Almost a year ago Wiltshire Council opened a permissive bridleway connecting Pitton to Firsdown. An added bonus is that midway along it links to a footpath that was previously an anomaly, a footpath that stopped at a field boundary and did not go any further. Today I plan to use these paths to do a circular walk from Pitton which will take in the hillforts at Figsbury Rings and Old Sarum as well as Salisbury Cathedral and the remains of Clarendon Place.
Starting from the Silver Plough I follow the lane beside the pub, The Green, and after 300 metres take a footpath on the left leading through a small nature reserve and children’s playground. Reaching a road I cross and follow Church Lane and then turn right on Black Lane and head uphill to turn right along Above Hedges. This leads to the permissive bridleway which I follow, almost immediately passing a newly planted community orchard.
I now ascend steadily along the wide permissive bridleway as it heads towards a belt of trees.
Alongside the trees I stop to take in the view along the valley. Most of the land in front of me is a former council dairy farm, but recently Wiltshire Council decided to utilise the land as part of a nitrate offset scheme and the RSPB are now managing it to create Roundbarrow Nature Reserve.
Turning a corner the path descends steeply, at the bottom of the hill I take a footpath on the left which heads across a large arable field.
After crossing the field the path goes through a hedgerow to meet another path, here I turn left and join the Monarch’s Way and follow it past a farm with vines growing in fields and go straight on at a junction of tracks. Within 100 metres I reach another crossing of tracks. There are fine views towards Salisbury in front of me. However I turn right and just after 150 metres take a footpath on the left which goes along the edge of a field with a fence to my right.
The path leads to the busy A30 which I cross with care and then follow a footpath opposite which heads towards a gate on the right giving access to the Neolithic and Iron Age site of Figsbury Ring.
After wandering around a section of the ring I rejoin the Monarch’s Way, leaving the access land by a gate in the western corner of the field.
I have joined a track descending towards the Winterbournes.
I go through a kissing gate by a farm gate and continue along a tarmac lane that goes under a railway bridge to reach the village. The lane leads to the A338 where I turn left by St Michael and All Angels Church.
After two hundred metres on the pavement beside the main road I turn right into Tanners Lane and follow this lane as it heads to the River Bourne. I stay with the lane until it reaches a ford, here I take the footbridge and cross the river.
After crossing the river I turn left and follow a track, ignoring a turning to the left I continue along the route of the Monarch’s Way which soon leads along the edge of a field.
At a junction of tracks with a sewage works in front of me I turn right and head steadily uphill still following the Monarch’s Way, this is a long distance route that roughly follows the journey made by Charles II after the battle of Worcester in 1651. The 625-mile route starts in Worcester and after a convoluted route reaches the Dorset coast and then heads east to finally end at Shoreham-on-Sea.
After 800 metres I reach the Portway, this B road follows the route of an old Roman Road. I cross this road to join a track, away to my left is a World War II pillbox.
This well used track appears to have a concrete base which I assume is a left over from military use during World War II when there were military airfields at nearby High Post and Old Sarum.
I stay with this track to reach the busy A345 and cross with care, there is good visibility in both directions but this is a fast stretch of road. On the far side I continue along the Monarch’s Way now a tree and hedge lined path.
At a path on my left I leave the Monarch’s Way crossing an arable field planted with oilseed rape.
After passing a barn and going through a belt of trees the path leads to a junction of tracks close to Keeper’s Cottage.
I turn left and head uphill, over the brow I get a good view of Old Sarum. This was originally an iron age hillfort before becoming a Roman encampment. Later during the reign of William the Conqueror it because a major administrative centre and contained a cathedral. In 1217 it was decided to relocate the cathedral to the water meadows below and so began the gradual transition to New Sarum, which today we know as Salisbury.
The track passes Shepherd’s Corner and then continues to reach a road which I cross and join a path heading below the ramparts of Old Sarum. After going through a gate I turn right and walk one hundred metres up the driveway to Old Sarum where I take a footpath on the left enjoying views towards Salisbury Cathedral.
Legend has it that in 1197 Bishop Richard Poole was seeking a new location for his cathedral and he asked an archer to fire an arrow from the Old Sarum ramparts and where it landed he would build the cathedral. It is said that the arrow hit a deer and where it died is the location of the current Salisbury Cathedral.
I take the footpath heading towards the A345, but before reaching the road I turn right on a path that goes across fields below the ramparts. At a fork in the path I go to the right and follow the hedge line to the south of Old Sarum.
Going through a gate I reach a crossing of paths. I go straight on along a hedge lined track to descend towards Stratford sub Castle.
At a road I turn right and walk 200 metres to a junction with Mill Lane, I turn left and follow the lane towards the River Avon. Initially I was not aware of previously having walked this path but somehow it felt familiar. Then it dawned on me that this was part of a cross country route I was forced to run whilst at Secondary School. Whilst keen on sport I did not derive pleasure from running in the depths of winter, often being chased by a pack of wandering dogs! So I was one of many lads seeking ways to avoid going all the way to Old Sarum from our school on Bemerton Heath.
It is bizarre how a location can spark distant school day memories, sadly in my case not happy ones. I work out it was fifty-four years ago when I was last here, then my mind was occupied with which of the three evils I would likely encounter on the way back to school; my biggest concern was a persistent bully, followed closely by the feral dogs and finally the sports master who would not listen to any excuse as to why the route had not been fully completed.
Today on reaching the River Avon I am able to appreciate the beauty of the location. I am sure I would have got much more from my education if I had been able to focus some of my studies on the countryside and wildlife.
From the river I continue on the path for 100 metres to reach a crossing of paths where I turn left on the route of the Pewsey Avon Trail and head towards Salisbury. The Pewsey Avon Trail is a 28-mile, long distance path following the River Avon from Pewsey to Salisbury, where it joins the Avon Valley Trail to head a further 34-miles to Christchurch.
A couple of years ago I walked the Avon Valley Trail, I was glad to tick it off, but can’t say that I enjoyed the section from Ringwood to Christchurch, so it is a route I won’t be repeating.
The path passes allotments and then gets close to the River Avon again. Over the last year or so there have been major works on the course of the River Avon as it nears Salisbury and then runs through the city.
One of the benefits of the recent works is the installation of board walks and new pathways enabling closer access to the river.
Now on the outskirts of Salisbury I stay with the river as it heads into the city centre.
In the middle of Salisbury I walk along the High Street and then go through High Street Gate to the Cathedral Close and stop briefly on a bench for some refreshments. The height of Salisbury Cathedral, 404 feet, was drummed into me at school, along with the names of the five rivers of Salisbury. Despite having lived my whole life in the city I have only been inside the cathedral about five times.
I leave the Cathedral Close via St Ann’s Gate and turn along St John’s Street before continuing into Catherine Street.
At a cross roads I turn right into Milford Street and follow this out of Salisbury as it turns into Milford Hill. From here I take a footpath to the right of the entrance to Goldolphin School which leads to Milford Hollow. Over recent years this area has been transformed into a small nature reserve.
After crossing the railway line I continue downhill to reach Manor Farm Road which I cross to join Milford Mill Road. After crossing Milford Mill Bridge I turn left into Queen Manor Road and follow this until I reach the gates to Clarendon Estate.
I am now on the route of the Clarendon Way, a 27-mile long footpath between the cathedrals of Salisbury and Winchester. The route is well way marked as I continue along Queens Manor Road and then fork right to cross a field before heading uphill on a track.
Near the top of the hill I take a path on the left which leads to the site of the remains of Clarendon Palace. It is thought that Clarendon became a royal hunting ground in the reign of Henry I, when a hunting lodge was established. Henry II and Henry III both developed the site into a Royal Palace. By the 1500’s the palace was not being fully maintained by the monarchy and fell into disrepair.
In 1649 after the execution of Charles I the place was confiscated, but later restored by Charles II who then transferred ownership to George Monck. There ended the royal association with the estate. In the 1700’s a new mansion was built within the Clarendon estate and the former palace was left to nature. In the 1960’s, when I was growing up locally, I often explored the woods with mates seeking out the palace remains, however then the whole site was overgrown and whilst we could spot the odd bit of wall very little else could be seen. However, in subsequent years there has been work to clear the site and make the remains more prominent.
Leaving the site I rejoin the Clarendon Way and follow this as it goes left to fork away from the track. These paths are very familiar to me as they form part of a walk I do regularly when I am at home.
The route now carries straight on through the woods to pass Four Cottages and then head towards Pitton.
In the village I turn left onto Slateway and then at a crossroads go right to head uphill to return to the Sliver Plough from where I started my walk.
This has been a cracking route, just short of 18 miles and passing through four historic sites close to my home.
To follow this walk you will need Ordnance Survey Outdoor Explorer Map – 130 – Salisbury & Stonehenge
You can view this walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here (Subscription to OS Maps Required)
18th April 2026
© Two Dogs and an Awning (2026)
All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it. To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk. It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.