Longwick to Aylesbury

Today had a couple of interesting finds, both off the trail and under it.
Following the North Buckinghamshire Way took me over the site of the medieval village of Moreton. The aerial picture shows the pattern of lines that aren't really noticable from ground level (except when you're tripping over in them). I'm afraid that interesting though it may be it was hard to get a sense of the history involved, or of the people who once lived there.

Like many of the public byways, footpaths, and bridleways, this route crosses through private property, often paddocks with stock present. Many are well marked and some I have seen mowed a straight line to keep walkers en route, others are less easy to navigate. In this one I lost the right line for the exit and had to trace along the fence line to find the gate, so you'll understand why I didn't want to chase the sheep and lambs around any more just to look at some dips in the ground.

The other findings of the day were a lovely old church and a beautiful wall with fossils inlaid.
The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a gothic revival building finished in 1755. I wasn't able to get up close as it is only partially restored and the gate was closed. I did climb the wall to take the photo, but promise I didn't actually trespass.

The wall around Hartwell House, and the associated grounds on which the church was laid, have fossils inset and outlined in darker stone. A local geology website confirmed that these are ammonite fossils found in the Portland Limestone, a common building material in the area.

This wall is taller than me, some of the fossils are over a foot in diameter