husks littered the path, neatly split into quarters and robbed of their contents by squirrels.<\/p>\n<p>At the summit of Bedwyn Brail I sat on a bench looking across the golden woods. Just southward along the ridge lay the earthworks of a grand mansion planned, but never completed, by Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and lord of Wolf Hall. At one time Seymour flew high as Lord Protector to his nephew, young Edward VI. But his flight ended in 1552, crashing Icarus-like to earth at the execution block.<\/p>\n<p>When the foundations of Bedwyn Brail house were excavated a few years ago, the brick-built water system installed in 1549 by the royal Sergeant Plumber was found to be still working perfectly. <\/p>\n<p>Start: Bedwyn railway station, Great Bedwyn, SN8 3PB (OS ref SU 280645)<\/p>\n<p>Getting there: Train to Great Bedwyn; bus 22 (Marlborough-Hungerford)<br \/>\nRoad &#8211; Great Bedwyn is signed from Froxfield on A4 east of Hungerford (M4, Jct 14).<\/p>\n<p>Walk (6\u00bd miles, easy, OS Explorer 157): South for 1\u00be miles along Kennet &#038; Avon Canal towpath. Opposite Crofton Lock pumping station, left (262623, &#8216;Wilton Windmill&#8217;); footpath to road in Wilton (267616). Left past Swan Inn (&#8216;Great Bedwyn&#8217;); opposite Tidcombe turning, left (270617), &#8216;Crofton&#8217; fingerpost). In 100m, right; follow yellow arrows into Wilton Brail wood (271622) and on. In \u00be mile cross road (278627); on into Bedwyn Brail wood. At benches on ridge (284625), left and follow &#8216;Great Bedwyn&#8217; and &#8216;footpath&#8217; for nearly 1 mile to north edge of wood (283638). Cross field to far right corner (281641, yellow arrows); right down path to road (281649); left to station.<\/p>\n<p>Lunch: Three Tuns, Great Bedwyn (01672-870289; <a href=\"http:\/\/tunsfreehouse.com\">tunsfreehouse.com<\/a>); Swan Inn, Wilton SN8 3SS (01672-870274, <a href=\"http:\/\/theswanwilton.com\">theswanwilton.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Accommodation: Pelican Inn, Bath Road, Froxfield, Marlborough SN8 3JY (01488-682479, <a href=\"http:\/\/pelicaninn.co.uk\">pelicaninn.co.uk<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Info: Marlborough TIC (01672-512487); <a href=\"http:\/\/visitwiltshire.co.uk\">visitwiltshire.co.uk<\/a><br \/>\nCrofton Beam Engine opening and steam days: <a href=\"http:\/\/croftonbeamengines.org\">croftonbeamengines.org<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/satmap.com\">satmap.com<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/ramblers.org.uk\">ramblers.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was cool and misty across the Wiltshire downs. I hung over the twin bridges at Great Bedwyn, first watching the train rattle away towards Newbury, then admiring the slender curves of the Kennet &#038; Avon Canal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1912,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-walks","category-3-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1910"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1910\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}