Following the River Frome - Stage the Third - 8 October 2017

Having decided to follow the course of the River Frome from source to mouth, I poured over the map devising a route. And, yes, I know someone's already done it and there's a footpath for a large part of the river's 30 mile length, but as far as we could see, there's chunks missing on the waymarked foopath. Turns out there's a reason for that - and that reason being it's not so much a case of following the course of the river in places, as following the course of the road!

My second source of disappointment was the discovery that we'd already walked the first part of it - from Evershot to Dorchester and, lovely as that stretch is, I'm always in search of something new. How to get round that conundrum? Answer, do the walk in reverse. Having settled on this east to west trajectory, I discovered that, in fact, I hadn't settled on it. It left me feeling unsettled. Something was wrong. What was it? After all, we would merely be following the sun's movement round the earth (or is it the earth's movement round the sun?) Either way, the sun rises in the east and moves round to the west, so why should this feel unnatural?

Shrugging my shoulders at my inability to answer this one, we parked in Dorchester for my military-tuned plan. Managing to resist being drawn into a very tempting car boot sale, we passed the time of day with another defector from  the walking group. ("You're not walking today either then?" "Well, yes, but not with the group.") Dave was very keen to hear about our progress when we told him what we were aiming to do. We promised to let him know and darted off to Dorchester South station, caught the train with a carriageful of others (what were they all doing? Surely they weren't all doing the same as us?!)

We all spilled out at Wareham and I was raring to go find some new gridsquares. Clicking away at every opportunity, we headed towards the town centre.

Lovely pub sign by the railway - SY9288

St Martin's on the Walls, Wareham - SY9287

St Martin's on the Walls, Wareham - SY9287
Sadly locked at the time of our visit.

As I photographed what I'd read was the oldest building in the town, we were accosted by Santa Claus. No, double take, it was not Santa Claus, but merely his understudy who apparently lives opposite the oldest building in Wareham. "That's the oldest building in Wareham," he confirmed after we apologised for nearly knocking him over. He proceeded to give us a little of the town's history, telling us all about the fire in the town which commenced on a hot day in July 1762 when somebody threw hot ashes form a fire onto a rubbish dump at the back of the Bull's Head Inn (now Lloyds Bank in south Street). Most of the town was subsequently destroyed, "and, as a result," Santa went on to inform us with some aplomb, "there are no thatched buildings left in the town!" Before I could stop myself from realising I was just about to spoil an old man's story and possibly ruin his day, I heard myself contest that allegation. "What about that one?" I pointed across the road about 50 yards from his house. "Well, apart from that one," he conceded and changed the subject swiftly.I felt beside myself with guilt. how could I have done that?!

Anglebury House - the oldest building in Wareham, dated 1550

When he left the subject of Wareham and launched into his life story and time spent in South Africa, I decided against politeness and opted for being rude, after all, I'd already ruined his day. "Sorry, but we really must get going," I tried to be as nice as possible as we waved goodbye to Santa looking afresh at the thatched building across the road.

We headed east towards our destination, along an avenue of Scots Pine, straining our eyes for our first view of the sea and the Frome's end at Swineham Point. There were plenty of boats along the Frome at this point and Paul wanted to stop just short of the the furthest point east'. Of course he didn't realise his error otherwise he wouldn't have suggested it as being  "a good place to stop for our picnic?" "But we can't," I objected, "it's not as far as we can go!" Little matter that 'as far as we can go' meant either retracing our steps to Paul's choice of picnic spot or sitting in the middle of the footpath with our sandwiches.

Near Swineham Farm - SY9387

My map is a little out of date so does not show the flooded gravel pits at Swineham Point. I immediately suggested this as being our lunch spot, once we had paid due homage to the Frome. I'm glad I already knew that this homage would be paid from a distance. Without a boat (now there's an idea!) you can't really view the mouth of the Frome. So we peered over the reedbeds to the passing yachts and paid tribute to the longest river in Dorset.

The mouth of the River Frome at Swineham Point, Wareham - SY9487

We went back to the gravel pits and sat amongst the rubble (including some cherub's legs) with our lunch watching Egrets, Herons, Coots and Geese.

Swineham Point gravel pits - SY9487

Interesting rubble at Swineham gravel pits - SY9487

We'd hoped to follow the course of the River across to Ridge, but bumped into some people who said they'd had to wade through the flooded river and then turned back because it got too deep. We decided against this course of action. "We'll just have to come back when it's drier," I said excitedly as we retraced our steps back into the town, "then we can do it the right way round." I still had that gnawing feeling that we should be walking towards the sea and not away from it. Maybe it's the anticipation of seeing the sea, a sense that has been fuelled from many family car trips when everyone vyed to be the first to see the sea.

Back in Wareham town I was growing a tinsy bit anxious. It was already 1 pm and we hadn't really left our starting point yet. It was a beautiful day however, and we admired the Sunday lunchers at the Old Granary leisurely eating their lunch whilst we ploughed on along the Purbeck Way to Ridge.

River Frome at Wareham - SY9287

The Old Granary and the River Frome, Wareham - SY9287

We passed only briefly into SY9286 and I was waiting for the moment with camera poised.

Towards Stoborough from the Purbeck Way - SY9286

We left the River Frome at Ridge, but continued along the Purbeck Way heading through the houses south-west towards Stoborough, stopping at the crossroads for the obligatory photograph.

Signpost at Ridge - SY9386

We crossed the B3075 and then the A351, and onto Stoborough Heath where we departed from the Purbeck Way. Admittedly that footpath looked a much more attractive option than our road-bound route, but we had set our faces westwards and westwards we must continue.

Stoborough Heath - SY9285

This is an incredibly dull part of the walk and it lasts for a good mile and a half through Holme Lane plantation. We weren't sure whether it would be possible to walk through the woods and avoid walking on the road, but never felt confident enough to try it.

Approaching the railway bridge - SY9185

Holme Lane Plantation - SY9085

We were walking along the northern border of the MOD Lulworth Ranges so anything south of us was out of bounds. Coupled with the busyness of this road and its seemingly interminable length, I felt like we would never reach East Holme and Holme Priory.

But we did. We turned off onto a quieter road and made for the Priory and its little church where we aimed to have a coffee break.

The Bond family still live in Holme Priory, from where the key for the tiny church can be obtained (we found out later). Apparently the family has adopted a certain secret agent's motto ‘The world is not enough’. Or is it a case of James Bond 007 having adopted a motto which already existed? In 1915 aged seven, Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, boarded not too far away at Durnford School in Langton Matravers, where he mingled with the Dorset gentry and borrowed several of their names – Strangways for an MI6 operative in the Caribbean, and Drax for the villain in Moonraker, for example. 

But there is another connection with Holme Priory and the secret agent. The real-life present-day owner of Holme Priory, William Bond, has a diary of an ancestor, Denis Bond, which refers to a John Bond who worked in Queen Elizabeth’s secret service and helped Sir Francis Drake in numerous Flemingesque escapades. In 1572 he escaped from the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre in France by taking hostage a woman and her children and threatening to kill them. It seems to have been this John Bond who hijacked the royal motto of King Philip of Spain (in Latin, ‘Non sufficit orbis’), perhaps to cock a snook at England’s arch-enemy.

It was Denis Bond who extended Holme Priory in the late 18th century. It passed to his nephew, who was the first of four Nathaniel Bonds to live there, some of them on their way to taking over the main seat of their branch of the family, the house now known as Creech Grange but formerly as just Grange. One of these Nathaniels was a distinguished QC, although remembered today mainly for having defended Jane Austen’s aunt against a charge of shoplifting! Later, Holme Priory was let for almost a hundred years but in the 1950s it was taken on by Martin Bond, a grandson of the fourth of those successive Nathaniels. William Bond succeeded and he himself has a son called Nathaniel.

Sadly we found the church locked, but I read afterwards that  a wooden cross inside the church was made from mother-of-pearl in the Solomon Islands. Another visit is becoming increasingly necessary! 

Other interesting facts about this area: on 25 August 1940, a Me110 crashed at Priory Farm after being shot down, and its crew were taken prisoner. 

To the south-east of the hamlet of East Holme Old English font marks Three Lords Barrow - so called because three manors meet here. So do four parishes: Arne, Church Knowle, Steeple and East Holme. A piece of window from Holme Priory is set in the top of the barrow as a marker stone. 
(Information from http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2011/12/east-holme/)

Holme Priory - SY8985

St John the Evangelist Church, East Holme - SY8985

We had bumped into a couple of ladies when we'd walked across the fields to the church and we bumped into them again, together with their partners sitting on a bench in the centre of the hamlet just after we'd crossed the ford. We stopped to talk to them for a bit before continuing to more Old English Font at Holme Bridge.There are now two bridges across the Frome here - the old one forms a sort of informal car park.

Holme Bridge - SY8986

A little known battle was fought during the Civil War here. The town of Wareham remained in Royalist hands during the winter of 1643 but on 27th February 1644 Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper for Parliament launched a full scale attack on the town. The assault came from all sides and the Royalists were greatly outnumbered. A fierce battle took place on Holme Bridge where forty five men, both horse and foot, beat off three hundred Roundheads for five hours, killing forty of them. It was reported that Captain Purton was wounded and “bled to death while encouraging his men with great cheerfulness” After a day of relentless attacks by the Roundheads from Poole the outnumbered Royalists surrendered the garrison. (Information from Dorset Ancestors.com.)

An information board at the site also informed us that two German airmen had hidden under the bridge during the Second World War after their airplane had been shot down and crashed into Priory Farm. The men were captured and taken prisoner. Apparently the farmer at Priory farm had used the cockpit canopy as a cloche for many years.

The River Frome meanders tortuously between the A352 and the Lulworth Ranges but sadly you cannot see it as you walk the footpath to Rushton Farm as it is too far away.

Rushton Farm - SY8886

Shortly after Rushton Farm the footpath leads up to the railway and then stops abruptly. We crossed the road in the hope of visiting East Stoke Church, but all our church attempts today were to be thwarted.  Built in 1828 this former church replaced an older building closer to the River Frome because apparently there were concerns about flooding. This building was made redundant in 1988 and converted to private residences when the ecclesiastical parish of East Stoke was merged with that of Wool. 

Church of St Mary, East Stoke - SY8787

River Frome at East Stoke - SY8786

Level crossing over railway at East Stoke - SY8786

We passed a fisherman and walked down the road, closely behind a little girl on a horse being led by a rather large lady. Fortunately our path soon led us westwards again and we hunted for the former Church of St Mary. I was very disappointed to discover its ruinous state. Of course I knew it was going to be a ruin, but I thought it was going to be an accessible ruin. It used to be; an information board invites you to look for the scratch dial on its wall. A very overgrown gate used to give access to what remains of this ancient site. Sadly no more. We had to be content with a glimpse at briars and nettles.

St Mary's Church, East Stoke - SY8686

The two St Mary's churches - old and new - SY8686

We then entered East Stoke Fen nature reserve and decided we were possibly the only two people ever to have done so - until we came to another information board which justified the nature reserve's existence. Apparently it is home to a lot of invisible wildlife. So it wasn't just our imagination! This invisible wildlife inhabits the fens and takes the form of plagiopyla which only inhabit oxygen free aquatic sites and provide food for the initial stages of fish and other aquatic life.

East Stoke Fen nature reserve - SY8686

Leaving the reserve I would have liked to have at least passed the Bindon Abbey (founded 1172), but that didn't look possible so I made do with a photo of Bindon Farm instead.

Bindon Farm - SY8586

We couldn't make out the supposed earthworks in the fields outside Wool,but we didn't pause long to look, neither did we pause for long at the church in Wool. After nearly 13 miles we were keen to get to our destination and drink the dregs of our tea. It had been a great walk and now I'm going to count how many things we've got to come back for . . .

Holy Rood Church, Wool - SY8486

Number of new gridsquares: 15
Number of squares discounted as Geographs by Geograph: 2
Number of miles walked: 12.8
Number of Santa Claus's seen: 1
Number of things to return for: 6