Wayland Smithey - Neolithic chambered long barrow - wet & windy walk in the wilderness

Mrs Philbin accompanied me on a wet & windy walk today from Longcot to Wayland Smithey, a Neolithic chambered long barrow; actually the site of TWO long barrows, one built on top of the other, as these ancient sites often are. We had a lovely picnic in the entrance to St Swithun's church in Compton Beauchamp, while the rain tipped down outside. Funny that I got a whiff of incense even before we got to the church, or knew it was sited there, like it was calling to us.

More than anything this 'pilgrimage' had been something I'd promised a dear friend r.i.p. before she passed away and I paid my respects to her and to the memory of a dream I'd had of finally getting to the site. Great day out for all these reasons.

Special thanks to one charitable residence of Longcot who shared two buckets of apples from their tree in the front garden... we spotted them on the way out and harvested them on the way back to the bus stop. Sixteen decent-sized examples of wind fall, soon to be puree and pies and crumbles and...