The Wessex Ridgeway 2014
Day Four: 9th September
Weather: Sunny for a change ha ha.
Route: Heytesbury to Donhead St Mary - 18 Miles
After the
pub quiz of day three I slept well and woke to another
bright day. A shared breakfast table with a photographer,
and a good chat about cameras and I was ready for another
day on the Wessex Ridgeway. I nipped next door to the
village shop to buy a sandwich for the day, only to be told
they didn’t have any. So I nipped back to the Red Lion and
they knocked me up a sandwich in no time – well done the Red
Lion, Heytesbury – good service and a pleasant stay.
On with the
day, and what a long day it turned out to be, with my main
memory being how friendly people can be to a complete
stranger. I suppose it helps that I don’t look like an axe
murderer. A short walk along the main street of Heytesbury
took me back to the Wessex Way and out across pasture to
cross the River Wylye near Mill Farm. Crystal clear water
and a healthy looking river bed, I could imagine fishermen
spending many a happy hour pondering life while staring into
the fast flowing waters. The first couple of miles were
across cow pasture and narrow hedged lanes to pass under the
railway and into Corton village. Each small hamlet that I
passed through on the Wessex Ridgeway had some wonderful
architecture on show, with a vast array of different styles
on show. Really nice to look at as I passed by. The local
pub had thatched cob walls and a fresh coat of white wash,
with a large beech tree with bench underneath affording me a
couple of minutes to retie my boot laces. It was all uphill
from Corton to reach the higher ground, initially on a farm
track uphill, and then along a tarmac lane to reach Corton
Field Barn where the route heads south. Once up on the top
the track gently undulates for a few miles into the woods at
Great Ridge. The views to either side of the track were over
vast fields recently harvested, but distant views were very
hazy – a theme for the week really. It made a pleasant
change to be walking through the woodland at Rowdean Hill
with much dappled sunlight and a little bit cooler air. As
you would expect in woodland the birdlife flitted ahead of
me and it was very quiet in there, with no gunshot to shake
me from my reverie. There was quite a lot of mature larch
felling going on due to Ramorum disease – a fungus like
pathogen that easily spreads, which was a shame, but I
suppose it regenerates and allows regrowth from the forest
floor. I had to be careful not to miss a sign on post that
guided me south again off the main forest track running
east.. Thankfully it was dry through the edges of the forest
and there were a bunch of pheasants running ahead of me,
enjoying life while they could. It’s been interesting seeing
how the game keepers are managing the woods and the game
bird enclosures, with small exits and entrances allowing
free passage of the birds, but not so easy for foxy to creep
in and have a snack. Once I’d cleared the woods I found a
suitable spot for lunch and whiled away a little time
watching the buzzards soaring on some thermals on the
adjacent hillside. On my way again it was mostly downhill
along a green lane through tall grasses and a hedged road
into the village of Hindon. I passed two pubs at the
crossroads – as it was warm and thirsty work today I popped
into the Lamb Inn for a swift pint of shandy – very
refreshing on a sunny day. But time waits for no man and I
made my way down through the main street and out once more
to another steady ascent along a fenced track, chased along
by a tractor out to spray his fields. After a mile of track
the Wessex Ridgeway phenomenon appeared once more – the path
less trod. An overgrown passage through tall grass and
nettles, to catch you out at every turn, which tended to
slow progress down a little. If you’re out this way at the
height of summer you’d need a walking pole to
hack the way clear –
I just shimmied in and out of the swaying fronds – annoying
and quite stingy as you can imagine. The route took me
uphill all the way for another mile to Knoyle Corner before
dropping down through a couple of large wheat fields, where
the combine harvester was sheltering in the corner having a
well earned rest. There is an awful stretch of path near
Summerleaze Farm where I was badly nettled, and it was so
overgrown it was difficult to see where the path went
through the trees. But I eventually popped out onto a
descent path up through fields passing Abbot’s Pond which is
fenced off to keep the cattle away – bit of an oddity this
one as it is in the middle of a sloping field – presumably
it was made to supply water to the local farms, or was it an
old fish pond? More fields, and more up and down took me to
the small hamlet of Newtown where a couple of ladies were
busy chatting away the afternoon. I politely asked them if
they would fill my water bottle as I still had around 4
miles left to walk. No problem, but I’d kept hold of the
bottle top and five minutes later the lady came out
apologizing that she had lost the top – I felt bad about
that, but people have been so friendly ,very open and
friendly. I’m sure I could have had a cuppa if I’d asked
nicely.
With four
miles left to go the route took me on an undulating path,
passing Wardour Castle, a large mansion which the Wessex
Ridgeway passes in front of, and through more pasture to Old
Wardour where the remains of the castle are. Some delightful
old tracks to walk along, with tired legs taking me past
more ponds, into a wood and down into Donhead St Andrew. I
quite fancied a pint at the pub but it was shut until the
evening and as my B&B was in the village of Donhead St Mary,
another mile uphill I didn’t hang around. A small footbridge
took me over the River Nadder and 20 minutes later after an
uphill trek I walked through an apple orchard to the church.
Here I met
John Arbuckle, the man behind
Wessex
shepherdshuts and a real gentleman. I stopped to ask the
whereabouts of my B&B and he said there wasn’t one in the
village. A bit startled I thought I had made a mistake, but
he invited me into his house and did a quick internet search
for me. Sure enough he knew the house and decided to guide
me there as his dogs needed a walk. It’s a good job really
as I may have missed the house! After a quick stroll he
deposited me at Rose Cottage and said he would join me down
at The Foresters in Donhead St Andrew for an evenings
refreshment. After a quick shower and a walk back to his
house, he drove me down to the pub where we enjoyed a very
convivial evening and a good meal.
Today showed
what people are
really like, kind helpful and friendly – all is not so bad
with this world of ours. A long day of varying landscape,
and sunny yet again. Will it ever rain?
the River Wylye, lovely and clear - I wouldn't drink from it though
out along the floodplain from Donhead St Andrew
Mill Farm which sits alongside a small weir on the River Wylye - Hardy country
under the railway at Corton
another 'interesting' building in Corton
thatched Cob walls in Corton
on the road up to Corton Field Barn, looking back to Donhead St Andrew
shady places on the Wessex Ridgeway
the long staright-ish farm track on the way to the Great Ridge forest
big fields but unfortunately hazy views to the north once more
dappled light across the tracks through the woods
lovely mature larch with plenty of light getting through the canopy above
the main east-west firebreak at the top of Great Ridge
a handy marker post as the route turns south once more - the path a little rougher and wet through here
out of the pheasant woods and down towards my lunch spot
green lane on the way down to the A303 road
off the Ox Drove track and up through fields on the way to Hindon
a small field of barley before I walk into the village of Hindon
the main street down to the crossroads and pubs
out of Hindon and the steady ascent up a farm track
and the rough track along the county boundary - out of Wiltshire and into Dorset with my right foot
more woods up to Knoyle Corner
and a lovely lane down the other side
which led to another green lane downhill
given the size of some of the fields around here this harvester must have been working hard this summer
looking back up to the woods at Knoyle Corner. Parched earth
no stepping stones here, just logs - lovely and slimy when wet - I'd rather wet boots thanks
after the trevails of the Summerleaze path it was a joy to walk uphill on open ground
the Abbot's Pond
some of the crop was left intact around the field margins - presumably for the game birds to cower in come the inglorious twelth
another random trig point - there's plenty of these on the Wessex Ridgeway
lovely rolling countryside, pleasant in the sunshine
management of the field margins is taking place in a lot of places here, helping to regenerate native grasslands
on the road to the castle
New Wardour Castle - the path passes in front of the building, but the way isn't marked too well
nice to be on sheep pasture across to the Old Wardour Castle
a short cut before I got to the Old Castle, below Cresswell's Pond
the turrets of Old Wardour Castle above the pond
a nice bridleway to walk along towards the Donheads
Nower's Copse just before Donhead St Andrew
Park Pond - one of a series running down the valley to the River Nadder
a bit of shade before reaching Donhead St Andrew
the small footbridge over the Nadder on the way up to Donhead St Mary
the last stretch to the village through a new cider apple orchard
One of the Wessex Shepherd Huts looking splendid in the sunshine
