DURING the second Devizes Arts Festival walk on Salisbury Plain, the focus was on the ecology of the plain and history of the Neolithic period.
Ecologist Ian Perkins provided an overview of flora and fauna, with the highlight being when he showed the group the rare fairy shrimp which only lives in temporary fresh water pools.
It was then on to the Old Ditch long barrow which dates back to 4000BC. The group learned of the history of this important scheduled monument from archaeologist Guy Salkeld. The long barrow, which is one of 30 on Salisbury Plain, was investigated by the local antiquarian William Cunnington in 1802 revealing the skeletons of humans and large birds.
In an interesting link to the previous festival walk, the group saw a First World War pig-tail spike which had been embedded in a beech tree during training over 100 years ago. These spikes were silently screwed into the ground in no-man's land to secure the barbed wire fences.
All in all a fascinating and varied guided walk!
Jean Edwards
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