An evening walk with our ladies

Fri 14 Aug '26 DH, RW, PCL, AC, BS, DL, CH, DH, SW, CCL, RC, KS, ML, DH & Ember

With most couples busy with family events or holidays throughout the summer and with the very hot days of 2026, the unanimous decision this year was to get together on a Friday evening, rather than risk walking at lunchtime in temperatures over 30 degrees. It also made sense that we went somewhere to the north of our patch to make it easier for Adrian and Ruth to join us again. Initially there were just going to be ten of us, but in the last few days this increased to fourteen as other plans got cancelled in Richards case or Brian declared himself fit enough to re-join us after hip replacement number two earlier in the summer.

Having looked at suitable routes with decent pubs nearby, I opted to do a shortened version of one of our walks around St Aldhelms well at Doulting, followed by a meal at The Strode Arms, Cranmore, a pub we all liked the look of when we walked past it the other year. Rich and myself carried out a quick recce on the previous Monday, mainly to confirm a suitable parking location but also to confirm the planned route would be suitable for those carrying injuries. it was also at this point that we decided to abandon any hope of stretching the walk to three miles and decided a quick one and a half miles would be adequate for all.

The RV was set for 6.00pm at Doulting Village Hall, which Adrian made with ease with Rich and myself rolling into the car park at 6 on the dot. Unfortunately we heard from Deryck whilst we were driving into Shepton, that the car with Chris & Deryck was a good twenty minutes or so behind us due to heavy traffic on the A303 as Chris rushed back from a family day on the south coast. It was good to have Brian and Kath back with us again after a good years gap whilst Brian has been making the most of the hip replacement service at the nearby Shepton Treatment Centre.

Once reintroductions were complete we headed off through a tight gate at the corner of the car park and into fields with a stunning view westwards over Shepton Mallet and for many miles beyond. The first challenge of the walk came only a couple of minutes in, when we had to negotiate a large stone stile which crossed into a lower field. Of course the usual bottleneck built up as we all encouraged the less mobile over it. Thankfully, with no mishaps, so we continued along the top of a small but steep sided valley towards Pitts Wood. Our path took us over stone stile No2, through a small field with houses backing onto it, and then along a very narrow path between the edge of the wood and properties in the village of Chelynch.

Once over stone stile no3 and down some steep steps we made it onto a minor road and turned left towards Bodden. Although quite well hidden in the long grass, tall reeds were just visible in a small pond to the right whilst on the left there were numerous signs notified everyone that Pitts Wood was indeed private land with no public access. As we climbed a gentle rise, our path took us through a wooden gate into the first of many large open fields as we proceeded along the ridgeline towards Ingsdons Hill. The group was by now starting to get stretched out with the faster walkers getting a good hundred metres ahead whilst the slower ones took more time talking and viewing the surrounding scenery.

The plan from the recce was for us all to make it to a large water tank (and site of a now removed rivetted tank), which the leading group managed, although the trailing group took advantage of a gap in the hedge to turn southwards a fraction earlier. The shorter route across the field involved crossing constant lines of cut wheat stalks, but in so doing enabled the group to be back as one by the time we reached our next stile.

This one was a traditional wooden step stile with just two cross members to pass over, although it was not in the best state of repair unfortunately. The fence posts were also covered in brambles and it was quite a drop down into the lower field again, so was s low and steady crossing for most of us. However once across we were delighted to see that down at the bottom of the hill, our four delayed colleagues were waving frantically at us, having walked the last bit of the route in reverses to join us. with at least a couple of cows visible to our right, we turned left along the top to create some distance between us before dropping down the hill. it was only as we neared the bottom that a whole load of young cows, who had been hidden in the top corner of the field started to come down the hill at speed to investigate the intruders in their field. it was about this time that we also noticed that one of the original cows we had seen was in fact a bull, and so there was quite a rush to get through the gate and away from them.

With fourteen of us now together we followed the diverted path into an area of woodland and cross a former leat and holding ponds, which we discovered on our recce are slowly being restored to their former glory. Rich and myself had quite a chat with the new land owner and discovered he was clearing the top pond of decades worth of silt (by spade and wheelbarrow) and restoring the dam walls and channels between the three ponds. he also informed us of his plans to get a water power turbine installed to power the former mill and workshop lower down the valley which made edge tools back in the day, (Light edge tools are anything that requires a good edge including chisels, gouges, plane irons, drawing knives, etc. and heavy ones include axes, adzes, bills, hooks, hatchets and other implements).

Once through the area we gathered at the front of St Aldhelms Well, of 'wonder working water'.

The following is from a Holy & Healing Wells website;-

The well is named after St Aldhelm, the great scholar-bishop of Sherborne, who according to legend was not above singing songs and juggling to keep the attention of the congregations which gathered to hear him preach. During his Visitation to Doulting, the site of a fine priory, he died, and the vigorous well of clear water was named after him from that day.

Two leaflets for sale in the church tell of slightly different local traditions about St Aldhelm and his well. The first tells of the use of the water for religious purposes: ‘A purely local tradition states that St Aldhelm did penance here by sitting in the well while he recited the psalter.’ The other appears to emphasise the healing qualities of the water: ‘Local tradition has it that St Aldhelm would sit in this bath when he was ill here shortly before his death in 709.’ In this case healing did not apparently take place! Nevertheless the well has kept a reputation both for sanctity and for healing, and it is its reputation for healing which must have led to its being developed as a bathing-place for pilgrims.

We decided against the mass bathing tonight, but did get a group photograph for the records, before we made the slow and steady climb into the village and its picturesque old cottages. Doulting village dates from the 8th century with the grade 1 listed St Aldhelms Church being built in the 12th century. Unusually for Somerset the church has a tall spire rather than the more usual tower. There is a 15th century tithe barn at the southern end of the village and nearby quarries produce the famous Doulting Stone.

We took a very narrow path northwards and were soon back at the village hall, having completed a very enjoyable one and a half mile walk. It was then into the cars for the short drive up the A361 to The Strode Arms at Cranmore for our meals. All the food had been pre-ordered and once we had obtained our drinks from the bar we gathered around two tables in a small dining area. The food was served pretty quickly afterwards and I believe everyone was happy with their choices. Just a few opted for desserts and once we had settled up, and then settled the slight discrepancy from the bar, we all bid farewell until our Christmas meal, which very kindly (under no pressure whatsoever) will be organised by Deryck & Maureen this year.