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 of Melbury Sampford 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 Park Cottage, another of the gate lodges. 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 Chetnole 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, making them ideal for bog gardens, pond edges, or damp meadows.

It was cooler in the woods as we stretched out again like an accordion and then bunched back again at the closed gates. The gates were keeping in a flock of sheep with their young although the next gate was wide open allowing the sheep access to a couple of areas. As we passed the small thatched boat house on the edge of Lucerne Lake, those who had completed this loop before knew that it wasn’t long now until we reached the bottom of the long steady climb. As if to keep us cool when most needed, there were a few drops of rain falling as we rounded the bottom bend to see the hill in front of us, although it caused a few hoods to be raised it didn’t come to much.

It was certainly full steam ahead at the front, steady as you go in the middle and only a bit faster

than snails pace at the rear as we climbed through the fourteen, five metre contour lines (I’ll save you the maths - 70 metres) to the highest point of todays route. Adrian, John and a couple of the ladies summited first, whilst others stopped for short, (or more lengthy in my case), breathers to enjoy the scenery. Once over the top it was all downhill and back into the village, retracing our steps to the Acorn Inn. Unfortunately due to a GPS failure there is no track of the route, but it took us just shy of two hours to complete the four mile walk. A quick change of boots and attire for some then it was into the pub to catch up with our two earlier returnees, who had been for a good look around the village and even stopped for a photo outside of the bakery where Chris used to actually work the afternoon shift in his much younger days.

There was not enough room for us in the bar this time so we were allocated a long table in the room which doubles up as a skittle alley. Drinks were ordered at the bar then we didn’t have too long to wait for our main meals to come out. There were no issues at all with our pre orders and each plate being served to the table was preceded by a shout of the recipients name. From burgers to schnitzel and fish and chips to aubergine, the speed the chatter around the table fell to silence as everyone started eating indicated that the meals were being well enjoyed. There was not a great choice of desserts but those who wanted them all found something to their taste and after a good couple of hours at the table it was time to pop up to the bar to square up.

With everyone paid up, or so we thought, we started to say our farewells only to be interrupted as the lady lady came into the room asking for Sarah and Claire, who meals were at this point still outstanding. Clearly this came as quite a shock but was obviously an oversight of their husbands who had paid the bills. After a bit of ribbing they quickly worked out what had happened and sheepishly made their way out of the room behind the landlady to correct the errors.

It was certainly a very comical note on which to round of another successful Easter time walk and lunch with our ladies, as the next time we invite them all along will be the end of the summer as we close in on Autumn.