Crofton, Wilton Water. 3 miles
Date: Thursday 21st March 2024
Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 pm
Location: Car Park at Crofton Pumping Station, Crofton, SN8 3DW
This group walk was based on our recently rerouted Walk No 4 which can be found on the Self Guided walks page of the website. The instructions on the leaflet now start at Wilton because the car park at Crofton is only open to the public during the pumping station’s opening times.
However, our walk began at Crofton because we were able to park there by kind permission of the manager. Our 12 walkers, plus one small one in a back pack, left the car park under grey skies, and we walked over the railway and canal bridges, by Samuel Farmer Lock and along Dark Lane. There we left the lane and took a short flight of wooden steps up the bank and across two fields which until recently had 4 stiles to negotiate. The stiles were replaced with gates in 2023, funded by Pewsey Area Board and installed with help from Bedwyn Footpaths Volunteers, Wilts Council’s countryside access officer and the landowner. We then crossed a spring that feeds Wilton water and climbed the steep bank up from the stream. We reached Wilton and stopped briefly to greet the emus, then the intention was to return alongside Wilton Water but the heavy rains of recent months had left that area deep in mud so we took the high road instead following the telegraph lines. Our walk ended along the towpath just as the sun made a rare appearance.
