Tower and Town, December 2014

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Peter Noble Suggests A Marlborough Walk

A friend once proudly announced that there were several good walks within ten minutes of his town centre. Somewhat ungraciously I responded by saying there are probably several good walks within ten minutes of all British town centres, London excepted - although my daughter, who works near Trafalgar Square, recently expressed her pleasure and privilege at being able to jog through Green Park and Hyde Park and daily enjoy them and the local architecture that tourists pay small fortunes to visit.

However, I can think of few countries that can boast such varied and pleasant scenery as we have in Britain, and all so accessible. Our countryside may not be ‘grand’, we have no massive waterfalls, no giant redwoods, no glaciers or high mountains, even our biggest rivers are quite modest, but nor do we have to drive for hours to get anywhere or for our scenery to change character.

We are so lucky in Marlborough, for we have good and varied walks even more accessible, and here is one that starts at the Library in the High Street!

1 Take Hyde Lane to the all-weather sports area then follow the path beside this and parallel to Hyde Lane (not to the College complex).

2 At the top of the grassy path turn left up the rough road to the cemetery.

3 Turn right along the track between the old and new graveyards to the Common then briefly join the new footpath left to the cemetery gates.

4 So cross the road (Free’s Avenue) and continue left along the edge of the golf fairway.

5 At the end is a small path through shrubby trees that briefly meets the road then swings right through an open gateway into a field.

6 Turn left along the edge of the field until you are opposite the large entrance to the Manton Estate. Cross the road, enter the estate and follow the metalled road that eventually swings left to the farm.

7 Just before the farm, turn right up a quite steep rough road beside a wood.

8 At the top, the road becomes more of field-side track that swings right at the end of the trees. Here you should see a signpost and a path that turns left. Follow it with a hedge and field on your left, an open field on your right.

9 The track skirts a few trees and enters another field above the College Fields housing estate. Turn left (houses below on your right) and follow the field edge until you finally descend to a small road.

10 Turn right and keep going until you reach the A4 opposite the College Chapel, then left back to the High Street.

Distance: generously 3.5 miles.

Peter Noble