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

Abbotsbury to Fleet - 31st August 2017

At 12.7 miles (precisely)I knew I was pushing my day's walking limits, but the route looked so inviting. I just had to include Fleet and Langton Herring and if Jane had done it - well then, so could I!

Actually Jane had walked further, but, not being an anorak like me, she had no digital record of her walk. Again, unlike me, she possesses an excellent memory. As we walked she recalled having done sections of the walk two years previously with our group, which I couldn't remember, but when I checked later she was bang on!

Abbotsbury is one of my favourite places in Dorset. We didn't have time to visit the iconic St Catherine's Chapel. This delightful little rectangle of sacredness deserves more than a fleeting visit in my opinion You simply can't stride up to it and back down again. You need to slowly imbibe its charms and pay homage to its position - as I have done before. Don't squeeze it into the beginning or end of a day; it should be the focus of a visit to the village. Not that that's a law or anything, simply my opinion!

Abbotsbury also possesses another excellent church, St Nicholas, which we didn't have time to visit either today, but it's definitely worth taking a look and viewing the musket ball holes in the pulpit, said to have been shot during the Civil War.

Abbotsbury -SY5784

Leaving all this history behind us, we set off eastwards and immediately uphill. Linton Hill has all the appearances of an ancient hill fort, but I can't find anything to confirm this online and it's not marked as such on the Ordnance Survey map.

Linton Hill - an ancient hill fort? - SY5884

 Hill fort or not, we enjoyed the views from its summit.

The Fleet from Linton Hill - SY5884

Linton Hill merges into Merry Hill and I suddenly had a déjà vu moment. This was near a trigpoint that I'd wanted to visit on our last walk here with the group, the one that Jane could remember and I couldn't! Hurray! My memory was returning. "Do you mind if I just nip along that boundary to see if I can find the trigpoint?" I asked Jane, conscious of having read recently that trigpoint bagging is considered to be yet another hobby reserved mainly for men. I couldn't see the trigpoint until you'reo n top of it as it is hidden by two boundaries, but it is an easy one to bag.

Merry Hill trigpoint - SY5984

Content with my new and unexpected bonus to the day, I wandered back to find Jane and we headed downhill, over an attractive stone stile and into a new gridsquare, for which Ansty's Withy Bed (wherever that was) provided a photo.

Attractive stile on Merry Hill - SY5984

Near Ansty's Withy Bed - SY5983

In SY6083 we headed southwards, walking along the eastern edge of Wyke's Wood and between Wyke Wood and Kittle Barrow Plantation.

Wyke Wood (right) and Kittle Barrow Plantation (left) - SY6083

Having been diverted further inland than I consider should be permitted for any coastal path, the South-west coast path  finally returns to the coast in SY6082 at Rodden Hive.

Rodden Hive on The Fleet - SY6082

We queued briefly for the seat here as a family group were also admiring the view and then left without their bright red sweater. It was too small for either of us so we yelled after its owner, a young boy and returned it. We both decided it was time for a cuppa so sat listening to the gulls and sipped away.

"We really can't linger long," I sighed. "We've got gridsquares to bag and churches to view and miles to walk." So on we went, continuing south on this glorious bit of the coast path, discussing the quality of The Fleet. Was it salt or freshwater? Both we decided. The Langton Buildings have a glorious view of this stretch of the coast in gridsquare SY6081.

Langton Buildings - SY6081

The Fleet cuts quite deeply inland in the next square, SY6181.

Fleet Lagoon near Herbury - SY6181

Herbury is a peninsula with not a lot on it by the looks of it, certainly not a right of way. I think it appeals to me because it is almost an island and anything that is an island, or almost so, has a certain enigmatic appeal. Then I had another distinctive déjà vu moment. It was where we had had lunch with the group two years before. I remembered being utterly exhausted at that point and we had finally (it seemed to me) sat down with our lunch and I'd pointed out a Peregrine to everyone as we'd sat by the wildflower meadow which was now a sunflower meadow. Does anyone reap this harvest? we wondered.

Sunflower meadow near Herbury - SY6181

It seemed to be a popular choice for a picnic, or at least a resting place, as we passed another couple who had paused to admire the cherry sunflowers.

Shortly afterwards we paused momentarily to admire another flower - the Field Bindweed taking over an old stone wall.

Field Bindweed and wall near Herbury - SY6181

We continued southwards to Gore Cove where I recalled having heard the Corn Bunting on a previous visit.

Gore Cove - SY6180

Gore Cove - SY6180

Walking past Moonfleet Manor House, I thought of the children's book Moonfleet which I had recently read and enjoyed, based on this landscape and the real life Mohun family, which J Meade Faulkner corrupted to Moon for his smuggling story. This had been their manor. It is now a hotel.

Moonfleet Manor - SY6180

Another time I shall endeavour to take the footpath inland, The Grove,  from Moonfleet Manor to see if it's possible to visit the trigpoint at Seabarn Farm. It looks as though it might be a tricky one and not as scenic as this path, but you can then join  Fleet Road and still visit East Fleet Church, which was our next destination and lunch spot.

Information boards at Moonfleet - SY6180

Today, however, I took a photo of the Gallop, a feature not mentioned on the Explorer Map, but definitely in existence, with warnings about horses and access.

Gallop on The Fleet - SY6280

Warning - Fast Horses - SY6280

I needn't have worried about there being nothing to photograph in the next gridsquare, SY6279 as there are two World War 2 pill boxes situated here, erstwhile guardians of the Fleet and our country.

World War II pillboxes on the edge of the Fleet - SY6279

We took a final glance at the Fleet before heading inland for our lunch.

Butterstreet Cove - SY6379

The Church at East Fleet - SY6380

I love this little old church with its romantic history of storm lashings and smuggling. It compelled me to read Moonfleet after my first visit in April last year and revisiting it today inspired me to read it again, though I have at least a dozen books by the side of my bed which I've started reading so I guess it will have to get in the queue! I began to wish I was walking the whole of the south-west coast path so I could read it whilst walking its length. How brilliant that would be! I wonder what other books are based on this glorious stretch of coastline. One could take a whole library on such a walk. Kindles now make carrying easier of course; not that anything can ever replace the feel and smell of paper books.

Lingering just long enough to listen for any  ghostly complaints from Blackbeard beneath our feet, we moved on disappointed not to have relived John Trenchard's experience. (Perhaps you need to come in the hours of darkness?)

We headed briefly northwards along a surprisingly busy and narrow road to visit the modern Fleet Church which possesses nothing of its diminutive neighbour's charm. It may have physically replaced the old church, but in my mind, it has not replaced its spirit or sanctity.

Holy Trinity Church, Fleet - SY6380

Our feet were beginning to weary now, but we plodded on northwards into new territory for me at least. Jane had walked along this road before, but then continued northwards when we reached a T junction. We headed westwards to West Fleet Farm and campsite and felt like we'd entered a miniature Butlins. The traffic en route had been heavy, despite it being a dead end road, but when we arrived at the camp site, we quickly realised why. There is a mini resort here, complete with swimming pool. Feeling a bit like trespassers we rushed through the site until I felt I could comfortably retrieve my camera and take a photo of a stile for gridsquare SY6281.

Stile at West Fleet Farm - SY6281

We walked through fields and were soon relieved to see the sea again, being now less than half a mile away from our sunflowers at Herbury.

The Fleet from West Fleet Farm - SY6181

We were on the other side of the wall from the Sunflowers this time, but admired them again nonetheless.

Sunflowers and bindweed - SY6181

We walked east of Under Cross Plantation to Langton Herring, a doubly thankful village which is a real gem. This is one of only 13 villages in Britain that did not lose any soldiers during both World Wars. Trouble is, I've done a bit of research and have come up with a list of 14 names that claim to be doubly thankful villages: As well as Langton Herring, there is Herodsfoot in Cornwall,  Upper Slaughter in Gloucestershire, High Toynton in Lincolnshire, South Elmham St Michael in Suffolk, Woolley in Somerset, Catwick in Yorkshire, Middleton-on-the-Hill in Herefordshire, Nether Kellet in Lancashire, Flixborough in Lincolnshire, Herbrandston in Pembrokeshire, Stocklinch in Somerset, Cromwell in Nottinghamshire and Llanfihangel y Creuddyn in Cardiganshire.

St Peter's Church, Langton Herring - SY6182

Graveyard, St Peter's, Langton Herring - SY6182

The village might be doubly thankful for not having lost any of its soldiers during the two World Wars, but it has certainly suffered many other losses, as the graveyard testifies, not least the poignant stone which bears the story of four young boys, aged between 6 and 8, who died from inhaling toxic fumes at a nearby lime kiln. The gravestone suggests two of them were brothers.

After paying our respects to the church and drinking the last of our tea (mine being well and truly cold and disgusting by now), we headed westwards towards Ivy Cottage and found a huge circel of Giant Puffballs. They were so big we thought at first they were cow pats, but close examkination proved otherwise. I don't think I've ever seen them as big before.

Giant Puffball near Ivy Cottage - SY6182

 At Ivy Cottage  a sign made us chuckle.

Ivy Cottage - SY6082

Sheep Dogs Only - SY6082

The reason for our amusement might not immediately be clear. At the other end of the footpath we had seen the same sign with the last three letters, 'EAD' obscured, so the sign read 'Sheep Dogs Onl' and we had filled in the last letter as a 'y' to read 'Sheep Dogs Only' and had pondered why only sheep dogs were allowed on the footpath.

Enlightened and now being able to sleep at night, we continued across the stile and then bore right and then got a bit confused. We should probably have ignored the electric fence barring our pathway and simply stepped over it, but, being good walkers, we walked round the edge and then lost the path. I had deliberately avoided rejoining the south-west coast path thinking we'd be taking a shortcut, but instead we had to retrace our steps and wander along what did not appear to be a footpath, unless it had been diverted.

We rejoined the south-west coast pah at Bridge Lane and walked uphill this time past Wyke Wood. A the T-junction, we continued northwards along a footpath, which led to a road junction in a new gridsquare - SY6084. I took a photo of renovation works at Merry Hill Barn and we wondered whether this would be merely a glorified barn or a dwelling house.

Merry Hill Barn - SY6084

 We were now on the east side of Merry Hill where I had bagged my trigpoint and the hill looked more impressive from this angle.

Merry Hill - SY5984

It was a hard slog uphill to West Elworth, a tiny hamlet with some attractive signs.

Sign at West Elworth - SY5984

We turned off the road onto a bridleway and headed westwards, glad to be finally following  a contour, rather than climbing them, and glad to see our first sign of Abbotsbury - St Catherine's chapel from an unusual angle.

Elworth Withy Beds and St Catherine's Chapel - SY5984

Once more Jane remembered her first walk with the group, this having apparently been our return route on that occasion too. "We end up on the road," she recalled, "but it's only for a short bit." Of course, she was right and I vaguely remembered it too as it is a busy road. I snapped a photo just in case I hadn't already got one for that square.

Entering Abbotsbury from the east - SY5885

We resisted the many shops offering tempting cream teas and walked through the village to our car park, pausing just long enough to greet my favourite Abbotsbury tree. It overlooks St Catherine's Chapel, provides a rope swing, shade and mesmerising dappling dancing shadows. Farewell for now thou veteran witness to Abbotsbury's history, past and present.

Veteran tree and dappled shadows, Abbotsbury - SY5784

Number of new gridsquares: 6

Number of trigpoints: 1

Number of miles: 13.7

Number of churches: 3

Number of campsites: 1