Edmonsham

Date:
Location:
Distance:
Parking:
Lunch:

15 November 2017
Edmondsham
5.4 miles but seemed a lot longer!
Beside The Village Well
Coach and Horses Wimborne ★★★★☆ (Based on value for money)

Pumping Iron

​We parked in a small lay-by near the village pump.  It is dated 1884, and inscribed ‘HEM’, a reference to Hector Edmond Monro, the then squire.  There is only room here for a couple of cars but there is an unsigned parking area the other side of the hedge.

​

We headed roughly north east along the bridleway for around 3/4 of a kilometre before turning left and walking towards Castle Hill Wood.  There are quite a few permissive paths on the Edmondham Estate and, when open, a copy is available from Edmomsham House.  This has apparently been in the same family since 1563.  Rob was given a copy some time ago but it is quite difficult to read so I have had a go at producing my own version.  Although the paths are quite well marked they do not seem to be used very often.
The walk through the woods was very pleasant but we made a poor choice trying to walk around the north side of the hill to drop down onto Mill Lane.  The drop was steep and there was no proper path.  We crossed the rather muddy field to the outskirts of Cranbourne.
​

Looking Up - A Beautiful Beech

Looking Down To Cranborne

We refuelled on Jordan Hill before continuing on to Rushmore Farm and then crossing the B3078 where we had to look hard to find the footpath beside the pottery.  Purbeck Lane was a bit like an obstacle course with some very wet sections and more than a few fallen trees or bushes across the path.  The field edge would have been much easier.  This was followed by Mill Lane and we should perhaps have remembered this from times gone by.  In our defence it looks as if we last walked along it in 2009.  It was as wet and boggy then as it was today.  We were very pleased to get off it taking one of the signed permitsive paths over to Mill Copse.  From there it was then a nice easy walk back to the car.

Mill Lane

Mill Lane

While packing up we met two very pleasant ladies who were looking for the Old Post Office where their great great (great?) grandmother used to live.  They kindly showed us a very old photo of her outside the building which is still there albeit slightly modified.

Another good lunch at The Coach and Horses.  Chicken and Leek pie for Ray, Hunter’s Chicken for Peter,  tea for two - £13.09 can’t be bad.

Permissive Paths and Muddy Paths