What we’re about
Wiltshire Wanderers are a friendly welcoming walking group that covers Wiltshire and the immediate surrounding counties.
We are not a dating group or a singles group, but we have many single people and couples walking with us.
We used to be a group tailored for 20s-40s and was affiliated to the Ramblers, but this ceased in December 2016 and now take anyone interesting in walking from 20 to 80!
Our walks are generally on a Sunday morning from 10 or 10:30 am and can be from 6 to 15 miles in length. We also do Saturday walks during the summer and shorter evening walks as well during this time of between 4 and 6 miles.
We strive to put on 2 walks a month, all over Wiltshire and surrounding counties, and we also sometimes do walks with the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) where the length of walk can go up to 26 or 40 miles in a day.
We are not a group for children or disabled (in wheelchair) walkers, though walkers with dogs are welcome, provided they are well behaved and on leads.
Please remember to wear good walking clothing such as walking trousers, wet weather clothing is also advisable (water proofs top and bottom, gaiters etc), good stout walking boots with ankle support with or without walking socks, and please also remember to bring plenty of water with you on our walks. Sometimes its advisable to bring an extra pair of shoes and socks to change into after our walks if the walking boots are muddy, for you to enter pubs or your car home. Please do not wear jeans as if they get wet they take ages to dry and are not ideal for walking in.
We can offer lifts to members to share on transport costs. Ring the walks organiser before the walk starts.
We generally always go to the pub for a drink and sometimes an optional meal after the walk, so if you want to join us, you may want to bring some money.
We ask all walkers to contribute to the cost of running this meetup group by means of small donations per walk of up to a £2.
For 8 years David paid out the Meetup fee of approx £200 a year, but in 2020 decided to charge a fee per person per walk. We sometimes ask for an upfront deposit for some walks as well as weekends to prevent timewasters. A standard flat fee applies to all walking lengths. Try running a group if you feel short changed. David has been shortchanged by £1600! Where is the money going to come from? Thin air?
There is also a fee of £60 per year which goes to the Ramblers, for affilation and group insurance. We don't make a profit on the fees paid, and have expenses just like any other meetup group.
- That by signing up for this Group, you accept that you take part entirely at your own risk.
- Where as organisers are facilitating activities, he or she will not be held legally or otherwise responsible for any accidents or other mishaps during any walk. Outdoor activities are never without risks. " Those who take part consent to the Risk involved"
- If you have any doubts about you abilities, the weather conditions or the terrain or the ground, you must discuss it with your Organiser before the start of the Walk.
- Please advise your fellow Walkers as early as possible if you encounter difficulties during a Walk or if you see another Walker with problems.
This group is organised and run by a group of organisers, and no one individual has total control. We have a committee which meets regularly, to decide the direction the group takes.
The organiser name, "Wiltshire & Swindon Organisers" isn't a single person, but a collective of organisers who have access to this account. You might think it odd that no one person is in control, and we are not here to mislead people. It is merely to prevent any one person having a monopoly of control, as well as ensuring that one person doesn't do all the work as is often the case. Also if one organiser wants to move away, dies, leaves the country or whatever, the group is sustainable.
