Thorncombe Circular - 6th April 2017

A shorter walk was on the cards for today - and I can't for the life of me remember why! Neither can I remember just a couple of weeks later why I chose Thorncombe for the start and finish of my walk, except perhaps because there were a few squares there that I wanted to 'fill in'.

At any rate I parked near the church on a steep downhill street and set off down the hill, which is actually going north towards Sheldrick Hill.

Thorncombe Church - ST3703

It was a glorious day as I walked across the fields, admiring the wiggly lines opposite.

Wiggly lines near Thorncomeb - ST3703

I crossed a footbridge across the River Synderford near Oxenbridge Coppice and then emerged by a nameless pond/lake with Canada Geese, a Moorhen and little else. As it is near Shedrick Hill, I named the pond Shedrick Hill Lake, but am prepared to be corrected by anyone who knows better!

Footbridge over River Synderford - ST3704

Canada Geese on Shedrick Hill Lake - ST3804

Shedrick Hill Lake - ST3804

I disturbed some sleeping Roe Deer in a field. They bounded away too quickly for me to get decent photos.

Roe Deer by Shedrick Hill - ST3804

The footpath east of here goes quite awry and I spent some unpleasant minutes in a woodland here searching for the footpath which is definitely marked on the map, but which I could not find, try as I might. I took a slight diversion and then refound the footpath outside of Laymore, where I turned south and immediately came upon a small gathering of Goldcrests which, unlike the Roe Deer, seemed totally unperturbed by my presence and continued their business seemingly oblivious to the camera.

Goldcrest by Laymore - ST3804

I walked south to Stony Knaps, where I was not surprised to discover that a church marked on the map had been converted into a private dwelling house. This marked my turning point and also a brief entry into a new gridsquare - ST3904.

Footpath junction at Stony Knaps - ST3904

Footpath junction at Stony Knaps - ST3904

I was now to head uphill - Black Down Hill to be precise. I hadn't realised this was so close to its rivals, Lewesdon Hill and Pilsdon Pen. It was new territory for me and so I decided to celebrate by having my picnic beneath a Scots Pine tree at its summit. At 215 metres, it is quite a bit lower than its two superiors, but affords stunning views of Dorset's highest peaks, as well as a good view of the surrounding countryside.

Black Down Hill - ST3903

Black Down Hill - ST3903

Lewesdon Hill (right) and Pilsdon Pen (left) from Black Down Hill - ST3903

Lewesdon Hill from Black Down Hill - ST3903

Westwards I looked down upon Thorncombe and directly below me was the hamlet of Black Down with the little church fitting snugly into the hillside.

Thorncombe from Black Down Hill - ST3903

Black Down and Black Down church - ST3903

I continued south to the mysteriously named Triangle, where I descended to Cole's Cross, a crossroads I had visited before.

Cole's Cross - ST3902

It was the first time I'd walked north from here, however, and the first time I'd walked this part of the Jubilee Trail and it was truly delightful with a real spring feel in the air. The Blackthorn blossom was like a bridal gown.

Blackthorn - ST3902

I followed the Jubilee Trail to the River Synderford and then opted to follow this river's course southwards to see what I could see.

River Synderford - ST3802

I saw lots of Cuckoo Flower, but no Orange Tip butterflies and then a delightfulc arpet of Wood Anemone, such a big showy flower.

Cuckoo Flower by the River Synderford - ST3802

Wood Anemone by the River Synderford - ST3802

Wood Anemone and the River Synderford - ST3802

Knacker's Hole and The Hanger came as something of a disappointment and shock after the tranquillity of the woodland. It's obviously shooting territory with pheasant feeding stations and hides. Somehow I find this quite unsettling. I know there's a need to cull creatures which can become a menace, but I hate hearing gunshots and don't see the point of breeding any birds or game purely for sport. I'm much more in favour of letting nature run its course in every aspect of life.

Pond at The Hanger - ST3801

The road was quite busy when I joined it south of Thorncombe and then I recognised the route from another walk with Paul at Sadborow. I was revisiting squares now, but taking a different footpath to the one we'd finally found on our last visit.

Lesser Celandine near Thorncombe - ST3702

Back at the church, I paused to drink a cup of tea at June's singing seat. I listened carefully, but the seat didn't sing! A lovely epitaph though and a cheery thought for the end of my walk.

June's Singing Seat in Thorncombe Churchyard - ST3702

Number of new gridsquares - 6
Number of miles - 6.7