Ecchinswell and Nuthanger Farm

The school house, Ecchinswell

A nice Sunday morning walk. This begins in the village of Ecchinswell, heads south and quite quickly offers lovely views towards the famous Watership Down and thereafter towards Highclere Castle, by the Victorian architect Sir Charles Barry, seat of the Earls of Carnarvon. It then skirts the Sydmonton estate (Lord Lloyd-Webber) and (for the shorter version of the walk) cuts through some nice woodland to return to the start. Four miles (the longer walk is five miles).

View towards Highclere Castle

Woodland path

Rating: three stars.

From: Rambling for Pleasure: Kennet Valley and Watership Down by David Bounds for the East Berkshire Ramblers’ Association Group.

Maps: Explorer 158 (Newbury and Hungerford) and 144 (Basingstoke)


Sightings

Deer are quite common around here and we saw this specimen on the edge of a field, waiting patiently for some action.