Monday 13th February 2017 - Report by Lynne Axford

Despite a very cold wind, it was sunny and dry when thirteen bipeds and two quadrupeds, set out from Tarrant Keyneston on 13th February. It was a circular route of 5.75 miles, commencing at the “True Lover’s Knot” public house, quite appropriate for Valentine’s week!

We walked through the charming village and then on reaching open countryside we crossed over the road by the weir of the River Tarrant, and followed its path until we came to the church of St Mary of Tarrant Crawford. This beautiful old church was surrounded by snowdrops and nestled amongst the trees beside the river. We needed to press on, so decided to visit inside the church on our way back, and study the frescoes.

We continued uphill through fields and passed the site of the remains of Tarrant Abbey. After crossing over the main road at Spetisbury, we followed the old railway path that runs adjacent to the village. A slight detour took us up to the old hill fort of Spetisbury Rings, where we had magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. On our descent we stopped off at Spetisbury station for our coffee break. This derelict place has some interesting information regarding the old station and details of its journeys from Bristol and Bath. It also has plenty of seats and tables to enjoy a short respite.

Crossing back over the A350, we headed for Keyneston Mill, traversing bridges over the River Stour. Despite the many rivers and streams we crossed, the ground was not very muddy. After completing our circle back to the church, and a brief stop, we headed back to the pub for a well earned meal and drink.