The Wednesday Walk 29th July 2015

The Plan

Salisbury to Old Sarum

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Sue, Trudy B, Trudy H, Beatrice and Tony H, Diane and Tony R, Colin and David H. Once again we were pleased to be joined by Ray and Olga for lunch.

The Walk

The weather forecast said warm and sunny, but when could we ever trust weather forecasters? We had a spot of rain on the cars as we drove north to Salisbury, but it stopped before we got to the Park and Ride. We used our passes to ride into the town centre and then walked the usual route through the shopping centre and out onto the riverside path. In the event, the day turned out to be a good one for a walk as it was not too hot while we were plodding our way up towards Old Sarum.

Old Sarum? What do we know about that? Well, it’s the site of the oldest settlement in the Salisbury area. The name is probably a corruption of the medieval and Latin forms of Salisbury. It appeared in the Domesday Book as Sarisburie. It seems to have become Sarum around the thirteenth century. The fourteenth century Bishop Wyvil described himself as Episcopus Sarum. But you probably knew that already. And you probably knew that New Sarum was the formal name of the present-day city of Salisbury right up until 2009.

With the monoliths at Stonehenge and Avebury not far away, there are indications of prehistoric settlements in this area dating back to 3000BC. An iron age hill fort was erected at Old Sarum around 400 BC, just a bit too soon for Wednesday walkers to have noticed it. The Saxons took over the fort in the sixth century and used it as a stronghold against marauding Vikings. Later, the Normans erected a motte and bailey castle here which encompassed a great cathedral. Later still, a royal palace was built for King Henry l. About three hundred years later, the cathedral was moved out into the surrounding plain. New Sarum, or New Salisbury, grew up around the site of that new cathedral and the buildings at Old Sarum were dismantled so that the stones could be recycled. Edmund Blackadder (Churches recycled and bishops unfrocked) Ltd is believed to have made a fortune out of selling the stones to Baldrick Builders (Cunning plans a speciality) Ltd of New Sarum. After that, the old settlement dwindled away until it became what it is today. However, it retained parliamentary representation as a rotten borough and it served the Pitt family.

Well, that’s enough of this week’s history lesson. Let’s go back to the walk.

After lunch the day was still overcast, but it was dry so we ambled our way back down across the fields of Stratford-sub-castle and back into the town. The rain came on just as we boarded the bus back to the Park and Ride.

Thanks this week are due to Diane and Tony for the tea and cakes.
And thanks to Diane, Colin and both Trudys for the photographs.

The Pub

The Harvester at Old Sarum. Most of us had a satisfactory meal but two of the chicken meals were not quite up to scratch.

Next Week

Meet at David's for a walk from Slap Bottom... honestly!

The Wednesday Walk 22nd July 2015

The Plan

A shore walk from Boscombe

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Trisha, Trudy H, Sue, Jackie, Diane, Beatrice and Tony H, David

The Walk

We parked at the end of Knyveton Road and walked down through Boscombe Gardens to the pier. We all know that Bournemouth is a relatively new town, but did you know that Boscombe goes back several centuries? In 1273 there is a record of a place called Boscumbe, possibly derived from Old English words meaning a valley overgrown with spiky plants. Gorse, maybe? In 1574, a place called Bastowe (believed to be Boscombe) is included in a survey of possible enemy landing places. The survey map shows a Copperas House at Bastowe (or Boscombe, if you prefer). This refers to the manufacture of ferrous sulphate in the area. By the start of the nineteenth century, Boscombe was an extensive heath much used by smugglers. Possibly the most famous smuggler of this area was Isaac Gulliver. Ignoring any inclination to smuggle contraband goods into the area, we strolled innocently along the shore where adults and children were enjoying the beach and sea.

After lunch, we took the overcliff route back to our cars. It was still warm but clouds were forming on the horizon. Nevertheless, we stopped at the Clock Café in Boscombe Gardens for a cup of tea and a discussion about bloaters. To settle the argument, bloaters are a type of cold-smoked herring. They are salty and lightly smoked without gutting, and are particularly associated with Great Yarmouth. In fact they are sometimes called Yarmouth Bloaters. They are distinct from kippers in that they are cured whole. Kippers are gutted. Bloaters get their name from the fact that they swell or bloat while being cured. According to George Orwell in “The Road to Wigan Pier”, the emperor Charles V is said to have erected a statue to the inventor of bloaters. Good old Charlie!

Finally, we were pleased that the rain held off until we were on our way home.
Thanks to Trudy and Diane for the photographs.

The Pub

The Spyglass and Kettle, Boscombe Overcliff. This was our first visit here and we much preferred it to the Commodore. The food was good and the interior atmosphere was pleasant. Worth another visit.

Next Week

A Salisbury walk. Meet at Diane and Tony’s house at 0945

The Wednesday Walk 15th July 2015

The Plan

A Winterborne valley walk

Who Turned Up

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

The Walk

The day began muggy and we even had some rain as we drove towards the Winterborrne Valley. We parked in grass parking area alongside the church in the tiny village of Winterborne Clenston. A short walk along the road took us to the start of our field and woodland path. Oddly, the first field we walked through was knee-high with what looked like unharvested rape seed. Trudy investigated and discovered it's harvested in late July. She tells me rape seed oil is almost equal to olive oil.
We continued through Charity Wood and Milton Park Wood before arriving in Milton Abbas.

Now, there’s a village with a bit of history.

In the year 1780, Joseph Damer, Lord Milton, the first Earl of Dorchester and owner of the grand house called Milton Abbey, decided that the adjacent market town, called Middleton, was disturbing his vision of rural peace. He commissioned an architect, Sir William Chambers, along with the landscape gardener, Capability Brown, to design a new village, which would be called Milton Abbas. And there it is today, situated in a wooded valley called Luccombe Bottom, out of sight of the Abbey. Most of the existing villagers were relocated here. The previous village was demolished and the site landscaped. The original abbey and House is now Milton Abbey School.

Aren’t you glad you know that?

After lunch we took the same route back to Winterborne Clenston simply because it was the shortest route. We had a spot of drizzle to start with but the biggest problem was the humid atmosphere.

Thanks are due to Beatrice and Tony for the tea and cakes which rounded off the day.

The Pub

The Hambro Arms, Milton Abbas. A tyical country pub with a friendly atmosphere. The main meals were somewhat expensive so we opted for lunchtime snacks. Very nice, but at £9.50 for a club sandwich, still expensive.

Next Week

Meet at the Boscombe end of Knyveton Road at 1045 for a walk along the shore

The Wednesday Walk 8th July 2015

The Plan

A Sturminster Newton walk.

Who Turned Up

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

The Walk

We began our walk at Cutt Mill, just outside Hinton St Mary. The name comes from the Middle English ‘cut’, meaning water-channel. It’s a bit of a ruin at the moment, but it was once a thriving mill. The Romans introduced water mills to England and there has been a mill on this site since Saxon times. The Domesday Book names Hinton St Mary as one of 226 working mills in Dorset. The present building, however, dates back only to the eighteenth century. In 1799, when there were fears of a Napoleonic invasion, Hinton St Mary was listed in connection with the defence of the nation. Two years later, the Dorset poet, William Barnes, was born just across the river from here at Pentridge Farm. Which is a good place to begin this account as we crossed the River Stour and followed the track that led past that same farm. We walked along the narrow country lane until we passed Pleak Farm, then walked across the fields to Sturminster Newton.

After lunch, we took a return route on the Sturminster side of the river, passing through Twinwood Coppice.

A pleasant walk, concluding with tea and cakes at Beatrice and Tony’s. Many thanks B and T.

Thanks to Diane for the photos.

The Pub

The White Hart in Sturminster Newton. The food was good and most of us had the Two Courses for £10 deal. No problems.

The Wednesday Walk 1st July 2015

The Plan

A breakfast walk into Wimborne

Who Turned Up

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

The Walk

On the hottest day for a decade, what else would we do but a breakfast walk, allowing us to hide indoors during the afternoon. We met in the car park by Pamphill village school. That’s a school with an interesting history. It was built in the late seventeenth century, slightly before the Wednesday walkers appeared on the scene. That original building had alms-houses either side and was built through the will of Roger Gillingham of the Middle Temple. In later years, the alms-houses became extra classrooms. An inscription on the outside of the school reads:

To God & ye poor

The pious & charitable gift of

ROGER GILLINGHAM

Of the Middle Temple, London Esq.

This free writing school & ye almshouse adjoining

Were built by ALDRICH SWAN clerk and rector

Of Kingston Magna and pursuant of the Gift

Of Trust of the said Roger Gillingham

AD 1689

Well, good old Roger. What a nice chap. Not that we took much notice of his school as we dodged clear of all the little angels arriving for their daily tuition, delivered by mums in a fleet of cars. Our walk into Wimborne was along the usual route beside the river and through the allotments.

After lunch we took the shorter route back, it being too hot to countenance a lengthy ramble.

The Pub

The Man in the Wall (Weatherspoons) in Wimborne. The beauty of this place lies with their big helpings and their cheap prices. Consequently we all had a hearty breakfast-cum-brunch.

Next Week

Meet in Wimborne at Beatrice and Tony’s.

0800 if it’s hot

0945 if it’s not.