Walking festival reconnects people with nature

A group on Sunday set off for a ramble

A walking festival designed to raise awareness of the beauty of the landscape of Wiltshire is under way.

The ChalkEscape 2024 Walking Festival features short strolls, longer rambles, sketching walks, wildlife and history walks taking place across Summer.

Over the course of next week several walks are planned including dog friendly walks, butterfly discovery rambles and social walks for the isolated across Cranborne Chase and the Chalke Valley.

Rachel Limb, 55, from Chase & Chalke Project, said: "This is the festival's fifth year.

"The aim is to reconnect people with the landscape, ecology and the history of local area."

A group have set off on Sunday

Ms Limb said: "The whole point is trying to encourage people to help preserve nature.

"One of the walks we have on this week is a social stroll, designed for anyone who is feeling isolated to know they can come along and meet some friendly people.

"I'm very excited, it is so wonderful to get out and about and meet people and show them them parts of the landscape they've not seen before".

The events have been made possible through the Chase & Chalke Landscape Partnership, a group of organisations working to protect and enhance the special landscape of Cranborne Chase and the Chalke Valley.

They have been supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Walkers of all abilities are encourages to take part.