The Sarsen Way was officially created in 2020 by the Friends of the Ridgeway. At 49 miles (79 km) this long-distance path was developed to link two major ancient sites in Wiltshire – Stonehenge and Avebury. It incorporates parts of other paths including the Ridgeway, the White Horse Trail and in particular, the Pewsey Avon Trail; there’s a lot of ‘code sharing’ going on here as with airline flights!

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The path begins at Salisbury Cathedral and ends at Coate Water Country Park in Swindon. From Salisbury the path follows the River Avon valley, touches the edge of Salisbury Plain, meets and follows the Kennet and Avon Canal for a while and crosses the Vale of Pewsey before reaching the Ridgeway at Overton Hill. From there it follows the Ridgeway to Barbury Castle before the final 8 miles to Coate Water Country Park.

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Whilst the Sarsen Way doesn’t actually pass Stonehenge or Avebury, there are short, optional loops to visit these UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These loops add about 4 miles in total to the length of the path. Along the path itself there is more evidence of ancient history including Old Sarum, Casterley Camp, Adam’s Grave and Wansdyke.

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The route of the Sarsen Way is mainly across open, rolling downland under wide skies. Some of the northern part lies within the North Wessex Downs AONB. Most of the AONB is farmland. Over half of this area is cropped and some is grazed, the rest is mostly woodland and set aside land.

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The Sarsen Way name is derived from the large sarsen stones that are found in circles at both World Heritage sites. The path is waymarked with its name and 3 sarsen stones on brown circular discs.​