Mist was prevalent this morning but unlike yesterday when it collected as cloud cover over lower ground, today it was more diffuse, the landscape becoming whiter and features less visible as the distance increased. Apart from a brief period of sunshine the sky was overcast but dry and although I would have preferred a hard frost to freeze the mud it was pleasant enough.
As has become typical of this trip, on leaving the village where I enjoyed the night I had a climb back up to the edge of the plateau. There I rejoined the gravel road that follows the boundary of the Army's land. This gave fast and straight walking for several kilometres with misty views in washed out colours to my left, beyond the plateau. I noticed a cross with German writing, a memorial to Dirk Jager Knöffel, a visiting paratrooper who died in 1993 when an anti tank vehicle rolled over. A faded wreath of poppies lay at its base.
Leaving Salisbury Plain and the Military ranges behind I turned left and entered the views I had been admiring, walking down to the village of Urchfont. A place of red brick houses from the 16th and 17th century with the traditional duck pond, church and pub. Many of the settlements I had walked through appeared to have few facilities or living people. Urchfont was different in that it had a community shop housing a post office. A group of people were chatting outside, motioning me to go in ahead of them. Run principally by volunteers, I was pleased to buy a cup of coffee and a Kitkat for my elevenses. I drank it outside watching people arriving to pick up their morning paper. Being Saturday I frequently passed people, mainly runners, cyclists and dog walkers with their smart looking Jack Russells or hyperactive spaniels, balls in their mouths, but a few family groups were enjoying an outing together.
On the last little section of my route, I noticed a large group of crows (technically a "murder" of crows) gathering on the stubble of a nearby field. As if undecided, some of the birds periodically landed and took off again until they finally settled. Approaching the outskirts of Devizes, tired of the mud, I detoured to avoid a section that looked especially muddy, and followed a quiet road instead. Then the towpath of the Kennet & Avon canal lead me to the town centre. As a place I have visited twice before I can recommend a visit to the Caen flight of locks on the canal and the Wadworth's brewery tour if it is still running (especially the informative tasting at the end, do not plan to drive afterwards)! My room at the Black Swan Inn overlooks the busy market square. Inevitably bits of mud fell off my boots and over-trousers onto the pale, oatmeal carpet, and I spent some time trying to pick them up. Now having shopped, showered and washed clothes I am enjoying the comfort of my room while I can. I expect to spend the next two nights wild camping as I am struggling to find alternative accommodation open or answering their phone.
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