Marlborough White Horse
Marlborough White Horse
6.6 miles
The route (select Satelite view) from Marlborough follows the Wansdyke Path / White Horse Trail, through Short Oak Copse, Clatford Park Farm, Daffy Close to Heath Plantation, passing through West Woods. The White Horse Trail then bears South to Gopher Wood, past a Reservoir along the Tan Hill Way and stops just before the road at Knap Hill.
Parking.
The start is at the beginning of Preshute Lane in the village.
Run down Preshute Lane
to the
end of the lane.
You can see the Church's car park. Turn right.
(There is very limited parking space here)
Continue past the tennis courts.
Run up towards the trees
and along the pathway.
"Marlborough College Nature Trail"
On your left you can see playing fields.
Continue up the pathway
and through the gate.
"Marlborough College Nature Trail"
and
up the next field.
until
you see on your right
a sign "PRIVATE PROPERTY".
Continue straight on
through the trees
and up the hill.
...
Continue
up
the hill and
bear right
between the trees.
...
...
you pass a small panel/jump? on your left.
Soon you come to two stiles to cross
(1)
(2)
Continue across the field
to the trees in the distance
where, on the right, you will see
a stile
which you cross.
Keep the hedge on your left
and the field on your right. Bear right
and follow the track between the fields
until it reaches a road.
Turn left onto the road and proceed about
125 metres
until you can turn right onto a track.
Continue along this track between the trees
as it bears
first right then
curves back to the left.
After about 300 metres
this track will lead
to an open field,
...
There is a track to the left and a smaller
track diagonally across the field
Take the track across the field.
and you
will soon
come to
another stile. [see alternative route]
Where you should come to another stile, it is very difficult to find. (A bit overgrown)
I did find it and when I got to the stile was met by a very friendly bullock.
Some people might not like that so here is an alternative route:
Continue along the hedge, keeping it on the right, pass the small field of maze (keeping to the left of it) and
continue until you come to a large gap in the hedge/trees (on your right).
Enter and turn immediately left. You are now back on the correct track.
Be careful of large deep badger holes in the ground.
For the alternative route, skip the next 14 pictures
Turn left
and go through the gap
in the trees.
Run along the top
keeping the trees just on your left
until
you come
to a stile.
Continue
until you see
a gate on the left
Follow the path
through the woods ...
(The white dots are snow flakes,
it was snowing when I took these pictures)
The alternative route
joins the other
route here:
... until you
see a stile
in the middle of the footpath.
Turn right here and follow this sunken
footpath
until
you
come
to
a road.
Opposite you will see a footpath sign.
Ignore it,
and turn right along the road for about 50 yards.
We are now at Clatford Park Farm, Short Oak Copse and Fosbury Copse.
This, (at the entry to the wood), would be a good place to give drinks to your runner.
(Note that if you haven't checked out your stage in advance you could easily get lost in this wood.)
If you get lost when doing your recce before the race, try this: On the way into the woods look for a blue 'White Horse Trail' sign. Go uphill and you will come to another blue 'White Horse Trail' sign and a 'Public Way' sign. You are now on the correct track. Here there are several paths. Take the larger path to the left. (If you were to go right you would soon come to another Y junction showing the public track to the right along a smaller track. - GO BACK!) So I repeat, take the larger path to the left.
Turn left and enter the forest here.
White Horse Trail sign
Follow this
track uphill
and you will see another marker.
In May the bluebells were magnificent.
Turn left
and after another 100 metres there will
be a large junction of tracks with a ditch coming
up from the field on your left.
Bear right onto the main track.
...
(There was a lot of forestry work being carried
out in February and it was very muddy.)
Keep to this track and it should be about 1.2 km
further on before we see the next field.
another track joins from the left
In May the track still hadn't been
tidied up from here on.
Aim for that little tree in the distance.
Aim for that field ahead.
There's a track just to the left of that tree.
Aim for that gap...
You come to a road. (Gravel track)
Turn right on to this track
which is
still just
in the wood
(on the right),
keeping the field
on the left.
White Horse Trail sign
You're about to turn left.
Turn left here.
Continue
along
this
track
If you are recce'ing this stage before the race you may find that this track is covered by nettles. The nettles will be cleared before the event.
Go straight across here.
You join a path coming from a field.
At this gate
turn right, through the gate.
Follow
the track
up the hill
until you come
to a gate
and a stile.
Continue up the left
hand edge of the field,
pass through a gate,
aiming for the trees
straight ahead.
Eventually
you come
to a gate
and a stile.
Continue along the side
of this field.
Do not go down the ridge.
You soon come
to another gate.
Follow this ridgeway
(Tan Hill Way)
for about
one kilometre
until
you
come
to a
gate.
The
finish
of
this
stage
is
just
before
the gate.
Knap Hill car park is to your right.
Forestry Commission
We have a permit to run this stage through West Woods.
The conditions are that:
Please respect these conditions.