The North Wessex Way

TALK: The talk is about the ancient but forgotten road from Oxford to Bristol running across the north of Wiltshire, that he discovered on a map from 1675. The route has its origins back in the Iron Age and was used by everyone in the millennia that followed: kings, armies, monks, travellers, and pilgrims. But in the 18th century, it suddenly fell into disuse due to some dodgy dealings and only now is its history and importance being recognised. David will be covering: the geography that governed the route of the road, how it was used by the Romans, the role it played in the development of Malmesbury as a centre of religion for nearly a thousand years, the importance of Purton as a stopping off point along the route and why the church has both a spire and a tower. SPEAKER: David Mitchell is an accidental historian who has always been interested in old maps. It was this passion that led to him uncovering the mystery of the North Wessex Way and started his gradual descent into the obsession of history!