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.
18th September 2020 - a cold(ish), sunny day but not an Indian Summer. The 'unseasonable winds' which have persisted throughout the summer are still blowing and will persist over the weekend. This excursion to Corsham via Westwells, Leafield and Potley brought some chance deviations from rights of way; the title picture shows a tempting hole at the Corsham end of CORM58 (Spring Lane-Pockeredge Drive) which I could not resist. The photographs reveal (thankfully) some of the remaining 'wild' fields along the route.
The western end of ex-RAF Rudloe No. 2 Site in Westwells Road is still 'wild' at the moment but awaits development (168 homes +)
The Donkey Field at Westwells was wild until cleared for a planning application for 81 homes which was refused by Wiltshire Council. Worryingly, the owners (Summix) persist with the application of weedkiller which keeps the area devoid of flora.
Towards the Pockeredge Drive end of CORM58 - there's lots of good blackberries here
That tempting hole in the fence at the Corsham end of CORM58
There appeared to be a pathway through this marvellous wild field, owned by Senor Phillips of Upper Potley; quite unusually, there are many corn marigolds across the field previously owned by Jeanne and John Doohan of Westwells
The northern border of the field adjacent to the Batters (beyond is the railway) where her majesty played as a child
A marvellous corrugated chapel with gable end in the south-east corner of our field
A patch of corn marigolds (Chrysanthemum segetum), unfortunately now just 'gone over'. According to Flora Britannica, Henry II issued an edict against 'Guilde Weed' as it doesn't dry out easily and rots the straw (hay?) in the bales.
Another view of our corrugated chapel where all things wild may be celebrated
The stables at the south-west corner of our field with surrounding poplars whose leaves are, typically, quaking in the unseasonable winds
Seems like it's quite some time since the stables have been used
Gate of The Stables in Upper Potley. In spite of the apparent pathway (and hole in the fence) I had not appreciated that there was no (formal) pathway until I did some online research later.
Back to manicured lawns in Upper Potley adjacent to Shearwater Way
An old-stager was waiting with his 'walker' in his driveway here at Upper Potley for the Faresaver No. 10 - a good door-to-door service
Medical Wire & Equipment (MWE) on Leafield Trading Estate might, perhaps, have contemplated a move to the view-blocking monstrosities of Corsham Science Park at Hawthorn but they are moving to larger premises at Leafield
A wild meadow twixt Potley Trading Estate and the new 'Poshley' estates developed by offshore entity 'de Vernon Trustees Inc' for the Fullers of Neston Park. This field is owned by Great Lypiatt Farm.
These sloes are at the 'entrance' to the field of the previous picture - I was looking here for rights of way CORM56/57 which start in this area adjacent to Potley Trading Estate. The sloes are marvellous (not too tart) - I shall return.
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