A WILTSHIRE PILGRIMAGE

It was a rather bleak and wintry afternoon when I set out on my journey. A day not perhaps ideal for my journey, but still I would have to make the best of it. I had a matter of 30 hours in which to cover my journey, and of course I should have to sleep some of these; however, it was about two o'clock in the afternoon when I passed the Wessex Motors clock outward bound.

I threaded my way through the Saturday traffic, and soon was speeding along the Wilton road. At Wilton I took the Warminster road and was soon at Stapleford where I noticed how pretty the village looked, even in the bleakness of the day. I noticed also the queer Bier House as I passed. Passing through Berwick St. James and Winterbourne Stoke I soon arrived at Shrewton, in which village I took the Devizes road. Soon I was out on the bleak road that leads to Tilshead, and I imagined what it must have been like for travellers on this road about 200 years ago, when the highwayman, Boulter, who was born at Market Lavington, made a habit of holding up anyone who looked as if they had any money, on the very same road that I was traversing now.

However, the ride was executed without any mishap, and in due course I arrived at Devizes in time for tea at a very select cafe, where, queerly enough cyclists are welcomed. It was while I was still at tea that I remembered the story of Ruth Pierce of Potterne, who in l753, purchased at Devizes market with some friends, a sack of wheat. They were all going to pay a share each for the wheat, but when the seller counted up the payments he found that there was one missing. On being asked for her share Rose Pierce declared that she had paid it and called upon the Almighty to strike her down dead if it were not such the case. She had hardly finished saying this when she fell dead at the feet of her companions. A statue to commemorate this was put up a few years after in the Market Square.

From Devizes I set out for Calne, and as darkness had already fallen I did not see much of the surrounding countryside. I arrived at Calne at about 8 o'clock, and after a good supper I sat talking with my landlord for about an hour before I retired at about ten o'clock.

Arising early in the morning I found that the weather had somewhat improved, and in bright sunshine I left Calne for Marlborough, and I had soon passed the White House at Cherhill and the mammouth stones at Avebury. Crossing the Ridgeway I was reminded of the Grey Wether Stones and the valley of Rocks which then lay to the left of me. I arrived at Marlborough and passing the famous college I was soon well on my way to Burbage. Having crossed the Wansdyke I soon found myself in the Forest of Savernake, and having some time to spare I decided to leave the road and explore some of the many tracks which honeycomb the Forest. In doing so I found that a forest can be as beautiful in the winter as it is in summer and after spending a couple of hours there I arrived at Burbage in time for a rather late lunch, after visiting the King Oak, Dukes Vault and the Grand Avenue.

From Burbage my route lay through Collingbourne to Tidworth, which lies over the Hampshire border. Soon I had crossed the Andover turnpike, and passing through Cholderton I arrived back home again, after a week-end in Wiltshire- or after completing a Wiltshire Pilgrimage.

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