What to do and see in the area when visiting Ramsbury, Wiltshire.

The Ramsbury Estate Distillery and Brewery lie just three miles from The Bell, and offer regular tours, beer, gin and vodka tastings and a Bespoke Gin School Experience with a 3.5hr ‘Make Your Own Gin’ masterclass. On our way to The Bell at Ramsbury, where we were staying, my wife & I stopped off at the Estate Distillery & Brewery, for a 90 minute tour. We were taken around the distillery & brewery by volunteer tour guide, local historian & author Barry Hillier, who not only provided us with an excellent account of how the Ramsbury beers & spirits are created, but also served our group with ample tastings along the way, which was most appreciated. I particularly enjoyed the wide selection of beers, the Red Ram (4.5 % ABV), their first English craft lager, a particular favourite of mine.

The tour was very interesting, made much more so, because of the wealth of information & knowledge provided by our guide. If you in the Ramsbury area, I would fully recommend you visit the Ramsbury Estate Distillery & Brewery and enjoy a tour.

Why not take a tour on the Ramsbury Experience – an off-road, countryside safari tour of the Ramsbury Estate promises some of the most spectacular views across the North Wessex Downs, together with a brewery and distillery tour on the last Friday of the month from April to September.  https://ramsburyestates.co.uk/experiences/ramsbury-experience-tour/

Foraging Tours – Join local Wiltshire wild picker & forager, Marc Pardey, for a guided tour of the Ramsbury estate. Foraging for wild food under Marc’s guidance, you’ll be introduced to a wide range of seasonal edibles and learn how to safely identify them in the future. The day will start at 9am with coffee and pastries at The Bell, followed by three hours of foraging on the Estate before returning to The Bell for a multi-course tasting lunch.

Long & short walks from the front door of The Bell at Ramsbury.

You can ask for one of the handy maps of circular walks from staff at The Bell. My wife & I enjoyed an easy 30-minute stroll through the narrow streets of Ramsbury, lined with beautifully preserved, half-timbered, thatched, Georgian and Victorian houses. You can walk alongside the banks of the river Kennet, or set out for a more strenuous hike up to and along the Ridgeway. Described as Britain’s oldest road, it extends 87 miles from Avebury in Wiltshire along the chalk ridge of the Berkshire Downs past the River Thames and into the Chilterns at Ivinghoe Beacon and Ashridge. Dotted with archaeological monuments, including Stone Age long barrows, Bronze Age round barrows and Iron Age forts, a nearby section of the Ridgeway  is located on the edge of the village of Aldbourne, three miles from Ramsbury.

Walking trail info here. https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/short-routes/aldbourne-circular-route/

Walk from Ramsbury to Littlecote Roman Villa – the best preserved Roman mosaic in the UK https://www.visitpewseyvale.co.uk/business-directory/littlecote-roman-villa-mosaic/

Nearby National Trust attractions;

White Horse Hill, Uffington https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/white-horse-hill

Lacock Country House https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/lacock?origin=search

Bell picnic lunches can be prepared by The Bell at Ramsbury, to take with you if ordered the night before.

Go sightseeing and shopping in nearby Marlborough, five miles away, Hungerford four miles and Swindon is 12 miles away. The choice is yours!

Stay at The Bell at Ramsbury, The Square, Ramsbury, near Marlborough, Wiltshire

Recent Awards and Listings:

Michelin Guide 2023

The Good Pub Guide 2020

Café Bella can be used as a private event and/or dining room and can comfortably accommodate up to 24 diners.

Covers – 106 inside and 80 in its landscaped garden and on the terrace