The confluence of the Rivers Brit and Asker - 13th September

"I didn't know this place was here," Jane said after we'd examined the damage done to her windscreen en route (a 6" crack across the driver's side). "Me neither,"I confessed. It was the Bridport Rest Area, west of the town near Eype. I'd zoomed in on Google maps and spied in when I was looking for potential parking places for today's walk. It was useful in that it was free, obviously near where we were going to set off from and there were toilets.

Today's destination had been hurriedly chosen after I'd decided I did not want another 'boring' walk through fields. I had no idea what today's walk would turn out like, although I knew the last two miles or so would be through the town. I was to be pleasantly surprised.

It took us a while to find our way out of the rest area and to get our bearings when we did. Our first signpost did not help as we did not want either Eype. I love the way Dorset signposts all have names though - this one was Cockcrowing. I wonder where that originates from.

Signs to Eype at Cockcrowing - SY4592

We walked east along Broad Lane before turning north just before Watton Cross. A wonderful vista opened up before us. Colmer's Hill, that iconic Dorset prominence revealed a different view with Vearse Farm in the foreground.

Vearse Farm and Colmer's Hill - SY4592

We managed to cut a minuscule amount off our walk by walking between two footpaths just before Vearse Farm. This avoided walking out into the middle of the field and back at a slightly different angle. Here we met a lady dog walker who asked us where we were heading - my dreaded question. There's always an expected reply and I never know what to say because if I were to say 'Mangerton Mill' or 'Waytown' I'm not sure anyone would be able to direct us. So it means swiping your phone map across to find the nearest place which you think someone will know how to direct you to. It works without fail. You end up getting a barrage of words which you don't really have to listen to because you can see exactly where you have to go, but it leaves your fellow walker with a glowing sense of achievement because they think they have genuinely helped a stranger in distress.

We followed the straight footpath to the B3162, crossed the road and skirted Allington Hill Nature Reserve. Last time I visited the reserve it was November, so I'd allowed nearly a full year to pass and was only just making my visit in a different season than the first.

Allington Hill - SY4593

It's a lovely footpath through the woodlands here. We ignored the turning north I had taken last November past the hospital and continued on to the B3162 again.

Oddfellows Arms, North Allington - SY4693

This was the Dottery Road and reminded us of our last walk together to the last Tin Tabernacle. "We're not going as far as that this time," I confirmed, which I felt was a shame as it would have been nice to see how far they had got in their renovation works.

We followed the road north before turning off towards Washingpool Farm, eyeing up the cattle at a safe distance in the neighbouring field.

Cows near Washingpool Farm - SY4694

We were feeling quite pleased with ourselves as so far all the rights of way had turned out alright, albeit a little nettly. I'd sucked in breathe when I saw Jane wearing shorts that morning. "You're asking for trouble," I remarked. "There's bound to be lots of nettles." Naturally, we weren't disappointed and even I got lots of stings through my trousers so I hate to think what her legs were like at the end of the walk.

An amusing sign caught our eye as we approached Middle Pymore Farm.

Please do not empty your dog - SY4694

Fortunately we did not have a dog to empty so we continued merrily on to Middle Pymore Farm.

Middle Pymore Farm - SY4694

The sound of an engine made us look overhead where a light blue aircraft was tottering about the sky. We soon discovered the reason why. There was a flying field for model aircraft. There were even several benches for spectators.

Flying field near Middle Pymore Farm - SY4694

We resisted the temptation to sit  and relax and watch the aircraft zooming by, though the view from there was quite spectacular.

View north-east form Middle Pymore Farm- SY4694

There followed quite a long walk down the road towards Wooth, the best part of which was a finger post sign at Ebenezer Corner. I'd love to know how it got that name!

Near Lower Ash Farm - SY4695

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Ebenezer Corner - SY4795

We could, at this point, have turned south and cut several miles off our walk - but there's no fun in that, so we just reached the 30 mph signs at Bradpole (a new gridsquare) and then  headed further north.

Bridge and entrance to Bradpole - SY4794

We were now following the River Brit northwards along a footpath lined with Himalayan Balsam. Despite the fact we were walking through field after field, the interest of the ever-flowing river was there, drawing our attention and that continued to be the case for the rest of the walk.

Himalayan Balsam near Wooth - SY4795

I can't remember at which points Jane got stung badly with nettles, but there were several paths which were really bad. It seems from the photos that  it was always OK.

Near Bingham Farm we went very slightly wrong. By then I was beginning to think about lunch - it's always me who thinks about it first! We went through a gate and I spied a bench situated a little way off the path. "Do you think we could sit on that for lunch?" I asked Jane hopefully, knowing the answer only too well. Jane has an aversion to trespassing which is so strong that she doesn't like being even a little bit off the path and often squirms when I take photographs of farms and houses. "But they're in the gridsquare!" I object "And if their owners didn't want anyone to photograph them, why do they make them so attractive. It's a compliment." Of course, it sometimes is quite the opposite. I take a photograph because the house in question or land surrounding it is such a tip. back to the gate, upon close examination of my phone map, I discovered that we weren't supposed to go through that gate at all; that was part of Bingham Farm Caravan Site and the bench for the benefit of caravaners and campers. So we retraced our steps to the correct footpath where we ate lunch sitting on a small footbridge across the River Brit.

Gate near Bingham Farm - SY4796

River Brit near Bingham Farm - SY4796

Now on the west side of the River, we followed its course north to Waytown through fields.

River Brit near Waytown - SY4797

I was loving being near the river; it's something about the energy and life flowing in and through it which energises, inspires and revitalises tired limbs. I'm never bored when walking by a river or the sea; it's hardly possible; there's always something to see, some movement which draws the eye or some sound which catches the ear - a Kingfisher flashing by or the peep, peep of a wagtail or Common Sandpiper bobbing its tail.

We emerged on the road at Oxbridge (nothing to do with the famous universities) and I recalled a walk I'd done with Paul where we'd ended up at exactly the same place. "But we won't be going the same way now," I reassured both myself and Jane. "We're going south, not east to Melplash."

We walked past a letterbox which I guess must be in the running for the most seldom used letter box in Britain, then joined a bridleway past Woodcombe Farm to The Mount, though what exactly The Mount was, I'm not entirely sure.

Letterbox at Oxbridge - SY4797

Bridleway at The Mount - SY4897

It took some courage and patience to cross the A35 at the triangle at The Mount and then we joined another bridleway which skirted Mangerton Hill. There were some attractive trees and horses in this gridsquare.

Mangerton Hill - SY4896

Horses at Mangerton Farm- SY4896

One of the horses was literally running round in circles and we could see no reason why until we saw a woman standing at the gate also watching it. "Oh, it's seen you," said Jane to the woman, "That's why it's running round in circles." "No," corrected the woman, "we've just taken the horsebox away. It was running through the horsebox having a great time and now it wonders where it's gone." I can't remember if she said why they took, the horsebox away if the horse was enjoying it so much. I was too busy wondering if Mangerton Mill cafe would be open.

"Shall we call in to see if the cafe's open?" I asked Jane, trying to sound nonchalant as we approached the entrance. "Might as well," Jane acquiesced. She must have read my eagerness, subtle though it was.

Mangerton Mill - SY4895

The cafe was not open, which was a disappointment, but, as we didn't make it back to the cars before 5 pm anyway, it's probably just as well we were not delayed further by tea and cake!

We'd now joined the Mangerton River, our second river of the day, which we followed into Bradpole. This is a tributary of the River Asker. If we thought we were approaching our journey's end when we arrived in Bradpole, we were very much mistaken. I could see we had over two long miles to walk through the suburbs of Bridport and didn't feel I could do it without further sustenance. The thought of tea and cake at Mangerton Mill had been keeping me going and now I was going to have to make do with the dregs of my flask. We were just about to sit atop a slope on the outskirts of Bridport when I thought, "why not continue to the church? There's bound to be a bench there."

This we did, admiring some of the lovely cottages in Bradpole as we went and trying to work out which way both of us had driven through the village in the past en route to different places.

Village Road, Bradpole - SY4894

The Old Vicarage, Bradpole - SY4894

Holy Trinity Church, Bradpole - SY4894

The electric blue on the spire is a bit shocking, but otherwise everything about the church was as one would expect and I bought a book on walks in the area as my memento. I like to buy a postcard or card or church leaflet when I visit a church.

We followed our noses through the streets of Bradpole to the River Asker and walked along the river with the dog walkers for a while. I got very excited when I caught a fleeting glimpse of the bright blue of a Kingfisher.

River Asker near Bridport - SY4793

I was nearly as excited to spy the brick bridge which we were going to cross to the east side of the river. It's visible in the picture above, but more so in this picture.

Brick footbridge over River Asker - SY4793

 The holes in the mud that you can see in the photo below are probably nesting sites of Sand Martins.

River Asker at Bridport - SY4793

Despite having checked before setting off that all the rights of way shown on my 2004 map were still correct on the later version of the Explorer map, there were still a view in the town that had changed and we had difficulty finding our way round. We ended up having to duck underneath a barbed wire fence and walking to the big roundabout on the A3066. We then walked familiar territory through Walditch to cross the A35 via the traffic lights opposite Palmers Brewery.

Palmers Brewery, Bridport - SY4692

The photo is taken at the point where the Rivers Asker and Brit meet, which I found very exciting. I hadn't realised it before. We continued south through a field of cows until we reached the A35 where we turned westwards.

Field near A35 - SY4691

It was just a case now of walking through Watton Farm back to Broad Lane and the Rest Area.

Watton Farm - SY4591

We weren't quite prepared for what lay behind Watton Farm (I refer the reader to aforementioned comment about subjects I choose to photograph and why).

Near Watton Farm - SY4591

There was a bit more confusion about where the path was before we were suddenly back at the set of steps we'd passed at the beginning of the walk.

Footpath onto Broad Lane, Eype - SY4592

We were nearly the only two cars left in the car park. Jane's windscreen crack hadn't grown much bigger and she confirmed with the insurance company that it was safe to drive thus until she could get it fixed. We had possible beaten our own record for the latest arrival back at the cars. Having told Jane I would follow her as far as the Dorchester road where we would part company, I kept to my side of the bargain even if she didn't. I ended up in Morrison's car park where she'd obviously decided to call in at the last minute! Then the road was closed at Melplash due to probably a crash and I ended up having to take a long diversion past Mapperton, so it took about an hour to get home. So what if the journey was much longer than expected? The walk had been much better than expected so we could call it quits!

Number of new gridsquares: 9

Number of miles walked: 12.9 (call it 13)

Number of rivers walked beside: 3