The Joy of being in Ancient Places

Footpath Holidays Home Page

Oak - covered tumulus by the Ridgeway path near Avebury

                                                     Do I belong to some ancient race
                                                     I like to walk in ancient places
                                                     These are things that I can understand 
                                                                                           The Levellers
                                                     

This week has been spent walking routes, tweaking route descriptions and checking the condition of any paths that we feel may have been under threat. This week we have been concentrating on area close to home - the ancient landscape of Wiltshire.

The highlight of the week was walking a ten mile stretch of the Ridgeway National Trail. The Great Ridgeway originated as a trading route as far back as the neolithic period, and has been in constant use ever since.This stretch of the path took us from Barbury Hill, a bank and ditch fort constructed and used during the iron age and the Romano British, to Avebury by way of the Hackpen White Horse, Overton Round Barrows, West Kennett Long Barrow and Silbury Hill.

Mysterious and iconic, Silbury Hill

The whole area around Avebury has been designated as a World Heritage Site, and rightly so. Avebury itself is an attractive village with a stunning double stone circle (henge) which runs through it, so (unlike nearby Stonehenge) nobody can fence it off or prevent access to it. Moving freely around these stones is a privilege which is open to all.

Part of Avebury stone circle.

What is the reason for the mystique and mystery surrounding the chalk downlands of Southern England? The fact that they were the first areas settled by humans following the 'hunter gatherer' period must have a lot to do with it. They were suitable because chalk soil was well drained and the soils were fairly thin, lacking in clay which made them easy to work with primitive tools.

Above the mist on Cotley Hill

The hills above our home village are topped with earthworks and landscape features dating back to the bronze and iron ages. Toward the end of last week we had some gloomy valley fog, but if you persist and climb the hill sometimes you are rewarded as you break through into the light.

Next week's walks will be in the Cotswolds and Shropshire, so we shall look forward to those.