Wiltshire Man
Quick Garden Update, Slug control and a few plans on what I shall be growing
updated
A little bit of research soon cleared up what I had found, this was no ordinary piece of woodland, it was in fact and abandoned grave yard the church having long since been demolished.
I had found the churchyard of St Marys close to the old hamlet of Eisey just a few hundred yards away from the river Thames.
There has been a Church on this site since the 14th Century, the original church was demolished and a newer one replaced it in 1844.
The "New" Church was only to stand for 109 years before it to was demolished in 1953.
I think the church fell into disuse because of low populations in the area. The
population of Eysey had always been a small one, just 95 adults in 1851 and only 52 in 1901.
Over the years there have been possibly hundreds of burials in this abandoned church yard. The parish registers date from 1571, and end in 1947 so as you can imagine there are a fair few burials in the churchyard. Today there is evidence of the boundary wall and some memorials but the whole area is heavily wooded and overgrown.
Well worth a visit if you happen to be cycling by:)
I've been riding the Bootzipper for some time now and have clocked up around 2,500 miles mostly on bikepacking and camping trips.
The bike has been flawless throughout with just the usual punctures.
The Bootzipper is a heavy robust bike that will take a beating and carry a heavy load.
Not designed for speed but to get you to the end of the road and then beyond, the 32 tooth front chain ring and massive 50T rear sprocket means you'll climb most hills even with a heavy load. Certainly a bike to consider is your carrying heavy bushcraft kit of taking on an epic ride where speed is not a priority.
HISTORY
St Andrew's Church was built around 1140 AD, around the time that the Ogbourne estates were given to the Abbey of Bec in Normandy by the wealthy English noblewoman Maud of Wallingford. The chancel was built in the early 13th century and the west tower added around 1440. The church interior was comprehensively restored in 1847-9 by William Butterfield.
The church stands on a Neolithic earthwork running roughly east to west. In the churchyard is a Bronze Age bell barrow, a rare form of ancient burial site (though you will also see this monument referred to as a round barrow or bowl barrow. The earthwork came first, and the barrow was erected later, between 2400-1500 BC.
When the barrow was excavated in 1885 a Bronze Age cremation was found at the base of the mound. Above this was a Saxon coffin burial, while near the top of the mound were about 20 medieval skeletons that likely formed part of the medieval burial ground surrounding the church.
An archaeological survey in 2013 revealed that a ring ditch encompassed the Bronze Age barrow. The eastern wall of the chancel stands very close to the edge of this ditch, suggesting that it was built to its current size to avoid overlapping the ditch.
Camera's used:
Gopro Hero 10
Gopro Hero7 black
DJI Mini 2 drone
Hoverair drone
My bike is a PlanetX Bootzipper Hardtail mountain bike in size Large with 29er wheels, I have fitted a Top peak rack which allows me to use panniers and carry a lot of equipment should I wish.
The 29er rolls well over rough ground but I do find it a little slow on road because of the increased rolling resistance of the large tyres.
It is a bike capable of World travel and built very strongly.
We both rode our Royal Enfield 411 Himalayans to go and see the Bluebells and also ride the byeway which skirts the southern edge of the woodland.
We ended the trip with a visit to Honeystreet mill for coffee and cake:)
River Neath, Nedd fechan and it's associated waterfalls, a lovely area to visit
Badbury Clump Near Faringdon Oxfordshire famous for it's Bluebells in Spring:)
I planned a rout using Komoot that I called "The Fosbury loop" : komoot.com/tour/1505511450
The ride is around 60 miles and can comfortably be done in less than 2 days. Good fitness and bike handling are a must as the ride takes in some pretty steep hills and fast single tracks. Best to pack light for this one!
My bike for this adventure was the PlanetX Bootzipper which is a hard tail mountain bike, ideal for the rough and muddy terrain, it's steel frame is strong and can take the shocks and loads. I added a suspension seat post which cushioned me from most of the rough terrain.
Navigation was via my Garmin Edge explore 2
Tent was a Terra nova laser competion
Stove was a Click stand with Ti pot and trangia burner
The bike is a hard tail 29er Mountain bike (PlanetX Bootzipper)
Winter tent is a Terra Nova laser, though I do intend using another lightweight tent for warmer weather camping, the Terra nova has a solid inner and can be hot and stuffy in high Summer, ideal though for cooler times.
The Frame bag is an Ortleib 6L roll top that I will use for carrying food and bike pump.
On the rear rack is an old Alpkit Gourdon 30l rucksack which contains:
Sleeping bag (OEX Fathom evolution), Air matress (Neo air), inflatable pillow, down jacket, down booties, spare cloths and hygiene kit, electronics, lightweight Click stand stove with titanium pot and Trangia burner and fuel for stove. A waterproof jacket, Water filter.
Imber had a population of 450 at it's peak but dwindled to less than half this number by the time the Army took it over and evacuated all the residents.
The village was then used for training purposes and initially US forces trained here in preparation for the D day landings.
The villagers were told they could return when the army were finished with the place but sadly this was not to happen.
Many of the old cottages were made of Cob and simply collapsed or were demolished by the army.
Imber is still today used as a training ground and range and is strictly out of bounds for the general public.
It is opened up a few times each year to allow the public and descendants of the villagers to visit and pay respects.
St Giles church is in good order but the chapel was demolished in 1973 but you can still visit the chapel cemetery.
Here's a link to the "4 Barrows ride": komoot.com/tour/1477782228
Feel free to use it and change it to suit your needs :)
Background music:
Fluidscape by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100393
Artist: http://incompetech.com
The ride was a distance of 31 miles from home, so not very far but I had never been to this place before.
The place I wished to visit is called "Hetty Peglars Tump" aka Uley Long barrow. It gets it's name from the old farmer who farmed the land back in the 1700's.
The Tump dates from 3500BC and contained the remains of 22 individuals.
If you go to visit the tump, take a candle and go in the dark, that way you will get a better ambiance. It is a wonderful Tump :)
The tracks were muddy and hard going in places but my hard tail mountain bike coped OK (On One Bootzipper)
Check out Josh's Channel Keep Smiling Adventures.
He is well worth Subscribing too :)
youtube.com/@KeepSmilingAdventures
1:21 Auction site DID chains. They don't last well!
3:28 Fuel stop, The Himalayan is cheap to run!
5:46 photo shoot
6:41 Colin talks about the route
9:44 Down town Swindon, what a lovely place!
12:25 Hodson village, this is a lovely place:)
14:25 Ogbourne village
16:19 Snap hill
18:00 Aldbourne village
19:49 Talk about the old and the new Himalayans!
24:17 6ft under!!!
There is no doubt this area was a very important place back in the Stone age!
Check out my brothers channel here for fantastic drone videos:
youtu.be/TVWk8urvhRI?si=PpRHLR5UAB3oisWX
Check out my Good friend Dickie Mint Cycles channel here:
youtu.be/bUyzaKZR978?si=uvjIi8djmYUCCdmJ
Check out English Woodsman getting spooked:
youtu.be/4fzH2o9diMI?si=M1MF40bSpZlCvSzz
maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=5.0&lat=56.00000&lon=-4.00000&layers=1&b=1
I love to explore my local woods and fields and even though I have lived in this area all my life I still find out something new.
In this video I explore Withyslade copse also known as Starveal coppice. This delightful small woodland lies on the North Eastern edge of The Great Wood at Stanton park. I believe it is on private ground and is visited infrequently by humans which is probably a good thing as it offers sanctuary to a lot of wildlife which sadly have fewer places left to hide.
This whole region is under threat as a large development of 1650 new homes and infrastructure will soon be build very close to this Beautiful small woodland.
I like it!
For more info on the Fiido T1 pro and other Fiido bikes please check the following links:
https://clck.ru/38Q2CQ,
Fiido's YouTube account:
https ://www.youtube.com/@FIIDOEbikeOfficial/videos.
Actually the tent was flawless but I did manage to burn some small holes in the fabric through my own error.
Firstly I was burning very sparky wood (Larch) and secondly the chimney I used was not tall enough, so I can't blame this on the tent.
Here's an email Nick sent me:
Hello Sandy,
I truly appreciate how quickly you tried it out, and it brings me great joy that someone likes the tent I personally crafted.
Although I haven't seen the content, I won't ask you to modify it because your testing is genuine, and I appreciate authenticity.
Thank you, Sandy.
Let's just go ahead and make it public.
Nick
Hill Zero Designer
I believe this tent represents Incredible value for money
If you are interested in this tent here's a link to Hill Zero's Amazon shop:
amazon.com/Hill-Zero-Lightweight-Waterproof-Backpacking/dp/B0CL256XW1
#hottent #hottentcamping #wildcampinguk
Although the bike is legal for the UK the motor has the potential to be unlocked to release more power, maybe you would do this if you were riding off the public highway but here in the UK you can ger a severe penalty including points on your drivers license as you wouldn't have insurance, so do this at your own discretion.
Personally I believe all Ebikes should be allowed a top speed of atleast 20mph thus enabling them to keep up with traffic in the new (ridiculous) 20mph limits. I also believe a throttle can be a safety feature and ALL ebikes should have them fitted and active.
These are my opinions and I am entitled to them as much as you are to yours:).
If you are interested in an Engwe bike check them out here:
(UK) shrsl.com/4blct
(USA) shrsl.com/4blcq
(EU) shrsl.com/4blcw
Discount code: DeliaKOL30OFF: £50 for EP-2PRO, T14, S6, O14, Y10
DeliaKOL50OFF: £100 for C20 PRO, ENGINE PRO, ENGINE X, X26, X24, X20, M20, M20 (dual battery version) L20/ P26 /E26
These camera represent good value for money and are not costly, so if you have ever wondered what night time visitors you are getting in your Woodlands or gardens the give one a try, you may be surprised.
They are also excellent security cameras.
Camera info:
CEYOMUR Wildlife Camera, 2.7K/1520P 36MP Trail Camera with 940nm No Glow Infrared LEDs Night Vision Motion Activated, Game Camera with 120° Detection Angle IP66 Waterproof for Wildlife Monitoring
amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CN8S9B8K?ref=myi_title_dp
#wildlifecamera #gamecam
Tent
Tent is a OneTigris Ironwall modified by a friend who added a snow skirt. Without the snow skirt this shelter is practically useless on cold breezy nights in Winter, the snow skirt makes all the difference.
Backpack
Swedish Army LK35 modified by the addition of British Army 58 pattern side pouches and a home made back pouch which I use to store chopping board, lamp shades and a collapsible bowl.
Table
Small table is made by Boundless Voyage, they are very cheap (£16) and very good and available online, a Google search I'm sure will find one.
Wood stove
The Wood stove is a Titanium model by "Woodswalker" It is a great little stove but I don't like how the chimney attaches, They have since modified the design.
Gast Stove
Kovea Spider remote canister stove. You can invert the gas canister in really cold weather and the stove will run very well on liquid feed due to the small preheater near the burner head, a great little stove and very controllable.
Lanterns
Feurhand baby 276 kerosene lamps used with shade/ reflectors,
The reflectors are available on line, I got mine from Amazon, a quick search for Hurricane lamp shades should find a seller, not cheap though!
Head torch
Armytech Wizard Pro
Boots
Nortiv8 Armadillo boots
A good solid boot and cheap as chips but made in China.
I have two pairs of these and would suggest if your going to get any go for a size larger then you can add an extra pair of socks and have warmer feet.
These boots do keep my feet dry but in extended wet weather or wading through streams your feet could become damp.
Nortiv8 say they are water resisting but not Water proof!
Cost around £50 so not expensive
Axe
Hultifors, this axe has a very good heat treat, they are a bit harder than Gransfors axes which I have found to be very soft. I have a Gransfors which the edge rolled real easy, I've never experienced rolls of chips with the Hultifors
Saw
Made by Silky, I think it's from the Gomboy range, this is a pull saw and only cuts on the pull stroke.
#hottent #hottentcamping #wildcampinguk
This had to be a low profile camp as I did not have permission to camp here. Infact I do not know who owns this woodland.
This Woodland is on the edge of a public park and pretty much abandoned and left to nature, I have visited it often over the years and removed rubbish by the bin load, I feel like I know this woodland well and it upsets me when I find litter has been left.
Thankfully the woodland it appears has not been visited in recent months as not much fresh litter has been discarded!
The woodland is old and can be seen on maps dating from the 1830's, it's shape and size has changed little in all that time.
I relied on my Hurricane lantern for lighting and was careful to use reflectors to stop any stray light giving my location and camp away.
I used a variety of cocking pots, MSR nesting stainless pots that I like very much and a new Optimus Weekender cookset with the Heat exchanger, I am very impressed at how fast this pot boils water.
The stove used was a Kovia Spider remote canister stove.
#WildCampingUK #WildCamp #Wiltshire
Webbs wood is part of a group of woodlands West from Swindon which would once have been all joined together forming the Great Forest of Braydon.
I took my two Rescue dogs with me, Carmen who can be trusted to walk off lead and has good recall and Zeta (Podenco) who has zero recall and is constantly on the alert for prey.
#Webbswood #Wiltshire
Today I scout out a new "None permission" woodland with the view to Wild camp here at some future point.
I used a new item of kit, a Boundless voyage camp table and was very impressed by it. A fellow youtuber called "Tank" has made a review video so if your looking for a nice small camp table please check out Tanks video.
Here's the Link to "Outsider Tanks video on the folding table:
youtu.be/Ypygk0ltVd4?si=gqj4CnMjJ7zcr1gu
I'm on a course of antibiotics to combat a rather painful dental abscess. The last few days have not been much fun.
All I can do is stay indoors in the warm and pretend I am camping :(
This forest once covered much or Wiltshire but now remains in fragments.
Check out Ralph's channel here: youtube.com/@justgoingout6824
In this camp I used my Trusty Stonebridge Folding Candle Lantern together with a Feurehand Hurricane lamp for illumination and cooked my dinner on an Optimus Nova pressure Stove.
I used a Tarp and Dutch army hooped bivi.
Cameras used:
Gopro Hero7 black
Gopro Hero 10
Hover X1 Drone
DJI Mini 2 Drone
Music used was all from the YouTube audio library:
Heart strings by Coyote Hearing
Portrait of time by Aakash Ghandi
Top of the morning by TrackTribe
The overcoat is basically a Military all weather waterproof 3/4 length smock. I have heard great things about them:)
Check out Nathan Millward on YouTube: youtube.com/@nathanthepostman
Check out Dickie's channel: youtube.com/@DickieMintCycles
I've been Hot tenting during the Winter for the last 3 years now.
In this video I was using a Modified One Tigris Iron wall tent which has a snow skirt sewn in around the base, this cuts down on draughts and makes the tent so much warmer.
I used my folding titanium wood stove for heat and cooking.
#HotTentCampUK
#hottent
#hottentcamping
For me this is a very useful addition to my filming equipment.
UK buyers can purchase this drone by following this link:
uk.thehover.com/products/hoverair-x1-self-flying-camera-combo?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=YT-WiltshireMan
One Global who sell this drone have an additional discount of 15% for anyone who buys a Hover air X1 before 29th November.
Dickie was testing a potential Harley killer and asked if I could get some filming done for him and offered me the chance to ride his Brand new Suzuki 800DE Vstrom.
Well I ain't going to say no now am I!
Check out Dickie's channel here: youtube.com/@DickieMintCycles
I upload content regularly on various topics
Camping, Wild Camping, Back packing, Bike packing,
Cycling, Motorcycling, Moto camping, Amateur radio, Photography.
I'm just enjoying life and trying to make it an Awesome Adventure :)
ironjias.com/?ref=x37p85ze
Coupon code for 10% discount: WILTSHIREMAN
Eric sadly passed away recently and was broken hearted when he realised his beloved farmland was going to be built upon.
RIP Eric.
As a result I feel that Kingsdown lane is now under threat of being altered and changed forever.
I have been seeing surveyors working in the area and in adjacent woodlands taking measurements.
Quiet lanes like Kingsdown lane are ancient and have changed little over the centuries, I for one need the connection to the past that Kingsdown lane gives me.
I walk along this lane and nothing much has changed in all the years, yes, the tree's do grow, and a few will topple, but the lane has changed little and slowly possibly even going as far back as Roman times and maybe even further. It is an Ancient Track.
It should be preserved just the way it is!
All photo's were hand held at 2000 ISO, F8, 100/sec
using a prime 50mm lens on a Nikon D7500 dslr.
I shoot RAW and use Lightroom
All music in this Vlog are from the YouTube Audio Library
Large Smile Mood by Nico Straf
Portrait of time by Aakash Ghandi
Touching Moment by Wayne Jones
Paul has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to camping equipment.
Check out Pauls channels here:
youtube.com/@PaulMessner
Podcast channel: youtube.com/@messneroutdoors
My tent was the Helm 1 Compact by Wild country, well impressed with this tent, it stood up no problems to heavy gusts and rain, totally water proof!
The panoramic photo's were taken with my Nikon D7500 DSLR with 50mm prime lens, all hand held in portrait mode and stitched together in Lightroom.
I have no idea how big the final file size was but it was big!
Other camera's used were Gopro Hero7 Black and Gopro Hero 10
Music used in this video is all from the YouTube audio library:
Dramatic series theme by Freedom trail studio
Final Girl by Jeremy Blake
Earth Appears by Brian Bolger
Hologram by Bobby Richards
Kemimoto were kind enough to send me some heated gloves, socks and a vest (gillet) to try.
The temperature dropped to around 6C at one point with heavy rain, a good time to go for a ride and test the gear!
The vest is very good, It kept me toasty warm, very pleased with it.
The gloves and socks didn't seem to produce the same level of warmth but kept my hands and feet just comfortable.
I could have ridden all day with no problems.
In total I covered 80 miles on this ride and it seems that most of the gear still had 40% battery power remaining meaning that rides of around 100 miles should easily be made in comfort.
I am unsure how well the socks and gloves will work at much lower temperature's, so that's something I will test again on another cold ride as Winter sets in.
The vest however seems to be very nice.
I rode my On One Bootzipper Adventure bike through the mud!
I was hoping for some clear sunshine but the weather had other plans and big clouds came rolling in, the sun hid it's self and I felt the chill of this November day, however it made for some atmospheric photo's and every ride is a good ride in my book, You just have to get out there and grab the experience.
Music used in this video was downloaded from the YouTube audio Library:
Sarabande by Joel Cummins
Together with my friend Dickie, from YouTube channel "DickieMintCycles"
we explore some ancient landscape and explore the West Kennet Neolithic Long Barrow.
This impressive Neolithic long barrow (Tomb) dates from 3650BC and is one of the most impressive Long Barrows here in the UK.
Don't forget to check out Dickie's YouTube channel here:
youtube.com/@dickieMintCycles
Music used in this video was all from the YouTube audio library:
Desert Planet by Quincas Moreira
Snowy peaks pt1 by Chris Haugen
I used my trusty Helm Compact 1 tent by Wild Country and I must say I have found it very "Liveable" and good value.
My head torch was the Armytech C2 Wizard pro
Boots were by Armadillo, these are a budget boot but sofar they have also been very good, waterproof and comfortable.
Music used in this video was all from the YouTube audio library:
Devils Organ by Jimena Contreras
Icelandic Arpeggios by DivKid
Regarding the Kemimoto clothing, I shall do another video featuring the heated clothing when the weather becomes cold enough to warrant wearing these items.
If your interested in finding out more about these items here are the links with a discount code
Please remember I have yet to test these items and I am currently unable to compare them with other brands. First impressions are OK..
Product links including a discount code:
(1)Heated Socks
CODE: WMKM10OFF (10%OFF)
Effective Time: 2023/10/25---2023/11/23
Product Link: amzn.to/45Nyivj"
(2)Heated Vest
NOW public 20% off on page
CODE: 10OFFWMKM (10%off)
Effective Time2023/10/28---2023/11/16
Product Link:amzn.to/3Se63Tp
(3)Heated Gloves
CODE: GLOVESKM10 (10%OFF)
Effective Time: 2023/10/25- 2023/11/16
Product Link: amzn.to/49aAEYb
The Suntour NCX Suspension seatpost has really enhanced the comfort of riding my bike, the only criticism I can make it you have to position your saddle at pre-set angles, I would prefer the saddle to be just slightly further tilted down at the front, but the next pre-set is just a little too much.
As it is though it's not bad and is acceptable.
Castle Hill Iron age hillfort is located along Burytown Lane about 1/4 mile outside the village of Blunsdon St Andrew and like all these old site's is well worth a visit.
Be aware though that livestock (cattle) do roam the enclosure. There is a public right of way across the castle so make sure you close all gates after you.
Music
Warpath by Sound ideas (Power director)
I am really impressed with the comfort of this saddle sofar.
My 50 mile ride was cut back to 38 miles as I crashed on some slippery chalk falling hard on my ribs, it feels like I have cracked a rib or two!
At first I had no pain but as the ride continued the pain started to set in, I could also feel some cracking as I moved, so some damage has been done. I think it's just the ribs and there's nothing that can be done for those apart from taking it steady for a while.
I hope to be back out on the bike and out for a camp very soon:)
Music used in this video is all from the YouTube audio library:
Land of my fathers by the 126ers
Gently onwards by ELPHNT
Here's a link to that planned tour: komoot.com/tour/1319781460/zoom
Here is a link to the recorded route on strava which we actually cycled:
Outward journey: strava.com/activities/10020492901
Homebound journey: strava.com/activities/10020492901
The dogs were pleased to see me :)
All music in this video was from the YouTube audio library
track 1 Ethereal choir ascends by Doug Maxwell_media
track 2 Dude, where's my horse by Nat Keefe and the bow ties
track 3 Floating home by Brian Bolger
Dickie is a real motorcycle enthusiast, he lives to ride his bikes and has just started a YouTube channel, please support him if Motorcycles and History are your things.
Dickie's Channel: youtube.com/@dickieMintCycles
James also made a video of All Saints Alton Priors and has many very interesting videos based locally here in Wiltshire, another worthy channel that deserves more subscribers.
James Channel: youtube.com/watch?v=ZwtHSv6wlJo&t=551s
Joined by 16 year old Liam and shane who is a bit older :)
Music used in this video was from the YouTube audio library:
The Beacon by Zachariah Hickman
World war Outer space by Audio Hertz


