Photos from walk on Thursday 18th January from Moulsford to Aldworth

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Let’s start in the car park

 

Beautifully clear morning leaving Moulsford and heading to Starveal Farm and Unhill Bottom

 

Here are walkers in Unhill Bottom.

 

 

Looking back down the valley

 

In the woods

 

Very clear for photos at Streatley Warren – a 31.3-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest

 

The light brought out the terraces. There is evidence discovered that the terracing formed on the site is of Iron Age creation, when an archaeological dig was started on the site in 1948. It is also believed that Romans continued to use this land for farming. During medieval times the land was used for farming rabbits. [source].

 

 

Sat in the porch outside The Bell

 

More photos in the gallery, including the hedges in Unhill Bottom, the woods at the top of the hill, the fields beyond the pub after lunch, and the mince pies.

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Additional information added on Friday:

 

Some of you remembered doing this walk in August 2021 when there was a shooting party, and a fleet of Land Rovers, banging away at the top of the Unhill Bottom valley.

 

Into the firing line, was the picture as we approached

 

I’ve spent a few unsuccessful minutes trying to find out who owns the estate we walked through, and how big it is.  Hugh Osmond is the owner of the big house and the Well Barn Estate, and I suspect that Starveall Farm is just a part of that.

 

But in searching I came across this promotional video:  RBSS Clay Days  Wellbarn Estate

 

Ignore the guns and all the people and stuff that goes with them, and you’ll see some views of the valley and recognise some of the paths that we walked yesterday.

 

It seems that they shoot both Clays and Birds (with or without feathers).  This was Purdey, hosting a Really Wild Roving Day in 2020, just before Covid.

 

Earlier this year, before Covid-19 struck, we were delighted to announce the first Really Wild Roving date for the 2020 with an extra special new price.  Hosted at the stunning Well Barn Estate on Friday 28th February, we hosted a syndicate day  for a simulated day with everything but the feathers for £220.00 +vat per person.
A highly renowned game shoot, the format of the day replicated a game day, with four drives spread over the wonderful topography that Well Barn has to offer.  The steep Oxfordshire valleys offered the highest birds with a mix of Pheasant and Partridge and we even managed to enjoy a Grouse drive.
Shooting complete the team enjoyed a lunch fit for a king, taken at the stunning, purpose-built shoot lodge.

 

Also, we recalled the 2002 court case between the Well Barn Estate and the owners of Warren Farm.

(After the woods, Town Copse, we passed a security gate and joined the Ridgeway, Instead of turning left to Aldworth, as we did, carry on up the Ridgeway and Warren Farm is up there on the right)

 

Journalist summary of the case is here in the Guardian (2002)

 

I found the full case here, but you can only read the first few pages before having to pay.  Even that is quite juicy.

 

It looks as if it went to appeal, and the Appeal Case is here where you can find a summary and the full judgement, which I don’t understand at all.

 

This is para 63; enjoy the phrase I’ve highlighted in bold.

The appeal concerns a conflict between residential development of rural land and the valuable sporting rights reserved over it (though to an uninstructed listener the procedure described by Mr Mann QC of driving low-flying birds down a hollow of land over a battery of waiting guns might have sounded more like execution by firing squad).

 

If you follow the link to the appeal, you might also like para 13 – a description of Warren Farm, albeit 20 years ago.

 

There’s another court case involving Well Barn Estate, this time concerning Pump House Copse (once known as the Old Farm Site), which is on the edge of Unhill Bottom, and near to Fullers Firs.