The Seven Shires Way - Stage 15

Chilton to Fawley, Friday 21 March 2014

Skylark country

As explained in the last post we have jumped ahead to the Berkshire Downs while the River Thames gets back to normal. We also agreed that as we had already walked some of the Ridgeway we could join the path some way on at Scutchamer Knob (Grid Ref: SU45828501). This also worked out well for the buses. We met at Didcot Station, N was already on the X32 from Oxford and P&T joined him at Didcot. The bus took us up to Fermi Avenue, Harwell Campus (Grid Ref: SU48108668) and we set off at 09:40 to walk up to Ridgeway past a new housing development at Chilton. The aim of the walk was to get to Fawley (Berkshire).

View north from Scutchamer Knob

At long last a warm-in-the-Sun, cold–in-the-wind sort of day. Looks like Spring is here (well it is the equinox). Good views all around to the north past the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory and its old Nimrod facility and its new Diamond Light Source towards the distant Chilterns and the communications tower at Aston Hill that we walked past in the autumn of 2013 (see Stages 12 (15 November) and 13 (6 December 2013)). The sky had started off clear blue but was now filling with cumulus clouds. P said that rain was forecast at 13:00. We reached the Ridgeway near to Scutchamer Knob and stopped for a first sandwich of the day and a swig of coffee to enjoy the view over the sites of Pluto and Dido (nuclear research reactors) towards Abingdon and Oxford. General discussion about knobs and knolls and T remembering family picnics up here. 

Knollend Down

We then decided to cut down Knollend Down to Lands End (Grid Ref: SU44778325) as the path actually stayed closer to the county boundary than that taken in the book. Great views to the south and plenty of Skylarks in the arable fields. A steady climb up the hill on “Old Street” still heading south past a tractor spraying something on a field. (We were later to be told that this was likely to have been liquid fertiliser on a field of spring barley). Then near the top of the hill we turned west to head towards the village of Farnborough (Berkshire) and views of Wether Down to the north (the path recommended in the book).

Wether Down (the path untrodden)

Farnborough Old Rectory - Haha

Farnborough is another of these quaint villages of old houses “Old Smithy”, Old Rectory”, Old Post Office” or some such now much improved and sporting electric gates and security cameras. We popped into the church, All Saints (Grid Ref: SU43538194), as the west window is a modern stained glass memorial to Sir John Betjeman who used to live in the Old Rectory behind his Ha-Ha (far from the bombs raining down on Slough – ha ha!). The window was colourful and P was sure that there was an image of HS2 on it cutting though a depiction of the English countryside.

West window, All Saints Church

As you will have guessed there is no pub in Farnborough though we are sure there must be an “old something pub” somewhere in the village. 

Coombe Lodge (new)

“Let’s push on chaps and find a spot for lunch”.  Carried on westwards towards the B4494 (Newbury to Wantage) and crossed said road near Coombe Lodge (Grid Ref: SU42188212). Another new build house just like the Georgian style Well Barn we discussed in the last post (28 February). Research by P later found that the West Berkshire planning records are less forthcoming than South Oxon, however the original farm and building were knocked down in the mid noughties and this new imposing place constructed.

Winterdown - typical downland countryside

It was now one o’clock and yes it started to rain and hail so time to don the water proofs and find some shelter in the woods and have lunch at Grid Ref: SU41878218. The rain didn’t last long and we made good progress north west to reach the A338 (Hungerford to Wantage road)

The path then followed the county boundary down the hill towards North Farm, Winterdown Bottom. On reading Elaine Steane’s book this is the site of the “lonely depression”, Farmer Troutham’s field in the opening of Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy. “OK we haven’t read it yet.” North farm is now partly a rest home for old race horses and nags going by the name of “Heros”, Homing Ex-Racehorses Organisation Scheme (Grid Ref: SU39538218) and is not as lonely as found by the young Jude. Saw several rather skittish horse out for a ride and a brief chat with the farmer who was clambering up into a monster of a tractor. (It was he who told us about the likely liquid fertiliser).

Obscure sculpture, North Farm, Fawley

We soon arrived in Fawley (14:10), (Grid Ref: SU39268127) and yet more references to Jude the Obscure. Poor mobile signal but eventually got through to a taxi firm in Wantage. The local phone box had a notice advising us that it was soon to be removed. Taxi turned up and the driver admitted that he had never been to Fawley (it is only six miles from Wantage). Yes, dear readers, it is that obscure!

Back to Wantage in time for a couple of pints in a pub near the church, the Swan Inn (5 out of 10), the door glass had been boarded up so it looked closed (result of a customer who had been reluctant to go quietly – we were told), nice beer though. The advantage of Wantage was that N could get back directly to Oxford on one bus and P&T could take another to Didcot and thence home.

Summary: “N”-day, Nimrod, nuclear views, knobs, knolls and nags. A lovely day, great views, and reasonable walking weather in the Downs even if we ended up in obscurity. Total mileage 9.6 miles.