Folly Woods and The Moat - 2.5 hours
This walk starts from the top of Northbrook again.
Take the raised path that 'continues' the road in roughly a North West direction. Cross three stiles. We now come to a short section of 'new' walk. Continue with the hedge on your right. Beyond the hedge, the Tows' horses may be visible but they are not today. Ahead and to the left, the view across the Avon Vale is superb. Right round to the left there is the chimney of Westbury cement works. To the right of this there are the towns of Trowbridge and Melksham. Beyond, the Cotswold Hills, the other side of Bath can be seen. Nearer at hand, we disturb a hawk. It is bigger than a kestrel but certainly no buzzard. It has scimitar wings and looks very distinctive.
This path is easy to follow today. Sheep are grazing the field and they are kept behind electrified fence of the Ridley Wrapper variety. All we need to do is keep this fence on our left, now heading more or less due North. If there are no sheep you will need to observe where the path cuts across the field to The Sands Road at the Drove Lane / Parham Lane cross. (750 metres)
Turn right (North East) on to The Sands Road. Note the Victorian post box built into the house on the corner. The Sands Road is a highway rather than a by-way. care is needed since it is narrow and slightly twisty. The majority of houses along here are large or enormous. There is nothing of obvious antiquity, but even so the architectural styles provide interest. A lot of these houses were small cottages once and have been much extended. We rejoin a by-way (signed as such) at a crossroads. The Sands Road heads right, downhill towards Easterton. To the left a track leads to Twentylands. We go straight on. (400 metres)
This part of the by-way is recently resurfaced. The usual collection of goats and poultry can be seen. A track off to the left heads towards the railway and Potterne. Opposite this a footpath leads down to Easterton. We continue straight on (still North East) until we reach Sands Farm. This, no doubt, has existed for some time but it all looks modern now having been a riding stable for a few years. The people who live here have chosen well for views since from here the hills above Devizes are visible - the tree clad slopes of Roundway Down and the desolate headland of Oliver's Camp. (400 metres)
We bear left, passing in front of the farm house. Almost immediately fork right to avoid a private track. We are now heading North and going gently down hill on a sunken lane through the sand. The trees, still bare, of course, make a canopy over us. A squirrel darts over us, but the jays keep their distance. Great tits lead us on our way. Two buzzards wheel around in the sky over the woodland.
Soon we are in the woodland. It is privately owned, so we keep to the track. It is too early yet, but this is the place to come to see wild daffodils later in the year. The hazel catkins on the sunny side are now full out. This is a lovely stretch to walk at any time of year.
As we leave the woodland we are close to Forest Farm. This is a truly isolated place, nearly a kilometre from the high way and with superb views to the North and West. To the North, One Tree Hill blocks out the more distant downland but the valley to the West is full of interest. Just beyond the farm, the main railway from London to Exeter passes by on a low embankment. We cross under the railway. A sign tells us that trains can only go at 100 mph in these parts. (800 metres)
So far, we have been on reasonably surfaced tracks. Indeed, the railway bridge is an access point for gangers and on occasion I have seen a yellow van parked up by the bridge. Once through to the other side, a new world begins. It is a world in which, at this time of the year, water tends to dominate. The track continues straight in a North Westerly direction. We are in a strip of land about 6 metres wide between two fields. There are ditches either side of us, and the path meanders within the 4 remaining metres.
This strip is out of cultivation and is not walked all that much. Plants with thorns - brambles and rose briars are keen to catch the unwary. Gnarled elders send showers of branches over the path, making it a rather low tunnel. There are also full grown trees - mostly oak - along the way and these provide a soft carpet of leaf mould to walk on. Once again, we are led on our way by birds. Pigeons - hordes of them - flap noisily from tree top to tree top ahead of us. Jays are also about, but they don't know the maxim about being seen but not heard. They announce with their shrill call that they are going ahead. Blackbirds and thrushes are worried out of their haunts by our passing but, once again, it is great tits that provide us with our escort, flitting just a few metres ahead of us.
The problem feature of the path today is water. In places, the land is not above ditch level and the bed of leaves yield, leaving a foot or two in the sticky mud. As we near the end of the path, civilisation in the form of pheasant feeders can be seen. These consist of barrels from the jam factory with a clever device fitted. A bird can jog the device and get out a few grains of corn. Nothing gets wasted and no rain can spoil the corn. The path ends at a more major track - a major T junction. (750 metres)
Our plan is to go right, but first we decide to investigate the moat shown on the map. This means turning left - more or less South East and then veering to the right with the track. Birds still lead our way, but now it is long tailed tits. A flock of them - perhaps as many as fifty are keen to feed on the oak buds. They creep up the trees and perform acrobatic feats on the twigs before flying on to the next tree. The moat is in some woodland on the right. Not surprisingly, it is full of water today. Pheasants obviously visit the island, since feeders are set up there as well. Return to the track T junction. (600 metres there and back)
Another path between ditches leads North West. The field on the left is very flooded today - at least half an acre under water. This lake makes a pleasing foreground with Etchilhampton Hill beyond. The track undulates a bit - only by half metres - making puddles to negotiate. There is no real difficulty with the path but it is slow going today. Paths lead off to left and right. Ignore them, and arrive at another major T junction. (250 metres)
Turn right. heading South East. This track is used by off-road vehicles and is in a dreadful state. The mud is thick and sticky and it is hard to know if your foot is going to stay on top, slide off or sink in to a great depth. We are now making our way back up on to the sandstone ridge so it is hard work coping with the double problem of mud and gradient. The views are pleasing but it is hard to take your eyes off the next foot fall. We cross the railway by an overbridge and then the real uphill work begins. So too does the real mud. Now, it has the consistency of porridge and in the sunken lane it is impossible to avoid it. Half way up, we met a jeep coming down. This made matters worse for us with the mud more like custard now. Eventually, and it was slow, we reached the top of the hill. (1000 metres)
Fork right to head South West. The left turn would take you through to Urchfont - about 1.5 kilometres away. There is another superb view from here along the Vale of Pewsey including the Alton White Horse. This track is quite firm but at the top of Eastcott there is a zig-zag and we revert to puddles and problems. We are also walking directly towards the setting sun so it is hard to see. The best thing is to look left and enjoy the downland view. The low sun shows up all the natural folds, and the man-made earthworks. We arrive back at Sands Farm (850 metres)
Return via the Twentylands Cross, The Sands Road to Drove Lane and the path back to the top of Northbrook. (1550 metres)