Berwick Bassett figure of 8

Today was a bright but breezy day, and time to be
getting on with my Ridgeway project!
So a bit of a drive (....frustratingly finding myself
touching on bits of Swindon on the way, which I had
no desire to do! Grrrrr!) brought me eventually
to the village of Berwick Bassett, where I left my car.
From here I more or less followed the course of a stream
towards Winterbourne Bassett
(not a hound in sight by the way!)
and then out towards Windmill Hill,
the last of the prehistoric features in the vicinity
of Avebury.
This site is a "classic Neolithic 'causewayed enclosure'"
apparently. More about it here: http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba67/feat3.shtml

I must admit to not being very excited about
this spot, but anyhow at least now
I know what it's like....
Whilst enjoying a skylark singing I enjoyed a view
towards "yonder hills" onto which I then progressed
via Avebury....



and onto the.....



As I mentioned, it was a windy day and I walked
for the most part with the wind buffeting me from
off to my right. The bright blue sky, with the bright
yellow of flowering oil-seed rape, the bright chalky
whiteness of the path ahead and the grassy pastures
gave me something of a feeling between sensory overload
and sensory deprivation (if that makes any sense).
Anyway, here is an artst's impression (without the wind!)!!!


The spartan landscape at this point is relieved by
the three clumps of beach trees (as seen afar off in tyhe
topmost photo). I also passed close to another white houre
at Hackpen Hill, but I failed to spot it. It is not a tremendously
old one anyway (1830's)


Then with lunchtime approaching, I ascended a small slope
to Badbury castle (hill fort) which stands as if guarding
the westward entrance to a small valley running down towards
Marlborough. As another welcome role its "ramparts" gave me
temporary relief from the wind, to unwind listening to skylarks
once more, eat some lunch....


and admire the wildflowers that also sheltered here,
away from the ravages of high intensity agriculture.

A speedwell



Another attractive little blue flower.....
any suggestions????



Ah! These I know...cowslips!




Kidney vetch?

Time to move on.....

Leaving Barbury Castle behind I headed out

along Smeathe's Ridge where a stretch of open

access land is being grazed in ways to return it

to old-style chalk-land - with a reasonably full assembly

of wildflowers and wildlife one hopes. Not much in

that way evident at the moment, however.

The ridge took me down eventually, and to my relief,

out of the wind and into some blessed shade from trees

and hedges in the small valley I refered to earlier.

This valley was formed, it seems by the gentle

erosion of the river Og, a tributary stream to the Kennet,

and thence to the Thames

the valley has a cluster of villages named by it...

Ogbourne St. George, Ogbourne St. Andrew,

and Ogbourne Maizey. They are olde style villages

of the thatch cottage ilk.

I had had thoughts of walking through each of these

(leaving the Ridgeway path for today)

downstream into Marlborough and along the canal

for some scenic contrast. But time and wearines
now constrained me and I took a more direct path

which took me passed Barton Down Gallops and

across Fyfield Down.

This latter spot is a a National Nature Reserve

and is, in essence the quarry site for Avebury

and (most of) Stonehenge. Before doing a little

research on this stone formation I thought

the rocks strewn across the landscape

had been dragged there by labourers on the

stone circle from some other far off place.

This notion arose partly from memories of

visiting the Presselli mountains where the rest

of Stone Henge was quarried, and partly from

geological ignorance of any solid rocks which could

have overlain chalk (which I think is an excusable error!)

Apparently greywether stone is formed from sandstone

glued together ("indurated") with silica in the Tertiary period.

The overlying softer sandstone has largely gone but these more

solid chunks remained and have been shuffled about on the surface

during glacial episodes. In places they form a "river of rocks"

as they slither down into chalky valleys.

Like shown here:
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=a312&file=index&do=showpic&pid=3671

The grey wethers are also significant, apparently,

for the communities of lichens that grow on them.

Like these, I guess! (shrugs shoulders)

In another part of the reserve the grey wethers

create a natural rock garden amidst the trees.

Leaving Fyfield Down I followed a path back onto

the ridgeway path briefly before descending the

slope near Berwick Bassett clump, then along a

slighty uncomfortable bit of busy road finally to bring me

back to my car. 8 well figured!