Walking Dorset's gridsquares: Litton Cheney to Askerswell

For a long time I had stared longingly at the name Askerswell on my Dorset map and tried to envisage this place, snuggled neatly and remotely into west Dorset. After a visit by car in June, when I'd managed to get lost looking for the village hall, I had become even more determined to draw a route including this hidden gem of a Dorset village. I do hope this isn't one of the villages that the government will see fit to deprive of its red phone box due to maintenance costs. These iconic red kiosks are often what makes a village. It would be so sad to see them go, but seeing as how it's so difficult to find this village, I can only hope . . .

Anyway, to my walk. On days off like this my feet barely touch the ground. It's like I've got a button you can press which says 'Walk' and I have a routine which is so polished I can get out of bed and be in the car ready to go within about half an hour - and be dancing on air whilst I do it, such is my excitement of discovering new territory.

Now, I remembered Paula's Litton Cheney walk so I knew exactly where to park in the village, somewhere near the White Horse pub - which is where a truckload of wooden boards had decided to get lost, or rather its driver had. It was consequently blocking the road, which made me think twice about parking there. After doing my usual driving round the village and struggling to find anywhere to turn round, I ended up parking in what I considered to be a very good spot, not blocking anyone in, not blocking any house's view. Yep! I patted myself on the back. Good work, Becky!

So, at 9.30 am I set off in search of an adventure - and a geocache or two.

Litton Cheney - SY5590

I don't usually like to linger so close to the beginning of a walk, but I knew I'd be too tired to be bothered afterwards, so I worked out the co-ordinates for the church micro geocache and went in search of some 'treasure', trying to look like I'd lost something important whilst some other walkerts and a dog walked by.

St Mary's Church, Litton Cheney - SY5590

Inside the church tower there is an interesting clock, circa 1700, which strikes the hour, but has no hands or face. Sadly the door to the tower was locked, so I could only view it through the window.

Faceless clock, St Mary's Church, Litton Cheney - SY5590

Leaving the church, I bade good morning to a resident viciously attacking summer growth in his front garden. "I've been in France for a month," he explained.

Attractive Litton Cheney village - SY5590

I headed east across fields to Long Bredy village, willing the cloud to lift as I was sure the views were stunning from here.

View of Long Bredy - SY5690

Arriving at Manor Farm, I crossed the road and went up a footpath leading to the church, past a gnarled Hawthorn tree.

Hawthorn tree, Long Bredy - SY5690

I emerged on the road by a beautifully colourful and cheerful Lattice Cottage and turned up the lane to the church.

Lattice Cottage, Long Bredy - SY5690

St Peter's Church, Long Bredy - SY5790

The church sits obligingly within a new gridsquare - I love it when there's an obvious feature within a gridsquare. The sun had finally emerged from the clouds and Dorset looked beautiful. I had my cup of tea outside but went into explore the church.

Purbeck marble font - unusually square-shaped, St Peter's Church, Long Bredy - SY5790

An interesting collection of signs, St Peter's Church, Long Bredy - SY5790

Old sign in St Peter's Church, Long Bredy - SY5790

I love finding interesting nuggets of information in old churches, aside from all the architectural history, which I'm afraid I can find a little dull and dusty. I like finding out things like the number of people the church will freely accommodate (apparently 256 having obtained space for an additional 11 people in 1860).

Another interesting fact associated with this church is that one of the landowners, Ralphe Hurdinge was, in 1587, one of the 47 wealthiest men in Dorset and, as such, was asked by Queen Elizabeth I to contribute towards the cost of defence against the Spanish Armada. Bet you never knew that!

With these new facts comfortably under my belt, I donned my new fearless attitude towards cattle and bravely entered a field with about a million in it and bade them a cheery good morning. Hmm. Maybe my fearless attitude had been a one-off. They didn't seem too keen on my presence as I marched towards them. "Please don't make me go all the way round this huge field," I whispered. The footpath went straight through the middle of the herd, smack bang where the bull was eyeing me up curiously. My ascent up the hill via the outskirts of the field was my work out for the day. I thought I might pass out when I reached the gate and managed to open it after only three attempts at the easy latch. By now the cows were running towards me; I couldn't see the bull, but then again, I was too nervous to inspect too closely! Once safely through the gate I stopped to admire the view.

From behind the gate - Long Bredy in distance - SY5690

A close encounter at Long Bredy - SY5690

I was now near the top of Long Barrow Hill, so named for the long burial barrow at its summit. I had visited here before and been to the trigpoint, otherwise I would need to go right to the top today. This meant I had already photographed this gridsquare (SY5791). Phew! As it was I headed straight for the A35, which is where I met the two men who had passed me in Litton Cheney. I stopped to talk about our walks. People are always amazed at how far I'm going; sometimes I am too!

Crossing the A35 is not pleasant, but at least it dwindles down to single carriageway at this point, albeit it still at allegedly 60 mph speed limit. (Some cars whizzed by at what felt like 100 mph!) there is also an island in the middle but you obviously still have to cross with care. I had walked to North Barn Farm before as well, but loved walking through dappled sunlight streaming through the trees.

Road to North Barn Farm - SY5691

The Swallows were swarming round the farm and gathering on the telegraph wires. I always feel a bit sad when I see them do this.

Swallows gathering at North Barn Farm - SY5691

I had been this way before, on my Three Churches walk, but when I reached a T-junction of paths, I was entering new territory as I was turning left, not right and heading up a nice grassy path for a short distance before turning right onto another route with public access (shown by green dots on the Explorer map) which joins the road which joins the Roman Road with the burial chamber that I've never managed to see.

This was easy walking, but not particularly pleasant and I forgot to photograph a gridsquare - how annoying! SY5592 will have to wait for another day. I can see what I could have done instead of walking along the road. There is an adjacent footpath on the west side of the road. Why didn't I see that at the time?

I turned left just before reaching the T-junction with aforementioned burial chamber. The wheat had been harvested in this field and made a tuneful sound as my legs brushed against the hollow stems. Although walking right over an earthwork (written in Old English font on the map), there were no obvious signs of archaeological interest so I had to take their word for it. Of much more interest to me was the view south over this contour-tortured landscape towards the sea.

View from field near Two Gates - SY5593

Coombe Bottom from SY5593

I was flushing up Red-legged Partridge with almost every step. They simply flew a few feet ahead of me, only to be flushed up again within a minute or so. This continued to the top of the field where, at Two Gates, I was relieved to be done with tiptoeing through flutey sounding hollow wheat stems and the whoosh of short-winged partridges. I turned off onto another route with public access and, after passing an unsightly barn with fermenting crops, walked into unspoilt pastureland with grazing sheep, verdant copses and uninterrupted view of the tautological Coombe Bottom.

Sheep in Coombe Bottom - SY5493

View from near Two Gates - SY5493

With the sun now shining and the wind blowing gently in my face and these glorious views, this was my favourite part of the walk. I felt so alive and content. When I came to the road I immediately recognised where I was; it was where I had waited for a lift in June on my first visit to Askerswell to participate in the South Dorset Ridgeway poetry project. We had all spent the day on nearby Eggardon Hill on a scorching hot day and I had started to walk back to the village rather than wait in the searing heat for the lift. I had stopped here in the shade of the trees and waited.

As I turned left towards Askerswell, I turned round to view Eggardon Hill with its hoard of visitors. It is a special place, more so now that I have spent so many hours there breathing in its many layered history and getting acquainted with its flora and fauna.

Eggardon Hill fort - SY5493

Eggardon Hill Fort - SY5493

Towards Pilsdon Pen and Lewesdon Hill - SY5493

My way lay south-west, not north, so I turned onto another footpath and gasped at more views.

Above South Eggardon Farm - SY5493

Misinterpreting the map, I walked along the top of the hill towards what looked like a gate, then realising I was not on the footpath, I took a steep descent down flora rich meadows to the bridleway.

Steep descent down flora-rich meadows near South Eggardon Farm - SY5493

Bridleway near South Eggardon Farm - SY5493

At South Eggardon Farm I was in a new gridsquare, and with sheep again.

South Eggardon Farm - SY5393

Then I came across what immediately soared to number one in my gate charts. Oh please may the farmer never see fit to exchange this gate for a modern galvanised metal one! I would 'adopt' this gate if such a thing were possible, for many lichen have. Rarely have I seen such a lichen-adorned gate, even in Scotland where my love affair with gates and fence-posts began.

Gate 20 - South Eggardon Farm - my favourite gate - SY5393

Lichen on my favourite gate, South Eggardon Farm - SY5393

Lichen on gatepost of my favourite gate, South Eggardon Farm - SY5393

Bridleway sign at South Eggardon Farm - SY5393

I turned now onto a minor holly-hedged-lined road and walked towards Askerswell.

Minor road near South Eggardon Farm - SY5393

The seed of a poem was germinating in my mind as I walked again beneath the dominant power lines, their ugliness soon forgotten by the blue jewels of Devil's-bit Scabious.

Devil's-bit Scabious near South Eggardon Farm - SY5393

There was another lichen bejewelled gate at the farm entrance and I greeted it with warmth and tenderness, wishing it many happy returns.

Another lichen gate, South Eggardon Farm - SY5393

Then it was a tarmac slog to Askerswell, and my long awaited lunch. Still, I was venturing into a new gridsquare.

To Askerswell - SY5293

Askerswell is a delightful village with many attractive cottages, tucked away in its own valley, yet within earshot of the A35. It was looking its best today at the height of summer in the full blaze of the sun's rays. The name originates from 'Oscherwille' in the Domesday Book of 1086, and means 'spring or stream of a man called Osgar' from an Old English personal name and wella.

Askerswell - SY5292

Another red phone box to save, Askerswell - SY5292

My geocaching foray was delaying lunch, but giving me the opportunity to explore this quaint village and learn more of its history. I visited Washingpool Green, where I could have sat on a bench for lunch, and then the Pound, an oval masonry enclosure used to 'pound' straying animals, whose owners had to pay a fine to get them back.

Washingpool Green, Askerswell - SY5292

The Pound, Askerwell - SY5292

Finally I arrived at the church where I sat outside in the shade with my long-awaited lunch.

Church of St Michael's and all Angels, Askerswell - SY5292

I then went to investigate the church interior, in search of some golden nugget of information.
Sadly, the church was undergoing some renovation work and some area were out of bounds, including the tower where I read there was an old Purbeck marble grave slab dedicated to Thomas and Alianore de Luda. The slab is slightly damaged, but records the gifts of lands and rents in 1305 in Holwell, now in Dorset but then in Somerset, to the Abbey of Abbotsbury from whence it is though this slab came. The story of its journey to Askerswell is not known, but one theory is that it was brought to the village in 1644, during the Civil War when Cromwell’s troops besieged Abbotsbury, inflicting severe damage on the remains of the Abbey. However it arrived in Askerswell, the slab was discovered in a milldam in 1924 by the Reverend E Westmacott after the millpool had been filled in. £2 was paid for the stone to avoid its destruction. There is a matching sister slab in the church of St Candida, in Whitchurch Canonicorum. (If only I'd known that at the time of my recent visit to that church.) I shall endeavour to return to Askerswell when the renovation work is complete to view the grave slab.

I left the church and took a brief detour to photograph a gridsquare I would otherwise miss, Then I knew my path was uphill and steep and towards the roar of the traffic.

East of Askerswell - SY5392

I bade farewell to this delightful village and clambered up tough slopes to the A35.

Askerswell from the south - SY5292

Askerswell from near the A35 - SY5292

Once safely across the A road, I went straight up Chilcombe Hill, and straight away went wrong. It didn't matter because I'd thought I might sneak off into another gridsquare if I felt I had the energy. having gone wrong I was half way to the gridsquare so didn't have to think about whether I had the energy or not. Of course I did!

As is often the case with these hill forts, they are best viewed from below. From up here, there is little to see.

Chilcombe Hill Fort - SY5291

It wasn't as easy as it looked to get into SY5391, not without going down and then up again, which I wanted to avoid. I had to be content with a view through the gate.

Towards Stout's Copse from Chilcombe Hill Fort- SY5391

I then followed my nose down towards Chilcombe, where I remembered I'd been with Lorna and Paul one February. This was my fourth and final church of the day and it has no known dedication. Its most attractive feature is its free range chickens. It's the only church I know where you are not encouraged to shut the gate - it is left open, presumably for the chickens to be truly free range. They had some chicks running round today as well which was sweet, even if they did not stay long enough for their photgraph to be taken.

Chicken at Chilcombe Church - SY5291

Grave dedication, Chilcombe Church SY5291

Chilcombe Church - SY5291

inside the church, the most interesting feature is the seventeenth century reredos made using incised and poker work. It depicts the annunciation, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

17th Century reredos, Chilcombe Church - SY5291

Detail of 17th Century reredos, Chilcombe Church - SY5291

Bible, Chilcombe Church - SY5291

Leaving the church with its chickens, I headed east through arable fields towards Litton Cheney. I was thrilled to see a Common Blue butterfly, which paused obligingly for a photograph.

Common Blue - SY5290

Bridleway through crops - SY5290

I entered another gridsquare and descended to a small stream, which I crossed by means of a bridge and then started to ascend Pins Knoll. By now the cloud had descended, obscuring any views.

View from Pins Knoll - SY5390

The lack of view made it easier to resist the temptation to sit and finish my tea at a convenient and attractive iron-worked bench.

Bench on Pins Knoll - SY5390

Guineafowl and a rabbit were my welcoming committee as I felt I re-entered the parish of Litton Cheney at Coombefield Farm. (I'm not sure where the official parish boundary is.)

Gate 29 - Guineafowl and a rabbit - SY5490

Coombefield Farm junction, Litton Cheney - SY5490

It was now a case of striding down the hill back into the sleepy village of Litton Cheney, where I had to knock on someone's door to ask them to move their car so I could extract myself from the village's grasp! An inauspicious end to a delightful walk.

Entering Litton Cheney from the west - SY5490

Number of new gridsquares: 8 (is that all?!)
Number of miles: 11.3
Number of churches visited: 4
Number of geocaches found: 6
Number of workmen's toilets visited: 1

Walking Dorset's gridsquares

Saturday, 19 August 2017

Litton Cheney to Askerswell - 17th August 2017

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