2cvtv were delighted to have the opportunity of taking the April Tour with the
Swindon Association of Snails.

The tour was well organised, friendly and went through some glorious country.
The entire journey in splendid spring sunshine.

Tour details:-

SWINDON ASSOCIATION of SNAILS
'A-Z' of WILTSHIRE 2CV Raid

Start at Red Lion pub in the centre of AVEBURY, world-famous for the stone circles and being centre of 'mystic Wiltshire'

*right turn from pub car park onto A4361

Continue for 1 mile; look on the left for Silbury Hill.

*take the next right signed Avebury Trusloe
*2nd left into South Street

After leaving the village look to your right for two single standing stones - these are known locally as the 'Adam & Eve' stones, they once formed part of a second avenue leading to the stone circle at Avebury.

*follow the lane to the left
*at T junction turn right back onto A4361

You are now at BECKHAMPTON.

*turn right at the roundabout and follow 'A4 Calne'

Look out for the racehorse gallops on the left. Continue A4 and as you enter CHERHILL look to your left at the hill. The monument and chalk hill carving are on the site of OLDBURY CASTLE.

As you enter CALNE, still on the A4 you run through QUEMERFORD (spot the sign on the right opposite the Motor Museum turn).

*stay on the A4 following the road through Calne town centre signed Chippenham
*Ieaving Calne look out for the Soho pub on the right
*take the left at the crossroads signed DERRY HILL and follow road through the village.
*at the T junction at Bowood's 'Golden Gates' turn left onto the A342 signed Devizes

Beware -look carefullv for the nex(Jurn as if is easy to miss!!

*As you slow for the 30mph sign at SANDY LANE take the sharp right turn signed Lacock
- Dangerous turn - Beware

Pass SPYE PARK, a secret meeting place for Charles & Camilla

Begin the descent of BOWDEN HILL and enjoy the fantastic views! Stop here in the first lav-bv for a few minutes to enjoy the panorama

*continue down the hill into LACOCK

Look right as you cross the bridge and see the famous LACOCK ABBEY where William Henry Fox-Talbot discovered negative photography in 1835. Lacock Abbey may also be familiar to you as on of the settings of recent Harry Potter films

*pass car park
*at mini roundabout turn right towards village centre
*at T junction turn right into village High Street

Lacock is very picturesque and has been used as the setting for many films. Note the absence of road markings.

*at the T junction by the Abbey entrance turn right
*turn right again at the roundabout
*this time turn left at the T junction

Leave the village

*at the traffic light junction turn right for Chippenham

Remain on the A350. Over to the right is the tiny village of REYBRIDGE. Reybridge Mill is owned by Camilla and was a Mecca for press photographers during her well publicised affair

*at the roundabout take the first left for A350 M4
*at Chequers roundabout continue over A350 M4
*at Cepen Park South roundabout continue over A350 M4
*at Bumpers Farm roundabout turn left A420 Bristol

Head out of Chippenham towards Bristol

*take right hand fork after the Shell garage B4039 towards Yatton Keynell and Castle Combe
*enter TIDDLEYWINK stay on B4039 into YATTON KEYNELL

Continue on B4039 passing the famous Castle Combe racing circuit on your left. The circuit was formerly a World War 2 airfield v

*at UPPER CASTLE COMBE follow the road as it bears to the right then looking out for the red post box on your right take the second left (NOT signposted), passing a water pump, phone box & bus shelter as you turn at EAST COMBE
*descend the hill into CASTLE COMBE village
*at the Market Cross in the centre turn left and follow the road over the bridge

Beware - narrow road for the next few miles out of village!

Castle Combe is possibly Wiltshire's most picturesque village and has been used for many period films including Dr Doolittle and Pride & Prejudice

*at T junction at bottom of the hill turn left onto A420 Chippenham passing through FORD
*continue through twisty bits and at top of hill turn right into GIDDEAHALL
*The road bears immediately left towards the Crown pub and turns sharp right in front of the pub

Enter BIDDESTONE

*at the T junction turn right (sort of straight on!)

Head through the village looking out for the duck pond by the village green on your right

*continue until you reach the traffic light controlled crossroads at the CROSS KEYS (locals know this area as 'the Cross', so we'll cheat a bit and use this as our X). Go straight over into CORSHAM
*go straight over two roundabouts and at the third one turn left following signs for Melksham
*through the narrow bit then the road bears round to the right

Leaving Corsham stay on the B3353 travelling through GASTARD, CHAPEL KNAPP, WHITLEY & SHAW

*at Shaw Church traffic lights turn left into MELKSHAM
*at traffic lights turn right onto A350
*at roundabout second left A350 crossing river
*at Semington Rd roundabout straight over A350, staying in left hand lane
*at Western Way roundabout turn left A365
*at Spa roundabout straight over A365
*at next roundabout continue A365

Stay on the A365 through BOWERHILL, SELLS GREEN

*at the traffic lights continue straight on although the road becomes A361
*after about a mile the dual carriageway starts, here take the left turn signed Rowde

On crossing the canal bridge drive very slowly (traffic allowing) to get a really good view to your right of the famous Caen Hill flight of locks

Take the next right into the car park for Caen Hill locks - here the planners have gone mad with speed bumps, so enjoy the superb suspension of your trusty 2CV!

Here we will stop for our lunch break. Facilities nearby include toilets, picnic areas and pleasant walks with brilliant views.

Remember to check the notice in the windscreen of Steve & Helly's green & white Dolly ‘Molly the Dolly’ to see what time we are to leave here.

Slowly back down the hill enjoying the splendid views but cursing the never-ending speed bumps.

*at the bottom of the hill turn left and continue over the canal bridge
*at the junction carefully turn right over the dual carriageway using the central refuge for safety. Take your time on this dangerous manoeuvre - don't worry we'll wait a little further on for the group to catch up
*take the next left into POULSHOT

Continue through the village

*at the T junction turn left to WORTON

Pass through the village

*after some time you come to a staggered crossroads with limited visibility to your left. Here turn right onto the A360 towards Salisbury
*pass under the railway bridge into LlTTLETON PAN ELL then WEST LAVINGTON

The road is narrow and twisty at the far end of the village. About a mile after the village the road climbs under trees

*as you exit these trees slow for a right turn at the crossroads at JOHN O'GORE CROSS

This is the start of SALISBURY PLAIN, a vast area taken over by the Army during the Second World War as training ground.

Much of it today is off-limits, but we can drive a little on our raid - keep to the metalled roads & observe the warning notices. If red warning flags are flying that indicates live firing taking place today. Look out for tanks & other military items, although there is rarely activity on a Saturday.

*from the Cross take the road to the right. The other road will be closed but leads to the lost village of IMBER

IMBER was a small village right in the middle of SALISBURY PLAIN and was commandeered by the Army in 1943. Many of the buildings including the pub & church remain today but are used to train soldiers in urban battle situations. The village is opened to the public a couple of times a year and makes for a very eerie place.

*head up the hill to NEW ZEALAND camp, another set of buildings used by the Army for training soldiers.

Continue to climb and head out across the northern part of the Plain enjoying the fine views for the next mile or so

*turn round at the military-post and stop a few moments to reflect on the lost village of IMBER in the valley to the south
*head back down the way we came to Gore Cross
*at the Cross turn right to rejoin the A360

Continue to TILSHEAD

*in the village turn at the junction by the Post Office and head back the way we've just come! (it avoids a dangerous turn)
*at the filling station where the road bears right take the junction straight on

The road takes us over more of SALISBURY PLAIN and you will see much evidence of military activity. After a couple of miles we will pull in to take a view of a modern looking village in the distance - this village doesn't appear on any map but is known by locals as the ‘German Village'. This is a purpose-built group of buildings for training soldiers (similar to IMBER) - interesting to reflect that the newer buildings to the right of the ‘village' have a very Middle Eastern appearance.

PLEASE DON'T ATTEMPT TO WALK CLOSER TO THE 'VillAGE' - STAY WITH THE CARS ON THE ROAD

Stop for a few moments at the lay-by

Continue down the hill off the Plain into CHITTERNE. In the village, look out for the distinctive stonework on the Church

*at the T junction turn right signposted Codford
*almost immediately turn left by the railings before the Kings Head pub, follow the road to CODFORD

Enter the village

*at the T junction turn right towards Salisbury
*at the A36 turn right towards Warminster

Stay on the A36 all the way to the roundabout at the start of the bypass

*take the third exit (almost straight on)
*pass under the bypass and into SUTTON VENY
*at the pub turn right up the High St
*take the 2nd left along Five Ash Lane (look out for the very short bus stop - are people very small here?)

Continue through the woods to join the A350

*turn right onto the A350
*take the 2nd right into CROCKERTON

The road bears around to the left.

*at the Bath Arms pub turn right to SHEARWATER

Look out for Shearwater Lake on your right as we leave the houses. Further to your right is the famous Longleat & 'Center Parks' -look out for the Lions!!!

*at the junction turn right, then almost immediately right again into HORNINGSHAM

Follow through the village past the pub, through the woods & down the hill.

*at the main road turn left B3092

Up the big hill and pass through MAIDEN BRADLEY, NORTON FERRIS and after a couple of miles look out for the brown signs to STOURHEAD.

*turn right for STOURHEAD, then immediately left (by the red phone box) into Bells Lane and follow to ZEALS

The area on your right was a World War 2 airfield - look out for the old Control Tower which has been converted into an unusual home.

WELCOME TO ZEALS !!

At the T junction turn right and immediately right again into the Village Hall car park.

Within seconds you'll discover there isn't too much to Zeals! Jump back in your cars and follow us carefully by an extremely pretty route back up to the National Trust at STOURHEAD for a cup of tea. Be careful on the single-track road for the next mile or so, especially the potholes but we will have some super photo opportunities as we pass under the stone arch, through the village & pass the main gate. All meet in the visitors’ carpark.