Marlborough Downs

We walked over 10 miles - this was with my 76 yr old friend who had a knee replacement in January. I’d never been before to this area.  It’s stunning - racehorse training country - and you can’t see any buildings for miles in any direction, which to me is amazing in southern England. Though every bit of land is farmed/used for some rural purpose. In the main pic, on the left of the path the whole field is ‘gallops’ for racehorses to exercise - you can see white posts for them to practice going in a straight line (I suppose). On the right is a hedge which seems miles long - mainly hawthorn,  apple and hazel - which has been planted as part of a nature conservation scheme involving 40 farms in the area.  They got grants to help with the cost of what must have been thousands of small trees, to restore hedges. I have to say we didn’t see or hear many birds though - a red kite, a few pheasants, a gang of long-tailed tits and a couple of skylarks. That’s not a lot in 5 hours:( 
The first extra shows just how expansive the downs are, and how empty. We are near, and later in the walk, on, the Ridgeway - said to be the oldest path in England, at least 5000 yrs old. 
The second extra is of the churchyard in Ogbourne St Andrew ( the only village we passed through) which is unusual because there is a pre Christian burial mound within the church grounds. The church is 12th century and the pathway is edged with pollarded trees, making the whole place very attractive. The sun didn’t stop shining the whole day.