Sunday 24th April ‘22. Evershot & Melbury Park
DH, RW, AC, PCL, DL, IP, DH, SW, RC, CCL, ML, JP, Sully, Scrumpy, Newton & Nimbus
Behind every good man who is permitted to walk on Saturday mornings is a good wife who stays at home, no doubt to do many jobs whilst the house is empty, and so it is only right that once in a while, we do the honourable thing and invite them along to join us. Having last walked as an extended group before Christmas, the Sunday after Easter was selected for the next trip out, and a suitably impressive location and lunch had been saved just for the occasion.
Having organised the obligatory good weather, a dozen of us met with 4 dogs in the car park of the Acorn Inn, Evershot for a walk through Melbury Park, to be followed by a good Sunday lunch.
Having completed introductions amongst those new to the group, and Sully had been round to say Hi to everyone, we headed off down the very picturesque main road of Evershot, Dorset’s second highest village and one that has changed little since Thomas Hardy’s times. (More on that later). Once off the High Street, the route for todays walk was to take us on an anti-clockwise loop through Melbury Park and Melbury Samford, which forms the major part of the Ilchester estate.
We headed off up a gentle climb with wild garlic growing on both banks and bluebells just starting to make their way through the undergrowth, a good steady pace with Sully ahead as usual followed closely by Adrian. The other walkers were settling into their group conversations and it was good to see everyone mixing, as if we’d all known each other for years. Once on top of the rise, a good steady downhill took us closer to the A37 where we could see the traffic flying along, and at the bottom as we approached Lucerne Lake it was time for the dogs to go back onto leads as we entered our first field of sheep. The woolly flock didn't look too impressed with us approaching and so headed off further down the field, but in the direction we were heading. At the north west corner of the lake a thatched 19th century boathouse looked more suited to the Norwegian lakes, but the view across the lake from it were very peaceful.
Whilst the men discussed the merits of a thatched property for their bottom of garden ‘man caves’, the ladies were already getting acquainted with the sheep who were now rather more inquisitive and daring to come closer. Once through the next gate, a delightful stream was trickling down the side of a wooded areas, although our route was to take us further north until we came to the entry track from the A37, where we turned left, across a cattle grid and into the parkland by a quaint old gate lodge cottage.
Walking up the driveway with mature specimen trees randomly dispersed amongst the grass and sheep wandering freely we could have been in any country park, it was like my younger days walking through Chatsworth Park and certainly brought back some childhood memories. It was a steady climb and with the skies clearing and the spring sun getting warmer by the minute, many of us who had started with jackets or jumpers on decided it was time to shed a layer. For Claire who had started the walk wearing a woolly bobble hat she must have felt like she had passed from winter to summer in less than an hour. It was of course past the half way point now so Dereyk took the opportunity to reach deep into his rucksack to provide the usual wide selection of lolly’s and other childrens sugary treats. As always greatfully received by all!
Suitably reenergised, we joined the main tree lined avenue and headed up towards Melbury House, the grade 1, 16th Century Manor House with the 15th century Church of St Mary to its left. Heading to the right we crossed through the gate in the deer park as we headed back towards Evershot. The grounds looked great as we strained our eyes to spot the deer, first a group on the far slopes were seen and then a smaller number a bit closer by a small lake, with patches of pink rhododendron adding to the vista. A steady climb up and through the exit gate then it was all downhill to the edge of the park where we joined only 2 hours earlier. Back up through the high street and we were in the Acorn car park about 30 minutes before we were due at the table for lunch. Iain prepared the drinks list whilst boots were changed and dogs fed, and as our table was all ready for us we decided to take our seats in the bar area for those well deserved drinks. The dogs also suitable tired out crashed on the cool floor as we looked around the intriguing interior of the old pub, which Thomas Hardy visited and is said to have used as the pub in his novel ‘Tess of the Durbervilles’. Our literary correspondent confirmed this fact following a trip to the other side of the pub, although we were too transfixed on the Yard of Ale times on the board to actually discuss the Hardy involvement much more. Did anyone find out what PIA meant?
Our choice of menus decided, the waitress moved along the table taking the orders, Sarah obviously oblivious to what was happenening made us all laugh when she, on being expected to place her choice, decided it was far more polite to great the waitress with a very startled ‘Hello’!
With not loo long to wait, the platefuls of roasts were very well received by all, with clear plates up and down the tables. Desserts and coffees followed for some to round of a great day.
As we gathered to bid our farewells, or to grab cuddles in Adrian’s case, I think the consensus of options were that it was a good walk with cracking lunch that made for a really friendly and enjoyable day out. With talk already turning to a repeat to the area for many at a later date it was agreed that we will repeat the ladies day again in the late summer with an evening walk and pub meal.
