The Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire is in the North Wessex Downs National Landscape – a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Pewsey Vale Tourism Partnership was set up over 10 years ago as a not for profit, voluntary organisation, to promote the area and support the visitor economy. Not only are they Walkers are Welcome members, they are also members of VisitWiltshire and the Great West Way.

Susie Brew, coordinator of Pewsey Vale WaW said, “we have always felt that the area is little known by media folk and so we decided to invest in the Media Discovery Event run by the Great West Way which took place in March 2025. It was a bit like speed dating but with media representatives and so our volunteer, Sylvie, spoke to lots of people during the day. We were able to follow up with those who were interested and provide more details about the area.

One of the media companies was Holiday with the Heathers. Wayne and Jessica Heather travel all over the world, writing about where they visit and stay and have a big online following.

We were delighted that they wanted to visit the Vale of Pewsey and so found dates in July and drew up an itinerary to ensure they saw the most they could possibly see in just 3.5 days and 3 nights. As they were arriving by train, we ensured that most of their travel once they arrived could be done using the on-demand bus service, Wiltshire Connect.

Our accommodation partners were most generous in donating overnight stays. A local walking guide – Alan from Roaming the Paths – took them around Alton Barnes White Horse and Adam’s Grave (a neolithic barrow) followed by lunch at Honeystreet Mill and a visit to the Crop Circle Visitor Centre & Exhibition. The day concluded with a wonderful walk back along the Kennet & Avon Canal to their accommodation at Cocklebury Farm.

We had a day in Pewsey village and then on to lunch at The Bruce Arms followed by a guided tour of Wilton Windmill and a very special walk to Crofton Beam Engines for another guided tour. It was then over to The Swan Inn in Wilton for a delicious supper and then we headed back to No 10 B&B in Great Bedwyn. The following morning, they even managed to get in a walk around Bedwyn and a visit to Sir John Seymour’s tomb in the village church before catching their train home from Bedwyn Station”.

So was it worth all the effort? The team at Pewsey Vale think so. Apart from the fun of planning the itinerary and then being the guide for part of the trip, the Instagram and Facebook content the Heathers generated whilst they were there was very popular and has led to an increase in followers of Visit Pewsey Vale. In addition, they have provided the team with content so that they can use it in their monthly newsletters and share it with their partners.

All the video content has been loaded to YouTube, again giving them plenty of scope for usage in their communications. Jessica’s editing and writing skills are very impressive, making her social posts engaging and interesting.

Susie said, “the whole experience was extremely enjoyable and it was great to have an opportunity to work with such professional and experienced travel reviewers. Have a look at their review of the Vale of Pewsey here.”

“We would welcome Jessica and Wayne back any time!”