Some Footpaths between West and Market Lavington
We started from West Lavington Village Hall and headed North East, through the playing field. At the last of several opportunities we went through a gate in the fence on our left and onto the road. We continued North East. As the older council housing ended, we came to the new buildings of Newby Close. This has all the hallmarks of a modern estate. The road twists, and alters in width. A brick 'path', signifying nothing, protects the entrance to the road. There are no pavements. At least Newby Close is open. Houses are only built on one side and to the East, the ground drops gently down to Cornbury Mill and Cliffe Hall.
After Newby Close, we enter farm land. The path is blocked by a pair of enormous galvanised steel gates. These link to nothing! Continue North East through arable land until a gap in a fence brings you to a track. (350 metres)
Ahead of you as you enter the track, is the lake at Cliffe Hall. Through the trees and sedges, a kingfisher is at work on the swollen waters. It is sunny today, but the wettest December for 15 years has been followed by heavy and prolonged rain this month. Turn right along the track, which leads to Mill Farm.
The trees and wet lands around Cliffe Hall are a haven for birds. Apart from the kingfisher, a couple of jays are 'playing' in a tree. Mill Farm itself looks like the headquarters of a small holding. Poultry is out and about on free range. This includes geese as well as chickens. Ducks of a Khaki Campbell type are enjoying the stream, whilst a couple of Muscovies look on. In a field just beyond the house, a grey donkey surveys it all. The path veers a little to the left before crossing the mill tail race and the stream. It is worth while turning round here to see the front of Mill Farm - a lovely Queen Anne style house.
We are now crossing a pasture to the far corner (roughly East). Two tethered goats pause from grazing to take interest in us. One of them is a very tall Anglo-Nubian type with big black floppy ears. The other, smaller beast is a very hairy - well protected against today's chill wind - British Alpine type. At the corner of the field, cross he stile. (325 metres)
Continue East across another arable field. On the left, there is a good view of Cliffe Hall. I believe the pillars are a recent addition. On the right, the open farmland leads up to the top of Salisbury plain. We are just into chalk lands, and the field that we pass through has a plethora of flints and ironstone nodules.
Over the next stile, we arrive at the playing field which Lavington School acquired some 10 or so years ago. The path deviates around this field, and a new, high fence protects walkers from what ever evils the school field might offer. We are onto clay, and the narrow, well used path is very muddy. The sticky clay starts clinging to Wellington boots. As we arrive at the end of the detour, there is a good view of St Mary's Church and of the rear of the main village street.
We cross another flint and ironstone field, before arriving at the village Street via a little trackway (750 metres)
Turn left along the village street. We now pass the fronts of the new houses that we have passed behind on the field. We can wonder if Brookfield House belongs to an Archers enthusiast. Lavington Garage is also on the left on this stretch of road which is known as The Spring. Just after the garage, turn right onto Grove Farm Road at the mini roundabout. Take the left turn onto Francis Road. and then right onto Lady Wood. I find the new Grove Farm Estate not to my taste, but others like it.. The twisting, narrow roads create a scene with no views. In which ever direction you look there are houses close to you. To me, this is a shame, because planners or builders have tried hard. Houses have individual features and good use has been made of coloured bricks and interesting ridge tiles. Another plus feature is that it is easy to get away from it. The end of Lady Wood is close by the bubbling kettle. (400 metres)
Cross the bridge. The water level has dropped on a week ago and the spring seems to be bubbling a bit more. We are on the path at the bottom of Canada Woods and heading for The Grove. Once again, Lavington School farm is noisy, this time with the honking of geese. Soon, we are passing the Dauntsey Golf Course with its ugly fence. Beyond it is the brick built, Victorian Manor House. At the top of the Grove we arrive at the 6 way junction. A right turn would take us to Spin Hill, but we are turning Left, keeping alongside the Dauntsey Fence so that we head just South of West. (600 metres)
This is another well used path, linking Market Lavington with Littleton Pannel and West Lavington. It is very squelchy today, but the snowdrops are nearly out. One or two have started nodding their heads and a little more sun will see them in full bloom. On the left, behind the high barbed wire fence is Dauntsey Wood. This will be attractive with various anemones later in the year. We are back into sandstone land here which means that the path is sunken. A bridge, carrying a road to The Manor passes overhead. We begin a steep descent between sand cliffs that take us down to Park Farm, the stream and another mill.
We rejoin surfaced road here, but there is not likely to be much traffic. The house on the left certainly has a past. It has brickwork of various ages and at all sorts of angles. I guess that it was once a mill. Certainly, water torrents down a slope by it to join the stream. There is a house on the right which I also fin of interest. It looks like a temporary dwelling, perhaps based on a railway coach.
We now start the uphill climb. Again, we have sandstone cliffs which have weathered to strange shapes. As we arrive at some housing on the right, we take the field to the left where a sign says 'Public Footpath'. (800 metres)
Once again we are back into pasture, although nothing is grazing at the moment. We are heading roughly South East and the sun illuminates the trees of Dauntsey or Manor House Woods. They look surprisingly autumnal, with a large amount of red, although this could come from the rather low in the sky sun. To the North of the woods, the terracing can be seen. This is not medieval, but more a Victorian attempt to use brick to stabilise the steep bank. Presumably, the attempt has worked.
We continue down hill until we arrive at the main road between West and Market Lavington - just on the edge of West Lavington. (500 metres)
If we wanted the short route, a flight of steps leads up to the estate and back to the village hall from directly opposite our path. We turn left, though, along the street towards Market Lavington. The stream that we have met before, at Mill Farm and at Park Farm joins us on the left and crosses under the road. As it does this, we take the track on the right that passes Cornbury Mill, as it heads to Mill Farm.
Our walk is nearly complete, for we return to familiar territory. A gap in the fence on the right, is opposite a view of the lake at Cliffe Hall on the left. The gap, of course, leads back to West Lavington Playing Field and the village Hall. ( 520 metres)
Mills have been a feature of this walk. The little stream, which rises at Broadwell, joined by another with origins near Duck Street in West Lavington supported three mills in the space of 1 kilometre.