A winter’s walk around Chilmark and the Monarch’s Way
- Elaine Perkins
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
There are occasions when I visit a location where the atmosphere and sense of place are so tangible that it delivers a profound effect on me.This effect lingers with me long after my visit. What is more, there are times that it occurs when I least expect it. This was the case for my visit to Chilmark. To be honest, all I was planning was a winter walk, and the choice of location was more around the knowledge that the going would not be too difficult with respect to mud and puddles, etc. Our main aim was maintaining our fitness and working towards completing walking all stretches of the Monarch’s Way. The settlement of Chilmark was really a mere side note to our main purpose.
Yet, starting from the time we parked our car in the village, I felt a strange sensation that the place was familiar. Aside from the area of Northamptonshire where I grew up, I have not often had this sensation when visiting somewhere new before. Could it be the location? Perhaps it was the beautiful stone of the old buildings of the village? It is the same stone that was used in the building of Salisbury Cathedral. Could this limestone ooze something of its primordial past that I can sense? Perhaps the oolite produces a subliminal resonance that has lodged in my psyche from my many visits to the Salisbury edifice? Or maybe it awakened a misty memory of some past life? More reasonably perhaps, it was simply that the old stone buildings reminded me of my childhood village, and so, throughout the walk and even now, I have a sense that the Chilmark is special to me for some reason that I have yet to understand, and I feel I must return to learn more.
Chilmark lies in an area that is steeped in history and prehistory. To the north you find Grimm’s Ditch and a Roman road. To the south, Roman sarcophagi were found in the quarries along with fossils of prehistoric sea creatures. Bronze Age discoveries have been made in both areas. So, there is little doubt of the area’s antiquity, which must contribute in some way to its atmosphere. Furthermore, there is a peaceful and natural beauty to the place.The name Chilmark most likely derives from the name of the poles that were once used to “mark” the parish boundary.
We started our walk at the church, a magnificent building dating, in places, back to the 12th century. It has a spire befitting the fact that it was built of the same stone as the cathedral, and despite its smaller size, it seems to exude some of the same majesty as the larger place of worship. Inside we immediately felt the warmth of the church and enjoyed a happy moment admiring the stained glass windows and the many other interesting aspects of the church before moving on.
Just beyond the church was Chilmark Manor, again a magnificent building made from the local stone and thought to date back to the early 1600s. We stopped to marvel at it and a number of other wonderful stone buildings as we walked south through the village. Many cottages appeared to be contemporary with the Manor House, and I had a very real sensation that I had stepped back in time. As I walked through the village, if anyone had stopped to ask me if I believed in ghosts, I might have answered, without hesitation, in the affirmative.
However, it wasn’t long before we reluctantly left the village behind and headed out into the countryside along the edge of Cleeve Copse. Here, we had wonderful views of pastureland and hills. These were brought especially to life by the early morning sun as it lit up the remaining leaves on the trees, so that they appeared to glow.
The sheep in the field entertained us with their sideways glances. However, having realised that we were not bringing them food, they seemed to bear us little notice, other than to ensure we were not encroaching into their field.
Soon we found ourselves walking through a pretty woodland. Despite the recent rains there was little mud, and the going was very pleasant.
At a crossroads, we took the right turn, deciding to keep to the bridleway, as there was very little evidence of the other pathways. Then turning left, we took the wide route down to the Teffonts and the main road, where we again turned left.
Here, our path merged briefly with another Hidden Wiltshire walk until we passed the small church of Teffont Magna and turned right onto a minor road. Once again we walked past wonderful stone buildings, some with the most magnificent details of scalloped tiles and old-fashioned lights. The cobwebs that adorned the lights were shining brightly in the morning sunlight as if it was their turn to light the way.
A short way on from the last of these cottages, we turned left onto a track that would lead us to the Monarch’s Way and a stretch of it that we hadn’t walked before. Now, the wonderful Wiltshire countryside opened up, and red kites and buzzards swirled around above us.
As with many other times on recent walks, we found ourselves in pheasant shooting country, and once again, we were reminded, by a multitude of signs, that we were both being watched and in danger of being harmed by farm vehicles or savaged by dogs. We heard the dogs in the distance, and a tractor passed us, but that was it, and we carried on unhindered along the track.
As we walked, we noticed that some of the bushes were still heavily laden with their fruit, and we were reminded that 2025 really was a mast year, but so far, the old portent that this heralds a severe winter has happily not materialised. In places, we noticed areas of maize plants. These were still holding onto their cobs that were now almost red in their ripeness. Of course, it is unlikely that the corn was grown for fodder other than for the shoot. Here, birds could be flushed out by the beaters, and well, we know what happens next to them. There were a number of areas of maize strategically placed for this purpose. Sadly, at least in my opinion, the albeit small swathes of this non-native plant detract a little from the Wiltshire vistas.
Finally, we reached the Monarch’s Way. At this point it follows the ancient Ox Drove. It is thought that these routes also formed part of the Harrow Way. This way is the ancient southern trackway that is believed to date back to prehistoric times. As we approached, we could hear some sort of music. For a moment it had seemed almost magical. However, it was just the wind blowing through the holes of a redundant gatepost. By now, my early sense of antiquity seemed lost. The sound of the A303 was noticeable, and the track was made of concrete. The latter was something that I thought would be a blessing for a winter walk, as there would be no mud to negotiate, but we found the hardness of the ground soon tired our legs as we trudged along.
It wasn’t all bad, as the track did have the odd large puddle to distract from the monotony of the hard ground, and nothing could reduce the beauty of the views that opened up before us. The earlier parched fields were now verdant from replenishing rain and new growth, and the wild clematis glowed white in the sunlight, giving small pockets of the hedgerows the appearance of being covered in snow.
To our left, the whole of the Vale of Wardour stretched out before us, and in the very far distance we could see the clump of trees that lies atop Win Green Hill. Other landmarks were less discernible, but it was truly a wonderful landscape to look out on.
Eventually, we met a road. My planned route lay further ahead, but our tired legs were telling us that it was time to stop. Although we had rested briefly on the Monarch’s Way to quickly scoff a couple of Mr P's homemade cookies and down a coffee, part of me was hoping against hope that the Black Dog in Chilmark would be open for lunch. So, we decided to turn left and take the road back to the village. The views to the right of the Fonthill Estate were lovely, and once again the wild clematis shone brightly in the sunlight, this time in the hedges close to us. However, we were glad when we saw the Chilmark village sign.
Sadly, when we arrived in the village, we found that the Black Dog was indeed closed. So, once again, we had a disappointment. However, in the current climate, I guess it is something we have to accept. At least they would be open in the evening.
There was nothing left to do but to cross the road and head back over a field to the car.
Despite the concrete footpaths, I would recommend this walk and the area. We will definitely return to complete more of the Monarch’s Way and learn more of the village and the quarries to the south. I feel sure there is lots more to tell.
I enjoyed your description of your visit to this area, and the photos.
I enjoyed reading about this walk. Some of my direct ancestors come from Chilmark and the surrounding area and the walk helps me to get an idea of what they might have seen and get a feel for their lives. Thanks for taking the time to write it up so well.