day 6

Day 6

The day 6 of august started sunny and beautiful. As my last day in Bath, I decided take the train to Swindon and visit the White Horse of Uffington.

drawing and aereal photo from the White Horse

The White Horse is a chalk drawing which takes place in the top of a mountain, close to the village of Ashbury. The train was quick and easy, as the bus connection to Ashbury. From Ashbury I could take the Ridgeway path ( http://www.britainexpress.com/countryside/national-trails/ridgeway.htm ), which is a walking path of about 139 kms that crosses several ancient sites in England starting in Avebury. Although is somewhat obscure sometimes and the trails diverge a lot, it is an easier way to visit these places when not in a car.

RIDGEWAY
Taking the Ridgeway was better than going by road, because of the easy approach to the nature and the small lonely paths. When I was at the beginning of the path I realized it was about to rain. As I had no much choice, I just followed it and in time I found shelter in some parallel trails with much more shadow. Walking through the trees is an amazing feeling.


WAYLAND'S SMITHY BURIAL MOUND

When I noticed a bit more of human traces (marks of fire and rubbish), I decided go to the main track, when I found indication for the Wayland's Smithy burial mound, with is very much like the Avebury’s West Kennet burial mound, with long features, main entrance and side burial chambers.

Wayland's Smithy Burial Mound
photo from the XIX century, when it was excavated

West Kenneth is older and bigger, but Wayland’s Smithy worths a visit. It’s been dismantled and reconstruct in the mid XIX century, when it was found, and somewhat reconstructed, as it is possible to see by the pictures from that time.

inside the mound, entrance and chambers

OLD UFFINGTON FORT
As the rains tightened up, I took refugee inside the chamber, and could stay for a while in its strange ancient rocky atmosphere. Following the trail again, I lead to the White Horse Hill and Old Uffington fort.

the way to Uffington Horse. The mountain at the left is the Uffington Fort

The Fort is a top flattened round hill, with a ditch around, pretty much as Solbury Hill Fort or the Old Sarum. Like both of them, unfortunately it has no much left except its shape. There’s a very visible entrance facing west, and a 3 acre round grass flat ground inside.


It’s been used at the iron age times, and must be related with the White Horse Like most of the fortresses it stands at the top of a hill, in a high area. It might have been very difficult to defeat from below.

UFFINGTON HORSE

The Horse is dated around 1400 BC by optical dating. It is not completely visible from the ground, and it must be seem from the sky for its best appearance. It is said that in some towns around there is good view, but I could not see any image to prove it.

DRAGON HILL
On the feet of the White horse, stands the Dragon Hill, a smaller round top flattened hill.
Although the figure is known as White Horse since the medieval times, it is sometimes referred as a Dragon, and legend says that it was over the Dragon Hill where San Michael defeated the dragon.


Legends apart, the White Dragon is a true iron age landscape mark, and with the monuments around it is a highly important assemble.
Should I say that the weather was pretty bad, and that I had the worse of the times on the top of the hill? when I decided go back I took the road to see if I could get a better view from the White Horse and I was caught by the hardest rain on my way back to Ashbury.



It was a 5 kilometer walk through the road with pouring rain over me. I got completely soaked up and the rain would not stop until I got to Ashbury. I lost some books and got seriously worried about my camera, but nothing apparently happened with it.

After a mushroom soup at Crown and Rose I could return to Bath. It was only later that I felt some feelings I had blocked and that arouse later. I still feel very tired from the day. Tomorrow I will do another big move and will head to Cardiff and try to explore the Wales area.

I’ve found a project focused on Alfred Watkins work, so I try to make contact and let’s hope for the best.