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| Geoffus Aurelius Skillenius |
As I now have both a gammy left leg and a gammy right leg, I walk like a demented penguin, although sadly without the cuteness. Consequently, today's activities were a tad light-on compared with our usual action-packed, often rugged, exploration schedule....
This morning we drove to Devizes to see the small but splendid Wiltshire Museum. On arrival, Geoff made a bee-line for the dress-up box, and spent a happy hour walking round all the displays wearing this Roman soldier's helmet.
There was quite an extensive collection of artifacts and re-creations relating to the Avebury area. This included the actual finds interred with the bodies in the West Kennett Long Barrow - mostly chunky animal bone necklaces, flint tools and bits of pottery. Some burial goods found in other excavated Wiltshire tombs have been far more elaborate.
This is Devizes's magnificent Norman church, built in 1166.
The town is quite ancient and has a medieval trail for visitors to follow. I am hoping we might be able to hobble around it tomorrow. Or perhaps I can be carried in a sedan chair.
Must mention while I think of it that I'm sorry several bloganistas (as the Guardian's Katherine Murphy calls her blog readers) have been unable to comment on various posts when they wanted to. I have no idea why it is such a complicated and long-winded process, or why some people can do it and not others. Anyway, I hope it has been an enjoyable ride, for the end is nigh - Saturday!
On the way back from Devizes and just near Avebury, we stopped for lunch at the Waggon and Horses, a thatch-roofed pub built in 1669. It gets a mention in Charles Dickens's Pickwick Papers, and he is believed to have had a few ales there. Then again, I'm pretty sure the old toss-pot sank a few in every pub in England - they all seem to lay claim to him.
Will hand over now to Geoff who took himself on a solo botany ramble this afternoon and has the pics to prove it.
The Devizes museum was indeed a gem. I'm sure there are equally worthy places all over England, but they are so low-profile compared to other attractions they don't get a look in. A pity. The museum was empty when we arrived and when we left mine hostess told us that a few fellow New Zealanders who were on an organised tour had just arrived. She obviously thinks the accents are as indistinguishable as those of Yorkshire and Lancashire. We never did get to meet them, which was a shame because I was hanging out for a haka.
The stop at the Waggon and Horses was, I confess, my idea. We had passed it several times on the road between Marlborough and Avebury and I think it's one of the best looking buildings I've seen. If you were doing up a 2016 calendar of quaint English pubs, wouldn't this have to be a contender? The fact that we now know it was one of Dickens's 5,716 locals is just another bonus.
The brew by the way is a Wadsworth's, the pride of Devizes. They still transport the kegs through the town on horse drawn carriages - we saw one this morning. And a damn fine drop it is too. Back in Devizes, we had to park about 10 - 15 minutes away from the museum, and passed about 4 pubs on the way, including The Lamb, which I thought was most appropriate. I wonder if we'll be able to stop by tomorrow?
My ramble this afternoon will be used as research for my forthcoming publication 'A colonial's guide to walking The Ridgeway; 2015'. I already have interest from several major publishers, and am banking the royalties as we speak. Here's a couple of highlights.
Some of my new found friends. I thanked them profusely for their hospitality, and I think they appreciated it. And a vista of Ogbourne St George from half way up the hill, just above the cow paddock.
This is all about an hour from the western outskirts of London. It's all too easy to forget how small this place is, and how much you can see within such a small area. 'Til tomorrow, pip pip and tally ho.
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