Simon English
England Revisited

On a beech tree by the kink in the bend on the Whitchurch to Kingsclere Road.

On the gatepost next to where the Beech tree and the railway sleeper brace post for the wire fence once were.

The young beech tree that stood alone on this corner no longer stands. I gather that it blew down, but its cut stump still exists covered in moss and hidden in the weeds. The rest of the beech trees that stood on the north side of the ridgeway road still stand. In 1971 there was a tight five strand stock-proof fence running along the road. Now that has been removed and whips put in to establish a hedge slightly further into the field than the old fence line. A tangle of old mans beard grows over the gate posts.

In 1971 the field was grass and had been used for grazing. Now it is growing wheat. On our visit it had been harvested and had already been ploughed. The baled straw was being speedily removed. These are not the small bales that could be hand lifted in the past but each now weighs one third of a ton and moved on big trailers by powerful new tractors. There are huge bale stacks behind the shelter belt to the south.

Half a mile to the north runs a Roman road known as the Portway. At the next bend north the road runs along this ancient road however most of the Portway runs east west cross country; locally with a footpath running along its route. On the other side of the valley there is a belt of trees that runs along the south side of the path. This is known as Caesar’s Belt. In 1971 it looked fairly open ground with a mix of little pine and deciduous trees. Now these have grown up to make definite solid wood. Any agricultural digging in the vicinity of the roman road needs special permission. One wonders what damage might be done by tree roots and badger diggings.
Points 72, 69 & 70