Combe Gibbet's Grisly Tale

Stand at the foot of Inkpen Hill on a bleak winter's afternoon and look for the outline of Combe Gibbet, just visible against the darkening sky. This has to be one of the wildest, most dramatic scenes in southern England. These lonely Wessex downs have a timeless quality to them and nowhere is this more apparent than here at Inkpen Hill.

Some years ago, I spent one sunny January afternoon attempting to photograph the gibbet from this same spot, dearly wanting to get the best picture for a lecture I was giving on walking in the area. I waited patiently as the sun finally slipped behind the escarpment, its golden glow illuminating the tall wooden post high on the downs. The camera caught it - thankfully. But, for me, the memory and effort of getting the best shot remained as vivid as the picture itself.

The gibbet doesn't look much close up - but one has stood here for more than 325 years. The original gibbet was erected in 1676 following the conviction of a local labourer George Broomham and his mistress Dorothy Newman. The pair fell in love but their plans to be together were complicated by Broomham's wife Martha and his young son Robert.

The couple resorted to drastic measures to get rid of the boy and his mother - lying in wait for them on the crest of the hill. Eventually, Martha and Robert appeared on the scene, out for a walk on the downs. Broomham and Newman sprang an ambush, clubbing them to death with cudgels. It was a most vicious double murder - savage and utterly pointless.

Thankfully, the pair were caught and appeared at Winchester Assizes in February 1676. Found guilty, it was decreed that they should be 'hanged in chaynes near the place of the murder'. The execution took place in March that year and it is said that the bodies could be seen hanging from several counties. Vandalism and the elements call for a new gibbet every so often, but successive structures over the years have ensured that the memory of that dreadful, needless incident is kept alive.

Not surprisingly, the events of that winter so long ago became the subject of a film, made in the late 1940s. Written and directed by Alan Cooke and John Schlesinger, who was then making his debut as a film director, The Black Legend captures the sense of isolation conveyed by this part of Berkshire. Local people were cast in the film which portrayed very effectively the horror of murder and violence in the midst of the English countryside.

What to look for

Walbury Hill at 974ft (297m), just before the end of the walk, is the highest point in the county. Covering about |82 acres (33ha), it is also the largest Iron-Age fort in Berkshire. The gap in the south east corner of the fort is thought to be one of the original entrances. The small rounded mounds within the site are rabbit warrens constructed towards the end of the 19th century. Close to Combe Gibbet is a plaque commemorating the 9th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment who trained here for the assault into occupied France in 1944.

While you're there

Stop to look at St Laurence's Church at West Woodhay. The church was built in 1883 and incorporates local flint and Bath stone in its construction. Relics from earlier churches on this site remain, among them some tiles that are preserved in the bell tower. The delightful garden next to the church was established by Mr Johnny Henderson of nearby West Woodhay House, in memory of his wife Sarah, whose tragic death at the age of 47 was the result of a riding accident.

Where to eat and drink

The Swan at Lower Green is one of West Berkshire's most popular pubs offering well-presented dishes. Next door is a shop selling organic produce where you can stock up before leaving. The Crown and Garter at Inkpen Common is also popular and serves a good range of food and drink. Reputedly, this is where the bodies of Broomham and his mistress were kept before burial.