Cranborne Droves Way

Wiltshire

The Cranborne Droves Way walkers' route goes between Win Green, where it links with Wessex Ridgeway, and Salisbury, where it links with the Sarsen Way. It follows mainly two old droving routes - the Ox Drove and the Old Shaftesbury Drove.

It is part of a family of routes under the Great Chalk Way umbrella, that are established walking and riding routes linking the Dorset and Norfolk Coasts across central southern England, following the ancient trading route along the chalk ridge, together forming a coast-to-coast route of around 400 miles. The Great Chalk Way comprises the Wessex Ridgeway, Cranborne Droves Way, Sarsen Way, Ridgeway, Icknield Way and Peddars Way. More information on the Great Chalk Way is on its website linked below.

This Cranborne Droves route is mainly across open, rolling downland, with visible evidence of ancient earthworks - tumuli and burial mounds - as well as past agriculture in strip lynchets below Throope Hill. Part of the route is along the Ox Drove, an old droving route, while nearer to Salisbury the course of a Roman Road is followed. The route ends in Salisbury near the Cathedral.

Much of the Cranborne Droves Way route lies within the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs AONB. Most of the AONB is farmland. Half of this area is cropped and about a third is grazed, the rest is mostly woodland and set aside land.

The Great Chalk Way website linked below provides walking directions written for walkers. For riders, there are some small variations. Equestrians would end (or start) on the A3094, or before, as there is no viable route through Salisbury. They also take a slightly different route round Stratford Tony church.

The route directions by Tim Lewis are provided in both directions. The route is described in three sections: Win Green to Cow Down Hill, 6.4 miles (10.4 km), Cow Down Hill to Stratford Tony church, 5.5 miles (8.8 km) (the alternative adds another 0.5 mile) and Stratford Tony church to Salisbury, 4.8 miles (7.7 km). On this site the west-east version is shown.

---

Details:

Path Type:	Paths Marked on OS mapping
Waymark:	Name and ram's head logo on green disc
Attributes:	Paths marked on OS mapping Average Gradients Agricultural land AONB Downland/Wolds Urban
Start:	ST923205 - Win Green Hill car park, Wiltshire
Finish:	SU142296 - Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire
User Group:	Great Chalk Way Great Chalk Way
Web Sites:	Great Chalk Way

---