Me and the other half stayed in Salisbury the weekend, at the YHA on the very edge of the city centre. We decided to visit Wiltshire as we'd been before to Salisbury and quite liked the area. Wiltshire is not one of the areas of the UK that springs immediately to mind as a holiday destination. But perhaps we all need to think outside of the box to enjoy more of the UK. We travelled down on Friday and visited a little known spot called Maud Heath's Causeway near Chippenham. In fact you could quite easily drive down parts of the causeway without knowing it. A very tuned in lady, Maud created a pathway that was raised away from the roadway track. In an area where walking would have been difficult for pedestrians she ensured that villagers could walk safely and without strife to and from the villages hereabouts. She also left a sum each year for it's upkeep and longevity.
From here we went to Lacock Abbey, which is a National Trust property nearby. The abbey itself is charming - a great place for photos -indeed it and the village has been used for many films and TV programmes. We were lucky it was one of the quieter days and so we were able to enjoy the village and a nearby walk in relative peace. There's also a great museum onsite.
Our last stop of the day before it got dark was the canal at Devizes where the Caen Hill flight of locks is part of a string of 29 for boat users allowing them to climb the 2 mile long steep hill. This mammoth feat of engineering is impressive as each lock has a large reservoir of water to each side for berthing boats. Knowing that this can take 5 to 6 hours to navigate reinforces in my mind the tenacity of barge owners.
We stayed in the YHA at Salisbury, which was comfortable and convenient for most of the attractions hereabouts. The staff were really friendly and we met other visitors who were all sociable and had some good tales to tell.
We had a fantastic day walking from Amesbury to Stonehenge - if you get the chance do walk to Stonehenge it makes it so much more rewarding. If you haven't been to the monument it is wedged between two very busy A roads - this has been a bone of contention for many years and still looks as if a suitable solution is not close at hand. How we can have allowed the pillage of this area by creating a road network around it is beyond belief but nonetheless it exists. We followed a walk in the AA walks guide for this area, which was an excellent route but we did veer off the course to pop to see the stones up close at Stonehenge. The first view of the stone circle over the brow of the hill is enchanting and well worth the walk!
On our way back we went to Avebury and explored the stones in the low lying fog, which lent an added dimension to the walk. The whole area surrounding Avebury is splattered with prehistoric monuments,barrows, mounds and sites. In contrast to Stonehenge you can wander freely around the stones, the village and the sites hereabouts. Getting up close and personal with the stones and being able to walk into the long barrow at West Kennet is wonderful. No matter what you think these sites were used for it brings a sense of awe and wonder when you think that these monuments have been around for thousands of years and were built at a time when automation was non existent. We were extremely lucky to visit the Avebury Manor as part of the National Trust site, which reopened this weekend. It has recently had a makeover by the BBC and as such has been 'stage dressed' by them to suit various periods of the manor from history. This process is being shown by the BBC on Thursday at 9pm BBC1 and will be great to watch after visiting the actual manor. You could spend all day at Avebury, as indeed we did. The dressing of the manor, whilst not wholly authentic in age is exquisite. This should come as no surprise, knowing the resources and skills of the BBC, but it is really worth a visit. Children will love it as they can touch and sit and play snooker and even listen to a real gramophone record.
Our stay in Wiltshire was short but very enjoyable - we really must go back there's so much to do and see that really a few weeks probably wouldn't do justice to it!
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