Local couple share travel tales

International couple with local ties share perspectives on trips near and far

Brittany and Matthew Wedd visit Silbury Hill. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Written by BRITTANY AND MATTHEW WEDD

My husband and I are an international couple living in Hagerstown. While I am local, he is from Wiltshire in South West England. Our jobs don’t allow us to travel much, but when we do, it’s usually to England for some well-deserved family time.

Because we don’t get away often, we have learned the beauty of having a great time locally, something everyone can do, no matter where they live.

It is common for people to take for granted what lies just beyond their doorstep and instead take vacations further afield to fancy beaches, swimming pools or adventure-filled locations. They spend time and money traveling, then sit and read a book at the pool, something they could just as easily do five minutes from their house.

When we visited England this summer after not being able to travel there for more than four years, spending every moment possible with family was critical, so we did not want to drive hours from points “A” to “B” and miss moments in between.

Matthew is from a village called Shipton Bellinger near Salisbury. On prior trips, we visited the touristy sites nearby: Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, Old Sarum Castle, all places where tourists gather to take photos, spend money at gift shops and then move on.

This time, we looked for alternative options. Salisbury Cathedral might have the tallest spire in England and a copy of the Magna Carta, but every village church in the area from Shipton to Figheldegn to Ludgershall dates at least to the 12th century and exemplifies the beauty of religion and art combining in architecture.

The same can be said of the region where we live in America. How many times have you driven by the chapel at Mercersburg (Pa.) Academy or St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Hagerstown and wondered, “what does it look like up close and inside? Will I find a magic spot there?”

Old Sarum Castle.

There are secret spots where history lives. Ludgershall Castle was five minutes from Matthew’s old home, but he never visited it, despite being a history buff. It was “just a ruined hunting lodge of Henry III’s,” but to a 7-year-old niece, it was a magical fortress to charge around and a place to play all sorts of games.

Back home, The Conococheague Institute in Mercersburg, Pa., might simply be “a colonial farm,” but it can teleport a young child’s imagination to the frontier of Early America.

A 30-minute drive took us to Avebury and Silbury Hill in England, a world heritage site we had never visited. The massive stone circle surrounds an entire village, and an early morning walk in the cool temperatures helped us beat the tourism bustle and gave us a window into a different time. A beech tree full of wishes let us know how many thousands of people had been to the same spot with the same hopes and dreams. Because the historic site surrounds the village, those living inside might take it for granted. It’s on the doorstep, but its magic is far-reaching.

The same could be said of Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg or the Hager House in City Park. How many times have you walked (or driven) by them and really stopped to consider how beautiful the scenery is, or to reflect on the lives of all the people (and soldiers) who walked that same ground?

There is beauty to be found everywhere, especially when it is attached to childhood memories. Every day in England, we walked with Matthew’s family, niece and dogs to the beech woods, a simple wood and field walk behind his old home. No tourists would travel there, no guidebooks would be written about it, but the sense of peace and freedom (and some really cool trees) made it a memory to cherish.

Back in the Tri-State, there are great places to walk and hike – among them the Appalachian Mountains – for healthy exercise and adventure. Take a picnic, plan a scavenger hunt for your kids or bring some games to play. It’s not always about the destination, but the journey we take – and who accompanies us.

Inside the cathedral.

Brittany Wedd is a local nonprofit professional and Matthew Wedd is executive director of The Conococheague Institute in Mercersburg. Fighedean Walk.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Quiet Walk at Ludgershall Castle.

Salisbury cathedral.

Imagination games.