Mileaters Dewlish Walk

Taking advantage of the mild weather, 14 walkers headed for Dewlish on a warm but overcast day. Our aim was to negotiate a pleasant valley gaining a small amount of height to enjoy the view. We headed through a lovely valley which had been strimmed and the footbridges replaced recently. Anyone would have thought it was as if they knew we were coming. Despite the warm weather, with the grass being very long it was rather wet under foot. Sector grazing, by the dairy herd, had not reached the parts that Mileaters venture into. To add to this, once height was gained the ‘clag’ had descended so there were no views in any direction. On the way we encountered a large mountain of fresly dug soil being landscaped, “Who knows why”?

Gallows Corner was our coffee stop as you can see in the image. Apparently, the conjoining spot of several Parishes and deemed as good a place as any to hang fellons. After a brief passage between some curious cows our downward journey led us back towards the valley and the homeward leg. The Oak at Dewlish has changed very little in the past 15 yrs and the food was just as good.

Martin and Lesley

Martinstown Mileaters – Toller Porcorum

It’s a good time to get away. As schools returned, and holiday price levels fall from their exaggerated highs, many Mileaters takn the opportunity to go off on holiday. This left a select dozen members to enjoy a circular walk starting from Powerstock Common, part of Kingcombe Nature Reserve, and owned by the Dorset Wildlife Trust. We initially walked along the abandoned Maiden Newton to Bridport railway line to Toller Porcorum – a small village 10 miles north-west of Dorchester. Dorset village names can be fascinating. Toller was apparently the original name of the local river, which was possibly in turn named after Ethelread the Unready’s daughter. (Did anyone ever call him “unready” to his face? And survive?) The word Porcorum comes from the Latin for “of the pigs”, and wild boar used to be common in the area, even hunted by King John, though seldom sighted these days

After a visit to the church, with its 13^th century tower and gargoyles, the walk then crossed a variety of fields, studiously avoiding both cattle and cowpats, successfully evading the rain that had been threatening all week. A coffee stop gave us a view of Eggardon Hill, the Iron Age Hillfort, following which we entered the nature reserve and ultimately rejoined the route of the old railway. 

Toller Porcorum may be a lovely village, but it misses a critical aspect of any Mileaters’ walk. It doesn’t have a pub, so we returned home via Stratton, and particularly the ever-reliable Saxon Arms, and a splendid pub lunch. 

David Haslam

Mileaters 28^th August - Corscombe

The last walk of summer for the Martinstown Mileaters was a circular walk around Corscombe or more precisely the recently re-opened Fox pub. After a pleasant walk through the village our route took us quite gently to the ridge overlooking the valley with fine views for much of the way. After a welcome coffee stop we descended towards West Chelborough a somewhat surprising little settlement lying as it does at the dead end of 1.5 miles of narrow lane. There we found the pretty little church with notable for its two treble bells cast on site in 1275 and considered the oldest in Dorset. From there we circled back to our starting point. Despite forecasts of heavy showers, we were pleased to have stayed dry; that is until the last ten minutes. Thinking we were so close, no-one stopped to don their waterproofs – a mistake as we arrived soaked. This resulted in many of us changing to our completely dry waterproof trousers for lunch! It was a welcome return with excellent food, good service and a great choice of beers.

Rollo Clifford

Hell Bottom and Hell Stones Walk

On the day that marked the beginning of the 4^th heatwave of the year, 13 Mileaters and 2 dogs set out to walk to hell and back. Starting at Smitten Corner we walked across the fields to the abandoned farmhouse at Hell Bottom. This was used as a location for the 1967 film ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’. The house was restored and then returned to dereliction after filming was completed. This prompted much reminiscing of Julie Christie and her various film roles, Alan Bates and Terence Stamp only getting a brief mention.  

We proceeded across the sheep fields towards Corton Hill, pausing to look at the panoramic views to the south. A short climb took us onto the ridge giving simultaneous sightings of St. Catherine’s Chapel at Abbotsbury and Hardy’s Monument.  We then followed the ridge west until we stopped for coffee at Portesham Quarry. Here we rested and admired the views and the dinosaur sculpture by Joe Rush, made from old farm machinery.  A few folks went in search of the fossilised tree sheath which gives the quarry its alternative name, Rocket Quarry. 

The second half of our walk saw us on a gentle but long climb past Portesham Farm and along the lane back towards Hardy’s Monument.  Turning left just over the brow of the hill we made our way across a field to the Hell Stone. This dolmen is a re-constructed Neolithic burial chamber carried out in 1866.  

We returned to the cars at Smitten Corner by the footpath below Hardy’s Monument making the most of what little shade the trees offered, completing our hot, 5.4 mile circuit with red faces and empty water bottles.

A welcome cool drink and lunch at the Brewers Arms was our reward for a good morning’s walk. 

Martin Fitzgerald