Uffington White Horse & Wayland's Smithy
North Wessex Downs Walk
Region - North Wessex Downs
County/Area - Oxfordshire
Author - Lou Johnson
Length - 3.3 miles / 5.3 km Ascent - 300 feet / 91 metres
Time - 2 hours 0 minutes Grade - easy
Maps
Ordnance Survey Explorer 170 | Sheet Map | 1:25k | BUY |
Anquet OS Explorer 170 | Digital Map | 1:25k | BUY |
Ordnance Survey Landranger 174 | Sheet Map | 1:50k | BUY |
Anquet OS Landranger 174 | Digital Map | 1:50k | BUY |
Walk Route Description
Click image to see photo description.
This short walk provides an excellent way to explore a number of ancient monuments including the White Horse, Uffington Castle and the Long Barrow at Wayland's Smithy together with a section of the Ridgeway one of Britain's oldest thoroughfares.
The start is at the White Horse pay and display car park (grid ref. SU293865) which is signed off the B4507 Ashbury to Wantage road near the village of Woolstone. Exit the parking area and walk up the access lane. Continue straight ahead at the first junction. In a short way you will reach another junction. This is the Ridgeway. Turn right and follow the Ridgeway to Wayland's Smithy. There are wide ranging views on this section of the walk.
The Long Barrow at Wayland's Smithy (grid ref. SU282854) is an excellent example of a burial mound with the entrance protected by large stones. Once you have explored the site walk back to the Ridgeway and return the way you came. Continue past the lane where you came up from the car park and start the gradual climb up to Uffington Castle.
Just past the extensive earthworks you will see a gate on your left and the trig point. Go through the gate from where you can explore the extensive earthworks. To continue, walk at right angles to the Ridgeway descending slightly to reach the viewing point for the Uffington White Horse. At close quarters it is quite hard to visualise the horse so it is a good idea to take a picture with you so you can fully appreciate what you are looking at!
Once you have finished enjoying the White Horse bear west to pick up a wide grassy path. This leads to a lane. Cross the lane and continue on the grassy path back to the car park. If you are lucky there might be an ice-cream van waiting for your business.
Other walks nearby
Walk 1554 | Wayland's Smithy & Uffington Castle | easy/mod | 5.5 miles |
Walk 2410 | Wayland's Smithy, Ashdown House and Ashbury | easy/mod | 7.5 miles |
Walk 1419 | The Lambourn Downs from near Astbury | moderate | 14.0 miles |
Walk 3630 | Longcot & Uffington Circular | easy | 5.2 miles |
Walk 1069 | Badbury Hill, including the Great Barn at Great Coxwell | easy | 6.0 miles |
Walk 1061 | Faringdon, Radcot and Littleworth | easy/mod | 8.0 miles |
Walk 1063 | Faringdon, Buckland & Pusey | easy/mod | 10.5 miles |
Walk 1064 | Faringdon Folly, Buckland Warren and Hatford | easy/mod | 8.0 miles |
Walk 1066 | Faringdon, Wicklesham, The Folly & Folly Park | easy | 4.0 miles |
Walk 1079 | Faringdon, Thrupp and towards Lechlade | easy | 6.5 miles |
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Walking in the North Wessex Downs
30 walking routes exploring the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The routes are between 7km to 20km through this peaceful rolling chalk landscape covering parts of four counties: Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire, with descriptions to reach the highest points in each one.
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