The Wednesday Walk 24th June 2015

The Plan

A Fordingbridge walk

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Lucy (Nice to see you join the group, Lucy) Sue, Trudy B, Trudy H, Trisha, Diane and Tony R, Beatrice and Tony H, David

The Walk

We had a little hiccup to start with. An accident on the A31 meant we had to take a long detour (45 mins) through Verwood, Alderholt and Fordingbridge before turning south again to get to the crossroads at Bicton Ash, where we left the cars. Undaunted, we set off across open fields towards Stucton. No shelter here from the sun. From there we headed west towards Redbrook Farm before turning north towards St John’s Farm on Stucton Road. Now it was just a short hop into Fordingbridge.

Did you know that Fordingbridge is recorded in the Domesday Book as ‘Forde’. At that time it was held by ‘Robert the son of Gerald’. I doubt if he could even guess that one thousand years later eleven trusty walkers would be enjoying walking through the land he owned. Before the thirteenth century, the Lord of the Manor at Fordingbridge held a market every Saturday. It was discontinued in the nineteenth century. From the thirteenth century, the Manor was held by the Brune family, ending up with the Rev Brune of Prideaux Place, Padstow in Cornwall. Here’s something else of interest: cloth was made in Fordingbridge in the sixteenth century. In the nineteenth century there were factories here making sailcloth and canvas. The first bridge here - across the River Avon - was built in 1252. Our problem today was that this is still the first bridge to cross the river north of Ringwood and, with that accident on the A31, we had no other way of crossing the river than to drive a circuitous route to the town.

After lunch, we headed down Frog Lane (no, we didn’t see any) past the sewage works and Padstow Farm until we came to Bickton Mill. Then it was just another short leg back to the cars at Bickton Ash.

Our thanks to Sue for the cakes that rounded off the day and to Diane for the photographs.

The Pub

The Ship in Fordingbridge. If you like mushroom provencal, try the dish on offer here. It is very tasty. We all had the senior citizen’s two-course special at £6.95 and were well satisfied.

Next Week

Meet at Tony and Beatrice’s at 0945 for a Sturminster Newton walk.