Vale of Pewsey
Images of the Vale of Pewsey
The Vale lies in Wiltshire between the North Wessex Downs in the north and Salisbury Plain in the south with the market town of Devizes at its western end. Defining the eastern end is somewhat more problematic but, for the purposes of my project I have settled on the line of small hills around Wilton and Crofton which then runs just beyond the small village of Marten. Some might suggest that perhaps I should include the Bedwyns a little further east, but the terrain here begins to become much more undulating and the Vale, if indeed it does stretch this far, becomes much less pronounced.
The Vale is mostly agricultural (and equestrian) interspersed with relatively small villages and hamlets, apart from the eponymous Pewsey itself which is a little larger. The landscape tends to be dominated by the downs on either side, particularly the more dramatic ones to the north. These rise to about 300m and include the man made landmarks of the White Horse cut into the chalk on the side of Milk Hill, and the somewhat more ancient Adam’s Grave (a long barrow) and Knapp Hill, all overlooking the villages of Alton Barnes and Alton Priors. The White Horse is one of two overlooking the Vale, the other being on the northern edge of Salisbury Plain just south of Pewsey. However, there are one or two other natural landmarks within the Vale itself, notably Woodborough Hill (topped by a clump of trees), and nearby Pecked Hill. Relatively untroubled by busy main roads, the Vale is bisected along its whole length by the Kennet and Avon Canal