Ashmore

Date:
Location:
Distance:
Parking:
Lunch:

1 June 2018
Ashmore
5.1 miles
Green Lane, next to the pond
Coach and Horses Wimborne

A little bit extra:
Ashmore is the highest village in Dorset yet it has retained its village pond for centuries.  According to an article in Dorset life it was probably created in Roman or Saxon Times.  (http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2015/06/the-dorset-walk-ashmore/)
Dorset Magazine also has a soft spot for this area see:  http://www.dorsetmagazine.co.uk/out-about/walks/dorset-walk-fontmell-wood-and-ashmore-1-4030177
There is now an annual festival, called the “Filly Loo” at the pond and you can find more about it, and other British Local Traditions at:
http://calendarcustoms.com/articles/filly-loo/

Ashmore Dew Pond

We parked in our favourite spot beside Ashmore Pond and then walked along the road in a south westerly direction to join the long straight track down to Washers Pit Coppice.  It was a shame that it was quite a misty morning considerably reducing the lovely views to our right as we walked along the edge of the hill.
​Compare this with the same view in April 2016.

We always enjoy the views as we climb up from Hanging Coppice along the Wessex Ridgeway although today Ray did find it a bit hard going. As I am keeping up the pretence of being a honed athlete I ran most of the way.
We decided that it would be nice to deviate from the main path which was very muddy in places and take to the woods.  Unfortunately the paths shown on the map are not visible on the ground and we would have been better sticking to plan A.  

Washers Pit Coppice

Stubhamton Bottom

Washers Pit Coppice is a fairly dense coppice and looked quite foreboding on this dim misty morning.  The descent from the coppice to Stubhampton Bottom caught us by surprise by just how steep it is.  A glance at the contours would have warned us before we got there!



As anyone might expect Stubhampton Bottom tends to be rather wet underfoot as it was today but there always seem to be little side paths through the woods which mean that progress is not hindered too much.

Organ Pipeds St Nicholas' Ashmore

​Returning onto the Wessex Ridgeway it was easy going on wide well made up tracks along Halfpenny Lane and back to the car.  We did however stop to have look in the church where we saw another well decorated set of organ pipes.