| Date: Location: Walk Leader: Participants: Distance: Parking: Lunch: | 12 April 2017 Pentridge Ray Ray, Clive, Peter 6.6 miles Near the church Coach and Horses, Wimborne ★★★☆☆ |
For those who are interested in such things - Pentridge is known as Trantridge in Thomas Hardy’s novel ‘Tess of the D’Urbevilles’
There are several routes that can be taken from close to St Rumbold’s Church and this time we headed along Earthpits Lane towards Manor Farm and Salisbury Plantation. The sound of machinery encouraged us to look in the entrance to the barn at Manor Farm and it looks really ancient with massive wooden frames.
There are several routes that can be taken from close to St Rumbold’s Church and this time we headed along Earthpits Lane towards Manor Farm and Salisbury Plantation. The sound of machinery encouraged us to look in the entrance to the barn at Manor Farm and it looks really ancient with massive wooden frames.
 Pines and Rape | As we climbed the gentle slope to the top of Salisbury Plantation the view looking back with the pines set against the bright yellow rape flowers was quite stunning. In fact there were vast tracts of rape growing all around us throughout the walk. |
The route is fairly easy to follow from the map with no really tricky bits. It is also relatively flat and, unlike last week, there are very few styles! It is a shame that there is no path alongside the river at Water Lake Bottom and neither are there any convenient and comfortable places to sit. We delayed our break until just after Cranbourne Farm where, in desperation, we settled for a low grassy bank.
| Although the map shows a path going into the field and across the corner towards Penbury Knoll, and indeed there is a sign post to this effect, the field is full of rape and it makes sense to walk around the edge of the crop. The Google Earth picture below shows what a fantastic job the farmer does ploughing and seeding this, and other fields. It would be pretty rude to disturb his crop. |  Ploughing Par Excellence |
 St Rumbold's Church | Back in Pentridge we visited the church and saw a a plaque commemorating links with the family of the poet Robert Browning. His paternal great grandfather owned the nearby Woodyates Inn. http://www.handleychurch.org.uk/historical/historical_st_rumbolds.html It was a very pleasant day and a good walk in some fairly open countryside. |
 Three Men In A Field, Blackbush Down |  Shepherd's Hut, Pentridge Hill |
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