Silchester Roman Walls and Amphitheatre

Once you find the Wall Lane car park, it's easy enough to find your way around the walls as long as you take the Southern exit out of the car park along the footpath.  Take a map though so you don't miss the amphitheatre.  To be honest, we actually missed the path back to the car park and got as far as the North Gate before we realised our mistake!

The 2.5 miles only took us an hour and a half.  It was just my 9 year old and me so it was easy to build up a bit of pace without distraction.

Once the footpath meets the wall you can continue into the middle of the old town and see the dig site.  Students from Reading University spend 8 weeks excavating the area in the summer and even have open days with activities for children.  Today they were in residence but didn't seem to be actively digging.

Archeaology students camping near the dig site

We couldn't work out what these holes were in the walls of the amphitheatre.  It would be interesting to find out.

View from one of the high paths around the amphitheatre

One of the steep paths leading down from the upper level.  Probably no historic relvance, but fun to climb (I'm told!).

We decided to follow the wall by heading back down Wall Lane the short distance to the wall footpath (the way we came).   

We continued around - through a gate and past the farm

However, this is the route back to the dig site, so we followed another path (past St Mary's church on our left) to meet the road. This turned out to be a private route through the farm (oops!).  We have visited the 17th century church before and it's well worth a detour if you have the time. 

View along the Roman Wall

Back towards the church with the wall on the left

We walked along the path at the top of the wall.  You can take a lower route along the outside if you prefer.

On the wall - how much fun for a 9 year old?!

View from top of the South Western wall

As you turn onto the Western wall (and we dropped down to the lower level) we spotted a stream.  It would have been a lovely place to play if we'd had longer.  We must come back again soon!

From the sheltered lower path we spotted several trees growing out of the wall.

Somehow we missed the path back to the car park and walked on as far as the North Gate.  By this stage we were running late and the last half mile or so involved lots of running and wrong turns!  It's hard to see how we managed this when you look at the proper route at the top of the page.  How could it be simpler?!  It was fun though and we laughed so much!

One very tired boy on the footpath back to the car park.

Wendy Booth - Portrait Artist

Wayland's Smithy and Uffington Horse

The Uffington White Horse is Britain's oldest chalk hillside figure.  It is a short walk up hill from the car park, but we combined it with a walk to Wayland's Smithy for this 3.3 mile walk.  The walk itself includes part of the Ridgeway National Trail and can be found on the Walking Britain Website.

The first leg of the walk took us along Ridgeway.  The sun decided to join us today and made for the kind of weather you'd hope for at this time of year.

The wind rippled through long grass (wheat, barley?) in all the surrounding fields which created the illusion of long soft fur.  Even the hills were rippling like green sea.

Making a start along Ridgeway

I'd made the mistake of promising my six year old that there might be an ice cream for him if we get back to the car park while the ice cream van was still there.  So, for him, it became a very long journey of constantly asking the time and if he could go back to the car park now please! 

The path to Wayland Smithy was a short straight stroll along the chalk path. 

After several junctions and changes in weather we reached our first goal...

Wayland Smithy - iron age long barrow

The boys had a great time investigating the burial chambers

DS2 even found this replica leather pouch

Stones along the length of the barrow

Three of us at the entrance to Wayland Smithy

Following the return journey along the Ridgeway we climbed the hill path, which was, of course, very chalky.  Luckily it we weren't visiting in heavy rain, or I think the fun with splashing in chalk puddles would have been too hard to resist.

We were all quite excited when DS3 Spotted a lizard on a style (we're easily pleased!), but it was too quick for me and I'm afraid I didn't get a picture.

The earthworks of the old hill fort - Uffington Castle.

Walking down from the castle it isn't immediately obvious where the horse is, but it was signposted and in the end was hard to miss.

The horse is quite an abstract figure and upclose it's very hard to make out.  In the background you can just make out Dragon Hill - small flat-topped hill.

From the top of the steep hill, looking back towards the chalk horse.

The clouds finally started to break on our way back down the hill.

Even close to the "viewing point" it is hard to make out the horse on the top (left) of the hill.  Apparently, the best place to see it is from the air!

The ice cream van was still in the car park so the boys enjoyed an ice cream before our long drive home.

Stanage Edge

It was almost 20 years since I'd travelled across the Snake Pass - that was a very snowy new year's eve in the early 90s.  Thankfully our journey for this walk wasn't as trecherous, but almost as frightening - as it was the first time I'd driven it! 

This walk was our first from a book called Derbyshire Walks with Children. We started in the Hollins Bank car park where we had our picnic before we started. There was a hot food/drink van with very friendly staff! As we ate a couple of horses trotted in and one was jumped over a fence. The kids loved this and were enjoying themselves before we even set off!

Track leading up the car park into the woods

The route upwards into the woods is manmade and looked almost Disney!  Inside the woods were some streams down the track and big stones the boys were dying to climb.  I try not to go too health and safety but you have to remember that it's not a park with a rubber floor and high rocks may not be the best place for a clumsy 6 year old who can fall over standing still!

There was no way they were going to stay off this natural playground

To the East from the top of Stanage Edge

It was a steep route to the top, for our Berkshire legs!  But, we reached it quickly and the kids were so excited to climb on those huge standing rocks at the top.  TBH I couldn't resist myself - it was the best place to take pictures!

On top of the world!

View to the West

The kids had a good mess about before I either was struck with vertigo or came to my senses and realised this might not be the best place to play and we moved on.  The walk along the top was even more nerve-wracking as we followed a family with a lovely well behaved toddler and I had to keep screaming and grabbing at my six year old to keep him from going over the edge!  Our path soon turned away from the edge (to my huge relief).  This is where the rain threatened a few times, but not for long.

Sheffield from Stanage Pole

We crossed a field of ever-increasing boggy ground and it became obvious who was wearing proper boots and who wasn't!  DS1 decided he is going to need some better boots for his backpacking trip to Scotland!

One of the boys spotted part of a bird skeleton and then another part.  They picked it up and fitted it together like lego (much to my disgust).  It was definitely a bird of prey - I'm no expert but from a bit of google research, I'm guessing a goshawk.

Piecing together a bird skeleton

View back across the heather

Back at the edge

As we reached the edge again, we were more aware of the climbers.  This part had almost a wall of rock before the edge and the path was set back, so it was much easier to keep control of the little one!  The path down the edge led to the road, but it was clear from the top that the last half mile (or more) of our walk would be along a road, so instead we crossed the bracken diagonally.  This was pretty strenuous but far more fun.  We came across a gorgeous little pool and couldn't resist a dip!  The weather was very warm by this stage and we all welcomed the chance to cool our feet.  It was fairly deep - DS1 and I were up to our thighs and the water was flowing out quite quickly so we had to keep hold of the little ones.  The water was ICE cold and I couldn't keep my feet in long anyway.

Who could resist a cool pool like this on such a warm day?

Dip if you dare!

And this is where the camera battery died.  It was a short walk back to the car from here.  The boys still had plenty of energy left, I know they could have managed more than 2.5 miles.  It's amazing how much more stamina everyone has when the walk is this much fun!