Our latest Flexi Club meeting was a circular walk around the Monkton Park estate and park today which followed the East Chippenham route, with a couple of variations to make it ours. The two and a half mile walk took us along part of the disused Chippenham to Calne railway track, through Monkton Park following the river, and finished with a new cafe to sample at our meeting/finish point, the Hearty Hare at Chippenham station (thumbs up!). It was a great way to get unstuffed after the Christmas festivities, with great chat and company along the way. Quite a few of us also walked into Chippenham and back again to make the total walk around the 5 mile mark. Look out for more walk and cafe opportunities in the new year! In Summary Start point: Outside Chippenham Railway Station Distance: About 2.5 miles Difficulty: Easy - mainly flat and tarmac paths, some mud may be found on the old railway path Walk time: Around an hour
Cafe: The Hearty Hare at the Railway Station Map Link: The East Chippenham route found via the Connecting Wiltshire website (opens as a pdf) Alternative variations: Start and end in town close to Monkton Park (e.g. meet on the bridge close to the park's entrance) with options for post walk refreshments in one of the town centre's cafes or pubs. Another cafe possibility is The Tenth Hole in Monkton Park, though opening times are usually shorter than those found in town. There are several possible variations on the route through Monkton Park as shown on the map. Members starting from their home on the Monkton Park estate can choose a starting point closest to their house. Parking (if needed): Hathaway Retail Park has free parking for up to 3 hours and is a short walk away over the railway bridge to the start point. Alternatively park in town* and walk up to the station. This is probably the better option if starting the walk in town on weekdays. NB there is a car park at the station, but the cost to park for the day is over £7 (price as at August 2019). * = Emery Gate or Bath Road are the recommended options on weekdays as these allow parking for over 2 hours, so no clock watching required! Check the above link for opening times and free parking options after 6pm or at weekends for all car parks. There is also some limited (pot luck) parking available on Station Hill with no time limit after 6pm, though watch out for closing times at The Hearty Hare if taking an evening walk from the station meeting point. There is a choice of pubs in town down the hill if an evening walk is preferred.