Frome Valley Trail - Part 1 - Evershot to Maiden Newton - 24th August 2018

Having done part 4 of the trail last October (I can hardly believe it was that long ago), I thought it was high time we walked the rest of the trail so, when our original plans for the long weekend were thwarted, I devised this route instead. When I'd originally planned the route last year, I'd thought it could be done in three days, but that was a lot of rubbish; of course it couldn't. It needed four days and the logistics even then were complicated. After hours of drawing and redrawing routes, emailing potential B&Bs and agonising over the train timetables between Yeovil Pen Mill and Wareham, I came up with a workable route. This would involve us returning home each day and thus saving costs. All the B&Bs were full anyway and it worked out in our favour in the end because it rained all day Sunday so we would have been stuck in a B&B all day and that's just plain boring. It does mean that we'll have one section of the walk still to do, so watch this space . . .

I'd first walked some of this route in February 2015 before I started this blog and I'm not sure which walks I've done since which I've recorded on the blog, so I thought I might as well write up the walk here even though I didn't get any new gridsquares today. Besides it helps keep one's mind active when one remembers that one has to photograph every single gridsquare, featureful or featureless, exciting or boring.

We parked in Evershot, one of my top 10 Dorset villages if only because parking is easy and there are many walking opportunities from here. "Now, you might think the very first bit is gratuitous," I said to Paul as we started our walk along Back Lane. "But, although we're just going to do a circle of the village really, it's all necessary because we obviously need to start at the source of the River Frome." "Obviously," Paul agreed. "I just need to remember where that is," I added. I was feeling a little unsure; my memory does not serve me as well these days.

When we stumbled upon St John's Well, generally considered to be the source of the River Frome, I was taken aback. "But where's the information board?" I protested. "It was here last Christmas!" Or was I going mad? Had I simply imagined that there should be an information board here? Was my memory really that bad? "I'm sure it was here," I added staring at the spot where I'm sure the board was, willing it to reappear as if by magic.

We looked at the trickle of water which signified the Frome's humble beginnings and paused for a moment in reverence.

The source of the River Frome, St John's Well, Evershot - ST5704

"I know we've hardly begun our walk,but there's a bench here and we might struggle to find one later on, so I'm going to suggest having lunch here with the Frome." Paul readily agreed. We'd set off as soon as he'd returned from work (half day Friday), so it was already 1.30 pm. "After all it seems fitting to be spending a bit of time with the object of our walk," I justified our decision further as we munched on our cheesey topped ham rolls.

We then joined the Macmillan Way at the school and walked across a few uninteresting fields.

Towards Burl Moor, the Macmillan Way near Evershot - ST5703

The Macmillan Way - ST5703

We had done a butterfly scramble along part of this route a couple of years ago and recorded every single butterfly we saw. If we'd been doing that today it wouldn't have been too difficult; we hardly saw any.

"I can't remember where this path ends up," Paul said as we wandered through long grass following the hedge. "Fortunes Wood Farm," I replied. "It was really muddy last time we walked here."

Fortunes Wood Farm - ST5803

I was disappointed that we weren't walking closer to the river itself. I didn't like abandoning it; I wanted to watch it grow in volume and strength with all the tributaries that fed into it. But there were no rights of way any closer to the river, so we had to be content with our lot.

We walked across Chantmarle Moor to the old police training centre.

Chantmarle Moor - ST5802

When we approached a junction in the paths we noticed a signpost we'd not seen before, labelled in one direction - Chantmarle and in the other direction - Chantmarle (Dry route). "I didn't realise we'd been the dry route before," Paul noted. "Shall we try the wet route then?" I suggested. We decided to do so on the grounds that this might be the only chance we ever get if last year's winter was anything to go by!

Not the dry route - near Chantmarle- ST5802

 The path was still quite wet, so we were glad we'd done it. "We've added on about 50 yards to our walk," I laughed as we sloshed through the wet mud. "But it was worth it to remember the days of relentless mud!"

We did not linger at the old police training centre. We'd been here several times before so didn't bother doing a diversion to see the old mansion house. Instead we walked on to North Holway Farm and then onto Holway Farm where we'd stopped to eat our lunch on our butterfly scramble.

North Holway farm - ST5801

When we emerged at Sandhills I had a sudden moment of clarity. "I know where we are!" I exclaimed. "It's that junction that I always think we've got to turn off at." Paul stared at the signpost for a few seconds before the penny dropped. "Oh yes!" he agreed. "We came this way with the walking group one time." "Yes, it was one of my favourite walks," I recalled. "We ought to do it again soon."

Junction at Sandhills - ST5800

We turned off onto Wraxall Lane which is one of those delightful old green lanes which missed out on being tarmacadam-ed whenever the appropriate authorities decided which roads to tarmac and which to leave unmetalled. I'm glad they left this one unmetalled for it is one of my favourite green lanes in the county.

The Frome had gathered its tributaries and grown in volume by now.

River Frome near Wraxall - ST5800

Wraxall Lane - ST5800

The railway more or less follows the river Frome which is why this walk lends itself well to rail transport - you can get on and off at stations along the Frome Valley. We were walking now opposite Cattistock along a part of the walk that we thought may well have been new to us. It turns out it wasn't. We had done a Maiden Newton walk to Sydling St Nicholas in 2015 which had used this right of way.

I took a photo of Grove Stall Farm for the gridsquare (just in case).

Grove Stall Farm - SY5899

Then we were in Chilfrome where, according to the notice in the phone kiosk, the red telephone box has been so infrequently used that it was going to be taken away unless it was bought for the princely sum of £1. "The community must have bought it then," I said joyfully, "the notice is dated October 2016." I sincerely hope it has been bought and saved. Much of the gubbings of the phone had been taken away, leaving the phone impotent and futile. "A soulless phone box," I mused. Is that perhaps not worse than simply taking it away? I wasn't sure.

Chilfrome Phone box - SY5898

Payphone Kiosk removal notice, Chilfrome - SY898

Himalayan Balsam lined the banks of the Frome as it wended its way into Maiden Newton and then there was a rope swing dangling temptingly over a shallow portion of the river."I dare you!" I urged Paul, who was not to be so easily tempted.

Himalayan Balsam and the River Frome - SY5998

Rope swing near Maiden Newton - SY5998

When we reached the bridge across the Frome we were tempted to end our walk there and walk back up to the railway station but I suggested we walk on into the village. "Otherwise we'll have to do this bit tomorrow," I reminded Paul. So our feet took us along the chalk stream and up to the railway station where we had to wait for an hour and a half for the train.

We were entertained in our wait by one old lady and her grandchildren. On their way past the Help screen, the old lady pressed the green help button. "Do you wish to report an incident or get information?" came the immediate response. The old lady was clearly embarrassed. "Neither, sorry," and the old lady walked bashfully away. We couldn't work out why she had pressed it in the first place. She evidently hadn't expected a human response.

Later a man, wife and daughter joined us on the platform. Carrying a huge green and white umbrella to protect her coiffure and clothes, the daughter kept her distance, but her dad approached us with his handkerchiefed jacket and asked which train we were waiting for. "Mind your own plumby business," we answered - no, of course we didn't! We told him we were waiting for the Yeovil train, but his daughter was obviously embarrassed, "It says that here, daddy." We guessed she was on her way back to Bristol for university or something, though she had little luggage.

When the train eventually came she protested at her dad holding the umbrella over her head as she got into the train - "You're embarrassing me," and then she sidled into the furthest away seat she could find on the train while her parents walked the length of the train searching for her and, having found her, proceeded to wave frantically through the window. "I wonder who they are," I said. "From one of the posh houses around here," I answered my own question.

Our walk was far from over. As the rain fell we walked the three miles from Chetnole back to our car at Evershot, disconsolate, tired and almost silent. It had been a long day but the journey to the mouth of the Frome had begun.

Number of miles walked: 6.3 (Evershot to Maiden Newton) Plus 3 Chetnole to Evershot
Number of new gridsquares: 0

The Miz Maze at Leigh

Another short walk was the order of the day, giving Paul's back a chance to recover. We had heard tell of the Miz Maze at Leigh, the haunt of witches so it is said and not too far from home, so we set off in that direction, parking in the village of Leigh.

Footpath from Leigh - ST6108

Passing bravely by a herd of cows, we were soon in the same field as the Miz Maze. No-one seems to know for sure what the Miz Maze was used for. It is a turf-cut maze forming a hexagonal shape and is thought to have been used by Romans as a form of penance or used for seasonal or religious celebrations such as May day or Whitsuntide. Others think it could be the site of a witches' coven. Whatever it is or was, it is not much in evidence today.

Leigh Miz Maze - ST6108

Leigh Miz Maze - ST6108

It is difficult to know which gridsquare the maze actually falls within. I've gone for ST6108, but it could just as easily be ST6208, depending on which side of the maze you are standing on or in.

This means I've missed a square. I didn't take a photo within ST6208 so will need to return.

My next photographed square was ST6207 where I took a photo of the delightful thatched Rookery Farm.

Rookery Farm - ST6207

Although not quite donning their autumnal colours, the trees were just beginning to turn on the distant hillsides.

ST6207 - autumn colours near Rookery Farm

We made our way to Keeper's Cottage where the footpath has been diverted.

Keeper's Cottage - ST6107

In the next square we struggled to find the footpath as the gate was padlocked. Upon checking later on the updated maps, we learned that the footpath did still run through that field. It is most annoying when landowners make it difficult for walkers. It only results in frustration and anger and a lot of trampling about on their land which could be avoided if signage were clearer.

We eventually found our way to Calfhay Farm, where once again it was not clear where the footpath was. We enquired of the owner who came out to see us after his dog started barking.

Calfhay Farm - ST6106

We crossed the Wriggle River by way of a shaded footbridge.

Bridge over the Wriggle River - ST6106

Dorset has so many delightful place names, of which the Wriggle River is just one example. It's such an apt name for a river, evoking images of an unruly, belligerent river which refuses to be tamed as it wends it way from source to mouth.

Another intriguing and delightful name is Hell Corner and there is even a house thatbears that name proudly, The House at Hell Corner, no less.

The House at Hell Corner - ST6006

The House at Hell Corner - ST6006

Hell Corner - ST6006

 As we approached the railway line, the delightful village of Melbury Bubb came into view. It is perhaps my favourite Dorset village, and one I have photographed many times.

Melbury Bubb

We ate our lunch in the shade of the church porch and then proceeded across the fields and Dixon's bridge towards Chetnole where the same herd of cows which had thwarted our path the last time we did this walk were in the same field. We tiptoed across the field towards its non-cow-guarded exit and emerged onto the road at Chetnole. I had photographed these squares on our previous walk, but we had not visited the church, which we did now.

St Peter's Church, Chetnole - ST6008

The only remaining 13th century window, St Peter's Church, Chetnole - ST6008

Sign in St Peter's Church, Chetnole - ST6008

Having enjoyed a brief coffee break here, we enquired of the pub as to whether a group of walkers could lunch there at some future date. The answer was in the affirmative. Paul pointed out an interesting photograph.

Picture in The Chetnole Inn - the Napoli was shipwrecked on Branscombe beach in January 2007 and its booty salvaged by beachcombers. Some of the booty was alcohol, including some Cider Brandy which was contained in oak barrels which were protected by Bibles and then  bottled upon their salvage. An interesting story.

Wishing to prolong our walk a little, we headed northwards to church lane which was dappled with autumnal sunlight.

Church Lane, Leigh - ST6109

The footpath unfortunatley came to an abrupt end where  it had no longer been cleared of overgrowing vegetation -  a shame as it was a lovely footpath and reminiscent of a time when folk from far and wide many the journey on unmotorised transport to church.

We retraced our steps and found the diverted footpath to the church.

St Andrew's Church - Leigh - ST6108

We picked conkers in the churchyard, marvelling at their shiny surface and wooded imprint. This is a living churchyard and visitors are invited to record their natural history sightings in a notebook in the porch. I was saddened to see we were only the second people to do so and vowed to return to write some more. We were glad, though, to be able to record two species of butterflies - Small Tortoiseshell and Small Copper, it was only our second sighting for the year of the Small Copper.

Small Tortoiseshell at St Andrew's Churchyard, Leigh

Face carving - St Andrew's Church, Leigh - ST6108

Window, St Andrew's Church, Leigh - ST6108

We were now back at the car after an interesting and varied walk.

Number of gridsquares: 7

Number of churches visited: 3

Number of padlocked gates: 1

Number of miles walked: 8