This walk starts at the lay-by to the West of Pegsdon.
Walk back down the road towards Pegsdon then take the road toward the pub, in the Hamlet once passed the houses on this road, take the path on the right to pass by several houses on the way out of the hamlet towards common farm, when you reach the private road sign take a right and head up the hill toward Knocking Hoe. You then follow the path it is a very obvious trail.
Make sure that you have a look at the barrows at the top of the hill . Head down the hill on the Icknield Way towards Pirton, if you get to Pirton you have walked to far. About half way to Pirton take a right and head across the fields down the side of Tingley Wood. Keep on following the path until you reach the road walk down the side of the road keeping to the path until you reach the crossing point. Cross the road carefully then head out over the countryside again, if you pass the farm buildings you have gone to far. You need to take the path to the right towards Deacon Hill, heading through the woods until you reach the open fields again. Follow the path in the field until you reach a minor road then turn right again and follow this until you reach the road walk along the verge until you reach the Car Park for Deacon Hill.
Follow the Icknield Way until you reach the gate leading up to Deacon Hill then go through the gate and head up the Hill.
Walk along the ridge until you reach the Icknield Way again.
Once on the Icknield Way follow the path for a short distance then take the first path left through a woodland then either across open fields (for a short cut) or continue along the left hand side of the field until you reach Offely Farm Keep on the outside of the field and woodland then start heading back towards Telegraph Hill and the Icknield Way.
In the woods to the right of Telegraph Hill before you start down the hill towards the Icknield Way there is a round barrow.
When you reach several paths criss-crossing keep going north along a very narrow path with a fence and open fields to the left and woodland to the right.
When you reach the bottom of left hand field you are at the bottom of the earthworks and above The Meg, follow the path down the hill with Noon hill to the right and The Meg to the left until you reach the Barton road take the path to the right before crossing the road then cross the road across the road to where you started.
This is a walk up and around Pegsdon Hills to the top of Deacon Hill.
This walk takes in several neolithic burial mounds they are not all obvious but the Long Barrow at Knocking is very obvious the other 2 are in woods but are not as prominent. They must have looked very distinctive when in their time, as they were probably white with no trees hiding them and must have been a real statement in the day
This area is covered with neolithic traces as well as the Barrows there are also Earthen Works (probably boundary markers) and also Stip Lynchets (earth terraces along the hill side).
There are many alternative reasons given for these i think that as well as farming roots they may also be in connected to the nearby barrows and the bronze and iron age fortifications that are found in this area.
I like to think that at some point they were cut into the sides of the hills to show the chalk so that from a distance these white lines could be seen scarring the sides of the hills and that they were used in some form of celebration where our ancestors walked around the hills from one location to another. Perhaps from Barrow to Barrow which i thinks were much more common than the 3 remaining.
Poppy’s in the Field above Common Farm, Pegsdon June 2020
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