Places:
- Coombe Bissett
- Homington
- Odstock
- Nunton
- Charlton All Saints
- Downton
As I left Coombe Bissett, I could hear the river ebbling along down a lane. This was really nice, and it was the last time I was aware of the Ebble until I reached the Avon downstream, into which it flows.
The journey was fairly uneventful. The first village I reached, Homington was pretty, but sleepy. No pub, no shop. Then I got to Odstock, which does have a pub called the Yew Tree, but it was too early to be open. I was following the Ebble's valley, but always a field or two away from the stream. From Odstock, I bypassed the next village, Nunton, taking footpaths and a droveway that ran south of the village to the main road between Salisbury and Downton. Here i crossed and walked towards the Avon.
I turned south, and walked parallel with the Avon which I eventually came into contact with. I went through the village of Charlton All Saints, which was pleasant, but loomed over by the nearby main road. I find the sound of heavy traffic oppressive. This part of the journey was partly lanes, partly fields, all straight forward. It wasn't very interesting, but it cured my curiosity. And it was good to introduce myself to the river Avon for the first time on this journey.
Avon is one of those river names that predates the adoption of English as the language of the land. There are a few different Avons in England. In Welsh, the word Afon still means river. The Avon appears as a few parallel streams at this point. Just south of Charlton All Saints, the stream of the Avon I encountered was so shallow it was easily fordable. Just north of Charlton is the estate of Longford Castle. The name Longford suggests this was a used crossing point in the river.
Today I left the west-east valley of the Ebble, and met the north-south Avon valley. The Ebble valley felt cosy, protected by the hills close by both sides, and rich in soft greenery. The valley of the Avon at this point feels much more open and exposed: flatter. It made me think of the lower Thames Valley.
In Downton I stopped at the Wooden Spoon for a pint of bitter and a bowl of chips.