Return to Batcombe - 24th March

I seem to be using this blog increasingly just to record my walks, whether I get any new gridsquares or not, or perhaps even whether I'm even walking in Dorset or not!

At any rate, we had such an enjoyable wee dawdle through some of Dorset's most beautiful countryside last week that I felt I just had to record it. Sometimes it is nice not to be checking my map every few steps to see if I'm in a new square or not and sometimes it is nice not to be wondering if we're going to make it back in time to the cafe before closing time. Yes, you read it here first - I sometimes like shorter walks, walks which allow you to draw breath more, to reflect more, to look around you more and simply just to 'be' in the countryside and not to be racing, counting steps or anything else.

Today was such a day and it was a gem. I think one of the ways to find such a gem of a day is not to go out looking for them. Had we gone out expecting a random cup of tea and kindness, we would not have found it, and if there had been more people we would not have enjoyed the intimacy that a small group allows. Those were two of the criteria which contributed to this day gem.

Parking at Hillfield Car park, we descended steeply through the woods looking for signs of spring. Spring was tardy this year, delayed no doubt by all the snow which had twice trampled the bright Daffodils and rendered them prostrate. There was little evidence of spring, but, as we walked to the Hillfield Friary along the road, I pointed out Colt's-foot, one of the earliest spring emergers, common all over Britain.

Colt's-foot

This plant is named for the shape of its leaves, said to resemble a colt's-foot. Trouble was, the leaves emerge after the flower (unusually) and weren't there yet. I don't recall ever having seen the leaves actually. This plant's scientific name Tussilago farfara is derived form the Greek tussis - cough, because of its use since ancient times as an effective cure for coughs. First get yourself a charcoal burner and burn the plant. Then smoke it through a reed between sips of wine and hey presto- bang goes your cough!

We also noted Dog's Mercury here, so named because its medicinal virtues (to treat 'women's complaints', sore eyes, deafness, earache and jaundice) were supposed to have been revealed by the god Mercury. Before you go and try it, however, be warned - it has been discovered (one wonders how), that the plant is in fact toxic (particularly to animals). I've got a feeling the metal Mercury is too - so another reason for its name.

Dog's Mercury

The Lesser Celandines were not greeting us with their smiley faces - reminiscent of Wordsworth's poem 'Lesser Celandine' in fact. First two stanzas only quoted here (the rest is too depressing)

There is a Flower, the Lesser Celandine,
That shrinks, like many more, from cold and rain;
And, the first moment that the sun may shine,
Bright as the sun himself, 'tis out again!

When hailstones have been falling, swarm on swarm,
Or blasts the green field and the trees distressed,
Oft have I seen it muffled up from harm,
In close self-shelter, like a Thing at rest.

We plodded on to the Friary, a Franciscan Community, where there was a hive of activity and where we were warmly greeted and invited to partake of a cup of tea in their grounds. Thanking Luke we readily accepted the offer and learnt a bit about the work here. There are many events held here throughout the year and the friary welcomes day visitors and staying guests too. We shall hopefully return for a longer visit another time.

Hillfield Friary - ST6304

This was one of those occasions that warms the 'cockles of your heart'. It reminds you that, in a world of subterfuge and rushing around, there is still kindness evident. We all certainly benefited as much from the warm welcome as from the warm cup of tea and Rich Tea biscuit we received. Later we met Vincent who was working away in the Secret Garden which we walked through and admired, already endowed with delicate colours and fragrance.

Statue of St Francis at Hillfield Friary - ST6304

The Secret Garden, Hillfield Friary - ST6304

A not so delicate colour also thrived here in the form of the Scarlet Elf-cup. We searched for the elves, but did not see them! This fungus grows in damp conditions in leaf litter.

Scarlet Elf-cup fungus - ST6204

We were hearing the Rooks above our heads, busy building their messy nests.

Rooks' nests at Hillfield - ST6204

Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage

This unassuming little plant is a very soft shade of yellow and flourishes in damp places - which this most definitely was! There are two species of Golden-leaved Saxifrage, the alternate-leaved one and the opposite-leaved one. As their names suggest, one has leaves which are placed alternately up the stalk and the other's leaves grow directly opposite each other. Old herbalists thought this plant could be used to treat any condition where 'you just don't feel quite right' - that covers a lot of things then! It is also known as buttered eggs and lady's cushion and was used to treat burns amongst glass-makers. You can apparently eat the leaves in salads.

We walked parallel to the Batcombe road and Paul was gladdened to revisit his Bloody-nosed Beetles which I forgot to write about in my last blog.

Bloody-nosed Beetle - it ejects an odorous blood-like liquid when provoked - ST6204

The Bloody-nosed Beetles' home at Hillfield - ST6204

There were a few of these delightful creatures emerging from their foggit hibernacula (place of hibernation covered in moss).

At Great Head we turned down Drive Lane and navigated our way through bramble and blackthorn to the hamlet of Batcombe. This was to be our lunch spot and our story spot too.

We learned of how John Minterne had ridden off home one day and then realised he'd left some dubious reading material out on his desk (in the church I think) so he turned round and galloped back. Miraculously  his horse leapt over the church tower, but caught one of the church pinnacles on its way down, knocking it off. It is said he was aided in this miraculous feat by the devil and then, the villagers did not want to put the pinnacle back because they were superstitious. It has since been returned to its rightful place but is definitely decidedly skew-wiff. We afterwards discussed various possibilities as to exactly where Conjuror John (as he was known) had jumped and to where he had jumped (a place where it is said no grass grows to this day). Spooky!

Batcombe Church - the skew-wiff pinnacle is the one on the right - ST6103

John Minterne's grave, or half of it, can be seen in the churchyard. The reason there's only half of it is because he insisted he wanted to be buried neither in the church nor out of it, so he was buried half in the adjoining chapel (now gone) and half outside.When the chapel went, so did half of his grave.

John Minterne's half-grave, Batcombe - ST6103

There is another story about Batcombe which I thought I had told elsewhere, but I don't see it in any of my blogs.  At some point in the church's history the parish could not afford to pay to hang their new bell. I have never really thought about how much it costs to hang a bell as I've never had to do it, but I guess it does cost quite a bit. Anyway, this heavy bell was displayed in the nave, along with another bell in the year 1974. Amazingly both bells were stolen and scratch marks where they were dragged down the aisle can still be seen on the pews.

Someone discovered the bells had gone and raised the alarm and an observant PC Ball (I'd love that to be a misprint) noticed a heavily laden van near Ringwood and apprehended the thieves. The new bell was finally hung and a thanksgiving service was held on 17th November 1974 at which PC Ball was present.

The stolen bells in the thieves' van, Batcombe - ST6103

One more thing to say about this delightful resting spot. Apparently wayfarers occasionally sleep in this church and a box of blankets is kept for this reason. I can't help thinking Jesus would have approved of this generous attitude.

Having said that, we decided it was definitely warmer outside the church than in and we generated more heat as we made our way back through Drive Lane ( a slightly different way than the way we'd come) and then up through Hendover Coppice.

We caught glimpses of both Buzzard and Kestrel on the walk, but no definitive sightings of deer were made (despite Paul and I having seen several on our walk here last week).

The last item of interest for the day was the Cross and Hands monument on the road. People usually drive right past this curiosity, which has several explanations as to its origins.

- It  has been described as mystic
- It has been suggested it could be the site of a harrowing murder or perhaps a miracle
- It could simply be a mislaid boundary marker.
- It could be the remains of a devotional cross.

No-one seems to know for sure what it signifies but it does appear in Thomas Hardy's novel 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' when Alex D’Uberville claims that the pillar is a 'Holy Cross'. Just a few pages later, however, a passing shepherd suggests to Tess “…’Tis a thing of ill-omen miss…” so it remains a mystery really, which is good, because it's good to have a few mysteries left in life.

The Cross in Hands near Batcombe - ST6303

Number of new gridsquares: 0

Number of Bloody-nosed Beetles: 4

Number of miles walked: 5

Number of variations on the John Minterne story: 5 (one each)