Looking Back at March Walks Part 2

9th April 2021 (12:00am - 12:00am)

Looking Back at Walks Over The Last Twenty Years

March Walks Part 2

At the end of this part of the March walks I intend to take a break. The Walking holidays used to take place in April and since each holiday included at least three walks, the preparation for the next article will require a lot more work. With the end of the lockdown hopefully in sight, more of my time will also be taken up by my other activities with the Westland Shooting Club and the Scouts.

I hope members have been able to take the time to look at these articles and get some enjoyment from them.

March Walks - Part 2
Year	Date	Place	Pub
2011	29/03	Butleigh	The Rose and Portcullis
2012	27/03	Chilthorne Domer	The Carpenters Arms
2013	26/03	Buckland Newton	The Gaggle of Geese
2014	25/03	Yeovil	Penn Mill Hotel
2015	25/03	Sherborne	The Half Moon
2016	15/03	Montacute	The Kings Arms
2017	14/03	Norton sub Hambdon	The Lord Nelson
2018	20/03	Holton	The Old Inn
2019	19/03	Limington	The Lamb and Lark
2020	17/03	Yeovil	The Quicksilver Mail

2011

This was the second walk from The Rose and Portcullis at Butleigh.

This time we walked to Kingweston and Barton St David before returning to Butleigh for lunch

At lunch time Ronnie White cajoled most of those present to sponsor him for running in The London Marathon. The money was to go to St Margarets Hospice

Butleigh Cross on the way to Kingweston

The group picture taken near Kingweston. This was one of those walks when, at times, it was almost raining.

In Barton St David

A heart shaped “fairy ring” in a field near Barton St David

When we first encountered this lamb it was laid under a stile that we were going to climb over and the mother was getting very agitated. However, the lamb responded to her calls and went to her.

At this stream crossing the first stile was made out of stone slabs stood on edge. The second stile was a more modern one

John and Ann looking happy

Everybody tucking in to a very good meal

Tony, club chairman at that time, presenting the landlady with a token of our appreciation of her work and that of her staff. The landlady, Sue, was soon to retire to her home village of Barton St David and the pub to change hands

2012

This was another walk from The Carpenters Arms at Chilthorne Domer. It followed a very similar route to that of the later, and already described, February 2015 walk, taking us to Yeovil Marsh and then circling northwards towards The Warren and returning to The Carpenters by way of Halfway House. The big difference was the weather.

The Carpenters Arms on a fine day

The group in the carpark of The Carpenters

Ashley and Carl having a chat in the lane below Vagg Copse

Doreen without her normal colourful boots

Violets and primroses

A lovely magnolia in Chilthorne

Chilthorne Domer Church

This picture say’s everything that we need to know about the day, the time of year and the weather

Climbing over the style by the listed Loo.

2013

This is the only walk we’ve done from the Gaggle of Geese at Buckland Newton. The route took us up Bladely Hill to cross the “Giants Head” Road, (The Sherborne to Dorchester road). We then dropped down to Mintern Parva Farm before circling northwards to Park Pale and re-crossing the main road at Gales Hill to return to The Gaggle of Geese

During the course of this walk we came across a badger set with evidence of recent activity and encountered a number of roe deer.

Comparing hats and car mascots in the carpark of The Gaggle of Geese

Waiting to start the walk

You don’t see one of these parked in somebody’s garden everyday.

The group on the edge of Pit Plantation

On the descent towards Mintern Parva Farm

The field we had just crossed consisted of a wet and particularly clinging clay making it necessary to clean large clumps of it from our boots before continuing the walk.

A pause on the climb back up the ridge from Mintern Parva

The entrance to the carpark at The Gaggle of Geese

Lunch being served

2014

Walk from The Pen Mill Hotel, Yeovil. The walk took us over Wyndham Hill, through Ninesprings to Rustywell and then returned along the line of the old railway to Pen Mill.

Since our previous walk from Pen Mill work has started on building new houses on this piece of ground next to the hotel

The group at the foot of Wyndham Hill early in the walk

A pause by the children’s playground in Ninesprings

Passing the peacock mosaic in Ninesprings

Young members of “Screwfix” staff working on the play area at the top of Ninesprings

A pause at the upper end of Southwoods

The site of the Great Western Railway turntable and engine shed at Pen Mill

Taking off muddy boots before going in to lunch

At Lunch in The Pen Mill Hotel

2015

Walk from The Half Moon at Sherborne. The route took us to the northern end of Sherborne, through the Quarr Nature Reserve and out towards Sandford Orcas. It returned us by way of sheeplands and Combe.

Listening to the briefing in the Half Moon carpark

The front of Sherborne Abbey Church

A contrast in architecture. The “Tin Chapel” at the junction of the Marston Road and Combe. Originally the Baptist Chapel now the home of The Amateur Players of Sherborne. These Victorian, corrugated iron clad buildings are becoming increasingly rare

The group in the Quarr Nature Reserve

In Quarr Lane on the descent to the Sandford Orcas road

On Trent Path Lane

The entrance to Sherborne School

Looking across The Abbey Church Yard towards The Half Moon

Ron and Nick tucking into their food

2016

Walk from The Kings Arms, Montacute. I have notes of three walks from Montacute, two from The Kings Arms and the other, in 2004, may have been from The Phelips Arms but I don’t have any definite information on that walk.

The March 2016 walk took us to the top of Hollow Lane by way of Ladies Walk and then across Ham Hill to the war memorial. We then walked along the west side of the hill to drop down into Stoke under Ham and returned to our starting point by way of East Stoke.

Waiting in the garden and car parking area behind The Kings Arms

Leaving The Kings Arms to walk through The Borough

A view of Montacute from Ladies Walk

At the top of Hollow Lane. A pause before crossing the Odcombe Road to walk across the head of Witcombe

Walking across the head of Witcombe before the short, steep climb to Butchers Hill

The group at a set of standing stones that align with the rising sun on Midsummer’s Day

Walking past The Prince of Wales, which has provided the starting point for a number of our walks

Negotiating a stile by The Vicarage at Stonehill, East Stoke.

Crossing the recreation ground at Montacute, near the end of the walk

2017

As far as I’m aware this was the second time we had walked from The Lord Nelson at Norton Sub Hamdon. The previous time had been in April 2012.

The route took us eastwards as far as Bagnell Farm and then turned towards Chiselborough. We skirted the southern and western sides of Chiselborough to return to our starting point.

Booting up ready for the walk. If you’re going to walk any distance in the countryside, a pair of comfortable and waterproof boots, with good grips, are essential

Waiting for the off

On a track from Greenham Cross towards Bagnell Farm

On the climb towards Grintley Lane on Chiselborough Hill. Note the ploughed state of the ground. This is caused by badgers looking for food.

The group by the southern end of Grintley Lane on Chiselborough Hill. The slope doesn’t look as steep from here as it did from the bottom

Walking on the track around the base of Pen Hill on the edge of Chiselborough

Little Street in Norton sub Hambdon

He’s been waiting for the pub to open for some time.

Enjoying lunch

2018

This walk was the first we had made from Holton and, in my experience, probably the first through lying snow.

The route took us from the Old Inn at Holton to Maperton, across the A303 to Elliscombe Farm and then back across the A303 through Higher Holton to our starting point at The Old Inn

Being briefed by Mike in the pub carpark

This stile consisted of a large stone slab on edge and many of the members needed help to get over it

Almost pristine snow

Much of the snow had melted but it remained where it had drifted against and in the lee of the hedges

A walled garden near Mapperton

Does this remind you of anybody?

Drifted snow near Elliscombe

The group on Gibbet Road

Back at The Old Inn

2019

Over the years we’ve walked from The Lamb and Lark at Limington on several occasions. This time our walk took us to Yeovilton village and then to Northover, Ilchester and back to Limington. It didn’t rain but there had been a lot of rain over the days before the walk and the ground was soft and very muddy in places.

We took a group picture in the early part of the walk, outside Limington Church.

In my notes on one of the earlier walks from The Lamb and Lark I remarked on the challenge this type of stile could present.

The muddy approach to Two Arch Sluice

Some stiles can be awkward to get over and this stile was worse than most. There were almost as many ways of climbing over it as we had members walking. Some were not very successful and it caused a lot of amusement.

An Archimedean screw turbine generating electricity near Hainbury Mill.

Climbing over the flood protection bank from Back Lane in Ilchester

Some people will find a way to avoid the mud

One of our one time walkers at the front door to greet our return

At lunch

2020

The March 2020 Yeovil walk from The Quicksilver Mail proved to be the last we were able to do prior to the introduction of the National Lockdown to combat Covid19.

It involved a more than normal amount of road walking and took us westwards to Nash, then south and east to Placket Corner and Barwick before returning us by way of the Old Town Station site and Hendford Hill to The Quicksilver Mail.