Decided to return to the stretch above Streatley and the Ridgeway today, partly as I was already in Blewbury so thought it was worth extending my drive a bit.
So I drove almost to Streatley and doubled back along the Ridgeway, passed the golf Club and along until I reached the end of the metalled road where there is a designated parking area. So the same place that I started a previous walk and to begin with the same route, back towards home on the Ridgeway and then turning right almost doubling back. This is an area of sweeping undulations and huge hollowed out areas. The path starts by Streatley Warren.
It’s strange but although I walked this way earlier in the summer it doesn’t seem that familiar, so much more overgrown. Soon I find the recognisable path from before with a wide clearing on the right and woods on the left and I can remember stopping for coffee. I’m looking for a path off to the left as I’m not following through to Moulsford today but staying on this side of the main road. I have a different track in my sights.
Today there is an abundance of flowers, almost an avalanche in that everywhere I look there is something different. What a pleasure!
I thought I could remember the path turning off but according to my map I had already gone too far. I thought I’d found a track started to follow this to a fence and then along but then it disappeared and I was in the middle of a wood. Checked my map and I was very off track – thank you GPS. Undeterred I thought I could probably cut through until that is I heard a rather loud and aggressive dog barking. Not my favourite situation and especially not by myself off the track in a wood!!
Turned and back tracked and found another ‘sort of’ track which was more in the correct direction and then came out on my intended path! A little adventure. More flowers, quite a relief really and a few good views through the trees.
A bit of up hill with woods on my left and vast sweeping fields on my right. Not sure I ever saw Devil’s Ditch but after my last near encounter didn’t look too hard! I can see the sweep of the track going towards Starveall Farm and the grassy track going up the hill Kingstanding Hill. This should take me almost to the road and I will be able to double back on to ‘The Fair Mile’. First a field of pale blue flowers- not flax, so not sure what they are or whether it is an intended crop.
In Cholsey across the main road there used to be a mental hospital called Fair Mile. I’d been aware of it for much of the time I’d been in the area but one day when I was a deputy head in Abingdon it would come to have a greater significance. It’s no longer there – now a housing estate!
One day as I’d nearly arrived at school there was a traffic hold up and much happening around an end terrace house or should I say the remains of. To my horror when I arrived at school a couple of minutes later I was greeted by the grim news that the fire that had destroyed the house had also killed two of our pupils and their mother.
The reason that Fair Mile provoked this memory is because the fire had been set by the live in child minder. A young man who was part of the ‘care in the community’ scheme from Fair Mile Hospital.
Apart from the grief and shock around this situation, I will never forget the granny coming to collect some of the belongings from her granddaughters school tray and the media hanging outside the school gate. This person had been known to us and we had raised concerns with social services over issues of being hit with wooden spoons but no action was taken and because we were in Oxfordshire and the hospital was in Berkshire there was no cross reference of this person. Luckily we had kept all our notes as there was also a Home Office Enquiry.
So even long before this I had been intrigued by the name and always wondered at the significance of this route way. Turns out it was a bit of a boring track – well not significant anyway! There must be some ancient reason for the name. Any way more flowers to brighten my way after some rather solemn reflections!
It is a very straight track and I suspect it may be linked with the Roman Temple that was on Lowbury Hill. Just before the base of the hill I take a turn to the left, skirting underneath it with Dean’s Bottom on the other side. Another one of these wonderful scooped out dips which predominate in this area. The photo doesn’t really show the exaggeration of the curves.
Soon I am down to the Ridgeway again and all that is left for me to do is to walk back towards Streatley and my car. This has been a warm walk which got increasingly hot and I’m glad it was no longer. I hadn’t thought about the incident described above for a long time but it’s extraordinary how the mind works and remembers very specific details. A couple more flowers to finish and a wonderful golden field of wheat. Just over 12.5 kilometres today and out for about 3.5 hours.
My route – including the mistakes!
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 