Wiltshire

Stourhead White Sheet Hill walk

Take in the panoramic views over Stourhead estate and surrounding countryside on this walk up White Sheet Hill. With a Neolithic enclosure, Bronze Age barrows and an Iron Age hillfort to the south, the site is of considerable archaeological interest. The downlands are a rich habitat for wildflowers, including several species of orchid, butterflies such as chalkhill blues, and birds including golden plover in winter.

Near to

Stourhead

Start point

Stourhead visitor reception, grid ref: ST778340

Trail information

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Difficulty*

Accessibility**

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 6 (km: 9.6)

Duration3 hours 30 mins

Dog friendly***

*Ground mostly flat but with steep ascent to the top of White Sheet Hill. For further details, please see terrain section.
**Due to steep ascents, this route is not suitable for wheelchair users.
***Dogs allowed on this walk under close control.

Starting position

If starting your walk from White Sheet Hill car park, please begin from the middle of step 2.

Address
Stourhead, Stourton, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 6QD
Directions via Google Maps
By train
Gillingham station is 6.5 miles (10.4km); Bruton station 7 miles (11.2km) away.
By bus
Frome Minibuses 82 Warminster to Mere; First 58/158 Shaftesbury to Wincanton (passing Gillingham train station), alight Zeals, 1¼ mile (400m).
Cycling
Wiltshire Cycle Way runs through estate.
By road
At Stourton, off B3092, 3 miles (5km) north-west of Mere (A303), 8 miles (13km) south of Frome (A361).
Total stages: 5
Total stages: 5
Start point
Stourhead visitor reception, grid ref: ST778340
Stage 1
From the main car park, go through visitor reception. Follow the zig-zag path, go over the bridge into the walled garden and follow signs to Stourhead house. Join the main driveway towards the house and go through the metal kissing gate diagonally to the right. Following the waymarkers, head for the stile on the right of Drove Lodge. Go over the stile and through the woodland path to the main road. Carefully turn left along the road towards Drove Lodge.
Stage 2
Being mindful of traffic, cross the road and go through the gate opposite Drove Lodge. Go along the 18th-century drove track lined with beech trees and follow the path to the top of the hill into Beech Clump. Continue straight ahead to Whitesheet Hill car park. In the car park go over the furthest stile by the National Trust sign and ascend. Please keep to the main path as the area is a sensitive butterfly habitat. Continue through a disused chalk quarry and make your way to the top. From here head for the hillfort, which is to the right of the radio mast, along the escarpment edge.
Stage 3
From the hillfort return along the fence, passing the reservoir and radio mast on your right. Keeping the fence on your right, take time to admire the views of the estate, with Alfred’s Tower on the skyline. Go over the stile by the information panel and onto the byway, where you turn left. Walk down the hill, passing the 18th-century milestone on your right and back to White Sheet Hill car park.
Stage 4
Retrace your steps back to the Beech Clump and continue downhill for approximately 300yd (270m). Go over the stile and then turn left through a gate in to a field, opposite Jimmy’s Pits. This area is specifically managed for tree sparrows. Walk along the edge of the field towards the farm buildings. On reaching Search Farmhouse, turn right onto the track.
Stage 5
Continue along the track, then carefully cross the main road on to Stourton High Street. Going straight ahead follow this road back to the main visitor car park.
End point
Stourhead visitor reception, grid ref: ST778340
Trail map
Stourhead Whitesheet Hill walk map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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