4x4 Be Fun! by Brian Sharland
Came the great day! I knew that Wiltshire was one of the few counties that had a by-way system, a series of off road, mapped tracks that allow vehicles. Most of these tracks crisscross the Ridgeway, the ancient drovers path that runs un-broken from London to Cornwall.
The Wiltshire part runs from near the M4 at Swindon and follows a line of beautiful chalk downs to the water meadows at Salisbury, you’ll have to sort out where it goes after that yourself! The track I was going to take ran from Barbary Castle, an Iron Age hill fort and then looped cross-country to the A4 at Overton Hill, nr Marlborough. This comes out at an ancient site called the Sanctuary; if you love old ruins then this is the place for you. Mile after mile of standing stones and old ruins, wow, heaven! (Brian could bore for England on the subject of ancient monuments and frequently does, ed.)
In my Discovery I took the first turn off the ‘B’ road and followed a deeply rutted track that took the contour line under Barbary Castle. As the track got steeper and steeper I relaxed a bit as the familiar whine and the reassuring straight drive of the Discovery bit into the track. Well, I was happy. The earthworked mounds of Barbary Castle were passing on my left; it was dry but a bit dusty. Luckily there were no pedestrians around to inconvenience!
But wait! What is that dark cloud on the horizon? As I left the west side of Barbary Castle and got onto the Ridgeway itself, the storm struck. Here the track winds sharply upwards but is heavily rutted. The soil is mostly chalk and some clay. Difficult driving at the best of times but now becoming something of a nightmare as the rain got heavier. The chalk became wetter and visibility became worse as muddy water was being flung over the windscreen. I put the Discovery into low ratio and kept the revs low as I changed into 1st on the auto selector.
I’d now reached the top of the hill and was on the flat plateau of Uffcott Down. Here the ruts were very bad and I had to keep the Discovery running on the central hump between the ruts and the edge of the path. But with the rain and the mud the back would occasionally slide off and I’d have to wrestle the Discovery back up the hump. My biggest fear here was grounding. Those ruts were deep man! The rain eased up a bit and some scenery could be made out! On both sides of the path were some tumuli – ancient burial mounds of which Wiltshire has a distinct surplus! Very mysterious and very old.
The track dropped sharply and headed for a swimming pool sized puddle at the bottom of a dip, water breaks over the windscreen again. At least it’s not so full of mud and crud this time. But I did think I saw the odd duck! The puddle actually cleans the windscreen up a bit! The Discovery takes the next rise with an easy elegance and in shock I come face to face with a large and puzzled looking Red Stag! The deer and I stared at each other for a few seconds then it decided that discretion was the better part of valour and leapt over a fence next to the path. The beautiful animal shook itself spraying a mist of water into the rain and trotted indignantly away. Because the downs run for miles here, steering clear of habitation, you'd be unlucky not to see some kind of wildlife. buzzards soar on thermals, (I didn't know they wore them, ed.) quail run along the hedges and rabbits bounce all over the place. Badgers and weasels can be frequently seen if you’ve got saintly patience.
We are making good progress now the rain has stopped, and then from the top of Monkton Down I make out the eerie standing stones of Avebury Circle. Up to now the terrain has been grassy but near Overton Down it changes dramatically and it seems that a careless builder has dropped boulders everywhere. This is the famous Fyfield Down. It’s covered with rocks large and small, one can easily see how it was originally thought that the stones for Stonehenge came from here. I pulled the Discovery over to the edge of the path and got out. It was clear now, the murk had lifted and the air was sharp and cold. Surrounded by standing stones I became awed by the sheer age of the place. On Fyfield it’s possible to make out the ancient field systems, I presume Saxon but I’m not sure. Here on another visit, I found a stone-age scraper, a flint with a cutting edge that even today can cut paper! I wandered onto the Down again with the idea of looking for more stone tools. But the wind got up and the cold worked through my fleece. Back to the Discovery!
Starting it up I turned the heater up and slipped it into drive. I realised I was still in low ratio and so changed back to high. It was still muddy but the ground was firmer here and not so deeply rutted. I passed yet more earthworks tumuli. I wondered how long this place had been settled and as the warmth of the heated seat percolated through I dreamed about the people buried in the mounds?
But then, turning the Discovery onto the A4 towards Marlborough, I thought ......... "Who cares and where’s the nearest pub?"
BKS
©Brian Sharland
