WHAT TO DO FROM OVERTOWN
There is so much to do and see from Overtown.
We are well located for day trips to the Cotswolds, Bath, Oxford and London (Swindon train station is 4 miles away, trains leave every 15 minutes to London Paddington and takes 1 hour)
We are also located in the middle of the North Wessex Downs, a tranquil yet stunning landscape of rolling chalk downlands, forests, woods and dales that is designated as an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’.
Many of the Downs offer wonderful panoramic views of unspoilt countryside for miles around. If you like walking, cycling, riding, bird-spotting, fishing, pootling down a canal in a barge – or simply admiring the landscape and enjoying local food and some well deserved rest and relaxation – then this is the place for you.
For more information about what to enjoy and do in the North Wessex Downs please the website www.northwessexdowns.org.uk
Avebury
A 10 minute drive
You can cycle or walk the 8 miles to Avebury from Overtown Manor through the farm and along the Ridgeway or along other footpaths taking in views of Barbury Castle and the White Horse at Hackpen.
In the 1930s, the pretty village of Avebury, partially encompassed by the stone circle of this World Heritage site, was witness to the excavations of archaeologist Alexander Keiller. The fascinating finds from his excavations are on display in the 17th-century threshing barn and stables galleries of the Alexander Keiller Museum, where interactive displays and activities for children bring the landscape to life.
- Walk to the Bronze Age burial mounds at Windmill Hill.
- Visit the Lansdowne Monument and Iron Age earthwork of Oldbury.
- Discover Avebury’s buried past secrets in the museum.
Cycling- Ridgeway National Trail through the property. This is shared with walkers. Dogs on leads are welcome.
Contact: 01672 539250
avebury@nationaltrust.org.uk
National Trust Estate Office, High Street, Avebury, Wiltshire SN8 1RF
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/avebury/
Avebury Manor
In 2012, Avebury Manor opened its doors again following a transformation in collaboration with the BBC. Avebury Manor has been home to many families since its creation in the 1500s. Located on the edge of the largest stone circle in the world and on the site of a former priory, this is a house with a fascinating past.
The Manor Reborn, presented by Penelope Keith and Paul Martin, a four part landmark BBC1 series which followed a lively team of historians, designers and volunteers as they refurbished the 500 year old Manor. The finished rooms evoke the personalities of the families that lived there and the atmosphere of the eras in which they lived.
Avebury Manor is now open every day except Wednesday. Entry is by timed ticket only. You can buy timed tickets to the house online.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/avebury/
Silbury Hill – 3 miles from Avebury
Part of the Avebury World Heritage Site
The largest man-made mound in Europe, mysterious Silbury Hill compares in height and volume to the roughly contemporary Egyptian pyramids. Probably completed in around 2400 BC, it apparently contains no burial. Though clearly important in itself, its purpose and significance remains unknown. There is no allowed access to the hill itself but there is a viewing area during reasonable daylight hours.
Please call 0870 333 1181
www.avebury-web.co.uk/silbury_hill.html
Long Barrow – 5 drive miles from Avebury
One of the largest, most impressive and most accessible Neolithic chambered tombs in Britain. Built in around 3650 BC, it was used for a short time as a burial chamber, nearly 50 people being buried here before the chambers were blocked. It is part of the Avebury World Heritage Site and the West Kennet Long Barrow is in private ownership and in English Heritage guardianship. It is managed by The National Trust on behalf of English Heritage, and the two organisations share the cost of managing and maintaining the property.
Stonehenge
1½ hour’s drive
Stonehenge is probably the most important prehistoric monument in the whole of Britain and has attracted visitors from earliest times. It stands as a timeless monument to the people who built it. Visitors are unable to walk amongst the stones except on special or arranged occasions. There is a charge to visit the stones.
Contact: www.stonehenge.co.uk
Barbury Castle
A 5 minute drive or a 45 minute walk across the farm.
Barbury Castle is at the top end of the farm, about 3 miles away.
The main focal points of the park are the Iron Age hill fort, covering about twelve acres, adjacent round barrows, Celtic field systems and 18th-19th Century flint workings. The West Saxons are said to have defeated the Britons here in AD 556 at the Battle of Beran Byrig. Centuries later the area was a favourite haunt of Richard Jefferies, the 19th Century writer, who lived an hour’s walk away at Coate. The site is scheduled as an ancient monument.
The Broad Hinton White Horse
A 8 minute drive
Wiltshire is the county for white horses. There are or were at least twenty-four of these hill figures in Britain, with no less than thirteen being in Wiltshire. Most of the white horses are chalk hill carvings, and the chalk downs of central Wiltshire make it an ideal place for such figures. Of the thirteen white horses known to have existed in Wiltshire, eight are still visible, and the others have either been lost completely, or are in a sense still there, under the turf, but have long since become grown over and are no longer visible.
Contact: www.wiltshirewhitehorses.org.uk
Steam: Museum of the Great Western Railway
10 minutes drive
STEAM tells the remarkable story of the men and women who built, operated and travelled on ‘God’s Wonderful Railway’. STEAM gives you the chance to experience the sights and sounds of the GWR works at Swindon – famous as the place where many of the best steam locomotives in the world were built. STEAM also brings to life the exploits of Isambard Kingdom Brunel – the flamboyant engineer, and acknowledged genius, behind the creation of the GWR.
Contact: 01793 466646
Kemble Drive, Swindon, SN2 2TA
www.steam-museum.org.uk
Abbey House Gardens, Malmesbury
25 minutes drive
The gardens are open daily from March 21st to October 31st, 11am to 5:30pm.
Home of ‘The Naked Gardeners’ Ian & Barbara Pollard (dressed for visitors except on pre arranged ‘clothes optional days’. Please see the Events page for full details on specific dates you might want to visit).
For the perfect day out, visit the enchanting gardens. Probably the best garden visit you could ever make awaits you at Abbey House Gardens in ancient Malmesbury, itself an historic place to visit. Gardening ideas, beautiful plants from daffodils, crocus, tulips (24,000 new tulip bulbs planted this year alone) and iris in spring through the country’s largest private collection of roses, double herbaceous borders that rival Monets, to fabulous autumn colour from specimen trees and shrubs; all to be enjoyed in a special atmosphere – you have to visit to believe. Come and judge for yourself.
Find them nestled besides historic Malmesbury Abbey in this lovely Wiltshire Cotswold location just 5 miles from M4 J17. Park easily in the Long stay car park to stay all day with refreshment available in the Apple Store tearoom.
Contact: The Abbey House, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9AS
Phone: 01666 822212 recorded info 01666 827650 between 10 – 4pm speak to the office
www.abbeyhousegardens.co.uk
info@abbeyhousegardens.co.uk
Westonbirt – The National Arboretum
40 minutes drive – 15 minutes from Abbey House Gardens.
Westonbirt is a wonderful place to visit all year round. During the summer flower lovers will find the beautiful hydrangeas in bloom and the Indian Bean Tree at its most dramatic. Take a relaxing walk and enjoy a picnic; or set the kids free to find our hidden dens or follow a trail. The autumn months bring an array of wonderful colours in the trees. Winter is truly magical at Westonbirt. Conifers provide a sculptured backdrop to the deciduous trees and smaller shrubs, whilst unexpected colour can be found from flaming red barked dogwood and scarlet willows. The rich combination of woodland plants and wildflower brings a vibrant beauty in spring.
Contact: 01666 880 220
www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt
Westonbirt, Tetbury, Glos, GL8 8QS
Bowood House
30 minute drive
Purchased by the 1st Earl of Shelburne (1705–1761) in the mid 18th century, Bowood House and Gardens have been improved by successive generations up to the present day. Many famous architects and garden designers have been employed, including Henry Keene, Robert and James Adam, ‘Capability’ Brown, C.R. Cockerell and Sir Charles Barry. A visitor to Bowood today will see fine 18th-century architecture and splendid interiors: the Adam Orangery, the Chapel and Library by C.R. Cockerell, the New Hall, the Sculpture Gallery and the Laboratory where Dr Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen in 1774. There is also a series of exhibition rooms with a wealth of fine furniture, costumes, porcelain, jewellery and paintings on display. Outside, the house is surrounded by ‘Capability’ Brown’s stunning park; there are magnificent formal gardens, a ‘Picturesque’ rockwork garden; and the renowned pinetum and arboretum.
Contact: 01249 812 102
www.bowood-house.co.uk
Bowood, Derry Hill, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 0LZ
Lacock Abbey
35 minute drive – 5 minutes from Bowood House.
Lacock village is famous for its picturesque streets, historic buildings and more recently as a TV and film location. The Abbey, located at the heart of the village within its own woodland grounds, is a quirky country house of various architectural styles, built upon the foundations of a former nunnery. Visitors can experience the atmosphere of the medieval rooms and cloister court, giving a sense of the Abbey’s monastic past.
The museum celebrates the achievements of former Lacock resident, William Henry Fox Talbot, famous for his contributions to the invention of photography.
Contact: 01249 730 459
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lacock
Lacock Abbey, Lacock, Near Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 2LG
Marlborough
15 minute drive
Marlborough is the archetypical English market town – a place where coins were minted in Norman times, Tudor kings hunted for deer and where coaches heading west from London stopped to feed and water their horses.
Marlborough still is a town with a big buzz. The High Street hosts a market on Wednesdays and Saturdays selling a wide range of things, from locally grown produce, to pots, plants and pashminas. With plenty of shops and a variety of places to eat, Marlborough is definitely worth a visit.
Merchant House
This amazing 350 year old survival is the jewel of Marlborough’s famous High Street. Built and occupied by a prosperous silk merchant, middle class but with grand ideas, it contains nationally acclaimed wall paintings and decorative features. Humming with activity, it is an outstanding destination for anyone interested in fine old buildings and the craftsmanship needed to create and restore them. Come and see for yourself!
The House and Garden are open from 1st April to end of October on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 4pm with timed tours at 11am, 12noon, 2pm and 3pm (tour by informed guide takes approximately 50 minutes).
Cirencester
30 minute drive
Whether it’s a visit to the Corinium Museum, Brewery Arts Centre, Cirencester Park or the Roman Amphitheatre, Cirencester has plenty to offer. If that’s not enough, Cirencester is within easy reach of the world famous Westonbirt Arboretum near Tetbury, the Cotswold Wildlife Park in Burford and the Keynes Country Park part of the Cotswold Water Park. Cirencester is famous for its Roman history, so a visit to the Corinium Museum is recommended if you have an interest in this field. Cirencester is also within easy reach of Cheltenham, Gloucester, Swindon and Oxford.
Other things to do
Basset Down Golf Course and Driving Range – 5 minutes drive
A privately owned, public golf course and 20 bay driving range. This 9 hole, 2767 yard course is less than a mile from Junction 16 of the M4 and 1.5 miles from the A4361. Open 7 days a week throughout the year.
Contact: 01793 812 336
www.bassetdowngolfcourse.com
Lower Salthrop, Basset Down, Wroughton, Swindon, Wilts, SN4 9QW
Go-Karting- 2 Minute drive
The indoor 530 metre tarmac circuit offers drivers some of the most exhilarating bends and speed friendly straights in the country. The state-of-the-art Bowman karts, with four stoke engines; ensure that you reach some breathtaking speeds! Test your driving skills to very limit. Helmets and overalls are provided, so all you need to worry about is making sure your driving abilities can reach the standards of Fernando Alonso!
The circuit is open – Mon to Fri from 11am to 10pm. Sat & Sun 10am to 10pm
Contact: 0844 745 5006
www.goballistic.co.uk/karting
Clay Pigeon Shooting (Barbury Shooting School) – 2 minute drive
Barbury Shooting School is open 7 days a week for Practice, Tuition, Parties and Corporate events.
Contact: 07872 666 154
www.barburyshootingschool.com
Barbury Shooting School, Near Barbury Castle, Wroughton, Swindon, Wilts, SN4 0QH
Swindon Designer Outlet – 10 minute drive
Swindon Designer Outlet is housed in the magnificently renovated grade II listed buildings of the Great Western Railway Works and is one of the largest covered designer outlets in Europe. Located off junction 16 of the M4
Contact: 01793 507 600
Swindon Designer Outlet,
Kemble Drive,
Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 2DY
Cotswold Water Park – 20 minute drive
The Cotswold Water Park is an area of 140 lakes, set in 40 square miles of countryside. From country parks, angling lakes, sailing clubs, water sports, picturesque villages to campsites, hotels, country inns and much more there is plenty for everyone to explore! For more information about the Cotswold Water Park, please call 01793 752413, or email
Contact:info@waterpark.org
www.waterpark.org
Cinema – 10 minute drive
Empire Cinema- Swindon
Contact: 08714 714 714
www.empirecinemas.co.uk
Greenbridge Leisure Park, Swindon
If you would like any further information on any of the ‘places to visit’ and ‘things to do’ please don’t hesitate to ask us.
