New-York tribune., 1909-01-25
THE WHITE HORSE
Tom BrO1Cn's Berkshire Chalks and
Ellington.
Vantage. January

traverses the county from the Thames at str..,
ley to the White Horse and Lambourna T, q
a continuous line of high hills. with a xrad,s,
trend southwark 10 the ver1ant Vale cr e.
Kennel and a sleeper pitch northward fnto ,s.
Vale OF the White Horse. There is a royaI an
proach to these beautiful downs-the rfdrsuav
ancient Roman highway. and II may be FOL
lowed IN broad sweeps of turf to Letcombe ana
the Manger. One Of the breeziest winter wsrk,
in England Is to be found this grassgrown
road over the crests of the downs. There ar.
broad prospects north or south unfrnped.d b-
forests. for there is not enough soil above ths
chalk for anything except a thin layer OF grass
The northern edge offers the bolder scenery. fo-
the downs fall away abruptly into wooded
combes and deep curving ravines. and the VALLEY
is fringed by distant line of sandhiils. Lovely
as the summer verdure may be. there are CON-
pensations for the lack OF IT The quaint Bsrk-
shire villages are more distinctly seen when ths
trees are bare: and the solitude of the bilory
sweeps OF chalk under the gray sky is more
impressive when the sheep walks are deserted
One may follow the Roman ridgeway score OF
miles without seeing animal or bird or hearing
a human voice in the barren waste
A good walker. who has been stifed with ths
stale air of London. may start from the Thames
and go over the hills to Vantage; and that viii
be a comfortable haIting place at nightfan. He
will be lucky IL he reaches King Alfred's birth
place on a festive Saturday night. when the
market place is cluttered up with merTy-go-
rounds shooting galleries. cheapjack auctions
and peep shows, for he will see lively and fan
tastic scene around the statue of the famous
Saxon Yet Vantage at its dullest is pictur-
esque milling and market town. with stately
church an ancient inn and traditions reaching
back over thousand years. When the natives
have paid tribute TO their storied past by setting
up a statue OF King Alfred and rebuilding the
EIizabethan school. it may not be necessary for
the casual visitor to hunt for the site Of the
Saxon palace. to identify the royal well, or to
look for the birthplace OF Bishop Butler He
will make better use Of his leisure IL he stroIs
out to Arlington where the founder Of the Ma
tfonaI Gallery lived, or visits LOCkinge Park,
the beautiful estate of Lord Vantage. where
there is a famous picture gallery. The Let
comhes Regis and Bassett are also close at
hand and are easily approached from Vantage
churchyard; and with their ancient encamp-
ments Norman churches. vicarages ana moat
houses they offer wide range OF associations
from, the chiefs of wessex to King John and
from Dean Swift to Richard Croker. The VII
layers still speak regretfuliy OF the retirement
OF Mr. Croker from his Letcombe propertes'
where he was large employer OF LABOR. Wnhe
he was not an ideal English squire he enlarged
his house. multiplied outbuildings. improved the
roads and put a good deal OF life into ths steeP9
old villages on the chalk hillsides-
From Vantage the Roman grassgrovn high
vrav NAV he reached through the Letcombes and
followed to the White Horse. the hills steadily
rising in height and the northward prospects
constantly expanding. Il will be an exhilaraung
tramp over short turf. which has not grown
rusty. even in midwinter, and while there are
many paths and sheep tracks, the ROAD VIII
never be uncertain, for the Roman level mas re-
manned and the grass has it's own color among
the wild heaths. One descent will be necessary
before the Manger is passed. for the Blowing
Stone is in front OF cottage near hinssIon
Iisle and for Tom Browns sake. II not lOr
King AIfreds. IL must be found under an oaA
tree 1t is a rough hewn block OF red sandstons
pierced with holes and If one be anxious 70
tost the authority of the Celtic legend. the
cover can be removed and the attempt made
10 uss il as a resounding trumpet; but II VIII
he wiser TO accept tradition with credullty anu
10 stroh about the pretty village IN tne h'll0"
of the downs. When the ridgeWay Is TeAone4
again by circuitous path. the highest cnaIA
hill can be scaled, and the great raVine. Win 10
curving sweeps of turf and terraced mouhu''
will be a splendid sight even on a gray JaiuAI'
day This is the Manger. and the " ni'e -
is high above It on the hillside; yet tns 0u'--0
will hardly be visible from any point On 'H
hills although the road made by the carriers A,-
shoveIIers for the last securing few montns months
ago can he plainly traced. To see the WINS
Horse we'll one must go down 10 Ur1ns'""
Tom Browns home--a few miles away
then IL will stand out in deep chalk llnes' AlON -
kneed. perhaps and with hOofs lost III -
and bracken. but with head, back and tal' S"--
as child may draw on slate .a.
The descent into the valley is not 10 O7 nc
prematurely, for there are many marNeis
the high downs. There are two MASSIVE 80.
works or camps of unknown ORIGIN ''e -,
antiouarians have disputed for genera'io"''
picturesque objects they are in the souoIe
whether Celts. Romans. Saxons OF Ddiies
structed them with crude military SCIENCE
is the isolated rocky eminence Known O"
Dragons HILL where St. George IS repU'
have slain the dragon; and certainly II
wilder scene for the tabled conflict thah Ia"
toretto sketched in the picture, WHICH -
used to admire in the National Gallery
on is the smithy described by Scott j" -
worth" one must have his wits about Din -
he will miss it in the barren. rock stre"n n'a- re-,
hut the Roman road leads toward II and "
he known bv a cIump Of frs and beeches- way
land Smiths forge is ancient cromee"' ""
single upright stones leading to broad ga
stone set upon half dozen rough hswn i'ui'--
ti5ns The Sarsden stones are a mile or mo-
beyond the forge among the alleys and "O0
slopes of Ashdown Park, and in the VA.
light they look like sheep astray ana JuS'ii'
name of the Gray Wethers. ii.
Uhington is the natural goal of such
among the Berkshire chalks as have deseI
Ancient monuments royal traditions ana So So
worth associations there may be, but II a..