Rambling Pete on Walking Places

The Wessex Ridgeway 2014

Day Two: 7th September

Weather: Overcast but Sunny later on

Route: Roundway (Devizes)to Edington - 16.5 miles

I awoke early as the cyclists staying at the B&B were off out early for a lung bursting 100km bike ride – rather them than me as I turned over for five minutes more kip. It was a good thing really as I had a long day ahead of me and I like to get a reasonable start for a reasonable finish. I started with a very tasty bacon sandwich and poached eggs for breakfast which set me up for the day; I tend to avoid the ‘full english’ as it weighs a little bit heavy on the stomach and makes me feel sluggish as I move off. A really nice B&B stay and will definitely return here to walk the White Horse Trail. The Wessex Ridgeway route is at the back of the Southdown B&B but I had walked down there to Devizes last night for my meal, so took a short cut back to the ridgeway by going to Coate Bridge, up the muddy overgrown Gypsy Path and along to Clayhole Cottage. Following the official route would have added another mile or so. I had a fly past of a skeen of geese, getting ready to migrate no doubt. A steady walk uphill took me up above Devizes and onto a green lane, deeply rutted in places by 4×4′s – a theme for the day really. There was a view back to the White Horse near Roundway, but it wasn’t a stand out view. I had to change to a thin base later as I warmed up, and that’s all I needed for the entire route. I had a mile of steady ascent to Eschilhampton Hill with views all round, but as it’s been for the last week, it was very misty in the distance, and even the view down over Devizes was limited. Once past the hill I dropped down to the village of Stert, and once through Stert, I passed farms with some aggressive cow families and a big brute of a bull, all thankfully behind the hedgerow. Passing several farms I then followed a good track downhill that led to Crookwood Mill Farm, with views back to Sterne and the church. Fortunately for me I was paying attention to the maps for a change and noted a small marker post in the hedgerow to my left which led through pasture towards the railtrack. Over the rail track and 2 Great Western trains missed me, and through plenty of cow pasture up to Cuckoo Corner at Urchfont. A thumbnail Wessex Way sign pointed me to left and so far the signage has been indistinct at best and nonexistent at worse. But it’s easy to navigate anyway as it’s mostly up on the higher ground, but there is a lot of fields to pass in between the tracks and green lanes. Beyond the Knights Leaze farm and I had a distant view back to the white horse at Roundway. A sign invited me to purchase some horse poo but I declined as there was plenty lying around if I felt the need. Into the village of Urchfont and at the village pond a welcome bench to sit and ponder while I ate my lunch. A very nice old lady stopped to complain about the new houses at the back of the pond. I think she was from the manor house. I told her the serfs have to live somewhere, and change isn’t easy but thought it would look good when it was finished. Just outside the village there were several large fields with quite a few metal detectors sweeping back and forth. So I stopped for a chat and the gent showed me a picture of what he’d found over the last three years – an impressive haul including a tiny Saxon thimble with fine detail. They were raising money for the local village by selling off what they found. He told me his detector cost £1200, but he wanted a gold seeking one which cost £5000 – and it’s not even waterproof. People have been very friendly and willing to stop for a natter – this gent hung up his mobile phone call to his wife while we chatted – very civil. From Urchfont it was a steady pull up to the Imber range path, where access is restricted due to the army firing ranges. Up on top there were plenty of warning signs to stay away from the firing ranges, and more rough 4×4 tracks but thankfully to the side of the main gravelled road. It was roughly 3 miles along the range track on a mix of hard gravel, which gave way to Tarmac. It was straight and to be honest a tad tedious and hard on the feet. Looking back I could see the distant white horses I’d seen previously, although as before the views were hazy. I had considered and decided not to cut off the corner of the Wessex Ridgeway path by staying on the Imber range path instead of dropping down into West Lavington. But as I reached the turn off I’d had enough of the gravel road so dipped down the hillside into West Lavington along a delightful grassy lane before cutting through the village and up the side of the large ‘Dauntsey’s school where no doubt many children are incarcerated at the boarding school – why else would they be out on the playing fields on a Sunday? It was a nice steady descent into West Lavington with a nice church and a pub for a pint – I swear it evaporated because it hardly touched the side. Then it was back up through the fields pssing the school grounds to the top again. Looking back to West Lavington the strip lytchets – old terraces were clear to see and the big field was laid to meadow grass with some lovely colour from buttercups, clover and scabious. Annoyingly the route dropped down once more before cutting across rough long grassed pasture – I suppose I should have known when I looked at the map and read ‘Hill Bottom Farm’ – there’s a hint there. On the way back up I passed by a couple of small plantations before climbing once more to the Imber range path – it was definitely warming up on my way uphill and the sky clearing a little more. A couple more miles of metalled track and tarmac road led me to Coulston Hill and a steep lane down into Edington. There is an interesting milestone at the side of the road and you can just about make out the word Sarum and Bath – interesting. The track down into Edington reminded me that I would be back up a similar one first thing in the morning so no big breakfast was my thought as I crossed the road to the Three Daggers - my bed for the night! Perfect and a fine pint before my shower and evening nosh – being a Sunday it was a roast and very, very nice. A cracking day despite the MOD trying to put me off – the red flags were flying indicating live firing... tomorrow