The Wednesday Walk 18th February 2009

The Plan
We will meet in Wimborne at 1015 (note the new time). Park in Venator Place, near B and T's house. We will then drive to Witchampton and walk to the Horton Inn.

The Leader
Wendy

Who Turned Up
Wendy, Ros, Trudy and David (and Trisha for lunch)

The Walk
I suppose we should call this the snowdrop walk. We met masses of snowdrops all along the walk, morning and afternoon. Look at the top photo and you can see them in the background.

We drove to Witchampton and left the car opposite Ye Olde post office. We then walked cross country to the Horton Inn. The air was calm and a hazy mist covered the distant views making it feel eerie and yet spring-like. Ros, being eagle-eyed, found a car key on the muddy path and, ten minutes later traced the worried owner. We arrived at the Horton Inn only five minutes before Tricia who joined us for a two hour lunch - and we still didn't get the answer to that last cryptic crossword clue!

After lunch, we crossed the main Cranborne road and walked up to Chalbury village. A light drizzle caught up with us just as we got to Chalbury church. Nothing serious, but it put us off the muddier route back, so we took what we imagined to be the easier route. In the event we came to an abrupt halt about two hundred yards from Witchampton village, facing a deep, swampy barrier. With a bit of sidetracking and swamp paddling, we managed to deviate round it.

It was a pleasant walk. Thanks go to Ros and Trudy for the photos.

The Pub

The Horton Inn. We spent two hours over lunch, and not just because David had a very large pie! It was proclaimed to be top rate but, unfortunately, Wendy's prawns-in-a-spud wasn't properly cooked and had to be exchanged.