Saturday 26th October ‘24. DH, AC, PCL, DL, JB
It was a cold start and the mist hung over the A303 and surrounding fields as the Wincanton trio made our way via Gillingham to this weeks RV outside a SPAR in the middle of a housing estate in the hill top town of Shaftesbury. Having left Bruton some 15 minutes before we did it was no surprise to see Adrian’s car already waiting, although it sounds like the sat nav had a few difficulties getting them to the right spot.
As we got out and started putting boots on, the temperature was rising, skies were clearing and pockets of blue sky appearing. so again there was the question of what to wear. Most of us opted to keep with the coats but Adrian being more confident of it all improving throughout the morning decided to go without his coat this week. As we headed out down a small track we passed a farm yard with plenty of keep out warning signs around the walls and fences and to emphasise the need to stay out, a large scrap metal dinosaur sculpture looking fiercely down from high on a gate post, Our route took us along a narrow track between high hedging which apart from having to avoid a few canine ‘land mines’ was initially damp but not too slippery.
However further along the track deteriorated into a muddy mire which we had to skirt around before finally coming out alongside a tall fence around the Blackmore Vale Dairy site.
Info from their website: BV Dairy was established in 1958 and we have come a long way since our award-winning Clotted Cream was first sold in the local area. Started by the Highnam family, in 2024 BV Dairy joined the First Milk family, becoming part of this British farmer-owned regenerative co-operative. Over the years, both the business and the range of speciality products has grown and developed to form one of the most respected and successful dairies in the South West of England today.
Just past the main gates we turned right down a track leading to Higher Wincombe Farm where we then turned right again heading eastwards along a track we have previously used to return back towards the end of our walks. The path took us across the top of the Wincombe Park estate which includes a Grade 11 listed house set in wooded parkland with two lakes, which are said to be fishponds of the Abbess of Shaftesbury, near the source of the River Nadder.There was some discussion about the formation and history of the large ditches and earthworks in the woods at an area called Great Hanging but I can find nothing about them on the web I’m afraid.At the top of the path which we have previously climbed out of the valley along, we stopped to regroup and despite being a fraction under half way Dereyk took advantage of the time stationary to pass around this weeks lollies. No large gob stopper for Adrian this week but I managed to grab a lime green sour one for a change, think I’ll stick to fruit flavours in future.
Despite a few stops on the way we were making good time so we pushed on along the ridge-line towards Windwhistle Corner and took the right track at the junction heading southwards. The leaves were starting to fall off the trees but there was only a thin layer on the track today, no doubt in a matter of days now there will be a bigger drop and more leaves to push on through. We passed a rather splendid but isolated house on the left side, with a lovely old Dovecot which looked like it had been refurbished to make a stunning quiet garden room. Just a bit further along at a gateway into an open field, we all gasped at the wonderful autumnal view as we looked south west towards the Win Green ridgeline, with the sunlight bouncing off of some rooftops in a nearby village and the last remains of the morning mist still clinking on in places. Those of us with camera took a few shots whilst Adrian proceeded to tell us exactly what he would do, if only he had his camera with him. John was so moved with his tale of woe that he then explained that he would have played a great tune on his violin, if only he had that with him.
After all the photos were taken, we decided that it was also a great backdrop for this weeks groupie. Moving on down the track it started dropping downhill as we took a pathway off to our right which lead us through a large area of mature native trees, although we did have to divert around a large rootstock at one point that was blocking the path after a recent fall. At the bottom we encountered our first stile of the day which was safely negotiated, although John did linger for a bit afterwards on the far side to do a spot of horse whispering with a gentle white giant, who had more coats on that the rest of us put together. A sign on another stile reminded us we were on a portion of the 212 mile long Hardy Way,a long distance circular path running through Wessex and visiting many of the locations associated with Hardy and his books.
We passed through the bottom of Morgan’s Hanging and a small coombe before coming out into a group of properties near the hamlet of of Higher Coombe, dominated by a splendid stone house with a wisteria running around the front and parts of it behind a stone wall. We walked down the track and at this point Phil was shocked to see that the footpath signs had WCC on them, no realising that we had spent most of the walk so far in Wiltshire. We headed up a small track and then out into the open at the bottom of another wonderful Coombe with trees lining both sides as it climbed and narrowed.
John set off at a good pace and as we made steady progress more and more coats were unzipped or even removed as the sun and lack on wind suddenly caused the temperatures to rise. Adrian was keen to let us all know that we should have listed to his advice at the start. As we paused near the top and looked back at our tracks through the wet grass, it really was a most glorious sight. Yet again the cameras were out recording the scene, and yet again Adrian told us just how good a photo he would have taken if only he had his camera with him! At the to
Of the Coombe another tricky stile led into a field with just a few sheep almost silhouetted against the bright blue skies on the ridge line before we exited it again in the corner close to a large brick wall. Last time we came across this way the path leading behind the wall was quite clear but all the way along it this time it was quite overgrown with many brambles at low level causing us all to stumble and trip from time to time.
The wall is part of the boundary of the old St Mary’s school, which is now called Coombe House School, and includes the Dorset Centre of Excellence (despite it being in Wiltshire). As the wall ended the narrow track continued alongside the hedge but an open field on the other side offered the chance to get away from the brambles, and at the first opportunity we crossed over into it, where there was a clearly walked path being formed along the edge. Dereyk pushed on to ensure we could get back out of the field at the far end and as we were just dropping down a small slope he phoned to say it would be best if we stayed on the original pathway as it would be hard to get over the fence where he was. It was too late to turn back so we carried on but as we came closer to Dereyk we could see that a large eight foot high gate blocked our safe exit from the field. Clearly we had to find a way out so the more able climbed a fence to the side of the gate whereas Adrian and myself went on our backs through the small gap under the gate. A bit of a squeeze but we made it! Thankfully it was then just a short walk through the far side of the ‘dinosaur’ farm 🦕 and back to the cars. A bit of a longer walk mainly due to frequent stops and some slow going towards the end
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