Chippenham — Calne

Chical two
Verified route

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

By jonhedgerows on 22 Feb 2022

Distance

10km/6mi

Ascent

96m

Descent

73m

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Description

Chippenham to Calne via the railway path. Almost entirely off-road on footpaths and shared-use paths, except a short section on a quiet suburban road approaching the railway path in Chippenham; and a short section on a quiet country road between Pound Farm and Stanley Abbey Farm.

Please note that part of the route between Stanley Abbey Farm and Black Dog Halt (where the route crosses Black Dog Hill) is closed during daylight hours on Thursdays from November to March

Chippenham to Calne via the railway path. Almost entirely off-road on footpaths and shared-use paths, except a short section on a quiet suburban road approaching the railway path in Chippenham; and a short section on a quiet country road between Pound Farm and Stanley Abbey Farm.

Please note that part of the route between Stanley Abbey Farm and Black Dog Halt (where the route crosses Black Dog Hill) is closed during daylight hours on Thursdays from November to March

Status

This route has been reviewed by 4 people.

There are no issues flagged.

Photos for Chical two

Photos of this route will appear when they are added to a review. You can review this route here.

Information

Verified route

Route status - Live

Reviews - 4

Average rating -

Is this route good enough? -  Yes (4)

There are currently no problems reported with this route.

Downloads - 10

Surveys

What is this route like?

Surveys are submitted by fellow users of this website and show what you might expect from this Slow Ways route. Scroll down the page to read more detailed surveys.

Grade 2Y based on 1 surveys Sign up or log in to survey this route.
Description Note
Grade 2: Mostly smooth and compacted surfaces, but there may be some loose gravel, muddy patches or cobbles.
Access grade Y: Stile, step and obstacle free.		 Grading is based on average scores by surveyors. This slow way has 1 surveys.
Full grading description

Only people who have completed our training can become Slow Ways surveyors and submit a survey. We do not vet contributors, so we cannot guarantee the quality or completeness of the surveys they complete. If you are dependent on the information being correct we recommend reading and comparing surveys before setting off.

Survey Photos

Facilities

Facilities in the middle third of this route.

Not present at time of survey Public toilet (1)
Not present at time of survey Wheelchair accessible toilet (1)
Not present at time of survey Supermarket (1)
Not present at time of survey Restaurant (1)
Not present at time of survey Vegan restaurant (1)
Not present at time of survey Accommodation (1)
Not present at time of survey Accommodation < £50 (1)
Not present at time of survey Campsite (1)
Not present at time of survey Bothy (1)
Not present at time of survey Free wifi (1)
Not present at time of survey Public phone (1)
Present at time of survey Mobile phone coverage (1)
Not present at time of survey Train station (1)
Present at time of survey Bench (1)
Not present at time of survey Picnic table (1)
Not present at time of survey Bus stop (1)
Not present at time of survey Ferry (1)

Challenges

Potential challenges reported on this route. Some challenges are seasonal.

Not present at time of survey Scrambling (1)
Not present at time of survey Wading (1)
Not present at time of survey Swimming (1)
Not present at time of survey Climbing (1)
Not present at time of survey Stepping stones (1)
Not present at time of survey Very slippery (1)
Not present at time of survey Very muddy (1)
Not present at time of survey Very icy (1)
Not present at time of survey Likely to flood (1)
Not present at time of survey Long grass sections (1)
Not present at time of survey Crops encroaching on path (1)
Not present at time of survey Diverted path (1)

Obstacles

Obstacles on this route.

Not present at time of survey Stiles (1)
Not present at time of survey Step and kerbs (1)
Not present at time of survey Possible to avoid steps, if applicable (1)
Not present at time of survey Flights of steps (1)
Present at time of survey Gates (1)
Not present at time of survey Kissing gates (1)
Not present at time of survey Locked gates (1)
Not present at time of survey Disables access gates (1)
Not present at time of survey Cycle barriers (1)
Not present at time of survey Ladders (1)
Present at time of survey Cattle grids (1)
Not present at time of survey Fords (1)
Not present at time of survey Narrow bridges (1)
Not present at time of survey Ferry required (1)
Present at time of survey Acceptable road walking (1)
Not present at time of survey Unacceptable road walking (1)
Not present at time of survey Dangerous road crossings (1)
Present at time of survey Walking on paths beside roads (1)
Not present at time of survey Walking on verges beside roads (1)
Not present at time of survey Railway crossings (1)
Not present at time of survey River crossings (1)
Not present at time of survey Cattle possible (1)
Not present at time of survey Horses possible (1)
Not present at time of survey Tidal area (1)
Not present at time of survey Potential falls (1)
Not present at time of survey Exposed to elements (1)
Not present at time of survey Remote area (1)
Not present at time of survey Mountainous area (1)
Not present at time of survey Military training area (1)
Not present at time of survey No visible path (1)
Not present at time of survey Seasonal nesting birds (1)
Not present at time of survey Other hazards (1)

Accessibility

Is this route step and stile free?

Present at time of survey Free of stiles (1)
Present at time of survey Free of single steps/kerbs (1)
Present at time of survey Free of flights of steps (1)
Present at time of survey Free of other obstacles (1)

Measurements

Surveyors were asked to measure the narrowest and steepest parts of paths.

The narrowest part of the path is 100.0cm (1)

The steepest uphill gradient walking East 20.0% (1)

The steepest uphill gradient walking West 20.0% (1)

The steepest camber gradient across the path 10.0% (1)

How clear is the waymarking on the route: Very clear (1)

Successfully completed

We asked route surveyors "Have you successfully completed this route with any of the following? If so, would you recommend it to someone with the same requirements?". Here is how they replied.

Present at time of survey Small Pug-sized dog (1)
Present at time of survey Small Labrador-sized dog (1)
Maybe present Large St. Bernard-sized dog (1)
Present at time of survey Standard pram (1)
Present at time of survey Off-road rugged pram (1)
Maybe present Standard wheelchair (1)
Present at time of survey Off-road rugged wheelchair (1)
Maybe present Standard mobility scooter (1)
Present at time of survey Off-road rugged mobility scooter (1)

Recommended by an expert

We asked route surveyors "Are you a trained access professional, officer or expert? If so, is this route suitable for someone travelling with any of the following?" Here is how they replied.

Present at time of survey Small Pug-sized dog (1)
Present at time of survey Small Labrador-sized dog (1)
Maybe present Large St. Bernard-sized dog (1)
Present at time of survey Standard pram (1)
Present at time of survey Off-road rugged pram (1)
Maybe present Standard wheelchair (1)
Present at time of survey Off-road rugged wheelchair (1)
Maybe present Standard mobility scooter (1)
Present at time of survey Off-road rugged mobility scooter (1)

Terrain

We asked route surveyors to estimate how much of the route goes through different kinds of terrain.

10.0% of the route is on roads (1)

6.0% of the route is lit at night (1)

100.0% of the route is paved (1)

5.0% of the route is muddy (1)

There is no data on rough ground

There is no data on long grass

Report a problem with this data

1 surveys

Information from verified surveys.

2Y November 2021 by Brian
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Geography information system (GIS) data

Total length

Maximum elevation

Minimum elevation

Start and end points

Chippenham
Grid Ref ST9202773318
Lat / Lon 51.45878° / -2.11614°
Easting / Northing 392,027E / 173,318N
What3Words legs.daydreams.estuaries
Calne
Grid Ref ST9975471012
Lat / Lon 51.43810° / -2.00492°
Easting / Northing 399,754E / 171,012N
What3Words typical.buying.hips

Sorry Land Cover data is not currently available for this route. Please check back later.

reviews

Chrischipp

22 Feb 2022 Winter
Report

This is an excellent Slow Way running almost entirely along the NCN route 403. There is a short section on a quiet country lane, but otherwise the route is car free. It is worth noting that a section of this route (between Black Dog and Stanley) is closed daylight hours on Thursday's between November and February due to a local shoot on the land.
In the winter the path can get very muddy in places; however it is fully accessible with no barriers / width restrictions that would limit its access by wheelchair users.
At the Chippenham end the most direct route to and from Chippenham Station is via Great Mead and Cocklebury Road rather than taking the steep zig-zag path next to the River Avon bridge.

Brian

17 Nov 2021 Autumn
Report

I concur completely with the two previous reviews, it is a benign walk which could be completed by pushchairs and rugged mobility scooters as the path surface is either tarmac or compacted gravel with grit topping. There are short sections of slurry on topping, but nothing daunting. I recorded the route on a GPS unit as 6.58 mi. En-route there are 5 pedestrian gates.
As part of the Sustrans network, beware of cyclists without bells.
It is an easier route than Chical one.

Michelle Chapman

20 Aug 2021 Summer
Report

I've walked this route many times and is a favourite with local walkers, even meriting a mention in a recent Country Walking magazine. This is a great mainly off-road route which uses the disused railway line to Calne. It starts in Monkton Park in Chippenham and also passes through a country park along part of the disused Wilts and Berks canal on the way into Calne. There is a good selection of cafes at either end of the route. The threat to the views mentioned by the first reviewer has been revised at the planning stage (as of August 2021), so there is a reprieve in the short to medium term at least and walkers can continue to enjoy the fine views along this route.

Stephenwalking

01 May 2021 Spring
Report

I've walked most of this before, and it's great. The vast majority is off-road, on a National Cycle Route that uses a disused railway line. Some minor hilly bits, but nothing really strenuous. The only down-side is that Wiltshire Council is planning to build about 7500 houses on the western half of this route, east of Chippenham. Walk it now, before it happens.

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Overall ratings

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0 reviews

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Other Routes for Chippenham—Calne See all Slow Ways

Chippenham—Calne

Chical one

3 X

Distance

11km/7mi

Ascent

130 m

Descent

152 m

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