Category: Ray

Breamore

14/2/2019

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14 February 2019
Breamore
5 miles
By St Mary's Church
Bat and Ball

From the small parking area near the church we set out to do this walk in a clockwise direction meaning it’s all down hill towards the end.

There is an old barn near the start of the track leading to Gravelhill copse and we were lucky enough to find the resident of the nearby cottage in his garden. He told us a little bit about the history of the barns and a grant for their restoration. Looking on the web for some additional information I came across this fascinating document about Breamore which was produced in 2000 and supported by The Millennium Awards for All programme. Certainly worth reading.

http://www.newforest.gov.uk/media/adobe/f/s/Breamore_VDS.pdf

That provided a short break before the gentle but steady climb up to Whitsbury Wood. Looking back to the south west there was still a lot of mist hanging around but then there is a lot of water in that area.

Renovated Barn

More Catkins!

Late Mist

We had a pleasant visit to St Leonard’s Church at Whitsbury and were amazed at the number of memorials to naval officers all from the same family.
We then, as on previous walks in this area, admired the beautifully kept grounds of the Whitsbury stud.
Not much further on we found a couple of straw bales that looked ideal for a quick refreshment break so we sat in the sunshine and Ray produced two custard tarts!
Rather surprisingly we had never before taken the short detour to see the Mizmaze so we decided to check it out this time and were very pleased we did. There is a short article about the Mizmaze on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizmaze . There are apparently only 8 surviving historic turf mazes and just 2 of these are called Mizmazes.

Home From Home

Another Ancient Monument

The Mizmaze

From here it was a gentle down hill stroll back to the car.

It is well worth visiting St Mary’s Church at Breamore either before or after this walk. It is considered one of the most historically important Saxon buildings in the south of England, probably founded by Ethelred 'The Unready', around 1000 AD.

This large rood dating from the Saxon era (a rood being a cross or crucifix symbolizing the cross on which Jesus Christ died) can be seen in the porch.
https://www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=4543

The Bat and Ball provided excellent Liver and bacon casserole for lunch.

Saxon Rood

Wareham Forest

7/2/2019

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7 February 2019
Wareham Forest
6.7 miles
Sika Trail car park
Lambs Green Inn

A walk around Wareham Forest is always enjoyable particularly on a bright sunny day even if there is a cool wind blowing. The tracks here provide easy walking even after a lot of rain though we did have to tread carefully in a few places.
It is clear from the map below where we were brought to a standstill and had to turn back. We can partly blame this on an old barely readable map!

The scenery changes from fairly dense pine forest in some places to waterlogged areas where trees find survival a real problem. The strong wind made some of the wet area look as if waves were building up on large lakes.

This was quite a longish walk for someone with bad knees approaching their 79th birthday but there’s no stopping some people. It was however a relief to reach the Lambs Green Inn and be able to sit down two nice pies - chicken and mushroom pie followed by apple pie and custard.

Tarrant Gunville

24/1/2019

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24 January 2019
Tarrant Gunville
6.9 miles
Opposite Village Hall
Lambs Green Inn

This walk follows the route we last walked in October 2013 but this time we did it the other way round. We parked just opposite the village hall. There are not many options in the village. Just after the church we turned into the field and followed the path that runs along behind the cottages on the road running through the village towards the Sewage Works.

Cottages - Could Be From A Film Set

Sitting Comfortably

The paths are fairly easy to follow until reaching a point just before Bishops Coppice where it deviates and there is no way through where the path is shown on the map.

After a brief spell on the road we we turned back into the woods and soon found a tree right across the track but one that provided a decent seat for a quick break.

The catkins are starting to appear all along the field edges and it is amazing how much pollen they can produce.
Home Farm is often worth a quick visit but unfortunately it was closed until February. Their little cottage is looking in need of a little, or maybe a lot, of TLC.

Catkins In Abundance

Anyone For Hayfever?

Forlorn Cottage

Cranborne

13/12/2018

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13 December 2018
Cranborne
6.5 miles
Outside Sheaf of Arrows
Sheaf of Arrows

We managed to find a convenient spot to park right outside the Sheaf of Arrows and were pleased to find that they serve lunches until 14:30 and offer a 25% discount for the “not so young” during the week - an incentive to walk quickly.

Cranborne Manor was looking a bit bleak as we set out but. Having been originally built as a hunting lodge for King John in the early 1200s it will have certainly seen days a lot worse than this one.

Although it looks like a pleasant track it is worth remembering that from Manor Farm to Cranborne Farm it is more like walking on a road. We had forgotten!
We followed the signed path around the farm though it would have been easy enough to just walk through the rather deserted farm yard.

There is no sign but the footpath turns right through a gate into the field and then up towards the road. There is no need to walk along the edge of the road as there is a nice wide path just inside the edge of the field. There are several places, just inside the small copse, where there is no wire preventing walkers crossing the road onto Monkton Drive. We then had the pleasure of a stroll down a grassy track with hedges on both sides protecting us from the increasingly chilly wind.
Turning right on the road, for a short way, we joined the Jubilee Trail which soon turns across the fields and then through a little gate onto the edge of quite a steep embankment.
The wind was now becoming really chilly so we looked for some shelter where we could enjoy our drinks without freezing.

Cranborne Manor - Looks Comfortable

Our Manor - A Little Less Attractive

Out Of The Wind

Feeling revitalised we continued along the Jubilee Trail all the way back to Cranborne. It isn’t all that clear but the footpath runs inside the fence line along Parsonage Lane and there is an exit point just by Creech Hill House. There is however no option but than to walk along the road from here to the corner where it crosses the fields again.

We were back in good time for lunch at the Sheaf of Arrows and were happy to purchase the last two steak and kidney puddings. The couple who followed us in were not so lucky!

Bright But Breezy

Bloxworth - Wareham Forest

22/11/2018

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22 November 2018
Bloxworth, Wareham Forest
7.5 miles
Bloxworth
Bakers Arms, Lytchett Minster

There are not too many places to park in Bloxworth but we managed to find a decent spot just opposite the church close to the path that leads across the A35 and into Wareham Forest. We then took a small track on our right which took us back onto the Hardy Way having cunningly avoided walking down the road all the way from Bloxworth.

A Load Of Hash Trash

As we crossed the Sugar Hill road we were surprised to see a large pile of plastic bags and a truck waiting to clear them up. We were told by the driver that this was becoming quite a regular occurrence in the area and the bags contained the residue from illegal cannabis farming.

We had a nice variety of tracks and different views as we made our way around the forest and followed the Hardy Way towards Bere Lodge. We then turned onto what looks like a fire break on the map but was more like a major thoroughfare. We did have some difficulty finding a place to sit but made do with a couple of logs in the long grass.

A Load Of Hash

Watch Out For Lions

In The Long Grass

This took us to Stroud Bridge where we admired the octagonal houses. Crossing the road we followed the small path that took us to the junction with the Wareham Forest Way. We decided to have a a little climb to the trig point on Woolsbarrow Fort to find it almost, but not quite, submerged in the gorse.

Octagonal Houses

Trig Point

We then took to the smaller tracks to wind our way back to the crossing point on the A35 and back to the car. We enjoyed the chicken and leek pie at the Bakers Arms on the way home.

Witchampton

18/10/2018

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18 October 2018
Witchamton
5.6 miles
Village car park
Coach and Horses Wimborne - recently declined.

Witchampton is a lovely village with an excellent car park next to the community shop. This is where we started our walk this week. It looks as if there is a lot of road work on this walk and there were times when it may have been suggested that it was devised by the AA! It is however much more pleasant than you might imagine.

Imposing Entrance

After a short stroll along the road we reached the quite imposing arch through which we walked towards Crichel House before turning off onto the Hardy Way. It’s a shame but there are not very good views of the lake from this path.

Just after Crichel Mill the path rises slightly and there are some really good views looking back towards Chalbury. After passing through Mill Hill Wood you are faced with a seemingly very long stretch on the road however…. Just look at the photos. The road is lined with a magnificent avenue of beech trees and it is easy to walk on the well tended grass on either side.

Looking Down

Looking Up

Unfortunately there was nowhere very enticing to sit and enjoy our drinks. In fact we didn’t stop until we had almost reached The Buildings.

The plan was to walk across the field from Sheephouse but it had been ploughed recently and after yesterdays rain was a definite candidate for “moon boots” so we rather reluctantly stuck on the road all the way back to the car.

The walk was very enjoyable and easy going. It was a bright sunny day and there were some lovely properties to admire along the way. There was a lot of development going on around Didlington Farmhouse both buildings and ground work. The Mill looked idyllic, if a little remote, on this bright sunny day and The Old School is now looking really smart.

What's Up?

The Mill

The Old School

Lunch at the Coach and Horses was a bit disappointing. The service has become extremely slow and we had to wait almost 45 minutes for two gammon egg and chips. This is not the first time either so oner of our favourite cheap eateries is going to be given a miss for a while.

Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary

23/8/2018

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23 August 2018
Deer Sanctuary, Bolderwood
5.5 miles
Deer Sanctuary car park
Toby Carvery, Hinton

It started out a bit overcast but rapidly developed into another pretty warm day. Although the original walk plan was primarily along cycle tracks we decided to take to the much smaller byways where there was much more shade. This worked really well and we kept out of the sun for most of the day.

Early Colour In The Heather

The heather seemed to have started to show somewhat earlier than usual as we made our way along the road to the Canadian Memorial but it will, no doubt, become a lot more colourful in the next few weeks.

We failed to find the footbridge over Highland Water but there was not much water flowing so we reached the other side without difficulty. An “off piste” route took us back to a path that was surprisingly well made up, but blocked by a lorry collecting logs. We continued to make it up as we went along thoroughly enjoying the quite varied paths and occasionally recognising a spot we had visited in the past.

Major Clearance Of Pines

Not Looking Happy - Looking Happy

We stopped for a break after crossing the road and then fully refreshed continued to follow any track that took our fancy. It was a bit of a shame that we eventually had to come out onto the Ornamental Drive but we managed to find our way through the woods beside the road whenever we could. The difference between the temperature in the shade and in the open was very marked!

Low Bridge

Arriving back at the picnic area by the car park we found a huge number of holiday makers enjoying themselves and making good use of the BBQ facilities. We decided to treat ourselves to ice creams before driving to the Toby Carvery at Hinton for lunch. We had stopped at the Harvester but it was very crowded. The unhelpful waitress told us there was no Early Bird menu neglecting to say there was 30% off everything on the main menu at the time of day. Never mind we had good quick service and a good meal at the carvery.

Gussage All Saints

2/8/2018

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2 August 2018
Gussage All Saints
4.34 miles
Beside the church
Coach and Horses, Wimborne

There is not a great deal to be said about this walk. It was much shorter than we planned for the simple reason it was so blistering hot. We went into the edge of Harley Wood to escape the sun at about 11:00. Before long we had to leave the shade and as soon as we moved into the open fields we started to melt. We decided to take the shortest route back to the car which was parked under a large shady tree next to the church.

Hot and Dry

Golden Barley

We had a look around the church and having often heard the American expression “holy cow” I couldn’t resist taking this picture of one of the stained glass windows. I wonder if there is an interesting story attached to this unusual and colourful piece of religious art.

It Speaks For Itself

The Church Gussage All Saints

Just in case you wanted to know I can now tell you that Gussage is Anglo-Saxon for "the place where the stream dries up".

We drove back to the Coach and Horses in Wimborne where we had our usual gammon.

Fiddleford

13/6/2018

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13 June 2018
Fiddleford
6 miles
Fiddleford Mill
Fiddleford Inn

The Fiddleford Inn has changed hands many times over the last few years and we were not certain whether we would want to have lunch there so we parked in the nearby Fiddleford Mill car park.
The route as far as Hammoon is hard under foot being part disused railway line and the rest road. The tracks shown on earlier maps no longer exist though later we did see locals walking across the fields. Hammoon is a small, even tiny, village but is very pretty. We have always enjoyed seeing the Manor House and the Church.

We enjoyed this notice in St Paul's Church and hope you like it too.

Welcome to St Paul's Church

We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, rich or poor.

We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli or can't hold a note. You’re welcome here if You're “just browsing”, or if you haven't been in church since baby Peter’s baptism.

We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not yet grown up, and to children who are growing up too fast. We welcome football dads, multitasking mums, coffee lovers, vegetarians or junk food eaters. We welcome you if you’re having problems or you're down in the dumps or, if you don't like “organised religion”, we've been there too.

We offer a special welcome to those who work too hard, don't work, can't spell, all because grandma is visiting and wanted to go to church.

We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, or got confused by satnav and wound up here by mistake. We welcome tourists, seekers and doubters… and you!

The Stour

After crossing the Stour the path marked on the map is not that easy to spot on the ground so an accurate GPS track or some good compass work is needed.

Care is also needed to spot the path just after joining Lower Common Road as it shoots off behind the houses. After the houses there are some pleasant open fields and looking east into the distance you can see the outline of Hambledon Hill. Think how lucky you are to be walking on level ground!

Hambledon Hill

Under The Disused Railway

We had a relatively easy stroll back to Fiddleford, but as it was getting a bit late we called in at the Inn before going back to the car. We did not wish to miss lunch! We had a very pleasant lunch and then a nice short walk back to the car park.

Ashmore

1/6/2018

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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.