Hunver one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

A very enjoyable route on a mixture of quiet country lanes and off-road trails. I walked it in the direction of Vernham Dean to Hungerford on a mild and sunny early October day. The route was generally easy to navigate and there are some lovely views along the way (Photos 1 & 2).

Not much I can add to the previous reviews. The hardest part underfoot was the descent from Ham Hill where the path jumps over a broken stile and into the long grass and nettles, with a final duck under a fallen tree required to reach a second stile and some steps down to the road. The ground is quite uneven under the grass so take care if you are coming this way (Photos 3, 4 & 5). There were also a couple of boggy sections starting to appear around Mount Prosperous which I guess will get worse through the winter season.

Hungerford has plenty of shops and cafes, etc., but I was delighted to find the Wednesday market in full swing when I arrived, so bought my treats there before wandering to the canal-side to enjoy them.

Hungerford to Vernham Dean 1 (Hunver 1) review.

An attractive route south across the North Wessex Downs AONB; that ascends from Hungerford on the River Dun to the village of Vernham Dean.

There’s a short urban walk from Hungerford Station. This soon becomes footpaths beside fields (Photo 1) and plenty of wildlife. I met a couple of muntjac, rabbits, and an inquisitive hare.

The Slow Way then enters a copse which, although dry on my summer walk, could probably get rather muddy (Photo 2). Also, watch out for ankle-twisting rabbit holes.

There’s a gentle descent towards Ham, with a good view of the steep escarpment to come (Photo 3). The Crown & Anchor provides a break point in the village (Photo 4).

The route continues down a quiet lane, leaving it for the climb up the escarpment (Photo 5). I somehow missed the routed footpath at Ham Hill Nature Reserve, taking instead a path by the holloway. This had the advantage of steps, taking the edge off the steep ascent (Photo 6).

From the top (Photo 7), there are lanes and footpaths on the direct walk into Vernham Dean (Photo 8).

We walked the route on 26.06.2021. Our full review is below, but in summary it is a beautiful walk, mostly off-road with one or two difficult places. However it is not suitable for wheels due to mud, and steep gradients in parts. We calculated it to be nearer to 8 than 9 miles long.

The route out of Hungerford is easy urban/suburban walking. Leaving Hungerford we were unable to walk across the fields joining Priory Road to Sanham Green Road as a new housing estate is currently under construction. This is due to finish in 2022 after which the footpath should be reinstated. Instead we walked to the end of Priory Rd and along the length of Sanham Green Rd.

Leaving Sanham Green Rd the footpath through the woods to Mount Prosperous was slightly boggy and overgrown in places and in winter we know that it can get very wet with standing water and thick mud.

The path from Mount Prosperous to Ham is easy field walking, but is not well marked in a couple of places.

From Ham to the base of Ham Hill is easy walking on a quiet country road. Ham Hill is a downland wildflower meadow nature reserve and the footpath up it is steep and not well marked, so the route was not clear - but very pretty with all the summer flowers!

From the top of Ham Hill the way follows a quiet country road to the hamlet of Buttermere, beyond which it reverts to an easy to follow (if slightly over grown in a few places) track through beautiful wood and farm land all the way down to Vernham Dean. The last few hundred yards are on a narrow road coming out of the village and we had to avoid several cars by pressing into the banks before reaching the village. The route ends right beside The George pub which is lovely and we had a very welcome drink, attended by Buster the pub dog.

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