The Bath Arms and Longleat Estate

THE BATH ARMS AND LONGLEAT
ESTATE
WARMINSTER, WILTSHIRE
Challenging Terrain
A 5 mile circular pub walk from The
Bath Arms in Crockerton, near
Warminster in Wiltshire.
The Bath Arms is a delightful country pub, sourcing the
best and freshest local produce with a menu that
changes daily. The walking route explores the beautiful
surroundings of the Longleat Estate, a stunning area of
mixed woodland with a large lake at its centre.
Getting there
Crockerton is a small village accessed via the A350, just
2 miles south of Warminster in Wiltshire. The walk starts
and finishes at The Bath Arms on Clay Street, which has
its own car park, and there is also roadside parking
available within the village.
5 miles
Circular
2.5 hours
Approximate post code BA12 8AJ.
Walk Sections
Go
010616
Access Notes
1. The walk has several climbs and descents
throughout, including a couple of fairly steep
sections.
2. There are a couple of sections walking on village
roads and a country lane without pavements, so
take care of the traffic at these points.
3. A few sections within the woodland can get very
muddy at times so good boots are a must. There
are no stiles, kissing gates or livestock on route,
making it ideal for dogs and families (although not
suitable for pushchairs).
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Start to Primary School
Leave The Bath Arms car park via the vehicle entrance
and turn right along the road, Clay Street, passing the
pub on your right. Continue along this village road, taking
care of any occasional traffic. Just after passing House
108 on your left, turn right into the side road, Broadmead
Lane. Follow this lane downhill and you will be able to
see the village church within the woodland slopes
opposite.
Stay with the lane as it narrows to a tarmac track, leading
you downhill to cross a pretty small stream at the bottom
(this is the outlet of the lake we will be visiting shortly).
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4. Some sections of path on the return leg are quite
narrow so could be prone to becoming a little
overgrown in the late summer.
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Beyond this crossing, stay with the tarmac lane which leads you
steeply uphill bending right and right again to reach a road
junction (take particular care of traffic on the bends). There is a
handy stone bench on the left here should you wish to pause
and catch your breath. Turn left along the lane, passing the
primary school on your right.
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2 Primary School to Sailing Club
fully-equipped clubhouse. The lake is used for sailing
throughout the year, with organised racing on Sundays between
March and November, and on Tuesday evenings from May to
August.
Continue along the lane and you will pass an open section of
lakeside on your left and then a section with large clumps of
rhododendron bushes interspersed with fishing points. You will
reach a vehicle barrier ahead.
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Follow the lane gently downhill, with a mix of trees and
properties each side. Ignore the first pair of footpaths signed off
the road (just after Highfield), instead continue on the lane
between rolling sheep pastures until you reach a sharp left-hand
bend in the lane.
Go straight ahead here, passing alongside a vehicle barrier to
join the woodland footpath ahead. Further along, as you emerge
from the trees, the path swings right to become a tarmac track
which leads you past the sailing club on your left.
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3 Sailing Club to Vehicle Barrier
4 Vehicle Barrier to Track Fork
Pass alongside the vehicle barrier and continue ahead on the
tarmac track. Just 200 metres along (immediately after passing
a large stone boulder which acts as a signpost to Nockatt Car
Park), turn left onto the stone track. Follow the track as it swings
steadily left (crossing the lake’s pretty inlet stream) and then
swings steadily right (ignoring the right side turn). Now simply
stay with this main stone track as it meanders and undulates
ahead.
Longleat Estate is perhaps best known for its house and safari
park, but it also includes the lake and this beautiful section of
woodland. The Longleat Estate woodlands are managed on a
sustainable yield basis with the natural regeneration of trees
producing quality timber, forest products and habitats. This
method of management of the woodland enables natural seed
production from mature trees and creates suitable environments
within the forest for these seeds to germinate and grow. The
aim is to have a balance of trees of different ages and species
from seedling to mature seed bearing trees, emulating close-tonature forestry, full of biodiversity.
After about 1km you will reach a staggered T-junction. Turn
sharp left here and follow this track for about 600 metres and
then take the first turning on the right (this is immediately before
a right-hand bend in the main track). Follow this grass and
stone track uphill. Ignore the first (minor) right-hand side branch
and you will reach a major fork in the track.
Just beyond the sailing club, you will have your first glimpse of
Shear Water Lake to your left. Do NOT turn left here, instead
keep straight ahead to join the main tarmac access lane. Stay
with this lane as it follows the line of the edge of the large lake
to your left. There are a couple of benches here should you
wish to pause and enjoy the lake views.
Extending to some 37 acres, Shear Water Lake is said to offer
some of the finest and most scenic fishing available in Britain.
Completely surrounded by mature trees and bushes, the
Longleat Estate took Shear Water back in hand in the late
1980s and the fishery has now developed into one of the
country’s most popular venues. The lake holds large
populations of carp, bream, roach, perch, tench and rudd. Shear
Water Sailing Club was founded in 1960 and today members
enjoy excellent launch and jetty facilities, dinghy parking and a
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Fork to Swancombe
5 Track
Cottage
Take the left-hand branch, a long, level and straight stretch of
track. Across to your left you will have tantalising glimpses of
views across the rolling distant views. Ignore the next two side
paths to your right, and stay with the main track which descends
steeply to reach a T-junction (with fenced pastures visible
ahead).
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Turn left here and follow this final stretch of track all the way to
its end, crossing a low vehicle barrier to reach a T-junction with
the road. Turn left along the far road edge, taking care of any
traffic, with woodland across to your left and a steep grass
pasture on your right. You will come to a single property on your
left, Swancombe Cottage.
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Cottage to
6 Swancombe
Magnificent Beech
here to continue on the main path and soon afterwards you will
come to a fork at a grass triangle. Turn right here, passing tall
conifers on your right and another magnificent gnarled beech
tree on your left.
Later, the path leads you under an arch of holly and continues
with fenced sheep pastures on your right. Take time to enjoy the
beautiful views across the pastures which stretch to the rolling
hills beyond. Simply stay with this field-side path as it swings
left, descending steadily. Eventually, the path becomes a
sunken track between two banks of more magnificent beech
trees. You are now approaching the road, so keep children and
dogs close.
You will emerge out to a quiet road, directly opposite Foxholes
House. Turn left along the road edge, taking care of any
occasional traffic. Continue over the brow of the slope, ignore
the access drive to your left and soon afterwards you will come
to the junction with Clay Street, where you will find The Bath
Arms for some well-earned hospitality.
Disclaimer
Continue along the road edge with care, now with woodland on
your right and open water meadows across to your left. The
lane enters a section with trees both sides and passes the
vehicle entrance for a fishing point on your left. Just 30 metres
later, turn right onto a stone vehicle track leading you uphill into
the woodland.
Pass a circular parking area on your right, and stay with the
track as it bears left heading uphill to reach a vehicle barrier.
Pass alongside this and at the first fork in the track, take the lefthand branch (straight on). You will come to a second fork just a
few metres later. Take the left-hand branch (the remains of a
track which is now a single, narrow unmade path) leading you
through the trees. This section can be muddy in part, but there
is room to use the grass or woodland verges at the sides to
avoid the worst of it.
Follow this fairly straight path ahead for some distance and
eventually you will emerge to a junction of paths, at the centre
of which is a magnificent beech tree with four or five sections of
trunk.
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This walking route was walked and checked at the time of writing.
We have taken care to make sure all our walks are safe for walkers
of a reasonable level of experience and fitness. However, like all
outdoor activities, walking carries a degree of risk and we accept no
responsibility for any loss or damage to personal effects, personal
accident, injury or public liability whilst following this walk. We
cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that result from
changes to the routes that occur over time. Please let us know of
any changes to the routes so that we can correct the information.
Walking Safety
For your safety and comfort we recommend that you take the
following with you on your walk: bottled water, snacks, a waterproof
jacket, waterproof/sturdy boots, a woolly hat and fleece (in winter
and cold weather), a fully-charged mobile phone, a whistle, a
compass and an Ordnance Survey map of the area. Check the
weather forecast before you leave, carry appropriate clothing and
do not set out in fog or mist as these conditions can seriously affect
your ability to navigate the route. Take particular care on cliff/
mountain paths where steep drops can present a particular hazard.
Some routes include sections along roads – take care to avoid any
traffic at these points. Around farmland take care with children and
dogs, particularly around machinery and livestock. If you are
walking on the coast make sure you check the tide times before you
set out.
7 Magnificent Beech to End
Turn right here, uphill, and follow the obvious narrow stone and
dirt path continuing through the woodland. Further along,
another path merges in (from behind on your right). Bear left
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