Welcome to the Rudloe and environs website.
Here you will find news, articles and photos of an area that straddles the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in north-west Wiltshire.
Contributions in the form of articles or photos are welcome. Even those with completely contrary views to mine!
Thanks to the website builder 1&1 and Rob Brown for the original idea.
Rudloescene now, in January 2014, has a sister, academic rather than anarchic, website about Box history here: http://www.boxpeopleandplaces.co.uk/
It contains thoroughly professional, well-researched articles about Box and its people.
Contact rudloescene through the 'Contact' page.
The 4th October 2026 litter pick saw the sun shining on the righteous (well, on John anyway). The title picture illustrates the loneliness of the long-distance litter picker in the Bradford Road.
The October stalwarts: John, Lorraine, Rod, Madeleine, Derrick, Bernard, Dave and Gordon. Mike has already departed and Sian is a late arrival so with yours truly, that's eleven of us.
The natural environment on 4th October. Yet again, someone has been dumping garden waste on the Bradford Road verge. I'll say it again... if everyone was to do this, we would not see the wild plants and flowers that proliferate on the verges.
Litter pickers 'on the job'...
From the sublime to the ridiculous...
Towards the brow of Box Hill (Corsham side) is a favourite spot for ejections. Over the years, we have found new notes (tenners), credit cards, medical ID cards, the ubiquitous McDonald's... Today, a bag had been ejected containing all manner of things (see gallery below) from unused shampoo/shower gel bottles (three of) and hairspray, through electronic gadgets, a dildo (I think), vapes (boxed, unopened) pairs of pants (four of), electronic tab for security system, bottle of Bronze Goddess perfume (new, unopened - see below), antibiotics (Clairythromicin) and small, sealable plastic packets (used for drugs I'm told)... the mind boggles... The perfume reminded us of the Salisbury poisonings and my grandson's take on the incident - he somehow switched Stokovic (pronounced STOKOVITCH) for Novichok and when out walking with the family, when his sister bent down to pick up something on the path he shouted DON'T TOUCH THAT IT MIGHT CONTAIN STOKOVITCH. We always use Stokovic now for that poison to such an extent that we often can't recall the correct name.
October's haul which will be collected by Wiltshire Council's French contractor tomorrow (Monday)
The September to December litter picks start on 6th September, a beautiful autumn day - back to 'normal' following the summer heatwaves. The title picture shows Sian with an empty hoop having deposited her bag on the pile (see last photo).
The September stalwarts: Gordon, Rod, John, Derrick, Lorraine, Madeleine, Dave, Meg and Bernard. Mike has already departed and Sian is a late arrival so with yours truly that makes twelve of us.
Vapour trails in the skies over north Wiltshire on 6th September. Not included are the trails of America's B1 bombers heading from Fairford to Iran which we hear (see, occasionally) roaring to the south - sanctioned by Chump in his vindictive 'war'.
Lorraine and John in the Bradford Road
This story has been told before, somewhere in the litter pages... The image below of two Stella cans by the Park Place footpath reminded me of the UN report in the early 90s of the countries with the worst water pollution. A worldwide study had been undertaken of 122 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas and the country with the worst water pollution in the world was found to be Belgium. At the same time, on TV here in England, Stella was running an ad. showing a stream and celebrating that its beer was made with "the finest Belgian water".
Stella cans by the Park Place footpath
Just a couple of poo bags this month (the rest are likely hidden by undergrowth)
Undergrowth (and poplar branches) has been cleared (by whom and why?) revealing this building, below which is an escape route from Clift Quarry. Tis 'Indiana Jones-like' with stone steps and a rope handrail from the quarry, 90ft below.
More sex in the countryside (see previous litter pages) - here we have a 'butt plug' as well as the usual dildo. Photo courtesy of John.
The cider drinker is back (at both ends of Rudloe - White Ennox Lane and the brow of Box Hill). The bottle arrangements and photos courtesy of John.
Dogwood in the Bradford Road hedgerow
September's pick draws to a close...
The September haul which will be collected by Wiltshire Council's French contractor tomorrow (Monday)
Print 