Corsham’s third annual walking festival took place over three mostly fine days, Friday 17th to Sunday 19th June. I can only say ‘mostly fine’ as the last walk on Friday was caught in a thunder storm with heavy rain and the final walk of the festival on Sunday, a history tour of the town, which included your chairman, Michael Rumsey as the expert, also got a little damp.
Walkers at Brown’s Folly, near Bathford, with Maurice Tucker
Although the final figures are not yet in, it seems that the event attracted nearly 400 participants to the 17 walks and the evening quiz with a buffet. We strive to freshen up the walking programme each year and recognise that people have different reasons for coming to the festival. This year the programme included walks varying from about 1.5 miles up to 15 miles, some just walking for the pleasure of it but others with a theme such as history, geology, wild flowers, Mindfulness and not forgetting a walk to keep the children engaged and occupied on a Saturday afternoon! Hopefully something for almost everyone.
The festival was started three years ago with the core objectives of getting local people walking and also attracting walkers from outside of the immediate area, so that they might stay for short breaks in the town and thus help to support local businesses. This is such a beautiful area, with some fine walking and it deserves to be explored.
The two photographs are of walkers at Brown’s Folly, near Bathford, listening to a presentation by Professor Maurice Tucker, an eminent Geologist, whilst another group learns about the architecture of Church Street, Corsham from a Mr Michael Rumsey. We were pleased to be able to describe the latter walk as being fully accessible due to recent alterations to the main gates of The Corsham Court Avenue in Lacock Road.
Do visit us at www.corshamwalkingfestival.org.uk
Colin Craddock, Walking Routes Coordinator