Newtown Churchyard,

in March 1982.

Newtown Church and churchyard.	From chapter 10, 'The Road and the Common': 'By moonrise they had made their way through Newtown churchyard, where a little brook runs between the lawns and under the path.'
	Richard Adams says: “A film is not a book. They are two distinct forms of art; and people who, when asked whether they have read a particular book, reply ‘No, but I saw the film,’ might really just as sensibly answer, ‘No, but I had breakfast this morning.’”

        You have just come off the road. In front of you stretches the modest but not-unattractive spire of Newtown church. As you can see from the quote, this barely rates a mention in the book though it plays a much more significant role as a film background. The rat fight was relocated here, though it looked very different in the film.

        You may be wondering why there is no photograph of the road. The answer is simple: it was very difficult in 1982 to find a time when the road was quiet. When Watership Down was written, the A34 was a reasonably quiet main road, in 1982 it was a busy main road. By 1997 It was practically a car park. If the rabbits had been crossing it then, the biggest problem would have been weaving between the stationary tyres and fighting for breath amid the fumes. All this has changed with the opening of the Newbury bypass and present day Bigwigs are able to demonstrate their knowledge of the wider world in a more challenging way.