Last Saturday afternoon we decided to dust off the cobwebs and venture out into the still rather chilly conditions to make the most of actually being able to see the sun. (To be fair, Zac and Freddie, who was our house guest this weekend, had spent time playing footy on the field nearby home, almost suffering hypothermia in the mean time, and Nathan had disappeared for a mammoth 10 mile run so it was really only Abbey and I who had sensibly stayed warm inside.) With clear skies we opted to make the most of the views so traveled the short distance to the Cherhill Downs with the promise of a White Horse, an Iron Age settlement and a monumental obelisk.
Despite ensuring the kids all had their wellies on, Nathan and I didn’t really think the up hill trek would be that muddy so had chosen to wear only our walking shoes which, on my behalf, was a colossal mistake. My ‘special’ shoes as they are known are fantastic for walking on cobblestones but have absolutely no grip so I spent my time slipping and sliding up the muddy, clay like track. It was odds on at this point that I would be the one to come to grief on today’s outing!
Views of the White Horse (look left) and the Lansdowne Monument
Beginning our trek
Freddie and Zac take it all in their stride
Zac stops to admire the views
Whilst Nathan and Abbey race to the top
The Cherhill White Horse dates from 1780 and is the third oldest of several such white horses in Great Britain, with only the Uffington White Horse and the Westbury White Horse being older (and that’s the trifecta for the Robb’s) . It may well have been inspired by the Westbury horse as it was cut just two years after that first Wiltshire horse was re-cut to a new design. The Cherhill horse is the work of a Dr Christopher Alsop of nearby Calne, sometimes referred to as "the mad doctor". He is said to have directed the marking out of the horse from a distance, calling instructions through a megaphone.
This white horse once had an unusual feature, a glass eye. The centre of the eye was formed from upturned bottles pressed into the ground to reflect the sunlight thus giving the eye a bright gleaming appearance, and was visible from a considerable distance. By the late nineteenth century, though, they no longer remained, perhaps taken as souvenirs. The present eye is disappointingly made of stone and concrete.
On reaching the summit I must admit to finding the Lansdowne monument a bit disappointing. Viewed from a distance it looks striking against the skyline but up close it is covered in fencing to prevent climbing and protect those below from falling pieces of the obelisk itself. The monument, a 120 feet-high stone obelisk, was built in 1845 by the Third Marquis of Lansdowne to commemorate his ancestor Sir William Petty who had quite obviously made an impact on him.
[For anyone interested, Sir William Petty FRS (27 May 1623 – 16 December 1687) was an English economist, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to survey the land that was to be confiscated and given to Cromwell's soldiers. He also managed to remain prominent under King Charles II and King James II, as did many others who had served Cromwell. He was Member of the Parliament of England briefly and was also a scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur, and was a charter member of the Royal Society. It is for his theories on economics and his methods of political arithmetic that he is best remembered, however, and he is attributed as having started the philosophy of 'laissez-faire' in relation to government activity. He was knighted in 1661. He was the great-grandfather of the future Prime Minister, William Petty Fitzmaurice, 2nd Earl of Shelburne and 1st Marquess of Lansdowne.]
Perhaps the most interesting part of the walk was Oldbury Castle which is the name given to the remains of an Iron Age fortification standing on the summit of the Cherhill Downs. The fortification, which covers some 22 acres, encloses and partly overlays an earlier single earthwork enclosure of a Bronze Age site (ca.1000BC). It was later extended and developed into a hill fort in the Iron Age (ca. 500-100BC). A geophysical survey of Oldbury Castle showed the interior was once filled with Iron Age round houses. Still evident (if you know where to look, and we are improving in that area) are a Neolithic long barrow, Bronze Age barrows and ancient roads and track- ways.
Zac cuts a solitary figure on the slopes
The Three Stooges!
With the daylight fading and the weather growing steadily colder we made our way gingerly back down the slopes. It was at this point that my earlier prediction became a reality. Abbey, Freddie and Zac set off down hill at a run, whilst I ended up on my bum much to everyone’s amusement!
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