The weather was gentle as 14 members of the Westbury Walkers, led by Paddy Yerburgh, set out on the club’s traditional New Year’s Day walk.
This 6-miler starting from Heytesbury, took the group through Upton Lovell passing the interesting display of bird statues made from old car parts that can be seen from the footpath just north of Heytesbury. From the church at Upton Lovell they followed the lane through the village northwards going over both the railway level crossing, then the River Wylye which was very high, before taking a long but steady climb up to Corton Field Barn where they enjoyed watching the antics of several litters of piglets of varying ages.
The barn itself provided a dry place for a lunch stop from the rain which had started a while back. It was then a level walk westwards before taking a footpath back down towards Corton. From the village they picked up a section of the Wessex Way over water meadows before retracing a short stretch of the outward path, to avoid a particularly muddy section, back to the cars. The group then met back at the leader’s house for refreshments.
Report: Paddy Yerburgh
On the second Sunday of the month on a mild and still day, Judy Hosegood led 19 members on a 7.5 mile walk from the village of Faulkland. They went south-east from the village past Chickwell and Charlton Farms, arriving at Norton St Philip down a well named Watery Lane, the upper part of which had completely turned into a stream. They skirted the west side of the village and turned west to Hassage, past the marvellously isolated Mount Pleasant Farm.
They then returned to Faulkland past Knoll Farm and across yet another wet and muddy track, but everyone felt better for being out in the open air with friends. Mud was the dominant feature of the walk, but by shortening the length a little, the leader thoughtfully avoided some of the extreme muddy sections which would have been rather unpleasant to negotiate.
Report: Judy Hosegood.
