From the car park turn left along the drive, passing between Cresswell’s Pond and the remains of Old Wardour Castle. Walk beside the Gothic Pavilion and at Wardour House soon after it bear right to follow the track, climbing gently. Keep to the right of woodland, avoid a track running off to the right and continue alongside the trees, following the Wessex Ridgeway. Over to the right in the distance is the outline of New Wardour Castle, a Palladian mansion.

Keep right at a fork by a stone archway and make for the corner of the wood, where the route reaches a gateway leading into a field. Walk ahead along its right-hand edge, keeping fencing on the right. Make for a stile in the bottom right-hand corner of the pasture and cross over into trees. Pale Park Pond is visible on the left. Follow the path beside it and on reaching a galvanized gate, head up the field slope towards trees. Make for a gate leading into further woodland and after about 60yds (55m) bear right to follow a track through Wardour Wood.

Pass a barrier to join a drive and walk alongside Pile Oak Cottage on the left to reach the road. Turn left , pass Vale House and continue along Sands’ Lane, with the houses of Donhead St Andrew over to the right. Pass Sands’ Farm and on reaching the busy A30, cross over and follow the byway as it climbs in zigzag fashion up the flanks of White Sheet Hill. This ancient landscape reveals stunning views of west Wiltshire and offers various clues to the distant past. On the left, as you head for the highest point, is the site of an old long barrow.

Cross the route of a bridleway and where the next bridleway runs off to the right, look for a byway on the left. Follow it as it descends the escarpment diagonally and at the bottom keep right along Shave Lane, heading north to the buildings of New Barn. Make for the A30 once again and re-cross it with care.

Now follow a single-track lane opposite, heading in a north-westerly direction. Pass Coombe House on the right and when the lane bears right and starts to descend, keep ahead on a muddy cycle way, running through trees. Follow it to a major intersection of tracks on the left-hand edge of the wood and turn left to follow a fenced footpath between fields. Enter woodland and descend the track ahead to the car park where the walk began.