Saturday 11th May '24 DH, RW, TO, DL, JB, Scrumpy, Albus & Maisie
The hottest day of the year was waiting for us today so dressed in a mix of long and short sleeve shirts and with a few pairs of white legs on display, we met in the Kings Arms car park at Charlton Horethorne just before 9.00am.
Our route today was to the west of the village and so, once we had checked we were OK to park in the pub car park we headed off past the village shop in a northerly direction along the appropriately named North Road. After 100 yards or so we took a small lane to our left and then a small track heading towards the fields in a westerly direction. as we continued through a small patch of trees we could see glimpses of the rear patio of the pub and already start to see the valley sides in front of us.
Once into the clear open space, the size and beauty of the wide valley or coombe, known as The Cleve slowly opened up as it gentle curved around slightly to our right. We passed through a couple of muddy gateways as we very gently climbed up the valley and past the herd of cows who were settled higher up the slopes to our right. As we came to the head of the valley it split into a longer left branch with a large flock of sheep being tended to by the farmer and a much shorter one to the right, but we could see a post marking our path up the far slope which we headed for to climb out of the valley. We passed through a gate and then walked along the edge of a field with an emerging crop of corn benefitting from the warmer weather of recent days to exit onto the road at Sigwells.
There was some discussion about being at this point a couple of years ago on a walk when advice was sought from a local lady as to which way to go, and then totally ignored as it didn't appear to be taking them in the right direction. This time we knew we had to turn left and continue along the road for a good kilometre. Just a 100m or so along we went past the old control tower of the former RNAS Charlton Horethorn which opened in 1942 as a training airfield for the nearby RNAS Yeovilton. The site was originally planned as a satellite station for RAF Exeter for No. 10 Group of RAF Fighter Command and construction started in the summer of 1941. The landing strip was grass rather than tarmac and few permanent buildings apart from the control tower and two blister hangars, with aircraft being protected by blast pens. Ground defence was provided by the Somerset Light Infantry.
It opened as an RAF station on 10 July 1942 and was made available for use by the Royal Navy and 886 and 887 Squadrons, who flew Fairey Fulmars were the first to occupy the site, soon to be replaced by 790 Naval Air Squadron. Various squadrons subsequently used the station either while undergoing training and preparation for service or for fighter interception training for Air Direction Radar operators or flight controllers who were trained at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron).
In August 1942 891 Naval Air Squadron transferred from RNAS Lee-on-Solent where it had been formed to Charlton Horethorne with six Sea Hurricanes to prepare for carrier operations, later transferring to RNAS St Merryn and then embarking on HMS Dasher to take part in Operation Torch. Other squadrons posted to the base during 1942 included: 782, 879 and 809 Naval Air Squadrons.
On 1 December 1942 Charlton Horethorne was formally transferred from the RAF to the Admiralty and designated as HMS Heron II, which had previously been at RNAS Haldon. In 1943 a new watch tower was built, more runways laid out in the grass and further hangars built. Further squadrons were temporarily stationed at the base with 780 Squadron staying the longest. In 1945 the base was taken over by RAF Maintenance Command who used it for storage until the end of 1947. It then became a satelitte training field for RAF Old Sarum and kept on a Care and Maintenance basis until it was de-requisitioned and returned to farmland.
We passed a couple of farms and at a road junction on top of Corton Hill we turned back for home and followed a path along the top of the sheep filled part of the valley from earlier in the walk. A slight error on my part saw us walk away from the valley top for a short period before we turned and got back on track as we continued to loose height as we tracked across the southern side of The Cleeve with views ahead of us towards Stowell. Just before entering the residential area we paused for this weeks group photo and then followed the not so level 'Level Lane' onto Cowpath Lane (another new section of the Monarchs way) and down past the back of the primary school to the main road opposite the Lych gate of the parish church.
Having driven along this road many a time I have never before seen the Mile Stone on the wall below the old semi detached cottages which face the church. equally I have never noticed that these four cottages are numbered 647 to 650, and along with cottages 638 to 640 south of the village and a row of cottages numbered 653 to 660 further along North Road than we walked, it begs the question of where the numbering starts and even what the highest number is in the range. I am aware of 2 cottages numbered 742 and 743 near the medieval village of Whitcombe and this recent discovery could confirm that they are the estate properties of a previously large estate . I would personally be interested to hear of any more high numbered properties around the area.
We completed todays walk around 1045 and we estimate it was around 4 miles, but unfortunately my route tracking stopped mid walk today. Rich and Trevor had other plans to get back home for so just the 3 of us from Wincanton headed back into town for breakfast at Cale Park cafe. We parked by the new retirement home and although there was an outdoor table available we opted to go into the shade. We all went for lighter breakfasts today although I compensated by having the biggest pot of tea for one I have ever had, and I even managed to drink most of it! Another great location walked for the first time for all of us, and less than 15 minutes from home. How many more such wonders are still out there to be discovered?
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