Wessex Ridgeway - Avebury to Westbury - Day 1
Thursday 22nd July 2021
Day one of my two day walk covering the first section of the Wessex Ridgeway, from Avebury to Tisbury.
London July 2021
John's Pictures

13:44:02
After getting the train to Swindon, then a taxi from there, I set myself up for today's walk with a pub lunch at the Red Lion in Avebury.

14:16:42
The view across to the stones from the pub.

14:37:10
Finally now embarking on my walk, beginning with the pretty streets of Avebury.

14:37:57
...and a quick nod to some of the stones at Avebury as I passed.

14:37:59

14:40:09
The cottages of Avebury were looking especially pretty today.

14:40:49

14:40:53

14:42:10

14:42:13

14:42:23

14:42:37

14:45:43
Out into open countryside now.

14:47:34
The first signpost for the Wessex Ridgeway I spotted on today's walk.

14:50:46

14:55:32

14:59:23
All that remains of the Beckhampton Avenue of stones to the west of Avebury.

15:00:24
Scabious.

15:01:50

15:02:09
Info on Beckhampton Avenue.

15:02:29

15:05:27

15:20:35
After crossing the A4.

15:22:28

15:23:53
Looks like somebody had a fire here.

15:23:58

15:26:35

15:30:22
It was really quite hot at this point.

15:35:59

15:37:37

15:47:18
A tumulus which marked the turning point of the Wessex Ridgeway, from here heading south west towards Cherhill Hill.

15:53:52

15:54:05

15:54:24
Approaching Cherhill Down.

15:59:25

16:01:34

16:01:36
Weirdly alien looking plant.

16:02:51
The views from Cherhill Hill.

16:04:51

16:10:15

16:19:27
I think this was a Roman road.

16:26:41

16:30:04
Passing the Baltic Farm enclosure, more prehistoric interest here.

16:41:34

16:45:46

16:50:44

16:51:44

16:52:16
More scabious.

16:52:31

16:54:22

17:41:37
Large gap in the photos after a fairly gruling trudge in the hot sun across Roundway Down. I permitted myself a break here on Roundway Hill, just outside of Devizes.

17:42:32
The view from where I sat.

17:51:07
More views from Roundway Hill as I set off once again.

18:07:00
The road heading into Devizes.

18:13:44
Oddly a picture of broken palettes on the outskirts of Devizes.

18:30:48
Beyond Devizes, I crossed over the Kennet and Avon canal.

18:39:01

18:48:29

18:51:01
Approaching Etchilhampton Hill.

18:52:03
More scabious.

18:52:05

18:54:09

18:56:27

19:10:26

19:10:59

19:21:51
On the way into the small village of Stert now.

19:28:07
Poppies etc.

19:31:00
Dismantled railway bridge near Stert - I think this was part of the old Devizes branch line.

19:31:53
A shady lane.

19:40:29
The sun already starting to hang a little low in the sky.

19:43:12
A deer in a field.

19:46:42
The Wessex Ridgeway crosses the railway tracks here. Always a bit nerve wracking.

19:50:17
Beyond the railway, heading towards Urchfont.

19:50:29
I could hear the church bells in Urchfont in the distance, so tried to capture a video of it, but possibly mistimed it.

19:59:01

20:08:44
I think this is part of Peppercombe Wood Nature Reserve on the edge of Urchfont.

20:11:52

20:15:45
The church in Urchfont, where the bells had been emanating from.

20:17:09
Another video of the church in Urchfont.

20:20:31
The village pond in Urchfont, where I sat and rested a while.

20:34:50
Not really sure why I took a picture of this traffic island in Urchfont!

20:45:10
Heading up Urchfont Hill.

20:48:14
I periodically stopped and turned to see the progress of the sunset.

20:49:39

20:51:01

20:57:39
The sun just about disappearing now.

21:00:37

21:03:21

21:07:13

21:15:24
The Wessex Ridgeway follows the Imber Range Perimiter Path from here, and I had a rather long trudge along it trying to find a spot to bivvy down for the night.

21:21:57
The moon in the distance.

21:45:20
I eventually found a corner of a field which seemed just about out of the way enough to at least stop and make a late dinner.

21:52:14
Alas though this didn't turn out to be a good spot to bivvy down, so I had to keep on trudging.

23:25:50
I walked back down the hill into Market Lavington. A friend had joked that I would end up sleeping in the middle of a roundabout. This one didn't seem particularly suitable.