This is a short family-friendly route around the heart of Sutton Benger village, pointing out places of historical interest.
This trail provides more information about places that are listed on the two 'Welcome' signs, one located on the Village Hall and one in Draycot Cerne.
This is a circular cross-country walk from the Village Hall, to Gate Farm and then to Chissell Brook, and back via Sutton Lane Meadows to the Village Hall.
This is a walk from the Village Hall, to the Draycot Park entrance, to Draycot Cerne, and return.
This is a walk from the Village Hall, to Sutton Lane, back along the High Street and Seagry Road to La Flambé, then along the footpath (the old Barrett Lane) to the B4069 bridge over the River Avon, and then into Christian Malford. Return via the Christian Malford meadows to the Avon Weir, back across the Avon to Sutton Lane, and along Sutton Lane to return to the Village Hall.
This walk takes you past various locations associated with the Romano-Saxon history of Sutton Benger; but note that there is no visible evidence of this history. Also, close to the walk, are remains of pillboxes from World War II; but please remember to stay on Public Rights of Way at all times.
This a long walk, uphill from Sutton Benger along Seagry Road, to cross the M4, left along the footpaths to Harding's Farm, into Upper Seagry along Scotland Road and Henn Lane, to Goss Croft Hall, then back through Upper Seagry along the roads to Seagry Hill, returning to Sutton Benger Village Hall.
If you would like to see some autumn colours, take the optional loop through Seagry Woods; follow the optional directions from Scotland Road, after leaving Harding's Farm.
As another alternative, you could start this entire walk from Goss Croft Hall, to Sutton Benger, returning to Upper Seagry via Harding's Farm.
This is a circular cross-country walk from the Village Hall, to Gate Farm and then to Kington Langley, stopping for a cup of tea or coffee at the Workshop Cafe at Kington Langley's Church Farm.
Return to Sutton Benger via the 'old road' from Kington Langley to Draycot Cerne - the 'road' that was replaced by the 'Draycot Straight' in the 1700s and is now just footpaths / bridleways. (Caution! - it can get muddy.)
If starting from the eastern end of Sutton Benger (from the Village Hall), you could take an alternate route, either from Queens Close alongside the Big Field, or via Sutton Lane, to Sutton Lane Meadows; then pick up the old bridleway west to Kington Langley.
An anti-clockwise cycle route from Sutton Benger Village Hall, north across the M4, past Lower Seagry to Great Somerford, left to Startley, then left to Upper Seagry and back to Sutton Benger.
Enjoy the Wiltshire Countryside on this scenic circular walk. Apart from a few hundred yards along Sutton Lane, the route is along public rights of way (PRoW) footpaths and bridleways across fields and tracks. The trail includes Avon Weir and Sutton Lane Meadows.
NOTE: As the Ordnance Survey notes, meadows near the River Avon are 'liable to floods'. If the weather has been exceedingly wet recently, some of the fields may be too flooded to walk through safely, and you are advised to re-route via Sutton Lane and then along the bridleway to Sutton Lane Meadows. Although note that the bridleway may also be flooded at times.
A Sutton Benger Christmas Trail
This Christmas Trail follows a route around Sutton Benger, starting at the Village Hall there is a pictorial clue to find at the 12 locations. You can wander the route in any direction, solving the clues in any order that you want. Email the answer to hello@bengertrails.co.uk
The village Post Office has had several locations in the last 200 years, including 24 High Street (shown in the photograph).
A village Post Office was first mentioned in 1848. It is not clear where it was but in 1885 it was at 58, High Street, The Rowans, and remained there until about 1890.
The sepia-tinted photograph from the early 1900s shows Lewin and Emma Heath and their children outside The Rowans. One of the children, Oliver, would later become the Park Lane baker.
The building at 22 / 24 High Street may be one of the oldest in the village; it actually dates back over 300 years, although the crest shows that it was updated in the 1800s. It was possibly a baker’s at one time, as well as a draper’s shop. It was also the village Post Office 100 years ago, from about 1900 until about 1930. Letters used to arrive from Chippenham around 4:30 in the morning, and were guaranteed to be delivered to your house by 7am. If you wanted to post a letter, last collection to be taken to Chippenham was at 9:30 in the evening.
In the 1930s the Post Office was in 43 High Street, and then in the 1940s it was in the Corner Shop.
Note the sign on the left of the photo of 22-24 High Street; it is on the front of Barrington's Shop.
The houses at No 26 and 26A are the newest on the High Street but for nearly 50 years the Post Office was in a bungalow that used to be where No 26 is.
The Post Office moved here in about 1947. Twenty years ago the sub-postmaster was called Peter Smith, and when he retired in 2014 the Post Office moved to its current location in The Bell Hotel.
Can you help? Do you happen to have any photos of the Post Office when it used to be at No 26? If so, and you are happy to share them, please get in touch at:
The house opposite No 24 High Street, known as 'Stradone', still has its well in the front garden. There used to be another village shop, in a temporary building just to the left of 'Stradone', known as 'Barringtons' Shop'.
100 years ago there were very few houses with electricity and there was no mains water. About half the houses in the village had their own wells, which were shared with their neighbours. It was not until the 1920s that mains water arrived, and mains electricity arrived in the 1930s - although not immediately for everybody. Some houses in the village were still without mains water and electricity until the 1940s.
The Parish Newsletter for October 1931 records the following: ‘Our little village is now becoming quite up-to-date in its equipment, for not only is the electric light to illuminate the village streets and private houses and the Church, but it is also to be installed at the Rectory and in the Village Hall ... One hopes they will not be found too expensive a luxury. With an adequate water supply and a new system of heating the Sutton Benger Hall will be one of the most useful and best equipped in the country.'
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