Fore - Golf balls and tees

Sat 22 Aug '26 DH, RW, PC, PCL, JB, JS, CM & Scrumpy

The warm summer continues to dominate although it was a fraction cooler today as we met at The Elms at North Wotton, the former Three Elms pub south of Sherborne. It was good to welcome JS back from a few weeks off looking after his good lady and also to welcome back CM for his first walk since March.

This was a first time walking from this location and although the footpath south from the car park was clearly signed at the road edge, even with JS doing a quick recce up and down, we couldn't find it so had to make a decision to cross a small wire fence to get onto a track heading in the same direction as we needed. Crossing into the next field we could now see the stile we should have used, so i was happy to continue on across to a small stile in a large hedgerow. The crossing wasn't that easy but once across we stood looking at the vast area of Folke Golf Course before choosing to go right across it towards the far hedge. The course was really suffering from the hot summer although the greens were still looking a decent colour. It was not very busy with just a couple of players to our left so we knew we didn't have to keep our eyes and ears open too much, enabling us to continue chatting as we moved through the area.

We turned left at the hedge and strode up onto the raised tee area for the 12th hole, one of the longest on the course at 535 yards. the marker board showed it as a dogleg hole and i know from playing it a couple of times that the long drivers would aim to cut the corner totally trusting to their swing whereas the less confident were quite happy to keep the ball in sight but take a longer route to the hole.

At the rear of the tee we found our next stile which took us off the course and into a recently ploughed field. This time the path was to the right of the hedgerow which we followed all the way to a bungalow in the bottom corner and then out onto a small road in the village of Folke. We continued heading south and stopped for a while to admire both the local church and the manor house opposite.

The church of St Lawrence is a Grade I church built in 1628 however the tower is older and there is evidence of a Saxon doorway. Original Jacobean interior including 17th century pews with carved scalloped ends. Outside there is a causeway built c1583 for access to the church. St. Lawrence Church, also serves the larger village of Alweston and the hamlets of Bishops Down, Haydon, and North Wootton.

There is more information about the interior on the Dorset Historic Churches Trust website here . It sounds very intersting and we must find the time to enter the church next time we are in the area.

Our attention then turned to the Grade 2II* listed manor house, the core of which dates back to around 1500, with an east wing from the late 15th or early 16th century, though much of the character reflects 17th-century updates.

Taking a gateway into a field we crossed the bottom of the garden of the manor house as we headed west. The views to the south were stunning and the peace and quiet just stood admiring it, was amazing. although as we have comented before this summer, it would have been good to hear a few birds and see some insects. By now, those that had started with extra layers on against the colder morning were removing excess clothing at quite a rate as the morning sun climbed higher. In the corner of the field we drop down a few steps and onto a minor road and then across into the driveway of WestHall Farm. at the end of the drive, barely recognisable under brambles and years of vegetation we could make out two arched windows and a door way on the front wall of what was probably once a gate lodge to the original West Hall.

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Passing through the farm, which now has a series of holiday let cottages and an indoor pool, we passed the end of West Hall, with a north-east wing probably C15 origin, south-east wing and dining room block early C17, with C20 restoration and additions. C15 work probably for the Hymerford family, early C17 work for Moleyns and 1671 work for Thomas Chafe.

The house was also home to Doset suffragette, Evelina Hatherfield , who became famous for creating a book of recipes for women, which included Bonne Femme Soup (literally, ‘good woman’ soup). more info https://oldshirburnian.org.uk/school-archives-news/suffragette-soup/

We crossed a stile and headed diagonally across an open field towards the northern end of the village of Longburton, coming out onto the A 352 above both the church and the Rose and Crown pub. Heading north for just a short distance, we turned right on a path linking to Quarry Lane and at the far end of the small residential estate onto a narrow track which took us into a large orchard. We passed through a couple of orchards all looking equally lacking in good sized apples, and having had to cut through a hedge when the crossing point was missing (again) we looped around until we came to a narrow bridleway, aptly named Green Lane, where we turned south again and enjoyed a bit of shade under the tall hedges. At one point we crossed an extremely empty stream, which judging by the size of the pipe should normally have a good flow to it, and at one point got a bit confused by a sign telling us that the next small bridge was damaged and not safe to cross. After a bit of checking it would appear the sign was meant for walkers heading the opposite direction to us.

Unfortunately with Deryck absent on personal business there were no lollies this week, so on reaching the small road leading to Folke village, we had no excuse to stop and effectively turned through 180 degrees and started heading north again alongside another tall hedge. It was soon obvious that we were walking alongside the golf course again when we heard a shout of 'Fore' from the other side and after we replied 'Morning', we were asked if we'd seen any sight of the chaps ball. Initially we though he was going to be declaring a 'lost ball' but then spotted a small round object a few metres to the left of our path. He was more than delighted when we sent it back over to him. A short distance further up, Pete spotted another, but with no obvious player this time, it was just launched back onto the course.

The lead group had slowed awaiting directions back to the cafe and again there should have been a crossing point in the hedge before the gate, but with no sign of it we had no choice other than to climb over the metal gate. A vehicle track led us across the field as we could see our breakfast venue ahead of us, and by a cow trough two more very wayward golf balls were discovered. At a low wire fence which no one had seen until Scrumpy ran in to, there was a bit of a kerfuffle, when JB held it down for others to cross but (accidentally??) released it just as Phil crossed over it. At an identical low wire a bit further along, Phil, keen not to repeat the incident, decided to get across it long before JB got anywhere near.

Dropping back into the car park over the stile we couldn't find at the start, we completed a good new walk of 3.4 miles in 1 hour 40 minutes. We checked in at the counter inside but opted to sit outside in the garden area which was bathed in the morning sun. There was plenty of choice on the menu and with orders placed we soon had our coffees and four teas served. (And you thought the blog title was a typo)! The plates were large and when you consider a flat mushroom and two half's of grilled tomato take up a lot of space, its no wonder the toast was served separately.

With stunning views over the Dorset countryside this has to be one of the most picturesque locations we have eaten for a long time. And with plenty of room inside for typical British weather, I'm sure well be back again before too long.