IT was a very blustery, wet and stormy morning when ten members of the Westbury Walkers, led by David Barker, set out on their December walk from Stourhead main car park.
The walkers set off up the Drove Track to Beech Clump where a memorial is located to 20+ young military souls who lost their lives in February 1945 when their plane crashed shortly after take-off.
Then off to Pillow Mounds where they took the gravel track leading up White Sheet then on along the ridgeway into the teeth of the storm. Passing an ancient milestone, they soon turned right to descend down past the water reservoir and down into the far end of Mere where it was far more sheltered from the stormy weather on the high ground.
Walking down the main road they turned left into White Lane and on along the narrow tarmac path before turning right and over a footbridge to cross Ashfield Water and then bearing right alone Mill Lane and Lordsmead, passing the cemetery in Angel Lane and on through the narrow pathways to St Michael’s Church where shelter was sought from the main entrance for a lunch stop and some mince pies.
The weather turned a little kinder after lunch as they then took the pathway out of the rear of the church signed to Wolverton. Then through the middle of the greenhouses before turning right up through Town’s End and up Bramley Hill to gain access to the lower footpath along the bottom of Long Hill to use the bridge to cross the A303 and continue to Search Farm, where two donkeys did enquire as to the bunch of wet walkers who were passing by. Using the tarmac lane, the walkers then returned to Stourhead.
Report by David Barker.
