Ezines, articles, walking in Wiltshire

Neolithic inhabitants of Britain built the first phase of Stonehenge about 500 years earlier. The second phase and the henge at Avebury were the work of the "Beaker" people, immigrants from continental Europe who may have introduced the idea of sun or sky worship. They were named after their habit of burying pottery-drinking vessels with their dead.

The Beaker people quickly established dominance over the indigenous tribes, partly due to their facility with metal, the main source of which was in Ireland. To maintain a supply of these metals they established trade routes, one of which followed the south coast of Wales. This probably accounts for the Beaker traders' familiarity with the Pembrokeshire bluestone, which they selected for use at Stonehenge.

The stones at Avebury which, unlike those at Stonehenge, have not been dressed to shape are a very hard sandstone occurring naturally on the local downs. They are called Sarsen Stones, possibly from the word "Saracen" meaning heathen.

In its original form the main circle of 98 stones surrounded two smaller circles of about 30 stones each, and there were still smaller arrangements of stones within these. The banks and ditches form a circle nearly one mile in circumference. The ditches, before thousands of years of erosion, used to be twice as deep and the bank, made up of chalk rubble from the ditches, was considerably higher and deeper. Originally, the henge would have been encircled by a startling white bank and ditch.

People without machines or the wheel carried out the great task of building Avebury. Ditches were dug with picks and rakes made of antlers, bone shovels and wooden tools. The chalk was moved in baskets.

The great stones themselves, from the Marlborough Downs, five kilometers (three miles) away, were probably dragged with leather ropes, wooden levers, tree trunk sledges and considerable manpower. As many as 100 men would have taken several days to drag one stone to Avebury.

The largest stone still standing weights about 67 tons. The Devil's Chair, standing by the road to Marlborough, is the second largest at about 56 tons.

There has been far more destruction of the stones at Avebury than at Stonehenge. Most of the wrecking was done in the 18th-century, either to clear the ground for cultivation or to use the stone as building material. The stones were broken up by lighting fires beneath them and then pouring water over them.

In the 14th-century some of the stones were buried. In fact one man, a barber or surgeon, was killed when one of the stones he was attempting to demolish or bury fell on him. A pair of scissors and a lancet were found next to his skeleton and the stone is now called the Barber's Stone.

The henge at Avebury is now a National Trust property and boasts an information center, a National Trust shop, the Alexander Keiler Museum and a restaurant. In the village of Avebury itself, encircled by the henge, good food and ale is available at the local pub. To get there from London, take the M4 west and turn south on the A4361 just past Swindon, a distance of about 140km (85 miles). Bristol is 50km (30 miles) due west on the old A4.

Bruce Burnett, has won four Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold awards for travel journalism. Read more of Bruce Burnett's travel writing on his websites: http://www.globalramble.com and http://www.bruceburnett.ca

Roman Baths: In Ancient Rome

There were no hospitals, no injections and other "charms" of modern life. How did people take care of themselves then? Let's talk about the medicine of Ancient Rome, or, to be more exact, Roman baths.

In III - II centuries BC there were almost no doctors in Rome. They thought that the best way to cure diseases and stay healthy was to make regular visits to baths, or therms, which is translated as "hot." In fact, it was not just a fashionable tendency, it was a real cult. They visited baths every day, some patricians could even spend most of their time there. But this is quite understandable: a bath was not just a place to clean your body, but also a club, a gym, a medical area... This was a place for washing, training, discussing, negotiating as well as painting, writing, playing music, partying and even sleeping. With no exaggeration, one could spend the whole life in a bath.

In the end of the V century AC there were almost 900 baths in Rome, serving a population of about 2 million. Any emperor who wanted to acquire his people's love built free public therms. The rich ones had their own baths, lavishly decorated and adorned with marble, expensive wood, silver and gold.

The Romans did know about how helpful and healthy the baths were. But how did they look like? We can be quite sure about what we know because we have the ruins of the Roman's best known baths, the Baths of Caracalla. Plus to this, there are numerous ancient scripts telling us how exactly the Romans spent their time there. So.

Palestre. A visit to baths started with some physical exercises. That's what palestras were used for. The exercises were not that energetic, and, as a rule, not aggressive. Some Romans did practice combat sports, at least that's what frescoes mention, but most of them preferred sprinting, swimming etc. The main idea was to warm up, limber up and to sweat.

Apodyterium, or simply a dressing room, contained cubicles, shelves and benches for the visitors to leave their clothes at. This was rather convenient, but however, they did not guarantee 100 % clothes safety. Those who could afford it left their slave or a servant by their belongings so as to look after it. Otherwise there were chances that you'd go home naked. If the clothes was stolen anyway, the only thing one could do is to turn to call upon the gods and demand justice. For this he had to write a damnation on a clay board and bring it to a temple.

Tepidarium is translated as the "warm place", the heated room used for bathing and ablution. With the help of the slaves or by themselves the Romans rubbed oil into their skin (they had no soap at the time), and then scraped it with the help of special curved metal instruments. Massage and even depilation treatments were also done here (despite the pain it caused, depilation was rather popular with Romans). After all the treatments, the washed and relaxed Romans went to swim in a warm swimming pool, and then followed to the next rooms.

Caldarium and the Hypocaust. The hottest space was called Caldarium - a spacious room with high ceiling containing hot plunge baths. The water was heated by the hypocaust, a kind of a furnace located under the Caldarium which was the source of heat for the therms. The temperatures were rather high - to prevent feet burns the Romans wore wooden sandals.

And, finally, a Frigidarium, or a cold room, which was used after the baths. Visitors could bathe, relax and enjoy the cultural programme: poets, musicians, actors and dancers were there to entertain them. They could also have a snack or a drink and sleep here. In the end, tired and sometimes drunk, they returned back to the Apodyterium to get dressed and go home.

Hotels in Rome - online hotel reservation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tatyana_Kogut

Walking in Wiltshire MARSHFIELD AND Clouds Wood

Starting in Marshfield try to park near the Post Office or The Crown Hotel.

From the Crown Hotel walk toward the church which is clearly visible into Market Place, keeping right past “Little End” and walking downhill for 25 yards to a footpath sign on the right with a path leading downhill between stone walls. Go over a stile and continue downhill for 150 yards to another barred stile.
Cross this stile and walk diagonally left to the top of the field to a kissing gate. Pass through this and walk downhill 25 yards to an open stone stile. Bear ahead, slightly to the right passing an electricity post on your left. 250 yards after this post the ground slopes down to a metal kissing gate
Go through the kissing gate and head uphill keeping the hedge on your left for 200 yards. Where the hedge turns sharp left, you must go straight ahead uphill to a metal kissing gate in the top right hand corner of the field. Go ahead through this keeping the hedge on your right uphill to the brow, then downhill to a metal gate/stile in the bottom right hand corner of the field. Cross this stile and go straight ahead across the field for 150 yards heading toward a thick small wood directly ahead to a metal kissing gate. Then on for 15 yards to a wooden kissing gate onto the driveway to Ashwick Grange.
Cross this drive to another wooden kissing gate. Walk ahead for 250 yards keeping the trees on your left to a wooden kissing gate. Go through this and onto the tarmac road. Turn sharp left and go through the small metal gate alongside the large metal gates (ignore the sign ”PRIVATE NO THOROUGHFARE”) onto the driveway.
Walk down the drive for 150 yards to a stile in the railings, cross this stile and walk 100 yards to a clearly visible wooden stile in the field ahead. Cross this stile and walk uphill diagonally right across this field toward the bottom right hand corner of the woods ahead to a wooden gate and stile. Cross the stile and turn sharp left to follow the fence 200 yards uphill, keeping the fence on your left to a wooden stile. Cross this and go ahead 25 yards to another wooden stile.
Cross this and go ahead following the line of the electricity posts for 300 yards to a metal gate. Go through this gate and onto a faint farm track keeping the wire fence on your right for 500 yards to the bottom right corner of the field where there is a large gap in the boundary hedge. Go through this gap into the next field. Turn sharp left walking slightly uphill for 400 yards with a sparse hedge and broken down wall on your left to a metal gate.
Go through the gate and onto the tarmac road. Turn left and walk 1700yards along the flat road and past the Airfield to the “Road Narrows” sign. Go downhill 200yards to a footpath sign in the wall on your left (opposite a footbridge in the field below). Climb this crude wall stile into the field and walk downhill to the footbridge.
Cross the footbridge and turn left following the stream for 200 yards toward the wood ahead to a kissing gate into the wood. Go ahead for 100 yards to another footbridge, Cross this and head diagonally right steeply uphill through the trees to meet a distinct forest track. On the bend in the track there is a waymarker post.
Cross the track opposite the post (there is another waymarker on a tree 20 yards ahead). Head uphill for 250 yards keeping to the track through the woods to the summit and a wooden kissing gate. Through this and turn right following the edge of the wood for 600 yards to the corner of the field. Go ahead through a gap onto a muddy farm track walking downhill for 500 yards to cross a stream then uphill straight ahead for 800 yards to a metal gate/wooden stile. Cross the stile onto a tarmac road. Go straight ahead into Marshfield between cottages past the church and “LittleEnd” to Market Place and back to the Start.

Walked 18/01/2009

(Please print this walk and use it if you can)

Walking in Wiltshire – Box (5.6 miles)

Starting in Box car park – by Hall

At the entrance to the car park, turn to face the row of cottages (Valens Terrace) and walk through the gap in the fence by the lower cottage –
No 6 onto a tarmac drive, turn slightly right then walk left toward No 7 and walk down the lane on the left of No 7. Walk 50 yards to cross a footbridge and pinch stile over the Bybrook. Walk straight up the slope ahead 400 yards to a gate and pinch stile to the left hand edge of a clump of trees.
Go through and walk uphill 200 yards to the corner of the field (by a cattle trough). At the corner, turn left and walk for 200 yards with the hedge on your right to a wooden stile. Cross the stile and walk ahead 100 yards to a metal gate/wooden stile. Cross this into a lane and walk 100 yards down the lane to a metal gate. Go over this onto a tarmac road. Turn right and immediately take the left hand fork downhill. Walk 75 yards to a footpath sign on your left – turn sharp left down the footpath. Walk downhill with a wall on your right for 50 yards to meet a driveway. Cross straight over and walk downhill steeply through the woods for 100 yards to the bottom of a dip.
At the bottom, turn right uphill for 30 yards toward cottages. At the cottages turn right and walk 20 yards to a footpath sign, gate and pinch stile. Cross over, walk 25 yards to a metal gate/stile into a field. Cross over and walk diagonally left for 200 yards uphill to the boundary hedge. At the hedge, turn right and walk 500 yards to the top left hand corner of the field keeping the hedge on your left, to a metal gate/pinch stile. Cross over onto a tarmac road.
Turn left and walk 20 yards to the memorial cross and turn right toward the church. Follow the road as it turns left and go past the church for 100 yards to a footpath sign, metal gate and pinch stile. Cross over and walk uphill 100 yards with the hedge on your right to a metal gate and stile in the corner of the field. Cross over into field and walk uphill 400 yards to the brow of the hill with the fence on your right. Then walk on downhill 300 yards to the bottom right hand corner of the field. Walk through the pinch stile dead ahead downhill for 10 yards into a field.
Continue downhill for 100 yards with the hedge on your left into the left hand corner of this field. In the corner go over a wooden stile and continue downhill for 150 yards with hedge on your left to a footbridge at Lidbrook Bottom. Cross over and walk diagonally right uphill across the field for 300 yards to the brow. Now head in the direction of Colerne church (on the horizon), walking down the field heading for the road and stables in the corner of the field. Cross the stile in the field, then cross another stile by the stables and onto a tarmac road.
Walk uphill for 250 yards to a footpath sign, gate and stile on your left (set back 15 yards from road) on a right hand bend. Cross the stile and walk 150 yards towards a barn with a gate to the left of it. Cross through gate and walk on skirting the barn. At the barn you must look right to see a stile 100 yards in a fence in line with houses. Cross this stile and turn immediately left, following the fence 50 yards to another stile in the corner of the field.
Cross over this and a small brook and walk ahead for 150 yards with fence on your right. Where this fence turns sharp right you must go straight ahead 350 yards across the field (head toward a mobile mast on the distant horizon). When you meet the field hedge there are two stiles. Go over the right hand stile.
Now walk diagonally left downhill 200 yards between what appears to be “very large” hedges. Where the right hand ends, walk steeply downhill heading toward a spinney of trees the other side of a brook. Below the spinney is a footbridge, cross this into a steeply sloping field (which may be muddy and rutted). Walk slightly right up the hill keeping just to the left hand edge of the spinney to meet a hedge at the top of the hill.
Turn left along the top, for 700 yards keeping the hedge on your right (ignore the stile in the hedge on your right) toward a scrubby thicket at the far end of this field. When you reach the thicket there is a way marker post. Follow the path through the thicket to a stile. Cross the stile and walk down the slope 100 yards to a plank footbridge over a brook.
At this footbridge look ahead up to the horizon, there is a stile in a fence on the horizon – head uphill for this stile. Cross this stile onto a track, then cross directly over the track walking toward the buildings dead ahead.
Pass just to the right of the main building along the track onto a tarmac road. About 250 yards past the building there is a wooden stile on your left. Cross this stile and walk 500 yards downhill with the fence on your left to a metal gate/wooden stile. Cross over onto a tarmac road and turn left. Walk for 600 yards to road junction and turn right. Continue walking downhill 300 yards “past” a road junction on your left still downhill to cross small stream then uphill 100 yards to a road junction.
Dead ahead is a footpath sign and metal kissing gate. Co through into the field (this may be under cultivation). “You are heading for the bottom left hand corner of this upper level field”. (If there is a trodden path directly across, take this. If not you may need to go left around the edge of the field but heading toward the bottom left hand corner of this upper level field)
At the field corner you go down a bank about 4 feet into the lower level field and turn right to follow the hedge with the hedge on your right for 400 yards. Keeping this hedge on your right to the bottom right hand corner of this lower field to wooden steps and stile (located right in the corner) Cross this stile and walk diagonally left downhill 400 yards to a metal gate/wooden stile in the hedge ahead.
Go through gate and turn sharp left to follow the field edge with the hedge on your left for 600 yards. At the first field hedge you meet, go through the large gap ahead and keep ahead in the same direction for 300 yards with the hedge on your left.
Just opposite the first house you come to a stile in the hedge. Cross this into a lane.
Turn right and walk 100 yards to meet a tarmac road. Turn right and walk uphill past “Bailbrook House” for 100 yards to a T junction. Go straight ahead past cottages to a metal gate/wooden stile. Cross into the field and walk ahead 200 yards with hedge on your left to metal gate/wooden stile, go through and under the railway bridge then over a wooden stile into a field.
Walk initially towards Box church for 400 yards then slightly left to meet the footbridge over the Bybrook. Cross footbridge and go left up the lane alongside No 7 Valens Terrace, turn right then immediately left through the fence into the car parks

Walked 21/1/09

(Please print this walk and use it if you can)

Walking In Wiltshire. Corsham to Box

4 Miles (Return by service bus – half hourly service)

Start at the Corsham Springfield Leisure Centre (off Pickwick road) – parking available at the Centre.
Walk from car park past the main entrance to the Leisure Centre 20 yards then turn left following Beechfield road around the side of the leisure centre. Walk 100yds along the road to Fire Station (on your right). Walk 25 yards past the fire station and turn left passing through short wooden posts onto a path between tennis courts and a play area. Go past tennis courts and keep straight on ahead for 150 yards past a skateboard park to meet the road.

Do not cross the road but turn left with the wire fence on your left. Walk 300 yards passing Cresswell road. Walk on another 100 yards passing Furzehill road. Now walk on downhill150 yards to the narrow road bridge over the railway line. About 20 yards before the bridge, cross the road into a lane between trees with the railway cutting on your left. Walk 600 yards to meet wooden fence and post with way marker on it. Walk on, still on the track 300 yards with metal fence on your left. Where track bears slightly left, the metal fence turns sharply left over the railway line.

Walk 10 yards past then look left to a wooden stile set 20 yards back from the track. Cross this stile and walk downhill 50 yards through scrubby woodland to a wooden stile. Cross over and look toward a Pylon in the distance. Head just right of the pylon to a metal bar stile in the field, cross this stile still heading right of the pylon to a wooden V stile below the pylon. . Cross this going forward dead ahead 50 yards to a wooden fence. Cross fence by an old wooden shed and way marker sign. Walk dead ahead 20 yards to meet the road.
Turn left and walk 10 yards to the cross roads. At cross road, turn right and walk 25 yards to footpath sign.

Turn left down the drive by bungalow No 14, first between hedges for 50 yards to a stone upright stile. Cross this stile and walk downhill with fence on the left then 50 yards between bungalows to an access road.
Walk ahead on downhill keeping right of a laurel hedge through metal hoop entrance onto tarmac pavement downhill with a wooden fence on left to join a road. (by Southview 19 Moor Green) on your left. Keep ahead on the road downhill 100 yards to T junction in Moor Green. Turn right along road for 300 yards to Jaggards Lane.

On the corner of Jaggards Lane there is an upright stone stile. Cross this stile then immediately over a wooden stile into a paddock. Walk diagonally right 200 yards to the top right hand corner of the field by a pond. There is an upright stone stile in the hedge just right of the pond. Cross this and walk diagonally left for 30 yards to a wooden V stile. Cross the stile into a lane. Cross the lane to a stile slightly to the left. Cross this stile into a field.

Head to the right of the electricity post towards the middle of the wooded area ahead, following an indistinct path for 300 yards, parallel to the edge of the woods with the woods on your right to meet a barbed wire fence at right angles to the wood. At the left hand corner of the fence there is a way marker sign attached to the stone post. Go ahead through the fence still keeping the wood to right for 250 yards across a very rough meadow to a metal gate in the top right hand corner.

Go through this gate to meet a very wide track in the wood. Turn left for 20 yards then right to a metal gate/wooden stile. Cross stile and go ahead 300 yards through young tree plantation and bamboo plantation to a metal gate/wooden stile. Cross this onto a drive. Walk 800 yards ahead in the same direction down the drive with a wood on your left to meet the farm track into Wadsworth Farm Shop, close to the B3109. (Ignore the footpath sign at this junction but walk right 30 yards right to the B3109.

Turn left for 30 yards then crossing the road with care walk down a signed bridleway passing through a wooden gate for 300 yards. The track bears left past Hazlebury Manor and you will then be between a wall and a bank passing through a landscaped area. Walk 100 yards to the entrance to Hazlebury Manor (stone pillars and cattle grid on your left). Walk slightly diagonally right towards a track with a dry stone wall. Walk down this track with the wall on your left.

Continue ahead now with a wooden fence on your left (ignore the bridleway sign pointing downhill to the left) but go straight ahead 600 yards between fences to meet a narrow wooden stile in a wall dead ahead.
Cross this stile and walk ahead downhill 400 yards through woods on a well marked path to meet a tarmac road. Carry straight on down Hazlebury Hill to a staggered cross road. Go straight ahead downhill 150 yards to meet the A4 road.

Turn right and cross the road by the pedestrian crossing. Turn right uphill for 200 yards to the bus stop. ( X31 and 231 and 232 to Chippenham pass every half hour to take you back to Corsham.
Walked 04/02/2009

Food is available at

The Queens Head Box
Good Food and friendly staff

Stay at your friendly Corsham B&B www.myrtlevilla.co.uk

(Please print this walk and use it if you can)

Please call Heather or Peter for any further enquiries.