The products of the hand of man that I prefer to see on Salisbury Plain are arable crops... and although I feel that the four elemental substances of fire, air, earth and water are underestimated in their contribution to this rich bounty they do, with man, all depend on one another.

Some of the elements come unexpectedly though. Water can pour down from the sky in torrents and air can be sent in howling gusts, both flattening all before them. Fire can come from the muzzles of tanks, self-propelled guns, howitzers, mortars and armament systems of the half-silvered, half-camouflaged aircraft that swoop low across the land. If you are anywhere near the edge of the Plain when firing exercises are in progress you can feel the shock-waves of the shells and other projectiles even though you can't see what's going on.

Although most people look upon Wiltshire as a county of small villages nestled in shallow valleys - which is true - that would be to ignore what is the most notable geographical feature of the county as the largest chalk plateau in Britain. Covering around 300 square miles, its chief river, the Avon takes its waters to the English Channel at Christchurch, whilst the waters of the Kennet flow into the Thames and eventually the North Sea.

Although much of the Plain belongs to the army there are many access routes by foot. Even from the several main roads that cross the rolling plains one can see for a dozen miles or more - although a wary eye has to be kept for the massive Chieftains and Conquerors that lumber across the roads at the many signposted "Tank Crossing Point" intersections.

However, in late summer different giant machines sweep across the Plain as the battle-tanks give way to combine harvesters. These also work in teams of two or three as they scythe their way across the golden landscape making their own time-honoured patterns in the crops... economical straight lines rather than intricate designs within circles.