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Brass Rubbings along King Alfred's Trail in Pewsey

Now you can actually "Do something interesting" on a walk! Take a summer stroll in the beautiful Pewsey Vale along the banks of the Kennet & Avon canal at Pewsey, and into the countryside beyond, to collect 20 brass rubbings at interesting stages on the 4 walks that make up the King Alfred's Trail. Maps of the 4 walks and clues to the 20 brass rubbings can be downloaded further down this page as PDF files.

One of the brass plaques showing a spiderYou can take a pad and pencil with you along the 4 walks and rub the 20 engraved plaques. The plaques are decorated with images of animals, insects and plants that you might expect to find along the walks and make a great collection to show off to friends and family.

Brass rubbing on the King Alfred's TrailThe plaques have been developed by 'Wiltshire Walking for All', a pilot project designed to encourage everyone, of whatever age or ability, to do some outdoor activity. The project is looking at routes that are suitable for all ages and those who are pushing buggies or who are in wheelchairs. Walk 1 of the King Alfred's Trail, through the Scotchel Nature Reserve and up to Pewsey Wharf is suitable for buggies and motorised wheelchairs, having a firm surface throughout.

You can stop for refreshment at Pewsey Wharf (walks 1, 2 and 4) at the pub by the village green at Wilcot (walk 2) or, when you've finished your walk there are plenty of places in Pewsey village where you can enjoy refreshments at local tea shops, pubs and the delicatessen. Have a great time!

You can reach Pewsey village by train, bus, bicycle or car.

Parking in car parks in Pewsey is free!

You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDFs on this page. If you do not have it, click here to download it free of charge

>>Download a map of the 4 walks as a PDF file (111Kb)

Walk 1 - Village to Pewsey Wharf - 1.8 km (1.1 miles) (Approx time with rubbings 30 minutes)

>>Download Walk 1 as a PDF file (88 Kb)

Walk 2 - Wharf to Wilcot Village - 2.3 km (1.4 miles) (Approx time with rubbings 40 minutes)

>>Download Walk 2 as a PDF file (148 Kb)

Walk 3 - Wilcot back to Pewsey - 5.5 km (3.4 miles) (Approx time with rubbings 1 hour 40 minutes)

>>Download Walk 3 as a PDF file (82 Kb)

Walk 4 - Wharf to New Mill and back to Pewsey - 7 km (4.4 miles) (Approx time with rubbings 2 hours)

>>Download Walk 4 as a PDF file (144 Kb)

>>Download Clues to plaques 1 - 20 as a PDF file (36 Kb)

If the King Alfred's Trail rubbings prove successful it is hoped to spread the project to other areas of the county so 'Wiltshire Walking for All' would like to know whether you enjoyed your walk and collecting the brass rubbings along the way. Please could you complete the feedback form which can be downloaded below:

>>Download Feedback Form as a word document (please note the prize draw has now closed)

Wiltshire Walking for All was a pilot project (Feb 08 - Mar 09) funded by the South West Regional Development Agency via VisitWiltshire Tourism Partnership and Wiltshire County Council.

All the plaques have been sponsored by local businesses and Wiltshire organisations interested in healthy activity development for all ages.

>>Download a list of sponsors and grid references for the plaques as a PDF file (34 Kb)

[Although the prize draw is now closed you can view the original leaflet produced for the trail at its launch]