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Winterborne Kingston

18/5/2017

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18 May 2017
Winterborne Kingston
Peter
Peter, Clive, Ray
7.2 miles
Church Street
Lambs Green Inn  ★★★☆☆


Wednesday’s dreadful forecast prompted us to whimp out and walk on Thursday this week.  A good decision as it turned out.  The day started bright and sunny, gradually clouded over by mid-day and just started to spot with rain after we left the pub.
This walk is quite easy going.  I think there is just one style, there are virtually no hills and the route is fairly easy to follow.  After wet weather some parts of the track would be difficult but Wednesday’s rain had not had too bad an effect and we didn’t meet any really bad areas.
We parked close in to the wall of St Nicholas church in Church Street.  A better place would have been the furthest point of Broad Close where there is plenty of room.  After a short walk on the road along East Street we were onto the course of the Roman Road and out into the green countryside.  In fact the lasting impression of this walk is just how green everything is at this time of year.
Even Ray's jelly were green, specially supplied by Lisa from Westbourne's Fair Trader our favourite newsagents.
The wooded areas provide some nice variety between the expansive views provided for most of the walk.  The bluebells were virtually over now but green alkanes and campion provided some contrasting colour along the edges of the paths.
The whole route is well marked with perhaps two points worth watching out for.  On the outward section the path kicks to the right and along the edge of the field beside the drive to Abbot’s Court Farm.  On the last section coming back into Winterborne Kingston you cross the broad track leading to Abbot’s Court Dairy and the path goes diagonally across the field eventually leading into Broad Close.
It is worth looking in the church if only to see the beautifully decorated organ pipes.
We had lunch back at the Lambs Green Inn where the chicken pie was up to the usual standard.

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The Roman Road
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A Sea Of Green
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Green Alkanet And Campion
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Looking Over Charlton Down From The Edge Of Little Coll Wood
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St Nicholas Church
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St Nicholas' Organ
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Burley, Church Moor, Dur Hill Down and Helmsley Walk

10/5/2017

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Date:
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10 May 2017
Burley
Clive
Clive, Peter, Ray
7.2 miles
Pay and Display Queens Head
Queens Head  ★★★☆☆
We parked in the pay and display car park attached to the Queens Head.  £5 for 24 hours and you get your money back if you have lunch at the pub.
We discovered some time ago that just after leaving the village there is a path that runs alongside the road.  We followed this up to the point where we crossed the road and onto the path to Black Bush.  It would be easy to think that this path wasn’t there as its entrance is through a gate that looks as if it might be private.  It was a really pleasant walk along this path, that runs up through the private woodland, with bluebells on al sides.
We turned left over the style at the top and then found a sort of path across Coffins Holms.   The view from here is quite different.   Another different sight greeted us as we came along to Long Pond.
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Path Up Burley Hill
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View Across Strodgemoor Bottom
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Reflections
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​At the bottom there is a path that looks very minor on the map but is actually quite wide and well established.  There are lots of little tracks running all over this area but it is not difficult to find the bridge crossing the old railway cutting near Brown Loaf.  We then kept quite close to the fence line all the way to Avon clump.  Though it is not marked there is a perfectly good path here.  We found a suitable fallen tree just before Avon Clump and sat for a while drinking and eating.


Although very easy at this time of year the route to Cross ways has some wert areas which might be difficult in the winter.  Across the road we found our own path to Whitten Pond again not marked on the map but quite easy going.  We rejoined the main path up to Helmsley Ridge and enjoyed looking at the enormous expanse of gorse and smelling the coconutty fragrance.

Nearing Greenery Bridge we seem to have, once more, left the main track on the map and found another perfectly acceptable track.  Greenery bridge is no longer just some sections of broken brickwork.  Crossing the disused railway we steel ourselves for climb to the top of Turf Hill and looked back to admire the view when we reached the top.

We then followed the path through the woods that comes out in the middle of the village.  Far better than walking beside the road.

We had a decent lunch at the Queens Head where there are some very reasonable lunchtime special offers.  Their tea though at £2.30 for a cup, not a pot, a cup seems a bit excessive.
We all agreed it had been a thoroughly enjoyable walk, with good company on a beautiful day.
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Slope Up To Avon Clump
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View Over Dur Hill Down
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View Over Whitten Pond
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Photo Time
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Tarrant Gunville

3/5/2017

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10 May 2017
Tarrant Gunville
Ray
Ray, Clive, Peter
8.4 miles
Opposite the village hall
Coach and Horses Wimborne  ★★★☆☆
It was quite chilly when we left the car heading south east down the road before turning up towards the church.  We then turned left to follow the path that runs more or less parallel to the road until it crosses it just before Earl's Hill.  It looks easy enough to keep on the path but it is more difficult than it seems and it is a bit too easy to do what we did and follow a path that takes you too far up the hill.  At the junction with the road we did a sharp right turn and then left on to the track that leads to the Wessex Ridgeway.
It's not too hard to guess that Hanging Coppice is quite a bit lower than Great Peaky Coppice and it is actually about a 200 foot climb.  It seems to have taken quite a bit out of Clive!  On the other hand, at this time of year at least,  you are surrounded by bluebells all the way.  We even managed to find some lovely wild orchids too, the early purple variety I think.  Surprisingly they had enough puff left to - well you can see for yourself!
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Are We Nearly There?
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Well I'll Be Blowed!
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Wild Orchid - Early Purple I think
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Is That A Bluebell?
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Call Me Mellow Yellow
We stopped for our usual refreshments in Heron Grove Coppice surrounded by bluebells - all English!  It was not really warm enough to get much of a scent from them which was a shame. 
The route we took is straightforward but ... the path shown on the map from Pimpernel Long Barrow to Home Farmdoes not seem to exist and we were told several years ago that it had beee re-routed.  Battling through fully grown fields of rape would not be much fun either.  Luckily the farmer has provided an excellent path.
If you feel like a cup of tea or buying some local produce you could take a short diversion to Home Farm and visit their shop or tea room.  On this occasion we chose to walk the shortest distance we could back to the car as we had already walked a bit further than usual.
Still no teapots at the Coach and Horses.
​A very pleasant day out in spite of there being rather more cloud than we had expected.
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