Wiltshire Cycling Pilgrimage part 3

Part 3 of my 2024 pilgrimage to visit Wiltshire’s Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) ancient churches
Salisbury to Andover exploring the South East quadrant of Wiltshire.
#ancientchurches #cycletour #wiltshire

West Dean:
https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/borbach-chantry-west-dean.html

Idmiston:
https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/all-saints-idmiston.html

Rollestone:
https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-andrew-rollestone.html

Maddington:
https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-mary-maddington.html

Orcheston:
https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-george-orcheston.html

SouthTidworth:
https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-mary-south-tidworth.html

Chute Forest:
https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-mary-chute-forest.html

Today I’m cycling from sbur Railway Station to Andover railway station in a big S shape about 58 miles I’m going to be visiting seven Church’s conservation trust properties on route one of them is temporarily closed but I’ve arranged to meet the key holder there so hopefully I

Can gain access and the last of the seven today is uper track in a forest sounds really enchanting it’s coming up because I’m visiting seven churches on this road the trip will probably be in two parts I don’t to make the videos too long I’ve just fired up the Gins as

Soon as I put the signal up we’ll be heading out Salsbury 9.5 miles for the first church okay garmin’s pit signal up let’s get going I can definitely feel a cold nip in the air it’s wind rather than air temperature I have got some warmer clothes if I need them

The plan is to ride to Andover and then get a train back to soury tonight but give myself a couple of hours to pop into weather spoons along here if it’s tight I’ll probably just go in the Chip Shop get some chips to eat on the station or on the

Train first things first need to get out of sbur the traffic’s not too bad at the moment you can see there’s road work those of you know Source spry I’ve just cut Ry outskirts up past where the old youth hostel used to be on fairly quiet roads

Now I’m just going to run alongside the very busy A36 for a few hundred yards before turning off there’s even cycle infrastructure along here just a sort of like just basically a foot path alongside the main road like this the rush hour traffic is starting to

Build up this is not a nice road to ride on a bike going to cross over here our turnings coming up shortly there’s a foot path we’ll continue on that side of the Road this is this this cut through is an old Minor Road which has been blocked off to traffic you get through on foot bicycle you see what I mean the old road coming in before it’s your Carriage rad well that good that’s through S Frey pretty much out of it with very little

Traffic I’m now in the small village of a debris just on the outskirts of Sals spry so we’re coming at pretty much parallel to the A36 and in a few hundred yards we’re going to turn off left and then we’ll actually be crossing over it so we’ve actually risen to above its

Elevation but without having to ride on that horrible J carriageway and then we start snaking down to the dun Valley and our first church in fact I believe it’s a chapel built on the remains of an old church we’ll see so lovely little vage this I’m having to film on my phone

Because my action camera really is not like the cold and it is quite cold this morning and here we are soon after turning off that road passing through all debris and weden you cross over the A36 that’s the summit of a big hill that’s climbed out of Salsbury that

Would have not been a nice road to ride on where that blue cars come up there now I’ll be heading down there now I’ve already seen the signs for West which is the location of my first church 4 and 1/2 m miles to go I’m about 2 and 1/2 miles away from

West in now my first church you can see how open the countryside is literally salb is just over the brow of that Hill that Way just hear the Roar of traffic in the distance and the wind blowing through the Hedge RS here here we are then I’ve just come in this way behind me and I’m just reaching the first of my destinations where Dean you can see it’s part of sstan Route

24 keep seeing references to canals there’s Canal Farm down there and I know the railway runs this through this Valley so clearly obviously where there was a railway they could want been in a canal might investigate that sometime anyway over the BR of this hill through a village I’ve ridden through many times

But I can’t for the life of me place where this Chapel is that’s what I love about these rides you just come with a different purpose and you start seeing familiar location in a different light okay here’s the heart of the village that anybody who knows the area will be

Familiar with this is the river done flowing through peacefully those lovely duffs according to my garment you cut across the level crossing I’m pretty sure there’s a station there which local train stop at then along to the left there’s a little spur and down to it

Just going to have a look this is lovely look at that just around the corner then here’s the station it’s just called Dean level cross in there I’ve said it so many times before but I apply a very important lesson I learned as a postman just do a little

Bit of extra prep before you leave home so this is a perfect example the dark line is where I’ve come from the cursor is where I am and you see the little dog leg going off the left that just ensures I don’t miss anything or I don’t have to

Waste time looking for things so just R the corner and it be off to left this is a perfect example of that GPS planning I just saw that Tower the spire and assume that was it and I came out there went in and that’s actually St Mary’s Church

That’s a church in use I thought where’s mine you come up here and this is where the GPX is sending me just says along here public foot path to the debach Chantry and here it is just at the end of that gravel track up here the ballback

Chantry now when I saw that church and I passed it and I I went to pull in there thinking that what I was going for I thought oh yes I’ve probably clock that before how did I not remember but I’ve certainly never been aware of this I

Mean it’s very easy to miss I wonder how many people would even know this is here that don’t live in this Village I certainly didn’t it says the Chantry was built and and died in 1333 by Robert de Bach as part of the old church of St

Mary I’ll take a photograph and put that up on the screen now it’s a bit too much to read really again I’m having to film on the phone I’ve got no wind muff for that today so apologies if there’s any wind noise this is absolutely stunning bird song

Everywhere there’s a very old faded sign oh it’s flaking off the silverboard ballback Chantry West Dean church is open please come in take my hat off as usual I can’t wait to see what’s behind these doors straight into a bell tower well look the bell’s right there above

Us this Chantry with the monument therein was restored by Will William John elyn of won Sur Esquire 1868 was very tempted to pull that but I’m not going to seat there Stone and Flint but look at it straight through this wonderful old door dates from the 1300s it said outside at that

Board wow look at this lovely wooden ceiling oh wow look at that just back to sign the visitor’s book you can see 27th of December 2nd of February 11th of February then I think these three entries are Valentine’s Day oh Valentine’s Day the next day the next day so was that February the

15th today is the 8th of March so nearly a month since the last person who visited and actually signed the book I’m sure people have been in here since then all from West Dean so there I am the 8th and the 3r 24 and DC part one B sunet

Cyc into seven CCT churches today ballback Chantry ladies and gentlemen I’ve seen at some of the churches they’ve mentioned micro volunteering and I was actually going to sweep the P chat at one of them because there was a lot of leaves and Dees in there and I just could not find the

Broom there’s a couple of leaves there so that’s my little chore for today I’ll just sweep the leaves out what a stunning find I was going to sweep the porch anyway and I suddenly saw a bit of paper drop down and it says a brush with immortality please use broom as needed

Before you leave thank you you’re very welcome it’s a lovely place I’ve already mentioned the six of today’s seven churches at s tidworth is currently closed but on the CCT website it gives you a phone number to Ring to gain access and I did that yesterday

Just said would it be possible to look around really nice guy called Fred said yeah any idea what time you’d be there and I said between 2 and 3 and do you want me to phone you before I get there maybe an hour before and he

Said no no I’ll be there with the open so I sort of feel like there’s a little bit of pressure on me to be there at that time if I really am running late of course I’ll ring him up and let him know so I don’t want to rush

Today but I also feel i’ give myself a bit of a deadline this is stunning signs of spring everywhere the train ride today it was for a you like when I got on the train at about 5 6 hill now what we’re doing we Trace to

Track back to the road I was on carrying up out the village then I’ll be heading westwards hopefully at the wind which should make things a little bit warmer for the next couple of hours before we then snake R and start climing up on the sorcery

Plane W so Mary’s ball back I’ve got my action camera all wrapped up in the warm himo side of the bag hope y that’ll warm up and start working again meanwhile just using the mobile phone just gives you an idea of the route between the first and the second Church absolutely

Lovely long hair and I’m now turning out of the wind briefly I think for a few miles I’m now on a bit of byway R about 14 miles into the road I knew this was coming and what he’s basically doing is cutting off a corner where a road goes

That way and comes back that way so it’s going straight across then it do the same at the next Junction it’s about a mile mile and a half off road I was aware of this and my plan has been if it’s too muddy I’ll just Main Road it

But you know it looks fine it’s fairly hardcore looks like it might have once been a road out your country it’s just sunken down okay in hindsight that track was maybe a mistake it’s just got very very boggy you can probably see by my shoes I sunk down in deep

Mud I saw a massive big flood along there horses and four-wheel drives got through it but I would just got drenched I saw this building here and I figured there’s got to be a service road up to it so I’ve just walked around very carefully the edge of this cropped field

And it’s brought me back on this track so I did say there’s two sections of rough stuff I think I’ll override the second one and just stick on this Minor Road I’ve just taken the road down off that Ridge I’ve done two sides of a triangle again I avoided that track it

Looked right at the top so did the other one but you can s of see it’s quite muddy down there now we’re heading down this is the road we we will continue on kind across over the a303 but we’re heading up towards port and down bosum down the big mod

Area and I can see red flags up so it looks like there might be firing up there so there could well be some restrictions we’ll see next church is going to be idmiston of course my mileage is a little bit out now it was going to be 19.5 it could be about a

Mile more than that not much I would have thought okay okay after I last spoke to you I dropped down and crossed the a30 road and then came up over port and down it’s forbidden to film in there cuz it’s mod land it’s all gated you know um

It’s open at the moment but it can be closed at times now I’m just in a small town of Porton after a really long fast stretch and again my garmin’s just saying go up this dog leg and it’s even sign posted up there it Mist that’s the

Next church and it should have been at 19 and 1/2 it looks like it’s going to be about 19 and 1/2 so I’m not that much out with the detour what I gained on one leg I think I lost on another so it’s probably balanced itself out anyway next

Church up there just coming into IDM very water logged over here I’m not sure what that river is I’ll have to look that up but according to this we just go around the corner there you can see the dog leg bit further church then come back to that te

Junction carry on on our way got look at me covered in M I’ve managed to get my shoes scraped down a little bit I hopefully be able to stamp the rest of that off and literally just past the boundary sign as you enter the village

Itself with a 30 mph speed liit there is the church All Saints idmon I’ve just realized I’ve been here before it’s when I rode Margaret’s triangle the last year the year before three Ro roads based starting and finishing old serum I’d been up to silchester I was riding margar 4 the

London to ex Road the section is called the portway and it was from silchester down to Old s and I did a long section that actually off road and then I dropped down cross the main road here and then carried on to Old sarum I remember coming in here actually at the

Time so you guest I’ve always wanted to come back and today the day isn’t it funny you approach somewhere from a different direction it doesn’t seem familiar until you get to a spot where you came in from and I think I came in that way heading that

Way I’ve got sun on my back at the moment and there’s some poke behind it I can really feel the heat but this leg I’ve just done this dog leg coming east makes me realize how cold and how strong the W the wind is it’s it’s picking up this afternoon

So I think later this afternoon’s going to be quite hard anyway I just want to stamp my shoes here to make sure I’ve got as much mud off as possible before I go inside out to Steel Gates flint and stone in the porch within the ceiling and a

Light and then the old inner doors screens to keep the birds out oh yes I remember this straight into the ne made for this pretty chunky door actually that’s definitely the sa cuz it’s been lit up by the sun coming in normally the porches are from the side so it’s better than

Usual that would be East small but very attractive Stone pool pit there then step up into the ch so carpet there again I’m not going to walk out there with mud on my shoes I’ve got most of it off but I don’t want to be leaving Deb on there that wonderful almost B

Like TI roof wonderful Stone Arch almost like Garo out there there a word for those supporting the beams I can’t remember what it’s called Little statet and that’s looking back westwards the sun’s actually blasting in this direction course old p in there the visitor’s [Applause] information what’s this at the

Back tends to be a bit more Doom and Gloom down the west side or the North side I suppose you could say this was the safe side up I can’t read it I think that’s all in Latin I can read December the 2nd ano Domino

1633 very small organ at the top of this aisle and there’s a more substantial one here look at that that’s almost like a a ladder really isn’t it yeah it is it’s for climing up there I went to Bell there’s a trap door and you’ve got a safety route there whenever you see

These angled walls going out the window make sure just how thick Church walls were that’s at least a meter thick I would have said if not More what’s that a photograph of All Saints edmon Trinity Club Circa 1890 it’s a very light Airy church let looking back out the ports font to the left yeah a North facing portch yeah checking visitor’s book again 29th of February 1st of the 3rd 1st of the

3rd some think of the 3D today’s the 8th just put my entry in 8th of the 3D Andy C party one bath b23 cycling to S CCT work of churches today this is number two I’m going to go outside and have a Wonder around the church yard before I do that though because

I’ve got no wind muff on this camera thank you to everybody who came up and said hello and introduced himself to me at the odx on Sunday that was Fletcher Flapjack 100 from Chippenham woke up Saturday I pulled the curtains back and there’s an inch or so

Of snow and I thought oh dear that’s very unlikely I ride tomorrow then it just thawed and melted overnight and I rode to chipm and back afterwards it made it about 98 M ride it very cold first thing I was probably a little bit overdressed for most of the ride and

Then I was quite glad to have the warmer clothes on as the sun got down but I actually got home in the light just actually it’s fantastic ride fantastic event I th thoroughly recommend it and once again it’s lovely to meet you all the people that come and said hello to

Me wow look at that anyway let’s have a Wonder around outside just checking my gar in it says I’m on 19.85% at 30 mil and that’s where they come thick and fast 30 miles 30.75 32 so 1 two 3 so the next one St Andrew rolliston let’s get

Going leaving idmiston I retraced back to Porton and then carried on and I climbed out of the Bourne Valley up over bosam down this is an mod area and it’s forbidden to photograph or film up there and there’s even signs saying this is a no drone zone I couldn’t film for

Several other reasons either later on there was a lot of wind noise and then as I dropped down to Asbury I turned out of the town and I found myself joining the very busy a303 Trunk Road the London to the Southwest Road is a Motorway in orbit name and I

Started approaching it from the single carriageway section just before it reverts back to dual Carriage R and I suddenly realized gosh I’m heading towards Stonehenge and luckily this single carriageway very busy road had a pavement alongside it so I was able to ride on the pavement and just as the

Pavement ended you had to cross over the carriageway and then turn up onto a byway and it used to be an old aoad I remember riding down that in the 1990s you can clearly see on these pictures you can see where it’s now a Greenway but it used to be a minor Road

And you can see from this old photograph that there used to be some houses there as well I think one of them was the keeper cottage for the stones this meant I was able to ride right up past Stonehenge without having to pay to get in which is great you get

Just as good a view cuz even the people who pay to go in can’t get anywhere near the stones and then you re resurface back onto tarmac where the coaches from The Visitors Center drop off the tourists so I rode along that very straight road it

Felt straight and it felt like an an old Roman Road not sure if it is and then shortly after that I started dropping down into this small town of shtin and just as I was coming down there my garment pinged and sent me off a track

Down to left to my third Church St Andrews at rolleston so so traffic heading down the hill just done this sharp little left down this dog leg and I think I can see it in front of me my Garmin just pinged me down this gravel track and it

Looks so you’re about to go into someone’s house well in fact that is that’s the old rectory because it’s next to this St Andrew’s Church at rolliston this is the third of the seven today there’s another one in 3/4 of a mile then another one a mile after that and

Then I’ve got about 8 miles to get to the sixth one where I’m meeting the keyh holder yeah to bird cage store as usual St Andrews Church biston welcome the church is open please do come in I’m going to thank you very Much the audio tour St Andrew’s Church okay what are we going to find wow oh slightly musty smell although it’s quite bright landed front there the wooden top big nosy let’s see what’s behind here oh bicycles broom utility area oh there’s a sign out there that would have reassured

Me but you know I’m quite happy just to follow the gings I’ve done my homework go forward to the glory of God in memory of Ian Rose and F Mills Brave Lads of this Parish who gave their lives in the Great War 1914 1918 it’s like two organs that

Look and have a couple of steps to the chancel and that really bright window it says here in memory of Henry Western ra wsh recor of rolliston 1877 to 1922 who was born in 1849 died in 1922 then I cannot read that Latin I guess can hear the Roar of the road

Because it’s only about 100 yards away it’s so peaceful here though just about to sign the visitor’s book and again always see who’s been here recently there was a group of three yesterday actually but they from the CCT said something this day business this day I think that

Says and then the last one for that was 17th of February two people geoc cashion so they must use this place as a bit of the treasure head and before that it was the 19th of the 1st so I’ll add mine today and I’ve put

8 to the 3r 24 andyc positive one bath Somerset reasons for visit cycling to seven CCT churches today St Andrew’s third of the 7th a little bit nervous going back going back out cuz I just feel like on tresp really too access to the church is restricted after vandalism in

2016 Fred the keyh holder has just been telling me about that so I’ve talked to him more about that out so I had to leave St Mary’s just to warm up really I’m quite tired it’s been a very very hard afternoon after the lunch stop which wasn’t a lunch stop I just turned

Eastwards into a brutal headwind crucifixion fantastic walk down that track with a couple of Walkers they were really nice friendly interested in what I’ve been doing told him I was going to sort weather spoons and he said oh yeah that’s quite good you don’t want to go

To and over was this Bo is not quite as Good