Almost on home territory today and I got picked up from near my house to takes us back to Sparsholt Firs. I asked if we could go via Letcombe Regis and then Letcombe Bassett so that Anna could see these Spring line villages. I was also able to point out the watercress beds in the later and show them Arabella’s Cottage as referenced in Thomas Hardy’s ‘Jude the Obscure’ where he renamed the village Cresswell. Letcombe refers to the brook and Bassett was the first Norman baron.
Not as obviously sunny today, rather grey and a threat of rain. However I set off without coat and just gloves for extra protection, the other two are convinced I must be cold! Just three of us again – I hope we can all make it through the week.
We soon have the Devil’s Punchbowl on our left which runs into Crowhole Bottom and Hackpen Hill – the second hill of that name – with trees planted supposedly to replicate battalions. As we drive up to our start point I notice new steps have been put in place just where in a previous blog I complained about having to scramble down a steep bank to a ditch area even though it was clearly marked as a footpath – very pleased to see this improvement.
Mirella realised that she used to use the stables near to Gramp’s Hill and we continue on heading for Segsbury/ Letcombe Castle another hill fort. One section almost 400 metres long is close to and parallel with the Ridgeway path, apparently indicating that the path was there first.
Before we get to the earthworks I’m reminded of my resent walk from Letcombe, the style where I have emerged numerous times with school groups and where I came out and went down when completing a walk from Fawley.
We climbed up onto the fort for a quick coffee break and then set off for a walk I had done many times but usually accompanied by numerous children! We did discuss the merits of diverting down to the Youth Hostel cafe but decided to continue. Most of the way on firm ground today but wide enough grassland that skirting around difficult areas was very easy.
On past Latin Down Farm and I could point out not only the road to Newbury but also the byway down to my road. We arrive at the monument to Baron Wantage, apparently built on top of a Bronze Age burial ground and decide that although it is too early as a lunch stop there are some useful bushes around! Sadly it has started to drizzle so the coat is now on!
As I’m leading again I have considered lunch stops and hope to get to a wooded area where a path leads down to Betterton. (Not a path I’ve taken for a while.) Not worth hanging around too much at lunch time and we press on to the parking place above East Hendred, which Anna has used before. We do discuss the origin of the name of Schuchamer’s Knob but come to no conclusions but note that the mound in the small copse is both signposted and fenced off. Research afterwards suggests the possible burial place of a Saxon King.
Really not that far on to Bury Down and our finish for the day. Only 9 miles / 15 kilometres and we all feel we have more miles in us. In retrospect perhaps we should include visiting the White Horse in Day 2 and finish sooner adding on a little to Day 3. Continuing to the next suitable point would be another 9 kilometres!
I realised at the end of this day that it was all so familiar and visited reasonably recently that I hadn’t taken any photos!
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 