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Start at the pedestrian access beside Great Bedwyn wharf, on the south side of the canal. Follow the towpath towards Crofton, turn away before the pumping-station visitor entrance, and take the footpath beside Wilton Water into Wilton. Continue through the village and along Windmill Lane, then return through Bedwyn Brail and the fields to the wharf.
This is an original wharf-start variant of VisitWiltshire’s Great Bedwyn and Wilton Windmill circuit, about 8.4 km on the mapped line. It does not include the station forecourt spur, a lock-gate crossing or a visit inside Crofton Beam Engines. Bedwyn station is nearby, but its access is not part of this route. Allow around two hours and fifty minutes of walking, plus breaks and extra time for winter ground conditions.
The mix is canal towpath, public footpaths, woodland tracks and road walking. Grafton Road, Windmill Lane and the final stretch of Brook Street carry traffic; this is not a traffic-free circuit, and a continuous pavement is not promised. The route passes the entrance to Wilton Windmill, but hedges can hide the mill from the road. An optional visit into its grounds is not included in the plotted line; check the owner’s current access and opening information before planning a visit, tour or refreshments.
Choose settled weather and finish in daylight. Canal edges are often unguarded, wet leaves and ice can make them slippery, and the reservoir-side paths, woods and fields may be muddy or flooded. The windmill hill is exposed to wind. Keep to the marked paths, obey signs and barriers, and turn back rather than crossing floodwater or climbing over closures. The route stays on the towpath beneath Mill Bridge and does not require a railway or lock-gate crossing.
Route references: VisitWiltshire’s original walking leaflet, Canal & River Trust walking information, and Wilton Windmill visitor information. Check current Canal & River Trust notices before setting out; boat-navigation restrictions and pedestrian access are different things.
Route geometry is an original assembly of licensed OpenStreetMap pedestrian paths and shared-road segments. © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence. It is not a surveyed route or a guarantee of winter conditions.
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