Day 26: I couldn’t leave Westbury without seeing the famous Westbury White Horse so we were out fairly early as rain was threatened later in the day. Make hay – or be a tourist – while the sun shines as the saying goes.

The white horse is reputed to have originated when King Alfred defeated the last of the Danes at the Battle of Ethendun The current thinking though is that this is a myth and they now consider the horse dates from the late 1700’s.

No wonder the horse can be be seen from such a distance when you look at the dimensions!

The Westbury white horse is positioned below a fortified Iron Age camp which is easily identified by the deep trenches used to contain and protect the settlement. Amazing to think that it was established so long ago!

Here’s a few more information boards about the White Horses in Britain.

After viewing the horse we drove in to Bratton the The Duke where we had lunch …

…. Then it was home for a rest before heading to Sarah’s (Dave’s second cousin) for a wonderful family farewell.

We have had a busy week in Westbury, Wiltshire, Dave’s old home town. I’ve met more of Dave’s family here and he’s shown me some landmarks from his life here before he moved to Australia in 1969. It’s also been our base to explore places nearby which have been the subject of my blogs these last few days.

So we wave goodbye to Westbury and leave with wonderful memories and the fun and friendship of renewed family connections.