Walking the Ridgeway - East Ilsley Figure of Eight

Our starting point for this leg of The Ridgeway was the beautiful Duck Pond in East Ilsley. Taking great care as their was a cycle race taking place we made our way out of the village.

The walk would take us across the Berkshire or Lambourn Downs. Very well know  as good racing country. We would see lots of gallops and stables as the day progressed no doubt.

The route

Starting stalls on the gallops

Today's route is a bit of a strange affair in truth. A rare figure of eight to try and maximise time on The Ridgeway.

The first part saw us walking parallel to the very busy 34, thankfully we were field side.



It was a strange weather day too. In the sun it was beautiful and very warm. As soon as it clouded over the temperature dropped as the wind got up.

It was particularly cloudy up on Compton Downs. It was here that we crossed the Ridgeway for the first time.

 
East Ilsley is famous from the seventeenth century to 1934 as a venue for sheep markets. It is not hard to imagine the ancient drovers up on The Ridgeway. 
At it's peak up to 70,000 sheep would have filled the village.
 

A34 in the distance

Monument to Hugh Frederick Grosvenor

A stone memorial inscribed with the name 'Hugh Frederick Grosvenor'a 2nd Lieutenant in the Lifeguards is quite understated in the hedgerow. He was killed here in an armoured car accident in 1947 aged just 19.

There seem to be paths veering off in all directions. It is a bit confusing.......

There are lovely views looking down to East Ilsley and across the gallops.

Walking downhill from Compton Downs we bypass the village of Compton Downs. The Saxon name is 'Coombe Town' or 'town in the valley'.

The sun has come out!

 










A familiar site then emerges in the shape of 'Streetley Warren'. Our finishing point fro the walk we did last week of course.

The second part of the loop in our figure of eight sees us going uphill on ' Roden Downs'. With the sun now fully out there are good views towards our old friends the Didcot Powers Station chimneys.

We follow The Ridgeway all the way back to our starting point at East Ilsley.

Walking the Ridgeway - South Stoke to Goring and Streatley Warren

Our starting point - St Andrews Church South Stoke

A nice route planned for today. A walk down the side of the River Thames from the lovely village of South Stoke. We were actually above the Thames with only fleeting glimpses of it.
We would then cross the Thames at Goring towards Streatley.

The first point of interest is only a few hundred yards away. 'The Perch and Pike' an old 17th century coaching inn. One of the very few pubs actually on The Ridgeway. We felt it only appropriate to call in on the way back and sample the local Brakspear Ale.

To our left runs the train line on the Great Western Main line.

Views from the bridge at Goring

View of the weir

Goring is another very nice place and as the sun was out we had a slight ice cream detour into the town before crossing the bridge. Both the 'Thames Path' and The 'Ridgeway' follow this part of the route.




We climb gradually into Streatley , no more grassy tracks , instead we are on the road. It's a bit different but the houses are interesting and there are still good views to be seen.
At the point where the tarmac ended and the unmade road began we came to a way post stating Streatley was 1.9 miles back and that Ivinghoe Beacon, the starting point on the 'Ridgeway' was 44 miles back.

 Our 'Ridgeway' part of the walk ended as we turned toward Streatley Warren. A sight of special scientific interest .

Streatley Warren covers an area of 76.8 acres of dry chalk valley. There is evidence that the terracing formed on the site is of Iron Age creation, when an archaeological dig was started on the site in 1948. During medieval times the land was used for farming rabbits.

Streatley Warren

Some stunning views from high in the valley















The chalk valley then gives way to woodland as we progress in a loop back towards Goring
There are the first signs of Bluebells starting to emerge.

First Bluebells in the woods

From the woods there are spectacular views looking down on the river Thames.

It's been a really good walk of around 13 miles and that pint in the 'Pike and Perch' went down extremely well !

Walking the Ridgeway - Lower Cadsden to Wendover and beyond

 A midweek day off work and chance to catch up on one of my 'missing legs from the 'Ridgeway'.

Today would be about covering as much of the 'Ridgeway' as possible. So no circular route on this occasional , purely linear.

 

Starting point is 'The Plough' at Lower Cadsden. I was a bit later than planned due to traffic problems. The aim being to get to to the other side of Wendover at least , then see how far I get. Allowing for a walk back of 2.5 hours.

The Ridgeway climbs immediately up Pulpit Hill and the Nature Reserve.



The weather is dry and a little overcast, a shame really as I left home in bright sunshine. Hopefully things will brighten up as I go along.

It's a very pleasant walk through woodlands and you eventually come out with first views of 'Chequers'.

You know when you are nearing 'Chequers' when you see this

 The building I see today dates back to the 16th Century. But there has been a house on the site since the 12th Century. It was restored to it's former Tudor glory in the early 20th Century. During the First World War it was used as a hospital before being handed over to the then Prime Minister 'David Lloyd George'.
It is now the country retreat of the reigning Prime Minister, in this case Theresa May.

'Chequers' with Boer Monument in the distance

 As you might imagine , particularly with all the existing Brexit chaos security is tight. There are surveillance cameras at various key points. Particularly at the drive crossing, there are also marked Police cars closer to the house.




Leaving the estate I cross a road taking a path leading uphill rejoining the 'Icknield Way'.
Its another pleasant walk through mature woodland. There are paths disappearing in all directions but the Ridgeway is well marked so no major issues navigating.

The path then opens up and the views out to the west are spectacular. Again 'Chequers' is visible in the distance and a golf course is down in the dip. I am now on ' Coombe Hill.

It would have been disappointing and unusual not to see a Red Kite in these parts. And they didn't let me down today! In fat they seemed less wary and actually got very close. At times they seemed to be almost at ground level before effortlessly soaring in the increasingly blue skies.

As I climb I get my first sighting of the War Memorial high on the west corner of 'Coombe Hill'.

Boer War Memorial

The monument commemorates the men of  Buckinghamshire killed in the Boer War.  Fought October 11, 1899, to May 31, 1902, between Great Britain and the two Boer (Afrikaner) republics—the South African Republic (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State

The monument itself was built in 1904 but had to be rebuilt in 1939 after being struck by lightning. 

It's a cracking view all the way round from the top of 'Coombe Hill', and I can see my destination  'Wendover' in the distance. 

Thankfully from now on it's all downhill to Wendover via Bacombe Hill.  

Stunning Views

At the bottom of the Hill I leave the 'Ridgeway' trail and head through the town centre. Passing the railway station and a variety of quite pleasant shops. 

 It's a longer walk through Wendover than I had expected and was beginning to wonder if i'd missed the path?

Eventually I do see a sign , ironically next to the Tourist Information Centre.

The path takes me past 'Hampden Pond'. The water level isn't very high and it doesn't ;look great for fishing in all honesty.

St Mary The Virgin Church

The next point of interest is The Church of St Mary the Virgin.Built in the 14th century and briefly used as a camp by some of Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army during the English Civil War.    

'Chequers' from 'Coombe Hill'

The road continues to climb until it passes a farm and then woodland. It has got very hot and humid and I wont be going on any further. So the walk ends at the start of Hale Wood and I begin the journey in reverse. 

'Chequers'

Kenya - David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage

A restful nights sleep following the 8 hour flight to Nairobi was followed by a hearty Kenyan breakfast.

Fully re-charged we set off for the Elephant Orphanage slightly later than had been planned.
Being a Saturday it was very busy and it seemed that most other tourists had got the same idea judging by the amount of cars parked up.

'Rounding up time'

11 O'clock sees all the baby elephants 'parade' out of their stables (I assume that's what they are called?) to meet the public and to be fed. Sometimes there are also baby Rhino being cared for too.

All of the elephants have their own individual names and can be adopted for $50. Each Elephant has either being orphaned by poachers, or have been lost and abandoned for natural reasons. The Trust is run by Daphne Sheldrick in memory of her husband since 1977, the founding Warden of Tsavo National Park.

During the hour long talk and feeding session the Elephant Keepers allow their charges to wander up to an informal rope barrier for  petting and a photo opportunity.

The orphanage (after a lot of trial and error) have become experts on hand rearing baby Elephants. They have mastered a special milk formula, and the keepers provide 24 hour protection and care for their assigned Elephants. Going as far as to sleep in the same stable!
Without this constant care and affection they simply not thrive, growing up disturbed and unhappy and unfit for release.

Lapping up the special milk formula

Unlike Rhinos Elephants mature around the same rate as humans. Rhinos are twice as fast.
Elephants are re-introduced to the wild based on their individuality. The shy and wary ones will take much longer. Traumatised Elephants also take much longer.

Many of the 're-habilitated' Elephants are released at Tsavo National Park. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) operates the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world. To date 244 orphans have been successfully raised.

Additionally the organisation run a highly trained anti poaching and de-snaring operation. Ivory and rhino horn poaching, habitat destruction and bushmeat poaching are having a devastating effect on Africa’s wildlife and wild spaces.

In 2018 alone 4,100 snares were seized, 344 arrests were made and 190 weapons seized.