We have rambled off on another loop. This time to Merriwa, west of Scone, then south around the top of the Hunter Valley and back to Scone via Muswellbrook.

There is an interesting building in Scone named Barwick House. It was built around 1924 as the School of Arts. The arched WW1 memorial in front of it was added a little later. A community care group now operates from the building (no longer the School of Arts) but the arch remains and is a focus point on ANZAC Day.

A collection of 20 or so restored heritage ‘Warbirds’ are housed out near the Scone Racecourse. The owner sponsors a biannual (?) air show when they take to the air. What is curious is that there is also a great big empty hanger beside the road with this mural along its side. Expansion plans maybe?

Merriwa is about 60 km west of Scone and we made it in good time. It is a big sheep district with a proud history in wool and lamb production. The town community store had a big collection of sheep industry memorabilia on display. More later about the red socks on the sheep.

We had some morning tea at the local bakery. The building on the right in the photo was originally a butchery built in 1928, it is now part of the bakery building on the left built in 1935. Some of the interior walls ate being supported by steel braces across them. We didn’t linger unnecessarily! Looks to be a prosperous business, Allthego’s sausage roll was very tasty with a nice crusty pastry.

The town silos are adorned with sheep in canola fields, canola is now one of the regions major agricultural products. Takes pride of place with the sheep. The sheep are depicted with red socks. This is because annually in June the town holds the Festival of the Fleeces. Two hundred plus sheep lead the festival parade down the street dressed in red socks. Must be quite a sight.

We made our way south from Merriwa to Denman in the Upper Hunter. This is an old historic town settled in the 1850s and known for dairy and beef cattle, horse studs, olives and vineyards.

Time for lunch and we enjoyed a substantial steak sandwich at the Royal Hotel, there is always a Royal Hotel. Can recommend this pub!

We then did a little cross country short cut and rejoined the New England Highway at Muswellbrook to the south of Scone. The Campbell building dominates the streetscape.

Horses have always been an important part of the Muswellbrook economy. The area supplied many for the early Australian army. The town has a memorial for the 100th anniversary of the 1917 Australian Light Horse charge on Beersheba in the Middle East during WW1.

And we couldn’t resist a stop at the local cheese factory outlet! Not bad stuff either!

On our way back to the dam we managed to spot a paddock with horses. Despite all the studs the horses had been scarce!

Our time in the Scone area has ended and we now head south towards Singleton on the final stretch of the New England Hwy and then north to Gloucester.