A SEAT WITH A VIEW - LIDDINGTON CASTLE - BCAM8

We had a great service at Church this morning, and as we sat in the car afterwards, it looked as if the weather would stop us going out as there were huge black clouds in the sky.  However, we don’t let things like that stop us, so off we went in search of a Seat With a View.

As we drove along the road, the sun came out, so we decided not to go too far so that I could take some photographs quite quickly, before the black cloud appeared again.I mentioned to Mr. HCB that the seat looking up to Liddington Hill might be a good option, and he agreed.  Before we left, I had wondered how I could incorporate pink for the BCAM challenge into my Blip today, so said that failing anything else, it might have to be a pink ribbon round Mr. HCB’s hat.  I have to say he was not too keen - but trouper that he is, he agreed to wear it just for the shot.

When we reached our destination and found the seat, which is towards the top of the small village of Liddington, to the south east of Swindon town and close to the M4 motorway, we saw man walking towards us with a stepladder and a hedge trimmer and he obviously meant business!  We had parked quite near to his hedge, so I explained about Blip and he seemed quite happy for me to carry on.  I felt I should explain about the pink ribbon though - didn’t want him to think Mr. HCB was strange!  When I mentioned Breast Cancer Awareness Month, he said he knew about that, so we then introduced ourselves and I gave him one of my cards, so that he could look at the Blip and know that we were bona fide and not doing anything we shouldn’t be doing.  

He said his name was Glen and I told him that an old teacher of mine used to live in the village and it transpired that although he had now died, he had lived just a few doors away, so after we had chatted about that, I started taking my photographs.  Glen did say that when the seat had been given to the village some years ago by the local Council, the villagers had been asked where it should be put and he had suggested this site, so I thanked him for helping to provide my Blip for today.

The top left is the view from the seat of Liddington Hill, as we call it, or to give it its proper name, Liddington Castle, a hill fort, designated as an ancient monument and the highest point in the aea.   Apparently, erosion of this by cattle has prompted English Heritage to put a fence around it but it is possible to climb to the top, not that I have attempted it for many years.  In fact, I don’t have very pleasant memories of Liddington Castle, as it was the start of the problems with my left knee, having fallen there when I was about 15 years old, following which I had several operations.  

Liddington Castle hill fort survives well and is known from part excavation to contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, the economy of its inhabitants and the landscape in which they lived. In addition, it is one of a group of hill forts associated with the ancient Ridgeway, and those of you who live in the UK may even have walked part of this ancient track.

You will see Mr. HCB sitting on the seat in the middle photograph, wearing his Tilley hat, with the pink ribbon.  I have to say he is such a sport and I really appreciate all he does to help me when I am doing what must seem outlandish things.

The top middle photograph in the collage is taken looking towards what are called, I believe “strip-lynchets”, an open area immediately to the east of the village that contains traces of probable Saxon settlement remains and, on the sides of a steep sided valley, or coombe, are the ancient strip lynchets.  If you want to read more about these, have a look here.  Glen had been told they are glacial and not formed by cattle or ploughing, but however they are formed, they are very interesting.

Mr. HCB asked Glen if he needed any help, but he has obviously done the hedge trimming many times before and seemed quite happy to do the job without any help, so after we had passed the time of day with him, we went on our way, down into the village.  There are several thatched cottages, and a village pub, called The Village Inn.  I wandered round taking photographs, while Mr. HCB stayed in the car.

Despite the cloudy start, it has now turned into a sunny afternoon, the birds are singing and Mr. HCB is watching football - I just need to cook our meal.

Please continue to click on this link so that those who cannot afford to pay may have a free mammogram.  Thank you - not only to all of you who click, but also to Glen and to Mr. HCB.  Now I need to think of somewhere else that has a Seat With a View.  

“Breast cancer changes you,
     and the change
          can be beautiful.”

Jane Cook - breast cancer survivor