Devizes and beyond

We had the caravan serviced on Thursday 27th March and we were away on the Friday. It's not that I don't trust the servicing agents, but it's nice to check that it still works. We left in foul weather and Di the next door neighbour saw us off with her good wishes ' You must be mad going in this weather'. Thanks Di.
Saturday morning was still cold and damp, but we managed to get out. Here is Sue at the Old Gaol in Steeple Ashton a lovely old village.

The main reason for coming to Devizes, Sells Green actually, was to meet up with some old school friends and their wives. They might take objection to the'old', but it was 40+ years ago that we were at school. We met at the The Lamb on the Strand which is a lovely old pub close to the caravan site. Here we all are (photographed by the waitress). It was lovely to meet up again and to swap stories. It takes a while to catch up on 40 years.

If you are in the area the pub is well worth a visit. The lamb menu is excellent. Thanks has to go to Graham for organising the evening.

Sue and Graham.



Jean, Graham and Sue.



Neil and Jenny.



We visited Great Chalfield Manor house, National Trust, on its first day of opening for 2008. Unfortunately all the rooms were not open because filming had been taking place and not all the furniture had been replaced.

This was the location used for the filming of "The Other Boleyn Girl" starring Scarlett Johansson.

The estate was recorded in the Domesday Book. The property was owned by various branches of the Percy family until the 16th century. In the Civil War Chalfield was garrisoned by Parliamentary troops between 1644 - 46 and withstood a short siege. The 1st Duke of Kington acquired the estate when he married an heiress but it was sold by his son in 1770. The property then remained in the hands of the Neale family until 1878 when it was acquired by the Fuller family.

The rear of the house.

Part of the garden.

We did 10 geocaches whilst we were away. Here I am writing the log of a very cunningly hidden one in the lock gate.

This one was at Olivers Castle.

The camp was more anciently called Roundway or Rundaway Castle, and its present name of Oliver's Camp or Castle seems to have arisen out of a popular tradition that Oliver Cromwell occupied it. The only foundation in fact for this tradition is that the battle of Roundway in 1643 was fought on the neighbouring Downs, when some of the combatants may have been posted close by. Cromwell himself was not present on the occasion, but the fact that Cromwellian troops fought on the adjacent Downs was quite enough to give rise in the course of time to the popular association of the camp with the name of the great man himself.

The Parliamentary Western Army because they were pretty much demolished by the Royalists at the Down, their cavalry were forced over the steep escarpment just north of Oliver's Castle, and "in fact" more men died of their falls than did in the battle.

Graham and Jean kindly invited us to their house in Marlborough for a drink and a bite to eat. On our return to the campsite we visited Avebury World Heritage Site. We had been into the museum and around the stones before, but we had not visited the house.

It is a 16th century manor house with lovely Edwardian garden.
A much-altered house of monastic origin, the present buildings date from the early 16th century, with notable Queen Anne alterations and Edwardian renovation.


Avebury stone circle, originally composed of at least 98 stones but now having only 27, itself encloses two smaller stone circles. The two inner circles were probably constructed first, around 2600 BC, while the large outer ring and earthwork dates from 2500 BC.


Pub sign in Melksham - there are grapes on the other side. Someone with a sense of humour.