Cannon Heath Down and Watership Down: February 2026
Whilst compiling this entry I decided to look at a 1968 land usage survey from Ordnance Survey. The overgrown combe where General Woundwort assembled his Efrafans prior to the assault on Watership Down is now a well maintained horse gallops. However, the map shows this to have been the case at least as far back as 1968. Given the same map also shows the long-gone Hill Field Farm on the lane up to Nuthanger this highlights the timelessness of Adams’ version of the landscape in the novel. If only I were able to ask him just when the story was meant to be set.
Rather than make my usual trek to Watership Down from the Cole Henley to Sydmonton crossroads lane, I decided to instead park up in the layby on White Hill, above Kingsclere. I usually avoid this location as it can get quite busy at times, but as the early February morning in question was cold, misty and wet, I decided to stick to the established track than runs over Cannon Heath Down and onto Watership Down.
Given my starting point, I decided to take in more of Cannon Heath Down than I had previously. Whilst compiling this entry I decided to look at a 1968 land usage survey from Ordnance Survey. The overgrown combe where General Woundwort assembled his Efrafans prior to the assault on Watership Down is now a well maintained horse gallops. However, the map shows this to have been the case at least as far back as 1968. Given the same map also shows the long-gone Hill Field Farm on the lane up to Nuthanger (including the sheds where Hazel and Pipkin lazed in Chapter Twenty Five, The Raid) this highlights the timelessness of Adams’ version of the landscape in the novel. If only I were able to ask him just when the story was meant to be set.
Anyhow, here are the images I captured:
Cannon Heath Down.
Looking over The Warren (that’s its name, nothing to do with the novel).
The combe.
The beech hanger on Watership Down.
Cottington’s Hill and the Hannington transmitter poke through the clouds.
