Saturday 28th January ‘23. DH, BFS, DL, JB, Sully & Albus
With the Bruton and Cary bunch all unavailable this week, it was just one car load of Wincanton based walkers that arrived at Sturminster Newton old market car park a little after 9.00 after a slow run down through Templecombe, Henstridge and Stalbridge stuck behind either a slow moving bus or Sunday drivers out a day early. Albus used the slow journey to get more acquainted
with Sully by cuddling in close to him in the back of the car.
Once the ticket was paid for and we all had our boots on we headed off down the trailway and through the area that was once the platform. A new notice board on the right hand side explains the formation and subsequent demise of the Somerset & Dorset joint railway along with the routes of the old and current lines and some photos of the Shillingstone station towards which we were heading.
The overnight temperature had been around zero again so although there was no frost, the ground was firm enough although starting to get a bit softer in places. We passed on through a couple of gates and into a field with cattle at the far end, so back on the leads the dogs went until we cleared that area. Once through the next gate which was mostly underwater, our path beared half left as we inched closer to the river to take the diagonal across the field. There was clear evidence that only recently the grass had been underwater for some time as it lay flat across the top and there was still a lot of standing water just on the surface, which is places was still frozen and slippery. We skirted around the really low lying areas and were soon at the banks of the river ready to cross a small bridge over an adjoining stream. Dereyk saw this as a great opportunity to get a good picture of Albus, although unfortunately Albus was not on the same wavelength and was more keen to get across the bridge to run along with Sully again. The next bridge took us over the main cascade as the river dropped down a few feet whilst a smaller section led on towards Fiddleford Mill and what is now a hydro power plant.
The principal parts of Fiddleford Manor started as a small stone manor house around 1370 for William Latimer, then Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset. It has undergone many changes since, but the splendid timber roofs over the great hall and solar are said to be the most spectacular in Dorset. With the old mill on the far bank, we paused briefly to read about the hydropower station before stopping for a while longer to attempt to decipher the messages carved into the stone on an old riverside barn. Despite much ‘Googling’ I have so far been unable to find any further information about these two stones, but if anyone has a bit of spare time on their hands, it would be great to work out what they actually say sometime. (Postcript - see end of article).
Continuing through the small village we turned off again into fields at the far end and made our way in a generally eastwards direction keeping to the edge of fields rather than following the right of way through the middle of them. At one point a large flock of sheep safely behind a long run of electric fence took off at the sight of Sully as he appeared around the corner, unlike last weeks that were far more curious of him. Brian and John were having a good chat about their time in the hills and dales of West Yorkshire and the merits of the paths and summits of Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent, the Yorkshire three peaks. Crossing through a gap in the hedge we were soon out on a minor road and heading north, with the view across to Duncliffe woods just starting to become clearer as the skies brightened slowly. Once we reached the trailway and were clearly on the return leg, the weekly lollies were soon dispensed and as the two of us with sweeter teeth slowly munched on them we came across a path side seat that was just crying out to be sat on. It was an obvious opportunity for this weeks selfie and a good spot to just ease the legs and back a bit as we sat and watched the world go by for a few minutes. At one point we were the centre of a slight road block with two cyclists appearing from our left and a lady on a very large horse approaching from our right. Seeing the dogs and cyclists, she opted to keep the horse still whilst the track cleared of bikes before slowly walking past us and our very well behaved canine friends.
Time was creeping on and with the table booked for 11.00 we were soon back on our feet again as we continued the walk back into Stur. As we approached the bridge over the river we could see a fisherman on the bank playing out his line and when we stood on it and talked to a family with their own golden retriever, we discovered he had just caught a small fish, which he quickly unhooked and cast back in, one lucky little fish today.
Arriving back onto the old station area, Albus lost all signs of any dignity as Dereyk got him cleaned up ready to enter the cafe, whereas Sully was clean on top but had a very dirty undercarriage from the fields and dirt track, which without a trip to a large body of water was not being cleaned off in a hurry. On the rear of the new sign seen whilst heading out some 90 minutes earlier there was some more photos and information about the area, which we didn’t have time to stand and read so a quick photo and we were soon across the car park and up through the shops to the Stur of the moment cafe. A walk of 4.2 miles with an very good average speed of 2.2 mph, mainly due no doubt to being a smaller group and having encountered less obstructions on the route than normal.
We were seated on the table in the middle of the small front room, close to three elderly ladies sat in leather tub chairs in one corner of the room as they met for their Saturday morning coffee. All were keen to initially stroke Sully as he passed but not so keen as he got closer with his grubby feet and belly, although he was quite happy to collapse down onto the floor to await the delivery of breakfasts and hopefully some titbits. This week we were all rather conservative in our size of breakfasts, opting for the mid sized ‘moment’ with just 1 each of sausage, bacon and egg. The drinks, toast and breakfast were quickly delivered, and of course swiftly and eagerly consumed. Sully and Albus were very well behaved and suitably rewarded with a doggie biscuit from the cafe staff (as well as some toast and sausage which ‘fell’ off the plates).
All in all another good morning, a pleasant walk, good company, well behaved dogs (despite leaving behind a very dirty cafe floor) and a cracking breakfast. That’s the first month of the year completed, the weather will hopefully be turning a little warmer and drier each week now as we look forward to more Saturday morning get togethers, and who knows what else else we can achieve this year.
Postcript - courtesy of John
Fiddleford inscription date 1566
Let him com friendly he shal be welcom
A frynd to the owner and enemy to no man
Pass all here freely to com when they can
For the tale of trothe I do always professe
Miller be true disgrace not thy vest
If falsehood appere the fault shal be thine
And of sharpe ponshment think me not unkind
Therefore to be true yt shall the beehove
to please god chefly that livery above
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