Home Alone Continued

Well, Even though Cal is home, I thought I'd finish the Blogs of stuff I did while she was in Aus.

Figsbury Ring

23^rd July 201

After work I headed to a National Trust site called the Figsbury Ring. It is an historical site that has yet to be fully understood. It seems that the site dates back to the Neolithic period as some sort of enclosure. The historians think that further work occurred in the late Neolithic period to make the site a henge, with a later Iron Age ditch around the outside. Whatever the origin, apparently there is evidence that the site was occupied from about 3000-2500 BC. Irrespective, the cows still enjoy the site as they do at Badbury Rings, and there are also plenty of summer wild flowers.

The site is on my way home from work – it may look like a detour, but I guarantee that the long route has by far the better roads and is less time consuming. Home is at (A); Work is at (C); and the Figsbury Ring is at (B). 

Once again there were a bunch of cows – but ignoring them, you could just make out the spire of Salisbury Cathedral in the distance. It was pretty tricky setting up the camera with no tripod, and a quick run town the ditch to get into picture, but it worked (sort of).

Mark in the first Ditch

Salisbury in the Distance

What is it about cows and Iron Age Rings?

  The panorama shows both the inner and outer ditches
And last but not least, some of the wild flowers - I gotta say, blogging doesn't help with photo layout :-(

The Woodford Valley

28th July 2012

What was I thinking - some sort of "hero" walk while Cal was in Aus?? You would have thought that easing gradually into a long walk would be the sensible thing to do, but no, "hero time". Mind you, I did give myself a get out of jail free card. The walk from Old Sarum up the Woodford Valley was about 8 miles (13 km), which was only about twice as long as my Badbury Ring stroll, so I thought "what the heck". The plan was to take a bus back to Old Sarum if all was not good (so not that much of a hero :-)). Anyway, for reasons that will become apparent, it ended up being a return walk, and I was mighty glad to see the car :-) The map to the right shows the one way trek from Old Sarum to Stone Henge - well just north of the Henge as I was more interested in the Barrows along the way than the Henge itself - Cal and I have been there a couple of times, and a busy Saturday afternoon was not my idea of fun. As it was, I had the barrows all to myself :-).

The Walk started from the Old Sarum car park, and pretty soon it looked like a road going on forever. I was very much reminded of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (first book) "the road goes ever on"

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

The Woodford Valley wasn't living up to it's reputation as a valley - but then I was walking on the tops of the hills looking down into the valley. 

There were also a bunch of summer wild flowers - and I couldn't help myself :-)

 





 

I found myself walking past wheat fields, and then eventually past piggeries. Man, they smell bad enough when you're driving past them half a km in the distance - try walking right along side of them. One of the thoughts that keep me going was the fact that bacon tastes soooo good, and I'd had a good helping of bacon and eggs that morning :-) (Sorry Sarah - it's who I am). Not only did the pigs smell baaaaaad, but they were also engaging in some, hmmm, how does one put this delicately . . . hmmmm, nope, I can't. There were pigs bonking every where I looked - I couldn't escape it. (But Cal wouldn't let me post the pictures).

Eventually the path led down from the "ridge" line into the valley floor at a village called Great Durnford. As I wandered down, the locals were mowing the cricket ground (complete with dogs in tow - I love it). It was probably in anticipation of the fact that there was no rain forecast, and they might actually get some cricket in during the afternoon. Past the pub, and a lovely thatched cottage, past the swans and onto the footbridge over the river.
 

 















That's where I lost my sun glasses - darn - the unique clip-ons to prescription glasses - NOT happy Jan. This is the reason why I decided to walk back - Whilst I search the path twice, I thought I'd give it one more pass on the way home, but alas, no success.

From the Valley floor it was through a woodland to the the Normanton Downs, which are fairly plastered with barrows - all on private land, so all you can do is look at the sheep as they gallivant all over the mounds. With Stonehenge (and the tourist buses) in sight, half my journey was done. I kept walking past the Henge to the Cursus downs, where there are about (lots of) barrows that you can walk up to, and over if you are so inclined (I wasn't). I just had my lunch whilst taking in the sunshine :-) and scene.

On the way home I decided to fore go the steep walk out of Great Durnford, and took an alternate path (almost missed the overgrown path entrance) that by-passed the piggies and took me along a more gentle route. Very soon I was walking back down the original path an thinking that my meet were sore, and the pub looked good. If you know your Tolkien you might recognise the difference in attitude between the first and third books. OK, so I embellished a little :-)

The Road goes ever on and on

Out from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

Let others follow it who can!

Let them a journey new begin,

But I at last with weary feet

Will turn towards the lighted (Badger) inn,

My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

And now for the Badger Inns (plural) in Gillingham :-)