A-camping we will go...

We originally planned on going camping this coming weekend, but the weather forecast this past weekend was ideal for outdoor fun. We went to Britchcombe Farm, Uffington which is only a short drive from Oxford. 

The boys began unpacking their gear as soon as the tent was up.

This was our cozy little campsite.

There was a mix of American football and rugby. Check out Caleb's moves.

The boys roasted marshmallows around the campfire. 

Here's the Saturday morning cooking crew (Edward, Angus, and Cooper).

We forgot the coffee! Judith did have tea thankfully.

 After breakfast, we went on a hike...

The boys climbed up and down the hay bales as we passed through a field.

We made it to the Ridgeway, an ancient road. In Medieval times and later, the Ridgeway was used by drovers moving livestock from the West and Wales to markets including Cambridge and London.

Here we are on the Ridgeway.

Hill forts were built along the Ridgeway. This one, Uffington Castle,  sits at the summit of White Horse hill at the highest point in Oxfordshire and dates back to the Iron Age. The boys are making their way through the ditch and up the bank.

We walked around the White Horse and down to Dragon Hill, a low flat-topped mound. This is the spot where the legendary St George killed the dragon, spilling its blood on the hilltop and leaving a bare patch where grass cannot grow. Cooper ran around and around on that white patch.
 

This stylized horse is the oldest of all the existing British chalk figures  and dates back almost 3000 years to the late Bronze or early Iron Ages.  This link to Wikipedia has an aerial photo.

The camp-out drew to a close shortly after lunch. Tents were taken down and gear stowed away. Caleb proved his strength by carrying not one but two chairs.

One final tid-bit of information...The Vale of the White Horse is considered by some to be Tolkien's inspiration for the Vale of Rohan.