ON a beautiful bright sunny autumnal October morning, 14 members of the Westbury Walkers met for their monthly Sunday walk in Codford St Mary for a nine-mile walk led by David Barker.
Crossing the A36 and the Wylye River into Giggan Street, they turned right to follow the riverside footpath to Sherrington. There they turned left and walked up to and across the Wylye Valley Rd to follow a short narrow footpath up to a barn where they turned right and followed the long steady incline up to join a narrow tarmac farm road.
Here they stopped for a minute’s silence to remember their long-time friend and fellow walker Lynda Croft who had recently suddenly passed away. After a coffee the group continued on between North and South Soupir and on to Corton Barn, where they turned left onto the Wessex Ridgeway up to Rowdean Hill. They followed the ridgeway as it twists and turns along clear gravel tracks between lovely woodlands through the Great Ridge before turning left onto the long straight Roman Road that leads Easterly passing Sherrington Woods, along the way and stopping to enjoy a lunch stop in the sunshine.
Turning right at the end of the Roman Rd they then quickly turned left to follow a narrow woodland pathway S/E through Fonthill Bushes as it nears the A303 and then turns uphill and around the edge of Stockton Woods leading on towards Queen’s Barrow, eventually descending down Long Hedge to Stockton. Here they took the N/W footpath that leads through a field passing Stockton House and along Stockton Park Lane to Giggan Street to re-cross the A36 back to Codford St Mary.
There were many fine long distant views to be seen on this walk together with the trees and hedgerows which are starting their turn to autumn colours before winter sets in. During the days walk many red kites and buzzards were seen along the way.
Report by David Barker
Pictured: Westbury Walkers Codford St Mary walk.
