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" Return to Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire, England "

The Pitstone Windmill as dusk falls with the mysterious and ancient Ivinghoe Beacon. This is where the historic Ridgeway Path, starts its journey.

The windmill has stood here since 1627 and it closed in 1894 after it was badly damaged in a storm. It was restored by a group of enthusiast`s and is now full operational and open to the public.

The Ridgeway path follows the high ground across the Chilterns for 87miles and ends at Avebury [ famous for its standing stones ] in Wiltshire. The path has been in use since the Neolithic period by early man as it was safer to travel across the hills than down in the valleys because of the impenetrable forests and danger of attack by wild animals. It has been used from medieval times right up to the 50s by travelling tradesmen [ journeymen ] and travelling sales men [peddlers] carrying their goods to the various markets in the many villages that it passes through. Its a haven for wildlife including butterflies as well as the flowers that grow on the rich chalk grassland and it was originally part of a deep lagoon off the coast of west Africa before the tutonic plates shifted millions of years ago.

There are many megalithic features on the Ridgeway including Bronze age Long Barrows { Graves } Iron age Hill Forts and Standing Stones.

An amazing place, I have walked sections of it. I hope to walk it in its entirety next year as long as my legs, and me can hold out that long!!!

Do hope you will like my pic and give us a quick Fave if you do! Its what your index fingers for....... mostly!!!!

Have a good week ahead!

Pat.

Info on Ridgeway and Windmill below;

 

www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ridgeway

 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/pitstone-windmill

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivinghoe_Beacon

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avebury

 

My photos are also in Flickr river. See link;

 

flickriver.com/photos/137473925@N08/

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Uploaded on November 28, 2016
Taken on April 21, 2016