My starting point today was the village hall car park in Blewbury. I realised I hadn’t documented any of the village in my blogs and I also wanted to follow one of the main routes up to where we held our Pilgrimage services.
First down to the church a route I’d taken many times for various church services, often followed by a group of children and sometimes alone getting ready to set up before everyone arrived!
Parts of the church are Norman and it has a peel of eight bells. Several times, before health and safety became so strict, and with the first vicar whilst I was head we used to take the year 6 pupils up to the top of the tower at the end of the leavers service!
Within the perimeter of the church there are two almshouses and the pre school – housed in what was the Victorian infant school extension to the original school building next door. This splendid Georgian house was built in 1709, funded by William Malthus a rich merchant from Reading who had been born in Blewbury and started the school in 1707. Hence it has endowed as part of its name. In 2007 on 21st March, Lady Day, we were able to celebrate 300 years. The school moved to its present site in 1965 and 69 having been built in stages.
Behind this area is a beautiful open space bordered on one side by a stream. This is known as the play close and was the original play area for the school. We used it a couple of times for our Pilgrimage Service in May when the weather was a bit dubious and had whole school photos when we paraded around the Village to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and similar occasions. The children danced around the maypole here when it was Blewbury Brass Band Centenary!
From the close, paths lead next to chalk thatched cobbed walls. I’ve always liked this little door and thought it would make a good start to a story.
The path comes out onto Nottingham Fee – this was once one of the three manors in Blewbury. The village was well established in Saxon times as people migrated down from Blewburton Hill. These are some of the older houses in Blewbury – great examples for first hand evidence for local history!
The road meets the main road – originally the route through to London and still named as such – by the small war memorial. Today I’m crossing and going up the track towards Churn Knob.
The original path is down in a dip but a new higher path has now been formed and the original is quite overgrown. Blewburton Hill can be seen and also the fields with dominant ridge and furrow – was this natural or caused by farming?
This was the route taken by the eldest of the six classes, the next two walked up the hill via the chalk pits and the younger two by the road. The 4/5 year olds staying in school. All the children converged before assembling on a grassy stretch near Churn Knob. The significance of this area is that St. Birinus was reported to have preached here in 635, commissioned to convert the West Saxons to Christianity.
Several visitors from Europe and Africa joined us during these services over the years. The hardest thing was to finish the services complete with acapella singing before we stated our ‘giant picnic’ !
In 2000 a cross was erected by the ‘knob’, tumulus to commemorate the Millennium but unfortunately English Heritage insisted it was removed!
Many years ago I also took my family up onto the hill to discover Churn Knob and also do a bit of ‘poppy hunting’!
There is a huge complex of ‘gallops’ in this area and the path leads up hill towards the top of the ‘Downs‘. There are tumuli and mounds all around. The path goes passed a patch of rather sad looking Sunflowers- perhaps self seeded. Horses gallop passed and they return in a slightly different direction.
This part of the downs also has a dismantled railway, closed by Mr Beeching in the early 1960’s. It is now dedicated to horse training and farming where once there would have been tented camps for the training of the military.
As the path reaches Lower Chance Farm it turns left on to main track. I spot this creature crawling across the path. The path merges with the Ridgeway for about 200 metres before splitting off again.
The ground is very chalky and this can be seen clearly by the profile of this bank.
Before turning off from this main path Lowbury Hill can be seen to the right. This is the site of a Roman Temple. Not so much colour around at this end of the month but what there is stands out.
A stop to eat just as the path curves away from the top of the hill; the contours are complex at this point and I can look over to see the undulations.
I was really pleased to spot a permissive path and that most of this area was open access. It was a delight to walk through and gradually sloped down hill parallel to the original path.
As I get back onto the main track I go passed the entrance to Sheepcot Farm where a friend lives and I’m reminded that I need to order some wood for my winter fire. The farmhouse came with a sycamore wood that badly needed thining. I also notice how chalky the soil is in this area.
The track leads down to the main road and I cross here towards Aston Tirrold. This is the village where Tim Henman, the tennis player, lives.
The path leaves the village on a sharp corner and heads straight back to Blewbury, passing under Blewburton Hill. There are good views back to Lids Down and I see a view of Blewburton Hill that I haven’t seen before. Towards the village end of the hill the two ditches surrounding become more apparent.
Sometimes there are donkeys on top of the hill – they have their own Facebook page – Doodle Donkeys. On the last stretch of the hill I find them grazing.
Back at the edge of the village I take a series of footpaths – the route once used for the school ‘walking bus’. Cross the play close by a different route and cross the brook – coming out in Westbrook Street. The water is so clear. A great place for racing ‘ducks’ and boats.
The walk was about 15.5 km, there was a slight blip on the Fitbit route where I’ve missed 1km.
Highlights – completing a walk somewhere which has been very special to me for 25 years – perhaps seeing it with fresh eyes.
Meeting two different people who were parents whilst I was at school, one at the start of the walk and the other by Blewburton Hill. Great conversations.
Final highlight has to be the sunshine again!
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 