Nine members braved the wind and mud to walk along the Ridgeway in Wiltshire. A short climb from the car park found us on the Wessex Ridgeway with wonderful views across North Wiltshire.

Following this ancient Briton and Roman road we could see in the distance an obelisk on a distant hilltop, our target for today. Turning off of the Roman road we started a steady climb to Oldbury Castle, an iron age hill fort which enclosed the monument erected to commemorate the 3rd Earl Lansdown.

Here members sheltered from the wind in one of the fort's defensive ditches for a lunch break, before crossing the hilltop to admire the 2nd oldest White Horse in Wiltshire.

After descending the hill we followed a green corridor for a while before starting the slog through the mud, crossing the River Marden at Calstone Mill and then back up to the Ridgeway and the car park.

At the top of the climb

Group with Cherhill Monument in the background

Bob tells us about the Monument

Cherhill Monument

Watery Wessex Ridgeway

Cherhill White Horse, cut in 1780