Upper Basildon

What a joy to be out in the fresh winter air. The beauty of skeletal trees, allowing uninterrupted views across a landscape catching breath before the rush of spring. Our last January walk saw us exploring a lovely wooded landscape from Upper Basildon into Ashampstead. As one bridleway after another led us through the delightful Ashampstead Woods, we soaked up some of the history of this ancient area, where flints have been found dating from the Middle Stone Age, 5,000 – 2,500 BC ! Permanent settlements, however, appeared from 1066, and we spotted house names of Stubles and Pightle, both of which refer to clearing of land.We clearly saw the large bank and ditch beside our woodland path, which dates from around 1240 when the Lord of the Manor created a deer park and needed to make a barrier to keep the deer confined. Further on we paused beside some amazing Wellingtonias with huge trunks. The groundsman of Sir Watney (the beer baron) had to hide the young trees down his trouser leg ready to plant to avoid being spotted by some residents who uprooted the trees as soon as they were planted. Gladly some have survived to grow to majestic proportions. Passing Burnt Hill, where bricks were baked in huge mounds, we came across Kiln Pond which dates from around 1860, and is said never to dry up.