I didn't have a good night but I did feel a lot better than yesterday morning so I decided to join the others and walk to our next venue. The sun was shining down on us as we left the wonderful 'Greyhound Inn'
We left the village of Letcombe Regis passing many thatched cottages. I couldn't find a definitive answer to the origin of the village name. 'Regis' is easy as that means the land was owned by the crown as far back as 1086 but there are numerous possibilities for Letcombe such as: Saxon for 'Ledge Valley', Celtic for 'Grey Valley', Roman for Leito-camp meaning Grey open land near a Roman settlement. So take your pick.
Once we had left the village we joined a path that would lead us back to the Ridgeway Trail.
The path had trees on either side and views of meadows on one side and gardens and orchards on the other.
Before reaching the trail we passed a Master Thatcher at work. Apparently it takes 4 to 5 years to become a master thatcher and there is plenty of work for them. Many thatched properties are listed for their architectural or historic interest so they can only be replaced with a thatched roof.
The area has a number of stud farms and stables for race horses. I think we were too late in the day to see any of them out for a gallop.
The loud cawing indicated the rookery in the trees.
Although the path wasn't muddy, it was rutted from tractors and this made for an uneven path and hard on the feet.
This is a trig pillar which you find all over GB. They are part of a vast original retriangulation network of over 31,000 points that included lighthouses, beacons, turrets etc. There are around 6500 of these pillars. The pillars tell you their height above sea level.
There are a number of historical monuments close to the Ridgeway which we managed to miss but this one was so close to the path that we couldn't miss it. Wayland's Smithy long barrow was used for burials 5.500 years ago in the Neolithic period.
Every now and then we stop and guess how far we have walked. I found the walk tough in places and felt as though I had walked 20 miles rather than 10 miles. Although there were a couple of inclines they really weren't that bad. I think had I been at home I wouldn't have gone for a 10 mile walk today but the antibiotics had kicked in and I definitely felt better than yesterday.Here we are arriving in the village of Ashbury.
An Easter themed post box topper
The boys couldn't resist posing by this road sign.
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| We arrived at the The Rose and Crown in Ashbury mid afternoon. It wasn't long before I had settled into my room for an afternoon nap! |
Interesting that you have a Grey Valley, that's what we have here, in fact that's where I live. But I do love your level of history you have there, it just goes back for centuries, we don't have anything like that here.
ReplyDeleteI would think thatchers would be in very high demand and I expect each job takes quite some time...and money.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a good walk in the spring - and a reminder of how long people have walked this area as well. Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
ReplyDeleteGood on you for making the effort. I'm sure your friends appreciated that. You had a lovely walk with lots of interesting sights. I'm pleased the antibiotics are kicking in - you'll enjoy the rest of the walk better now.
ReplyDeleteYou are a trooper for continuing while not feeling your best. I am sure it would take me forever to do one of these walks, because I would be listening for birdsong, stopping to observe, turning over rocks, looking for dragonflies and butterflies….and so on!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you are back on the trail, I did wonder how you were getting on
ReplyDeleteYour next day's walk popped up first and I knew I'd missed one. Glad to read antibiotics are working for you. On to the next leg of your trip.
ReplyDeleteSo pleased you were able to continue the walk.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to watch a while a Master Thatcher at work.
That Easter topper is lovely.
All the best Jan