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forms a major industry in the area, largely because of the good quality turf that comes with the chalk underlay, and much of upland area is made over to gallops and other training areas. Several of the upland villages, and especially the large village of
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the downs (now called the
Marlborough Downs) sweep in a semicircle to the south around the headwaters of the River Kennet, with the Vale of Pewsey cutting through these downs carrying the headwaters of the
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Representing the interests of communities and parishes: Connecting
Communities in Berkshire, the Friends of Pang, Kennet and Lambourn Valleys, Whitchurch Town Parish Council and Hungerford Town Council
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The AONB covers an area of some 1,730 km (670 sq mi). It takes the form of a horseshoe, with the open end facing east, surrounding the town of
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originated in this area, a steeplechase originally being a race between two villages, navigated by reference to the church
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The area is a site of scientific interest in numerous fields and has an internationally important habitat for early
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is not a traditional one, the area covered being better known by various overlapping local names, including the
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outcrops are of note, the last in the area around
Marlborough providing material for many of the
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Representing the interests of recreation and rural tourism: Friends of the
Ridgeway and the
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facing south into the valley of the Kennet. This area includes the horse-racing village of
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was designated in 1972. It is managed by a
Council of Partners whose members are:
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This is a typical view of the chalk North Wessex Downs in the north west part of
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214:(formerly known as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or AONB) since 1972.
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Representing the interests of farming and rural business: Axis
Farming,
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and is hence sometimes known as the
Lambourn Downs. Beyond the town of
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260:. The northern arm reaches as far east as the suburbs of
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Representing the interests of the historic environment:
304:(and the highest point in southern England east of the
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within the North Wessex Downs AONB faces across the
630:Representing the interests of nature conservation:
60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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210:. The North Wessex Downs has been designated as a
554:is set, to the north of the small market town of
233:, the Lambourn Downs, the Marlborough Downs, the
163:Location of the North Wessex Downs AONB in the UK
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571:are set on and in the villages connected to the
540:On the south-east arm of the AONB can be found
324:, at 295 m (968 ft) above sea level.
1262:Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England
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194:landscapes located in the English counties of
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721:"10 Reasons to Visit the North Wessex Downs"
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379:. Here too can be found the wooded area of
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636:Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
284:. To the west, the AONB reaches as far as
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
1040:Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs
968:Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs
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852:Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths
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699:North Wessex Downs National Landscape
653:Country Land and Business Association
593:Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
276:, whilst the southern arm extends to
137:North Wessex Downs National Landscape
661:Government Office for the South East
601:Vale of White Horse District Council
58:adding citations to reliable sources
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1277:Protected areas established in 1972
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617:South Oxfordshire District Council
585:Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
521:visible across the rolling downs.
418:in the east and also includes the
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752:Walking in the North Wessex Downs
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408:Southern England Chalk Formation
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643:Council for British Archaeology
638:and Action for the River Kennet
45:needs additional citations for
1287:Protected areas of Oxfordshire
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27:National Landscape in England
1297:Protected areas of Wiltshire
1292:Protected areas of Berkshire
1282:Protected areas of Hampshire
358:slope facing north over the
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536:, taken from the north-east
497:, are home to major racing
387:Geology and natural history
331:The southwestern slopes of
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755:(2nd ed.). Cicerone.
613:Oxfordshire County Council
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477:sites in the area such as
338:At its northeast extreme,
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1193:New Forest National Park
597:Hampshire County Council
579:AONB Council of Partners
296:, situated southeast of
749:Davison, Steve (2021).
665:National Farmers' Union
621:Swindon Borough Council
18:North Wessex Downs AONB
920:Arnside and Silverdale
605:West Berkshire Council
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1009:South Hampshire Coast
674:Ramblers' Association
561:Significant parts of
556:Whitchurch, Hampshire
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396:Uffington White Horse
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330:
316:plateau northeast of
1257:Hills of Oxfordshire
897:Northumberland Coast
377:Hampshire River Avon
268:and as far north as
69:"North Wessex Downs"
54:improve this article
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817:National Landscapes
657:Forestry Commission
591:Local Authorities:
461:, its chalk downs,
430:, Wiltshire Downs,
360:Vale of White Horse
1272:Hills of Wiltshire
1267:Hills of Berkshire
1252:Hills of Hampshire
1080:North Wessex Downs
988:North Wessex Downs
953:Chichester Harbour
879:Lincolnshire Wolds
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219:North Wessex Downs
212:National Landscape
188:North Wessex Downs
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1158:Forest of Bowland
1075:North Devon Coast
925:Forest of Bowland
609:Wiltshire Council
274:South Oxfordshire
231:White Horse Hills
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410:which runs from
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239:Savernake Forest
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544:where the book
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432:Salisbury Plain
428:Cranborne Chase
414:in the west to
406:is part of the
398:and Dragon Hill
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190:are an area of
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440:Chiltern Hills
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362:and a gentler
348:Chilterns AONB
302:West Berkshire
258:catchment area
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235:Vale of Pewsey
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110:February 2024
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71: –
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65:Find sources:
59:
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49:
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43:This article
41:
37:
32:
31:
19:
1209:
1191:Now part of
1185:Now part of
1095:Tamar Valley
1079:
1070:Mendip Hills
1016:Sussex Downs
1014:
1007:
1000:
993:Surrey Hills
987:
935:Solway Coast
751:
728:. Retrieved
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714:
702:. Retrieved
698:
689:
582:
569:Thomas Hardy
562:
560:
545:
539:
515:steeplechase
490:Horse racing
488:
459:Geologically
452:
420:Dorset Downs
401:
352:River Thames
340:Lardon Chase
337:
333:Walbury Hill
306:Mendip Hills
294:Walbury Hill
280:in northern
255:River Kennet
248:
225:, the North
218:
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187:
185:
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107:
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52:Please help
47:verification
44:
1231: /
1090:South Devon
842:Dedham Vale
625:Test Valley
513:. The term
511:West Ilsley
503:Beckhampton
463:dry valleys
448:South Downs
372:Marlborough
320:in central
308:), and the
278:Basingstoke
204:Oxfordshire
1246:Categories
1216:51°27′25″N
1197:Partly in
1168:Nidderdale
1150:the Humber
1138:Wye Valley
1100:Wye Valley
1060:East Devon
1027:South West
983:Kent Downs
973:High Weald
945:South East
912:North West
889:North East
730:3 February
704:3 February
695:"About Us"
681:References
525:Literature
507:Kingsclere
475:Bronze Age
344:Goring Gap
298:Hungerford
245:Topography
177:Designated
80:newspapers
1219:1°30′29″W
1123:Cotswolds
1050:Cotswolds
963:Cotswolds
958:Chilterns
837:Chilterns
471:Neolithic
364:dip slope
322:Wiltshire
310:Milk Hill
282:Hampshire
266:Berkshire
217:The name
208:Wiltshire
200:Hampshire
196:Berkshire
150:Hampshire
1045:Cornwall
999:Former:
663:and the
519:steeples
495:Lambourn
442:and the
404:downland
368:Lambourn
314:Tan Hill
253:and the
169:Location
821:England
499:stables
485:Economy
455:gentian
346:to the
318:Devizes
290:Devizes
264:in mid-
262:Reading
251:Newbury
172:England
94:scholar
1055:Dorset
759:
467:sarsen
434:, the
412:Dorset
270:Didcot
229:, the
96:
89:
82:
75:
67:
1199:Wales
444:North
356:scarp
286:Calne
101:JSTOR
87:books
757:ISBN
732:2024
706:2024
645:and
623:and
583:The
509:and
473:and
465:and
446:and
416:Kent
402:The
288:and
237:and
206:and
186:The
180:1972
73:news
819:in
611:,
567:by
550:by
300:in
272:in
56:by
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708:.
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312:-
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117:(
112:)
108:(
98:·
91:·
84:·
77:·
50:.
20:)
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