A Wonderful Week in Wiltshire.....

The sun shone on lovely Jasmine Cottage, Steeple Ashton, for us....

The footpaths are pitched rather than paved....

Ah, the old 'balance-a-hen-on-the-head' trick...!

The road to Bratton, with Bratton Castle in the distance, one of my favourite doggy walks .... 754 feet above sea level, to a 'Suffolk Girl' this is a mountain....

The Iron Age hillfort called Bratton Camp built on the hill top over 2,000 years ago provides a fantastic view across the Vale of Malmesbury and the towns of Trowbridge and Melksham.  It is double banked and ditched on the accessible southern and eastern sides, but has slighter earthworks overlooking the steep fall of the chalk plateau. 

There is a large Neolithic long barrow inside the site, built 3,000 years before and thus preserved by the later occupants.

 I have posted information and photos on this hillfort before, so I won't bend your ear (or eye) on this post.....

Walking up to Ralph's Seat at Edington .. Ralph was a past incumbent of the parish...

Perhaps from the priory?

Westbury White Horse .....

I want one.....

Not as cuddly, but still as cute....

The Battle of Roundway Down, 13th July 1643 ... the main fighting at the battle took place on Morgan's Hill - the hill in the centre of this photo topped by trees.... photo taken before going through the kissing gate which leads to Oliver's Castle, an Iron Age Hillfort from c500 BC (I'm obsessed!), not far from Devizes. 

The earliest use of the name Oliver's Castle occurs on the first Ordnance Survey map of 1814 and represents a misappropriation of the word Oliver as Cromwell was not present at the Battle of Roundway Down, apparently.

Wonderful views over Roundway Down and Beacon Hill.....

Me and me doggy ...

Somebody else's doggy.....

The Chippenham Museum.... a very interesting place to while away an hour or two...

Alfred The Great, my favourite King whose sister was married in the Saxon church in the town where St Andrew's now stands ...

I wonder what happened to poor Percy ....

Etchings by Robin Tanner ... inspired by his walks on Morgan's Hill and Tan Hill...

A relly of Napoleon's perhaps....

St Andrew's....

The Yelde Hall (Guildhall).... early 15th century, also known as The Old Fire Station.....

A visit to the fab Trowbridge Museum in homage to dear Joan Handscombe who worked so hard to get me up to 120 wpm at Pitman's shorthand ........

Sir Isaac Pitman 1813-1897

Vegetarian

Pro-Peace

Very Religious

Teetotal

Non-Smoker

Great Reader

Good Teacher

Musical

Sir Isaac Pitman's memorial tablet in Bath Abbey reads:-

"His aims were steadfast, his mind original, his work prodigious, the achievement world-wide.  His life was ordered in service to God and duty to man".

And last but by no means least, in The Vale of Pewsey, a walk up to the top of Milk Hill (the highest point in Wiltshire at 968 feet above sea level... high altitude indeed compared to Suffolk!) and along part of The Wansdyke (from 'Woden's Dyke') - a series of frontier defences from about 550AD.  Milk Hill is 10.2 inches higher than Tan Hill, it's neighbour.....

Golden Ball Hill ....

Golden Ball Hill on the left, and Adam's Grave (late Neolithic chambered long barrow) to the right ....

What a surprise to catch a glimpse of Silbury Hill through a gap in the bank and ditch of The Wansdyke....

A lovely view around every bend in the path..... the views on the walk up to Milk Hill are beautiful...

Sarsen on Milk Hill....

From the top of Milk Hill looking towards Tan Hill .....

Sarsens on Milk Hill.....

Pixie thinks the 'fliers' are rather large pigeons...