Bincombe to Whitcombe Circular - 3 August 2017

Driving to our agreed meeting place, both Jane and I separately had our windscreen wipers at full pelt to drive away the allegedly 0.3 mm of rain which threatened to put an end to our walk before it had begun. I willed the rain away and looked desperately for a break in the cloud. Nope, it wasn't there! So the forecast was wrong again. I tried not to feel disappointed; there was surely joy to be derived from walking in the rain, wasn't there?

I pulled into the small parking area at Came Wood- the only occupant unless you count the charred remains of an erstwhile traveller's vehicle. When Jane arrived and we shared rain stories. The rain had stopped now but we struggled to hear each other talk above the sound of the wind.

I'd warned Jane of the strong possibility of my route being thwarted by removed footpaths or overgrown stiles. She claimed she didn't care and that her recent reccy of a Milton Abbas walk had rendered her immune to fazability.

We began walking south on the Jubilee Trail towards the mast on Bincombe Hill. I could relax a bit about the gridsquares as I'd photographed most of them already. I love the descent into Bincombe Village and I'd love to see it in winter with snow.

Bincombe Village - SY6884

It is a village I have spent a lot of time in and written a lot about, it being the setting of Thomas Hardy's  The Melancholy Hussar, based on the tragic true love story of Phyllis Gould and her Captain Tina of the Hussars. We went to pay homage to the tiny church, chuckling at some of the book titles for sale there - In the Shadow of Death and Murder at the Vicarage. Jane was reluctant to touch anything after a bad experience in Iwerne church when she had put her hand against an inner door to push it open and set off an alarm. She had later been told that the alarm would have been heard at the local fire station. Oh dear! At least she could laugh about it now and, by the time we'd reached our fourth church, she'd regained her courage to push aside the curtain to the Bell Tower - without any alarm bells ringing!

Holy Trinity Church, Bincombe - SY6884

We continued on the Jubilee Trail/South Dorset ridgeway, heading east and under the great ugly pylons to Coombe Valley Road, where I always get confused with the plethora of footpaths. Not having seen each other for weeks, Jane and I had a lot of catching up to do too, and occasionally I had interrupt (usually at the exciting bit) whilst I consulted my map. Rude, yes, but it saved us going for miles in the wrong direction - and I always reminded her where we'd left off!

Bincombe Down - SY6984

Coombe Valley Road - SY6984

From Bincombe Down - SY6984

Having established our path, we circumnavigated Green Hill and continued on the inland south-west coast path until we reached the interesting bit and then we turned off. Sorry, Jane, but we've got three more churches to visit and they're all in the opposite direction!

So we turned away from the coast, waving it a farewell as we did so, and headed north at Northdown barn, by one of many tumuli on this ridgeway.

Tumulus near Northdown Barn - SY7084

I only had one photo of our next gridsquare - SY7085, and that was of Bank Barrow, a long barrow or burial mound in a field by the road. One day I'm going to have to go and explore this barrow and the Bincombe Bumps nearby. These are known locally as 'music barrows' and it is said that if you put your ear to the top of one at noon, you can hear fairy music. We were too late to visit anyway as it had past noon when Jane and I walked along the minor road after passing several travellers' vans on the track to Northdown Barn.

The track had joined Chalky Road, which is rather a nice name for quite a busy minor road. After a third of  a mile, we turned left towards Poor Lot, which presumably was a name given to a portion of land which was not deemed fertile enough for anyone of more means.

Poor Lot - SY7085

We chose this location for our first stop and then followed the edge of the wheat field rather than walk through on the designated (but now invisible) footpath.

We then walked through six more rather boring fields and two gridsquares before reaching the A352. The fields might have been boring, but we were not bored because we were constantly chatting and I was conscious that we were approaching my first 'new' gridsquare of the day ' SY7186.

Near Broadmayne - SY7186

I was getting excited now; because, although SY7186 was a new gridsquare for me, I had walked through it before, whereas I had not walked through the next gridsquare - SY7287. We had no trouble crossing the road and our footpath was immediately across the road - and it had an amusing sign for us.

Amusing sign on the east side of the A352 - sy7287

Little Mayne Farm - SY7287

We didn't see the earthworks which were marked on the map at this farm, but we did see another interesting stile - this time one using a tyre.

Tyre stile - SY7287

We walked through a field of maize to West Knighton where I inspected a front garden with some burgeoning courgette. I wanted to see if they had more courgettes than me (they didn't!)

St Peter's Church in West Knighton looked delightful as we approached, but we resisted the temptation to have lunch here. I'd promised ourselves we'd picnic at Whitcombe, at William Barnes' church.

St Peter's Church, West Knighton - SY7387

Stained glass window in St Peter's Church, West Knighton - SY7387

Window in St Peter's Church, West Knighton - SY7387

The church was originally built in the 12th Century and underwent some reconstruction work in the 19th century under Thomas Hardy's supervision. My eye immediately glimpsed a circular painting on the east wall. There is an information sheet about this painting which apparently depicts a sun with Hebrew word for Jehovah contained therein.

Picture on the east wall - SY7387

Another nice touch in this church is the two stone mice in the squint.

Mice in the squint, St Peter's Church, West Knighton - SY7387

After leaving the church, we rejoined the Jubilee path and headed north for a short while. At the next junction I took a photograph of another footpath which continued north, just for the sake of being in another gridsquare.

Towards Lower Glebe Farm - SY7387

I was now revisiting territory I'd walked through before, but, for the time being at least, on different footpaths.

Jubilee path to Whitcombe - SY7288

We were in wheat fields again and getting a bit hungry. We both commented that usually we'd have succumbed to hunger pangs long before now (it was 1.30 pm). I blame good conversation and my good flapjack which we'd consumed at Poor Lot. Nevertheless, by the time we reached Whitcombe I suggested to Jane that we eat before going into the church.

Whitcombe Church - SY7188

This seemed a good plan at the time, but unfortunately the wasps thought so too. The moment Jane produced her infamous cheese and beetroot sarnies, the wasps swarmed in in their drones - OK there were only three, but that's three more than either of us were comfortable with. Then my hat blew off and over the wall. I managed to retrieve my hat before we decided to retreat into the church porch (was this why I'd done exactly the same thing almost exactly a year ago when visiting the church?)

We didn't last long in the porch either because the wasp followed us in, so we retreated into the church and managed to scare the wasp out and breathe a sigh of relief. After all, when you've looked forward to your cheese and beetroot sandwiches (ham and cheese in my case), you should be able to eat them in waspless peace!

I love the simplicity of this William Barnes church. It is no longer used for regular worship, but they definitely hold a Christmas service here every year which I think must be very evocative.

We continued on the Jubilee Trail, heading westwards towards Winterborne Came and our final church of the day. This is the final resting place of William Barnes, friend of Thomas hardy, minister and Dorset dialect poet. Despite this, it was our least favourite of the day as it is always so dark and feels a little unwelcoming.

Bible in St Peter's Church, Winterborne Came - SY7088

St Peter's Church, Winterborne Came - SY7088

William Barnes' grave, St Peter's Church, Winterborne Came - SY7088

We headed south on the last leg of our journey, past Cripton Cottage and Cripton Barn, through fields to the unwelcoming Came Wood with all the private and keep out signs I remembered from previous walks. They must have had quite a lot of unwelcome intrusions to warrant the amount of paint and barbed wire which daubed the trees and adorned the gates.

The final part of this walk is along a busyish road, but fortunately not for long. Then we were able to compare notes on socks, boots, butterflies and plan our next walk. Remarkably the walk had consisted of not one single wrong turn and had been almost exactly the length I'd said it was going to be, which is more than can be said of the weather. We'd had not one drop of rain all day since we'd been out of the cars!

Number of species of butterflies: 9
Number of new gridsquares: 4
Number of miles walked: 11.4
Number of churches visited: 4
Number of wasps: 3

A walk east from Dorchester

This walk could actually be subtitled 'Another Three Dorset Churches', because I managed to fit in a hat trick of delightful rural churches today as well. I love it when I can catch the train to my starting (and therefore finishing) point; and I love it even more when I get up early and start walking. Yes, before I'd had time to wonder whether I'm really awake enough to stretch those tired legs, don the ton-weight binoculars and make decisions like whether I need my waterproof, I was out of the door and at Yeovil Pen Mill for 7.30 am. The other advantage of course to such ridiculously early awakenings is that you avoid the inevitable holiday travel.

Arriving at Dorchester, I skipped off the train and wandered happily along the tarmac for half a mile before I realised I was going the wrong way. I turned round and wandered happily once more - again in the wrong direction. Third time lucky, I wandered eastwards, by now desperate to get out of the town and one and a half miles later found my way to Long Bridge but, oh, what a disappointment! Surely it couldn't be that ugly concrete flyover? Surely such a monstrosity does not warrant its own entry on our revered Ordnance Survey maps? Sorry, folks, but I'm afraid it apparently does. Walking past the building site (pedestrians beware!) I ran under the bridge and onto the water meadows. This was more like it! And now, what were those rusty wheel bridge things in the middle of the footpath? Something to do with the water meadows, no doubt, but I don't know what?

Water meadows east of Dorchester -  SY7090

I headed north-east towards Stinsford, where Thomas Hardy's heart is buried, and bid a fellow early morning walker a good morning. I was walking along the delightful River Frome, the major chalkstream in south-west England. I didn't see a single fish though! I continued to follow the Frome through a dappled avenue of deciduous trees - the lane is apparently called Church Lane - it must lead to the church where Thomas Hardy once attended.

Church Lane, Stinsford - SY7190

Once through the trees I decided to stop and tuck my trousers into my socks - always wise when walking through long, tick-infested grass. Just as I did so, two streaks of whistling blue whizzed past me downstream, chasing each other. It is always a breath-stopping moment when you see a Kingfisher. They are truly one of the pinnacles of creation. I paused long enough to let the moment sink in and give it the reverence it deserved before moving on.

My next smiling moment was at Lower Bockhampton Bridge, for it is one of those Dorset bridges warning against vandalism and appealing against subjecting it to too much weight!

Bridge over River Frome, Lower Bockhampton - SY7290

I braved a madly barking dog at Kingston Dairy House as I continued eastwards, with a little trepidation through a farmyard (Would there be bulls or cows on the loose?) The land here is very flat; I was looking back at the same system of water meadows I'd traversed earlier.

Water meadows, Kingston Dairy Farm - SY7290

Past Duddle Farm (what a delightful name!), I thought I spied another walker in the next field and then my heart sank. It was not human, but a bovine movement, and it was not in the singular, but most definitely in the plural. There was a plethora of Friesian cattle spread in every square inch of the next field. OK, so I'm a coward. One doesn't mind a field with a small herd of cattle all nestled together in a corner of a field which one can give a wide berth to, but when one can't avoid them, and when one hasn't brought one's trusty walking pole because it was just too much to remember at 6 am, one is not for risking a premature death by crushing. Careful scrutiny of the map revealed an alternative, albeit longer alternative - and I had the legitimate excuse that I wanted to look at Heedless William's Pond. Some of these names on the map are just too intriguing to miss. At least that's what I told myself as I backtracked and went uphill to the road between Tincleton and Stinsford. (Tincleton - it's like something out of Toyland!)

Unsure of whether I'd be trespassing if I ventured to look at Heedless William's Pond and a little wary of another barking guard dog, I satisfied myself with a look at his standing stone instead. After all, I didn't know the origin of the name of the pond, perhaps the pond is almost invisible and unless you take great heed, you too will fall into it. As well as avoiding death by cattle, I also wanted to avoid death by drowning . . .

Heedless William's Standing Stone - SY7391

. . . which was unfortunately the consequence of coachman William's heedless driving in days of yore when he, his passengers and his horses were all drowned when they came off the road here.

I continued to Norris Mill Farm and rejoined the path I'd avoided earlier.

Towards Norris Mill Farm - SY7390

Track south of Norris Mill Farm - SY7390

River Frome south of Norris Mill Farm - SY7390

I was walking south, rather than east now, towards the River Frome again, but I hadn't quite reached my most easterly point, A close look at the map revealed that the path dips into SY7490 for all of about a millisecond. What were the chances of my returning to this rather empty gridsquare? Pretty slim, I reckoned, so with my GPS in hand I waited till the crucial digits had turned to 0000 and snapped a photo of a lane which wasn't actually marked on my map, but which looks as if it might lead to Martin's River Island - another intriguing name.

Track to Martin's River Island? - SY7490

My sojourn in SY7390 was not quite over yet, however. It had a brilliant finale with a fly-by of regal Red Admiral and Peacock butterflies drinking nectar from the Valerian. It's rare to be able to photograph three butterflies in one frame.

Red Admiral and peacock butterflies

I paused at the footbridge before Lewell Mill Farm. It felt like it must be lunchtime, but it was only 10.30. I'd been walking for two and a half hours and needed a wee break. Perhaps the Kingfisher would fly by again? It didn't, but I felt much better for my swig of tea - and my rucksack, which weighed heavily on my shoulders was just that tiny bit lighter now!

River Frome and Lewell Mill Farm - SY7389

I nearly missed the track at Lewell Mill Farm, and then thought I HAD missed it because it was so overgrown and in fact had been diverted slightly northwards. I fought my way through nettles and brambles and rejoined the undiverted path which runs just north of Talbothays Cottages (which, to be honest, look a little bit too big to warrant the title of 'cottages'). i was now fighting my way through a field of ripe maize.

Field of maize near Talbothays - SY7389

Talbothays Cottages - SY7389

And so I entered the lovely village of West Stafford and passed the Wise Man Inn and later a sign for Wise Man Cottage. I wonder who the wise man was?

Who is/was the Wise Man of West Stafford? - SY7289

West Stafford and St Andrew's Church - SY7289

St Andrew's Church, West Stafford - SY7289

Naturally I went into the church, which has some interesting beams, some partially destroyed old writing an a nice old chest, but I didn't discover any interesting anecdotes about it.

Old writing in St Andrew's Church, West Stafford

Church interior, St Andrew's, West Stafford - SY7289

The footpath goes through a more modern part of the village and over the railway line. I saw a Painted Lady butterfly on the bramble and Creeping Thistles.

Painted Lady on Creeping Thistle

I turned south-east and walked to Stafford Farm.

Stafford Farm - SY7288

Then I turned south-west and walked across fields to Whitcombe. The path goes all the way round the church before access is permitted into the field which contains the little church.

Footpath sign at Whitcombe - SY7188

Whitcombe Church - built in the 12th Century - SY7188

Interesting grave at Whitcombe Church - SY7188

Lovely tree at Whitcombe church - SY7188

By now the heat of the day had got too much for me and I reluctantly retreated to the cool of the church porch to eat my lunch, resisting the temptation to go into the church before I'd finished (I don't really know why!)

Inside Whitcombe Church - SY7188

Sir Christopher and the Christ child - wall painting inside Whitcombe church - SY7188

Wall painting inside Whitcombe Church - SY7188

Flowers inside Whitcombe Church - SY7188

I was joined by the volunteer caretaker who kindly gave me a brief tour of the church as well as sharing my enthusiasm for all things Scottish. (He'd even been to Islay!)

I learnt that William Barnes, the famous poet of the Dorset dialect, is buried at Winterborne Came church. I had visited this church on a previous walk, but didn't know it was the site of his burial and in fact, had not been inside the church on that occasion.

St Peter's Church, Winterborne Came - SY7088

William Barnes' grave (1801-1886)- SY7088

Church interior, St Peter's, Winterborne Came - SY7088

My previous visit  had been in the winter and my photos from that walk depict a cold and frost morning, for I'd set off around the same time then, but it would have been darker at that time of year. This time I was walking through a field of verdant maize which seemed to go on for ever and was well above the height of my head - no wonder the dog walker behind me had chosen a different footpath! 

Approaching the North Plantation, Witnerborne Came - SY7088

I was nearly back at my starting point with plenty of time to spare before the 1521 train departed Dorchester West. I just had to negotiate Dorchester's busy streets with my heavy feet and rucksack. I would be very glad to take my boots off. Everyone else I saw was wearing minimal clothing and I think I might have been tempted to swap my boots for a pair of flipflops if someone had asked me!

My last photo of the day was taken rather apologetically - merely for the sake of a gridsquare. Under the scrutiny of several pairs of BMX riders' eyes, I snapped a photo of  St Mary's Catholic VA First school, and hurriedly put my camera away.

 St Mary's Catholic VA First school - SY6989

No. of churches visited - 3

No. of churches intended visiting - 3 (it's not always the same number)

No. of bridges crossed - lost count

No. of Friesian cows in a field - 3,678 (or maybe 36)

No. of Kingfishers seen - 2

No. of miles walked - 11.6

No. of new gridsquares - 10