A Valley of Grey Whethers By Karen Douglas & Steve Alexander March 2000

Ó Steve Alexander Copyright 2000
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Grey Whethers, or Fyfield Down, lies West of the Ridgeway. It can be approached from either Avebury stone circle or along the Ridgeway from the Sanctuary. It is a 2-3 mile walk from either direction, across some of the most dramatic countryside in Wiltshire. Reaching the natural high point of the area, one can look down the Fyfield valley and into Clatford Bottom. The area is richly strewn with Sarsen stones of every size, from small stones of around a foot to huge monsters of the size used at Avebury. It is solitary, desolate, dramatic and beautiful. The view down into the valley is simply awe-inspiring and the feeling of being cut off from the rest of the world is readily apparent.
Reaching the high point amongst the Grey Whethers is no mean feet; it’s a good 2-3 miles walk along the Ridgeway beginning at Avebury or the Sanctuary. However, it is an exhilarating hike along and legendary and ancient track-way. We began our approach from the Sanctuary, it is a mostly uphill climb which leaves you with a great sense of achievement when you finally reach your destination and is helpful on your journey back when all you long for is the warm, comfortable seat of your car , shelter from the elements and a nice hot cup of tea from the flask.

Working your way from the sanctuary for about three miles you reach the Fyfield Down National Nature Reserve, a place of special scientific interest, here you deviate from the Ridgeway track to your right and again head, climbing upwards, towards the high point of the valley. Here you begin to see huge numbers of relatively small Sarsen stones, but as you reach the natural apex of the land the feeling becomes eerie and otherworldly. There are a few harsh, hardy thorned bushes beaten down by the wind of years, they stand as if cowering from the relentless elements. There are also trees that have succumb to the storms and are either fallen or stand like small skeletons on the landscape, a symbolic warning as to the bleakness and ruthlessness of the weather. The feeling is heightened by the cast of the winter season, although the sunshine is managing to break through here and there, we can see stormy clouds approaching and realise that our first visit here would be brief.

Ó Karen Douglas Copyright 2000
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"As you reach the natural apex of the land, the feeling becomes eerie and otherworldly"

Reaching the high point, sitting down and surveying the landscape, I began to wonder at how different weather patterns could influence greatly the atmosphere of this place. Today was cold and bitter, but for now there was just enough sun coming through the clouds keep the worst effect of the bitterest wind at bay. The view here was breath-taking, I closed my eyes and began to imagine the summertime, the wind balmy against my face the sweet smell of grasses and wild flowers, the earth warm beneath me and the chatter and calls of the birds. Opening my eyes the summertime felt like a million miles away, for now the cold winter held court, but I was comforted by the thought that even the harshest winters have to give way to vibrant and restorative springs

Before long I found myself thinking about the seeming incompatibility of the summer and the winter, of life and death, of light and dark, good and evil. This seemed to be a place that inspired such contemplation, perhaps I was only one of thousands who had sat here since time immemorial and had felt the contrast and exposure of the place and had thought these thoughts. Age was something else you felt here, the passing of time, the seasons, the passing of life, the enormity of the cycle of life oozed from this land like a wave of inevitability washing over you; as a relatively young person it was a sobering feeling.

Kayleigh gets to grips with the stones

The Sarsen stones here had been used in the building of Avebury, Stonehenge and perhaps, other megalithic sites of the area. They have an outstanding quality of durability which make them ideal for temple building. From here you could now see stones of the size that were used at Avebury, half buried in the ground they had possibly lain there for millions of years, the wake of an ice-age glacier as it carved out the contours of the landscape now in front of us.

We all now played the game of waiting for the clouds to reveal the sun, so that we could take pictures, but it was a short lived game, with only one or two rounds. We were aware of the incoming clouds and decided with much regret to beat a hasty retreat, it was going to take us another hour to reach the relative safety of the car. As we gathered together our belongings we watched shafts of sunlight suddenly touch the ground momentarily all the way down the valley. The scene was like a natural light show illuminating the gloom in an array of light and shadow working in complete harmony; it was a magical culmination to our visit.

Walking back down the Ridgeway we were suddenly aware of Silbury Hill rising before us in the landscape, and then finally we had reached the car. The rain was just beginning to fall and we departed for home with a strange sense of exhilaration mixed with our obvious fatigue.

Karen Douglas