If you run a walking group around Reading, you will know that as autumn kicks in the idea of long day trips hundreds of miles to more mountainous areas like the Brecon Beacons (or Bannau Brycheiniog as it is now officially known) isn’t feasible. If you want bracing upland walks you will need to look closer to home.
Fortunately, the south of England is blessed with many upland downs that offer great autumn walking. They aren’t too high and you won’t have far to go, so even with the shorter days, you should be able to make it there and back and still enjoy a great day out.
Among the places where you could take a minibus is the North Wessex Downs, a National Landscape (formerly termed an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Much of this lies in Berkshire, but parts are In Wiltshire and some areas are in Hampshire and Oxfordshire. It actually includes the highest points above sea level in all four counties.
The region is superb for walking, with some wonderful views, beautiful countryside and some very famous little spots. While there is a walking festival in June, autumn means you can have a lot of this space to yourselves.
Among the upland spots to enjoy is Watership Down, the hill that gave its name to the famous novel about rabbits, which was later adapted as the biggest bloodbath in the history of animated film.
The down itself affords superb views over the low-lying land to the north and you can just imagine the rabbits making their way across the fields towards it. And if your imagination needs any help, there is a tribute plaque to the author Richard Adams, which was erected on the down following his death in late 2016.
There is even a 24-mile Watership Down trail, a 24-mile circular walk that also includes the village of Whitchurch, where the author lived. The River Test, which is featured in the book and film, flows through the village. It is one of several long-distance paths that pass through the North Wessex Downs.
Others include the Test Way – which follows the river from the downs all the way to Southampton, the Lambourn Valley Way, the White Horse Trail, which ticks off the region’s famous equine figures carved out of the chalk, The Thames Path National Trail, the Ridgeway National Trail with its many Bronze and Iron Age sites, plus the Wayfarers Walk.
The last of these, which runs along Watership Down, has another claim to fame, as it also includes the 297 m (974 ft) high Walbury Hill, which is not only the loftiest point in the North Wessex Downs, but the highest chalk down in England.
Of course, a day trip won’t be the basis for taking on these long-distance paths in their entirety, but you can enjoy some of the best bits as they pass through the area and get a taster for when you might want to take them on as a big challenge when the long days of summer roll around again next year.
Among the eight white horses in the North Wessex Downs is the Uffington White Horse, while the nearby Waylands Smithy is one of the best of several examples of a Neolithic long barrow in the region. Others include the long barrow on Combe Gibbet.
Other ancient sights within the National Landscape include the Avebury stone circle in Wiltshire, Europe’s largest man-made hill, the 130 ft Silbury Hill, the sarsen stones on Fyfield Down and at Lockeridge Dene, the Fosbury Camp Iron Age hillfort and the early Saxon era Wansdyke, a defensive ditch dating from the fifth or sixth century AD.
More modern historical features include the Kennet and Avon Canal with its highly walkable towpath.
If you are focused on walking you may not be spending too much time looking at buildings, but if you are passing near Highclere Castle you should be sure to stop and take a picture or two, as you will surely recognise it from TV as Downton Abbey.
For autumnal scenery, woodlands are the places to go, so check out the 1,000-year-old Savernake Forest. Also, as the nights draw in, you may get the chance to enjoy some star gazing in the dark skies away from urban light pollution before our driver takes you home.
In summary, this fine part of England contains some wonderful scenic and historic treasures, which makes it a superb area to visit. And after your day out walking, you can find some excellent country pubs to eat in to round off the trip – although some visitors to this part of the world might understandably hope rabbit pie is not on the menu.