The Wednesday Walk 27th May 2015

The Plan

A New Forest walk

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Trudy B, Trudy H, Sue, Trisha, Beatrice and Tony H, Tony R, David

The Walk

What a perfect day for a walk. Dry and sunny, with just enough high cloud to keep the temperatures below twenty degrees. We parked in Minstead village as usual and set off past Home Farm, along Seaman’s Lane, turning onto the forest track that took us to the A31 underpass by Malwood Castle. We continued past Malwood Farm to the Sir Walter Tyrrell pub.

After lunch, we walked down to the Rufus Stone. Actually, it’s not a stone these days. The original stone monument was replaced in the nineteenth century by a metal memorial. What’s the story behind it? In August 1100 (the year not the time) King William the second (known as William Rufus because of his ruddy complexion and red hair) organised a hunting trip in the New Forest. Walter Tyrrell - a Frenchman who was the king’s best archer - let loose an arrow at a passing stag. According to the legend, the arrow bounced off a tree and hit the king in the chest. William broke off the arrow, but it had punctured his lung and he died. Sir Walter panicked and fled to France. The king was buried in Winchester. Was it an accident or a deliberate attack on an unpopular king? After all this time, who knows?

Back to our walk. We crossed back beneath the A31 and stopped for an ice cream at Furzey Gardens. We then continued on until we passed by the Minstead village church. Arthur Conana Doyle died in 1930 and was first buried in Windlesham rose garden. He was later reburied, along with his wife, here in Minstead churchyard. Thomas White was also buried here in the nineteenth century. His gravestone originally proclaimed him to be a faithful husband. When his wife discovered the word ‘faithful’ was incorrect, she had the word removed by a mason. That’s how the gravestone stands today and that is Thomas’s only claim to fame.

And that brought us back into  Minstead village where a team of workmen was refurbishing the village pub. All except one man. His mates had discovered it was his birthday so we found him clapped in irons in the stocks on the village green.
Our thanks to the two Trudys for the photographs.

The Pub
The Sir Walter Tyrrell. Good meals all round and an excellent pie.

Next Week

Meet at David’s at ten o’clock.

The Wednesday Walk 20th May 2015

The Plan

Athelhampton House to Tolpuddle

Who Turned Up

Sue, Wendy, Trudy H, Diane and Tony R, David

The Walk

We parked in the car park at Athelhampton House so, for the benefit of our loyal overseas readers, let me tell you about it. It’s situated about five miles from Dorchester and was built in 1485 by Sir William Martyn. In 1891 it was bought by Alfred Cart le Lafontaine (what’s the betting he had some French blood in his ancestry?) who restored it and created the formal gardens we can see today. In 1957 it was bought by Robert Cooke, who gave it to son in 1966. Today, it is owned by the next generation of that family.

Enough of that. We set off from Athelhampton, crossed the road, and took the footpath alongside the village church. This took us through Cowpound Wood where the going got a bit muddy at times. We came out into the open, enjoying the sunshine, and followed the trail before turned left towards Southover. We passed Southover House, turned into Southover lane and so into Tolpuddle which lies just south of the River Piddle.

I understand one of our number hadn’t heard the history behind Tolpuddle, so let me reveal a bit of it.

From 1825, trade unions were legal in England. In the 1830s agricultural wages were lowered as a result of increasing mechanisation. They went down to seven shillings a week. In Dorset, agricultural labourers refused to work for less than ten shillings a week. In the tiny village of Tolpuddle, a group of men led by George Loveless founded the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers as a protest. Crucially, they swore a secret oath of allegiance to their union, their big mistake. A local landowner, James Frampton, wrote to the Prime Minister to complain about the union. The men were charged under an obscure law designed to prevent mutiny in the Royal Navy and they were transported to Australia. At least they didn’t have to travel cattle class in a Boeing 747, but their plight caused a furore back home and eventually they were pardoned.

Back to our walk. After lunch, we took the short route back to Athelhampton. In the course of the day’s walk, we saw: bluebells, campion, cow parsley, primroses, rhododendrons, buttercups, kingcups, comfrey, speedwell and pink horse chestnuts. Don’t worry, you will not be tested on any of this.
Our thanks go to Trudy and Diane for the photographs.

We finished up with tea and cake at Sue’s house. Thank you, Sue, for your hospitality, and thank you, Trudy, for the cake.

The Pub

The Martyr’s Inn at Tolpuddle. A pleasant environment with friendly service and good beer. The pie deserved 9/10 for quality but only 5/10 for quantity.

Next Week
To be decided. Keep an eye on the blog.

The Wednesday Walk 6th May 2015

The Plan

The bluebells in Garston Woods

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Trisha, Sue, Trudy B, Diane and Tony R, Beatrice and Tony H, David

The Walk

Your blogmaster was absent from last week’s walk, but is given to understand that a rather lengthy walk was the order of the day. This week was a little different as the weather was a bit iffy and the walk kept relatively short. Added to which, there was no possibility of anyone getting lost. We parked in the small car park at Garston Woods, noted that there were a few “twitchers” in the vicinity, and set off on one of the well-marked trails. Along the way we saw bluebells, celandines and purple orchids. The proof is in the photographs.

After lunch we returned to the same car park and took another trail through the woods. This time we met a spot of heavy rain, but we’re a hardy bunch.

We finished with tea and home-made cake at Dianes. Many thanks, Diane.
And so Trudy and Diane for the photographs.

The Pub

The Inn on the Chase, now under new management and called the Cashmoor Inn. The reception was friendly and the food was good, plentiful and reasonably priced. The pie was excellent.

Next Week

Meet at Sue’s