20 MEMBERS of the Westbury Walkers and a guest walker set off on a six-mile walk led by Jan McCann and Paddy Yerburgh on Sunday 14th January.
The weather was overcast as the group set off up the High Street in Codford toward the former George Inn, now a tea room and beauty salon. On the way the walkers were able to admire all the different types of housing including the Old School House complete with a bell and date of 1891 and further up on the left the Woolstore which is now flats and an active theatre – unusual for a village. Apparently, the George Inn had to be completely moved back from its original site to make room for a wider road being constructed through the village.
The group then turned right into Green Lane where there were various quaint attractive single-storey thatched cottages together with more modern but tasteful houses of all types. As the group turned on to a farm track leading to Manor Farm and beyond, they could enjoy wide views over beautiful countryside on either side.
At Manor Farm they paused to admire the extensive topiary, giving the house some shelter in high winds. Continuing on along this track, the group stopped to look over to the Chitterne Brook awash with floodwater which the leaders found out when they did a pre-walk of their original route which involved crossing the brook. A coffee stop was taken here before they started uphill on an alternative route to the original one. At the top, the route took them right around a field and then along grassy lanes through two gates, passing a field of sheep on the way.
On the pre walk, two farmers had helped the leaders to get back on track, as they had strayed off course; they kindly took them around the edge of the fields in their 4×4. The writer of this report had left her walking pole behind, at the spot where they found them! On the day of the actual walk, one of the farmers came up to the group on a quad bike and said he had the walking pole and then went back to the farm and brought it back! Everyone was very impressed with this gesture. So, many thanks to the kind farmers of Manor Farm.
Turning left the walkers followed the high-level track with very long views over East Codford Down and Codford Hill which by then were in full sunshine.
After a lunch stop the group walked down a well rutted, wide lane to two gates and took the left hand one on to a relatively new footpath created during the Covid pandemic which descended over fields to Green Lane. The group then re-traced its steps back to the start of the walk stopping to look at the Chitterne Brook rushing under the bridge and the adjacent Wylye River in full flood.
Following the club’s tradition around Christmas, the walk leaders served mulled punch (non-alcoholic) and homemade cheese straws which was enjoyed by all. A very good walk, shortened to six miles because of the last-minute change of route, in amazingly beautiful, quiet countryside.
For more information, please email Paddy at westbury.walkers.uk@gmail.com
Report by Jan McCann.
