Local People

We spoke to some of the people who live and work here on the Great West Way to find out what they think makes the route so special.

There are lots of options for exploring the Great West Way - travel by foot, bike, car, boat or train. The choice is yours! We asked the locals which they prefer, and why.

Want to explore the Great West Way like a local? We asked some of our Ambassadors for their favourite off-the-beaten-track or lesser known places to visit along the route.

Guy Watts from Great Western Railway talks connecting communities, discovering hidden gems and proper pub lunches.

We talk to Emily and Christine - the Welcome Ambassador Volunteer Coordinators for Bath - about slow travel, hidden gems and their favourite spots along the Great West Way. Both have lived in the area for many years and having incredible knowledge of the area. They're on hand to point you in the right direction when exploring the city and answer any questions no matter how weird or wacky!

Amy Weller has worked her way up to become Team Manager of Carnivores at Longleat, just off the Great West Way, in Wiltshire. Amy helps look after the parks lions, cheetahs, tigers, hyenas and wolves and successfully bred cheetah Wilma and Carl bringing Longleats first litter of cheetah cubs into the world. Click here for more of an insight into the life of a zookeeper. 

Tom Newey is the Chief Executive of Cobbs Farm Co. Ltd in Hungerford, West Berkshire. The Farm Shop & Kitchen, internationally award-winning Alder Ridge Vineyard and a 55 acres soft fruit PYO keeps Tom on his toes day-to-day but doesn't mind an escape to Bath towards the West of the route every so often. He must clarify though as a Cornish boy, the jam ALWAYS goes on before the cream in a cream tea.

Trevor Heeks has been Trowbridge Town Crier for 33 years! A popular face in the lcoal community, as well as a broad in the twinned German town of Leer, Trevor loves meeting visitors and helping make their visit more of an experience. His love for the Kennet and Avon Canal shines through and he says you can't explore the West Country without tasting the cider, of course!

Alex started off his working life in tourism in London and eventually moved to Reading. He shows a real sense of pride about the town that he works and lives in, even if he does have to point out to people it is pronouced "redding" not "reading" like reading a book. Reading has a fabulous culinary scene and Alex lets us in on a few hidden spots to add onto your Great West Way bucket list.