DH, RW, AC, TO, BFS, PC, PCL (The Magnificent Seven). Sully, Bill
As lockdown rules slowly eased the day finally came when we could meet up again with our core of 7 all being available for selection.
A beautiful Bank Holiday weekend was forecast so the opportunity to stretch the legs a bit further afield and with an added bonus of a café that served breakfast until 2.00pm, saw the team assemble in the North Dorset village of Stourton Caundle. Setting off south through the village we were soon onto farmland and a good pace was sent, despite a lot of crossing points, heading towards the rear area of the Stock Gaylard deer park. Approaching the main house we took a sharp left turn and walked alongside the high deer fence enclosures. Unfortunately for us today there were no deer to be seen at all, maybe they had spotted us first and taken cover. (Photo below taken January 2021). Leaving the park we struggled a bit to ensure we were on the right path but after a long walk diagonally through a field of long grass we made it out to A357 at Warr Bridge. By this time, it was becoming obvious that completing the whole wall and then driving for lunch, table booked at 1200, was going to be a challenge at least. A change of plan was needed.
The second phase of the walk saw us heading east before turning north to enter the Thornhill Park estate. A steady climb up towards the house and grounds, which afforded some great views back towards the Dorset hills. Skirting around the main house, within a well kept grassed area we made it out onto the drive close to the obelisk a short distance north west of Thornhill House, which is visible for miles around. Designed by artist Sir James Thornhill, it was erected in 1727 to commemorate the accession of George II and Queen Caroline and is a Grade II listed monument. Pete being the most curious took off to find out more about it and grab some photos for the record. The pathway drops out back onto the main road and a short 10min walk down the hil got us to our early lunch stop at the Thyme after time café, and a very welcome it was too.
We sat outside in the lunchtime sunshine and ordered from a great menu, which even serves a full doggie breakfast. Been the caring owners we all are, we decided the dogs didn’t need a substantial meal, so gutted as they were, it was just the scraps again for them.
Suitably refreshed the decision of how to get back to the cars had to be taken, after some debate we had 3 options; 1. Walk a mile down a main road with no pavement. 2. Retrace our steps back up the road and onto the original route or 3. Try and take the direct line to where we needed to go, despite there being no path or possibly routes through hedges etc.
Although not popular with all, option 2 was taken and off we went, stomachs full!
All was going well until we then had another slight “right of way“ dilemma. It would appear some people who own property in the countryside think it should be all theirs and it’s no problem to put a sign on a right of way saying the route is now Private. A bit hard to know one way or the other, but we played fair and took another detour, adding around half a mile and 30 minutes to the walk. The frustration became even more evident when on cresting another short climb, we could see back across to the café, some half mile away, that we had left an hour before. That's the price you pay for walking a route for the first time I’m afraid.
Only a mile to go, but a tricky walk around a ploughed field edge before the the village of Stourton Caundle came back into view.
Certainly our longest walk yet, good job it was a bank holiday as it was gone 3.00 before we all got home, the extra days rest afterwards was certainly needed.
Sully slept well that night!
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