Largest gathering to date

Sat 11 April ‘26. DH, RW, PCL, AC, PC, JB, CH, JS, DH, SW, CCL,RC, MC, AB, DH & JS

Three times a year we invite our good ladies to give up their peaceful Saturday morning and join ‘The Walking Dead’ on a walk followed by a pub lunch. This Easter we opted to go back to Evershot where we walked with our ladies back in 2022, and apart from Deryck and Maureen who were already away in eastern Germany, it was great to see all of our regulars and wives waiting for us as we arrived at the Car Park of The Acorn Inn. Unfortunately our journey down the back roads had been slower than anticipated as we avoided the road works on Hendford Hill and also around the village itself.

As soon as we had sorted out our footwear we set off down the unusually quiet High Street which was covered in ground work equipment and fences surrounding holes of different sizes and depths, as the old sewerage system is being slowly replaced. Passing some lovely typical Dorset village cottages we made our way to one of the entrance roads into Melbury Park, part of the huge Ilchester Estates for our clockwise walk through the grounds.

We were soon spread out up the driveway as a few of the ladies had clearly forgotten that we don’t walk as quick as they do these days. The driveway banks were bursting to overflowing with masses of primroses as we made our way gently uphill to the imposing iron gates hanging from large lion topped stone pillars almost dwarfing the small gatekeepers cottage. Although it would have benn great to make our grand entrance through them, I’m afraid my organising skills didn’t stretch that far. What I had managed to get right however was the weather. All through the preceding week it had been forecast to be grey and damp, but as we made our way deeper into the well manicured grounds, we were blessed with blue skies and some welcomed spring sunshine. As we gained more height though there was a cool breeze which justify the wearing of the thick’s coats, hats and gloves worn by many.

Pat the large open gates and cattle grid leading into the deer enclosure most took the small pedestrian gate to the side but there is always someone who wants to take the riskier route over the sunken iron bars - we don’t call him Adventurer Adrian for nothing!

The steady climb was soon forgotten as we descended steeply as the road took us through some very picturesque grounds, some trees and rhododendron bushes possibly planted as part of a landscaping schem but other areas had been left to provide shelter and nourishment for the residents. With eyes peeled we spotted our first deer over to the left and as then a lot more in the distance in a lovely wooded coombe, confirmed by Pete and binoculars.

We knew that a couple of this mornings walkers wouldn’t be contemplating the whole route with us today so before we left the deer park and headed to the front of the house, I called a halt to get the obligatory group photo with the northerly views right across to the Sherborne area as our backdrop. After a bit of coaxing we managed to get every spread out and facing the right direction, so with my trusty phone in hand I stepped a few paces infront to capture a good sharp photograph of the whole group, with the intention of just getting myself unobtrusively in the corner. However it woul appear that although I got the composition just right, that in my haste I had slid the setting ( or aperture in old camera speak) a bit too wide and selected portrait mode. Being non the wiser at the time, I was happy with my shot, but was exceptionally greatfully that a passing mum with her kids offered to take some of us all together. By switching out of selfie camera to the normal front facing one , she did manage to get a great memorable photo for the records. Although her attempts to turn us so we possibly captured some deer in the background didn’t come out so well. Next time we’ll have to book Brian and his tripod!

Having said farewell for now to our returnees who were heading back to The Acorn for some morning coffee, we passed through the pedestrian gate to exit the deer enclosure, although this time a few more took the risk and followed the adventurous lead over the grid. As we came to the front of the house, those who had not been here before probably felt like we all had on our first visit, ‘How is it that something so stunning, quiet and historical could possibly exist only a few miles from Yeovil’? As we looked down the mile long drive we could make out the houses and other buildings of Yeovil and by the looks of it they were all currently or had just been getting a bit of a drenching. (Postnote - they was a heavy hail storm ran through the area around this time)!

We crossed another cattle grid (yes you guessed it) and started the walk down the spectacular drive way, which must have been a wonderful sight years ago as horse drawn carraiges made their way up to the grand functions. Unfortunately for us the only horse power we came across (apart from a few grazing in enclosures to the left) was a small smelly oil tanker carrying a delivery of precious and pricey heavy oil for the houses heating. Glancing back at the house with the majority of shutters still over the many windows, it’s doubtful there were many residents ‘at home’ at this time of year. As we have said before, it’s a real shame there is no public access to the small church that stands to the side of the house. I’m sure it has an interesting interior.

Unusually these days for our Weekly walks, we had no four legged companions today so there was no worry as we came to the area where the large flock of sheep were either eating or resting today. We turned right down an access road to the A37, which is certainly a lot easier that going to the bottom of the drive and then through the one horse road of Melbury Osmond, and made our way down to another gate lodge. We managed to navigate the next cattle grid by which time I think the majority had given up going through the gate and had thrown all caution to the wind! Before we could cross the small stone bridge over a stream we had to stand aside to the level the fuel tanker back out. Judging by the time he had spent there it must have just a quick ‘splash and dash’ to keep the tanks filled up before the price rises again.

A short distance further along the driveway we came to the next gate lodge and whilst Pete and myself stopped to look at a really pretty blue flower which neither of us could identify, the group continued just following the person in front. By the time we had grabbed a photo to identify the plant later on, I glanced up to see everyone heading up to the A37 junction, have totally disregarded the public foot path (and associated sign posts) they had just crossed at ninety degrees to the drive. Where was the sheep dog when I needed it? A quick shout soon had them turning around to start the final leg up the eastern side of the estate. Postnote - for those with a botanical interest, the flowers turned out to be Camassia Leichtlinii, known as the Camas Lily, a native of North America they thrive best in moist, well-drained soil in full sun to light shade, making them ideal for bog gardens, pond edges, or damp meadows.