White Horse Walk 4: Uffington to Marlborough

If you are following the circular route based on Devizes and heading clockwise this is the third leg of the journey. 

The route begins in the car park at White Horse Hill viewing the White Horse. There is archeological evidence to date this to the end of the Bronze Age, lots of information in the local museum
and on the National Trust website for White Horse Hill

Onto the ancient Ridgeway, this track may pre-date the White Horse and many of the old sites and earthworks you will pass.

After a short distance you will reach Waylands Smithy, a stone age chambered long barrow, on your right. Well worth a short detour to see the mythical place where the white horse comes to be shod.

This has been a special place for humans for more than 4500 years, so tread lightly and take your litter with you!

Back to the Ridgeway and after a short while you will turn left and follow footpaths toview across Ashdown House,  a 'dolls house' palace built in 1662 for the Queen of Bohemia....the Winter Queen. 
Sady she died before construction began.

Following the route round the house left after the stables and eventually crossing the motorway back and at last returning to the Ridgeway, our route now takes us deeper into history.

Descending from the Ridgeway and across the valley floor at Ogbourne St Andrew, the route climbs into the Marlborough Downs, magificent view west into the chalk downland overlooking Rockley. Following the track you will walk alongside gallops for training race horses and stands of neatly planted trees before you come out overlooking the valley of the GreyWethers in Fyfield Down Nature Reserve. These old hard grey stones look like a flock of sheep resting, they are sarsen stones the same as the stones used at Avebury and Stonehenge.
Perhaps these stones are the rejects from the ones that were taken to Stonehenge? Try to take some time here to stop and think.

As the day draws to a close you will walk past a fanciful reconstruction of sarsen stones, Devils Den and finally across the A4 before heading down the lane towards the Marlborough White Horse where our jouney ends. Check out the Outside Chance for a drink and something to eat or head on into town. The White Horse is on your right after the pub and just past the tennis courts, find out more on the next day of walking to Pewsey.