I have to admit that the idea for this blog came from the somewhat childlike desire to brag that I had visited Scotland without leaving the county. I had read in the Wiltshire Times that both Scotland and Ireland existed in the county. So I investigated the OS map and found Scotland nestled on the outskirts of the amazingly long and pretty village of Horningsham. Already I had a great reason to visit. Then with the deliciously named Honey Pot Lane, a path that forms the border with Somerset to investigate. Plus the chance of visiting some lovely woods with, at this time of year, the possibility of seeing mushrooms. The idea was complete, and we made ready to visit. Packing our lunch and flasks of coffee, we headed off towards the Somerset border.
Arriving in Horningsham, we parked our car in an area near the Bath Arms and whilst our legs were still fresh, decided to explore the village a little first. I had planned to walk towards Longleat House and then head across fields, over a mill pond and on to the church. However, as we got to the road leading towards the Estate, we noticed that it was blocked to traffic and perhaps pedestrians. Fortunately, we met a local couple along with their basset hounds. They confirmed that it was fine to walk that way as long as we weren’t going beyond the gatehouse. I think they had assumed that we wanted to explore the wider estate toward’s Heaven’s Gate. They told us to go through into the estate as the footpath was just beyond to the right. Noticing that we still looked puzzled and I was thinking that we weren’t ready to go as far as Heaven’s Gate only to the church, they gave us new directions. So on what we believed to be a permissive path, we made our way across a small part of Longleat. We snapped a photo of the vast Elizabethan Mansion and admired the works of Capability Brown and the many magnificent and tall trees as we went.
Soon we found ourselves at a gate leading to White Street and, to our relief, back down into the village. On the way I stopped to take photographs towards the area known as Scotland, and we talked to a lady who lived in the location. She agreed that it was a lovely place to live with its gorgeous views but explained it was a little isolated at times and I sensed a slight loneliness. I guess nowhere is completely perfect.
We continued on to the church. Dedicated to St John the Baptist, the church offers truly wonderful views from the graveyard. The building was founded in 1154 by Sir Robert de Vernon. I presume he was a descendant of Sir John Vernon of the nearby ruined Woodhouse Castle. The castle had been given to John Vernon by William the Conqueror and the Vernon’s were the first post conquest landowners in the area before being succeeded by the Arundells and the Thynnes.
Although the church was heavily restored in the 19th century, it has a number of interesting features which could probably be the subject of its own blog. I will simply refer to the main reason for our visiting the church and that is the rumour of a love triangle, and the prominent tomb of Thomas Thynne, the second Viscount Weymouth that is in this church yard rather than the family vault. It is said that after his second wife’s death Thynne moved from Longleat House to Horningsham to get away from her ghost haunting him. Why would she haunt him you might ask? Well, it is thought that at one point she had made friends with a footman, sadly, Lord Weymouth mistook this to be more than a friendship. It is believed he confronted the footman at the top of some stairs and although the poor man claimed his innocence the Viscount still in a rage might have pushed him down the stairs and in doing so killed him. To avoid any repercussions, it is rumoured that the man was quickly buried in the cellar. After this the wife, convinced that her husband had locked the footman in a room somewhere in the large mansion house, had tried to find the unfortunate man but to no avail. After her death, it is said her ghost remained searching the long corridors of the stately home for her lost friend. In death had she leaned the truth and was this all too much for the Viscount? It is impossible to say, but the ghost is said to still haunt Longleat House to this day.
Turning our thoughts back to the walk we left the church and headed back a little way though the village, past a pretty row of moss covered thatched cottages and up a road to the left leading out of the settlement and on to open countryside. As we walked, we noticed some large oak trees dotted here and there along the path. Their roots were splayed across the path as if to offer steps for us as we ascended the hillside and I mentally thanked them as I climbed. At one point we noticed that an oak and ash tree had grown together in such a way that they had formed an archway over the path. An ideal location to enjoy being in the presence of these iconic trees and test the old wives tale about the likely hood of a wet or dry year. However, I fear that this might not be possible for too much longer as, on closer inspection, the ash tree was already showing signs that all was not well and a near neighbour was nothing more than a skeleton of a tree. It is so sad that we might lose most of our Ash trees to the Ash dieback.
Continuing on, we passed Round Hill farm, and a milestone marked Longleat House 2 miles. We then proceeded around a corner before turning right at a kissing gate and onto a wooded path. This path was lined with conifers and bracken and remembering the earlier reason for our visit Mr. P. asked if this was Scotland? I admitted to him that we were still several miles away from that location. However, we were now out in the woods and one of my favourite areas to walk. Occasionally, to our right we caught glimpses of pastureland and distant views and to our left magnificent trees almost glowing in the sunlight, their changing leaves declaring that Autumn was creeping in.
Continuing on following the footpath, we found we had to use the OS maps app to be sure of making the sharp turn to the left and onto the route that would lead us down to Priory Farm and its large pond.
As we walked, lovely views opened up before us. We stopped briefly at the pond watching the swans and ducks and various dragonflies. A cormorant was flying low from side to side across the water. It was like some small demented dragon. Obviously it wasn’t able to find what it was looking for, so it eventually flew away. It was wonderful and peaceful standing by the pond in the warmth of the sunshine watching the wildlife also enjoying the lovely weather.
As the name of the farm suggests, there once was a priory at this location. It was originally founded in 1164 as a leper colony before it became an Augustinian Priory. Although the priory was dissolved in 1536 it definitively felt as though the location had retained some of the atmosphere and peace of the religious building.
On leaving the priory, we walked up to the busy Frome Road (B3092), and crossed it with extreme care before entering Great Bradley Wood. Once in the wood we found a log to sit on so we could eat our lunch. The sun was shining on the beautiful tall trees, and it seemed as though a warm glow was being created all around us. As we ate, we watched the squirrels busying themselves running from tree to tree and then hiding.There were so many of them scurrying about, I expect they were starting to make ready for winter.
Suitably sustained, we continued on our way enjoying the woodland, listening to the birds and watching the late flying butterflies. At a fork in the path, we took the right hand route and headed westward, through wonderful glades, towards the Somerset border and Honey Pot Lane.
Ever since thinking about this walk I had, in particular, been looking forward to walking this border path. I imagined walking though beautiful and ancient woodland on a track not too dissimilar to the other borderland path I knew, The Shire Rack. I had imagined the sounds of birds and a profusion of different fruiting fungi. As we turned right onto this path all seemed well. Somerset County Council had even placed a signpost declaring that we were on Honey Pot Lane. However, not far along the path we came across another sign and my heart sank. Forestry operations were in progress and there was a chance that as we progressed we would find the footpath closed. This dismayed me on so many levels. From the loss of trees and the beauty of the path to the thought that so close to our return destination our tired legs and brains would have to try and find a different route back. Fortunately, the latter was not necessary, but it was heavy going walking along the deeply rutted and muddy track and I was sad to see so many trees cut down. No doubt the reason for this was a good one, ash dieback being the most likely, but my heart felt heavy as we walked and, despite the views towards Somerset and the impressive Marston House, I was glad when we came to end of this border path.
On from Honey Pot Lane we once again crossed the busy B3092 and started our walk back to Horningsham and finally reaching Scotland. At this point I have to admit to a slight instance of cowardice because for some of the way back we had intended on taking the footpath that runs between Woodhouse Farm and the road. However, on climbing the stile to start on this route, we noticed fresh cow pats. Looking at each other we remembered a recent encounter when we were chased by excitable bullocks with horns. On that occasion we had only just managed to escape them so we realised that our tired legs would not be up to the chase this time and therefore we resolved to stick to the road. We stopped briefly at the entrance to the farm to consider the remains of Woodhouse Castle beyond and also say hello to the cattle from the safety of a fence.
Continuing along the road, we found the location where the footpath would have come out and whilst admiring the far reaching views into the Somerset countryside we realised that if we had used the footpath, we would have had to try and make our way across a ploughed field. Once again encountering issues with a footpath but by this time we were too tired to be angry just grateful that we had made the correct decision to keep to the road.
Now, on leaving what is known as Forest Road and heading onto Cock Road we finally arrived in Scotland our initial destination. My bragging rights were intact, we had visited Scotland without leaving the county borders. It might have taken most of the day to get there, but we had enjoyed every minute of it.
Although not really qualifying as Hidden Wiltshire and we did venture onto the estate by mistake, however if you wish to know more about Longleat’s forestry work and permissive paths please refer to this link https://www.longleat.co.uk/conservation/working-in-uk/forestry
Enjoyed the article ! As an ex cyclist I know that both Scotland and Ireland also exist over towarda North Bradley - ..
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You can visit both Scotland and Ireland within ½ mile of one another in North Bradley parish! • In the year 1010 a monk named Eilmer made wings and 'flew' ..