Walking The Ridgeway - Hackpen Hill, Winterbourne Monkton

Hackpen Hill

Amazingly our first venture onto The Ridgeway in 2020 ! This would most likely be the last as well, it being the last leg of the journey. It's a great pleasure to be out on this history laden path that has provided such a rich walking experience. We wouldn't need to go to the actual start/finish point as this had been covered on a previous visit to Avebury. So no Bunting or 21 gun salute to celebrate our achievement sadly.

Hackpen White Horse

Our starting point was right next to the chalk hill White Horse at Hackpen. On the edge of the Marlborough Downs 2 miles south east of Broad Hinton. One of nine white horse hill figures located in Wiltshire. Dating back to 1838 it is said to commemorate the coronation of Queen Victoria. The horse is 90 square feet (8.4 m²).
The expression "as different as chalk and cheese is sometimes believed to refer to the land divided by Hackpen Hill. The hill forms the boundary between the high chalk downs to the south of it and the clay cattle country to the north, where cheese is a product of the milk from the cattle. There is something quite fascinating about a White Horse carved in the hillside. There are apparently 17 white horse hill figures in England in total.

 It's the most perfect of days for a walk, a slight chill in the air as we start off. It quickly warms up and a layer or two of clothing is soon dispersed with. The views are spectacular, particularly to our right looking towards Avebury in the distance. We can even see the huge stones that line Kennet Avenue.   

There are a few other walkers and cyclists venturing out on what I would say is one of the most stunning parts of the whole Ridgeway.
There have been many highlights but for me this part of Wiltshire has some kind of mystic quality.
It is steeped in history and mystery that I can't get enough of . 

Little 'Archie' has walked every single step of The Ridgeway too, so great respect to him.
It is not surprising that the North Wessex Downs is a designated area of natural beauty. The area itself does have a variety of other names though.
The Berkshire Downs, The North Hampshire Downs, The White Horse Hills, The Lambourn Downs, The Marlborough Downs, The Vale of Pewsey and the Savernake Forest!The AONB covers an area of some 1,730 km² (670 sq mi). It takes the form of a horseshoe, with the open end facing east, surrounding the town of Newbury.

 The northern arm reaches as far east as the suburbs of Reading and as far north as Didcot in Oxfordshire.
We stumble across a 'Dewpond' Berwick Bassett ,originally created to provide a source of fresh water for grazing sheep.They are actually fed by rainfall and were carefully sited so that water would naturally drain into them.
Although there may be between 30 to 40 inches of rain per year on the Downs, standing water is quite rare. The pond is now fenced in to prevent 4x4  drivers taking advantage.

A happy chap

The walk back towards the car park at Hackpen Hill was a steep one. The views are equally if not more spectacular. There are plenty of pheasants milling around and in secure enclosures. There are also a couple of copse like areas, with conifers and evergreens that seem to have been planted for some particular reason? If it hadn't involved clambering down a steep embankment then I would have inquired further. It might well have been been another area for pheasant breeding, who knows?

Avebury arrival

It' a great feeling to have finished The Ridgeway ,tinged with a little sadness.
 In total we have completed 22circular walks that got progressively longer. A distance of over 200 miles was covered.

To mark the occasion we head off to Avebury where we have a table booked at The Red Lion.

The famous Avebury stones

Avebury Manor is at the centre of the village next to St James Church. It is now owned by the National Trust and is open to the public, but not today along with the museum.

The stone circles are a national treasure of course. Why they are there is still open to speculation ,there are many theories.  To me it doesn't matter , they are something spectacular and magical.I have written more about their history in a previous blog write up.
http://peterja-storytellersnight.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-walking-tour-of-avebury.html


Now it is time to enjoy a tasty burger and a couple of pints of 'Soul Train' White Gold IPA !