(S/E) From the front door of the Pelican Inn, turn right along the pavement beside the A4 (Bath Road).
Turn right at the road junction, signposted to Little Bedwyn.
(1) Cross the railway and canal, then at a junction take the lane straight ahead, between two thatched cottages (signposted to North Standen). When the lane bends left, follow the track up the shallow valley ahead of you.
Pass an open-fronted barn on the right after 250 yards, continuing along the track with woodland (Jugg's Wood) to your right.
(2) At a junction of tracks at the end of the wood, turn right, still with the woodland on your immediate right. When the track bears right to a field gate, join a footpath leading straight on, which may be easy to overlook. This path becomes a descending “hollow way” that meets the end of a drive-by an isolated house and leads out to the road and canal.
(3) Cross the canal bridge ahead of you and follow the driveway beyond, passing between two houses to the railway. Cross quickly but carefully.
Beyond the metal gate on the other side, turn left and walk parallel to the railway for 400 yards, with the spire of Little Bedwyn church ahead.
(4) Just before the church, drop down into woodland. At the end of the wood, turn right through a gate into the churchyard. Walk round the church and out into Church Street. At the end of the road, turn left.
Beyond the phone box, turn left over a footbridge over the railway line and canal.
(5) Join the towpath and turn away from the lock to pass under the bridge you’ve just crossed. Follow the towpath for half a mile to bridge no (3) (which you crossed earlier), continuing along the canal beyond.
(6) After a further half-mile, with the road in close attendance to your right, pass Oakhill Down Lock and bridge. Go through a gate and resume your journey along the towpath, passing two further locks (Froxfield Middle and Bottom Locks). At the brick-built Froxfield Bridge (1) , leave the towpath and join the road. Turn left over the canal and railway. At the junction with the A4, turn left to return to the Pelican Inn.
Waypoints
S/E : km 0 - alt. 109 m - Pelican Inn
1 : km 0.3 - alt. 108 m - Railway and canal
2 : km 1.73 - alt. 126 m - Woodland
3 : km 2.34 - alt. 114 m - Canal bridge
4 : km 2.93 - alt. 114 m - Little Bedwyn church
5 : km 3.21 - alt. 112 m - Lock
6 : km 4.8 - alt. 114 m - Oakhill Down Lock and bridge
S/E : km 5.9 - alt. 108 m - Pelican Inn
Useful Information
Some paths may be muddy or overgrown in places. Caution: crosses a busy railway line at a level crossing
The Pelican Inn
Bath Rd, Froxfield, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3JY
tel 01488 682479
website www.pelicaninn.co.uk
email enquiries@pelicaninn.co.uk
Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.
The Pelican.
The 17th-century Pelican Inn is a well-known landmark in the village of Froxfield, on the A4 between Marlborough and Hunger- ford. It is just 8 miles from junction 14 of the M4.
Following refurbishment, The Pelican is now a contemporary pub with rooms, with a growing reputation since Kirsty took over in November 2012.
This freehouse has a large locals/walkers bar and three cosy restaurant areas, whilst upstairs there are eight comfortable en- suite bedrooms. Outside there is a large garden with stream, duck pond and two car parks. It is in a perfect spot for those enjoying the local countryside, being a 5-minute stroll from the Kennet & Avon Canal (bridge 90 and lock 70). Walkers, fishermen, cyclists, boaters, children and friendly dogs are all welcome.
Reviews and comments
4.7 / 5
Based on 3 reviews
Clarity of route description 5 / 5
Clarity of route map 5 / 5
Walk interest 4 / 5
MartinC
Overall rating :
4.7 / 5
Date of walk : 08/08/22 Clarity of route description : ★★★★★ Very good Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good Walk interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Towpath part of walk is very overgrown in places, where you need to use the road.
Lucien's dad
Overall rating :
4.3 / 5
Date of walk : 03/06/22 Clarity of route description : ★★★★★ Very good Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good Walk interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Pleasant walk in the country. Not too long* but a good afternoon out with a picnic and the dogs. Not too many roads and the walk by the canal meant the dogs could stay off the lead.
My son is autistic and likes to have security (he is also not a fan of walking) so to have such a good description of the walk in the download enabled me to point out landmarks as we went.
We did not complete the smaller loop after the railway (it is a figure of '8' so we changed it to a 'o'), but small things like counting the locks, etc. made the journey less painful for us parents and more predictable for the kids.
Will use Visorando again.
Penny Taylor
Overall rating :
5 / 5
Date of walk : 08/04/22 Clarity of route description : ★★★★★ Very good Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good Walk interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Lovely walk! Lunch first at The Pelican, Froxfield and then really enjoyed this walk once we were able to leave the roads.
Fabulous church in Little Bedwyn and exciting safely crossing the railway line.
