For refreshments, after leaving Newbury, there is nothing directly on the route until you arrive at the pub in Vernham Dean itself....

Ursula

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....

Ursula

From the village of Vernham Dean, the route follows footpaths and lanes to join the Test Way walking route (Photo 1) as it ascends towards the escarpment ridgeway (Photo 2). The Slow Way follows the Wayfarer’s Walk east atop the escarpment. The route leaves the Wayfarer’s Walk for a footpath that is a direct descent off the escarpment (Photos 6 & 7). The long walk NE into Newbury is a pleasant mixture of quiet village lanes and footpaths (Photos 8 & 9)....

Martin Ellis

An attractive route south across the North Wessex Downs AONB; that ascends from Hungerford on the River Dun to the village of Vernham Dean. From the top (Photo 7), there are lanes and footpaths on the direct walk into Vernham Dean (Photo 8)....

Martin Ellis

On leaving Lower Cadley the path continues on quiet country roads (but narrow in places) until reaching a narrow gap in a hedge, signposted as a footpath but easy to miss, and passing into a field. The path crosses the field straight towards Collingbourne Wood. According to the map it should have passed straight through the field, but there was no sign of this so we walked around the field to meet up with the bridleway running along the edge of Collingbourne Wood. On leaving the wood there is a map error – the footpath is meant to turn left through the middle of a field to reach some farm buildings but no path was visible. Instead we walked on to the field boundary where there was a definite path to the farm buildings...

Snailblakes

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. 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. From Ham to the base of Ham Hill is easy walking on a quiet country road....

Snailblakes