The Ebble Valley

 

View over the Ebble Valley from South Down on the Ridge Way ox drove.

Walking through the history

Another early start found us in the Chase again; another traverse of the Ebble Valley, a completely different route from last week though, and slightly shorter at 12.7 miles. Walking these chalk downland tracts you know you're walking through the history. From earliest prehistory Cranborne Chase has drawn folk to it; there's evidence for Mesolithic hunter gathers having a substantial presence here; early Neolithic farmers created a ritual landscape rich in monuments; by the Bronze Age agrarian settlements and field systems are well established and this continues through the Iron Age with the addition of Hillforts; the Romans farmed here; many of the current villages and hamlets began life during the Saxon period; the Medieval period added hunting forests; since then farming in one form or another has continued to dominate, and the landscape and life of the chase changed little until the 20th century. And you see that patina of human endeavour spanning millennia etched into this landscape wherever you look; you can't help but feel the ancestors when you're walking the rough tracks countless generations walked before you. The chase is a landscape soaked with history; and some of the best walking you'll find.

Wooden deer

A wooden doe suns herself amongst Holiday Hill's stands.

Nearly groundhog sunset

Another mellow sunset from Barton on Sea. I'm always banging on about how every sunset is unique, how you'll never see 'that' sunset again, and of course that's true; but beyond some richer hues of colour, there was more than a passing resemblance between this evening's and last evening's sunsets.

Purbeck Wall Lizard

The Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis) isn't one of our native reptile species, although there are now several colonies dotted around Southern England, especially Purbeck, and climate change is encouraging their flourishing; Winspit Quarry has had a healthy colony since the mid 80's. I've read two accounts of how these reptiles arrived in Purbeck; either they escaped from a local breeder/owner, or were purposely bred and released.  Whichever, they're certainly established now.  I don't know how the other colonies are doing, but the Winspit massive appears to be thriving; we saw dozens of wall lizards, and the undergrowth sounded alive with them. 

Winspit

Destination Purbeck again this morning, this time the post industrial landscape of Winspit. I don't know when it began operations, though until 1940 Winspit was a a stone quarry producing high quality stone for use in important London buildings. Over the years it's been a location for numerous TV and film projects including Dr Who, most recently for one of the forthcoming Star Wars series 'Andor' set before the events of 'Rogue One'. Winspit is a rugged terrain of dangerous caves, mining waste and rocky cliffs. All the works of man haven't been able to tame or take the wild from this landscape, it's magnificent; beautiful on a sunny day like today, awe inducing in a storm, and always atmospheric.

Sunset

This evening's sunset from Barton on Sea.

Cranborne Chase

 

It was destination Cranborne Chase this morning, an early start too, and it was glorious; a 14.7 mile traverse of the Ebble Valley in the best early spring has to offer; we were out early enough that we didn't see another soul until nearly halfway through our walk, and no more than a handful throughout our journey. I value all the seasons and their varied aspects, though for me the it has to be spring and autumn that I most enjoy and connect with; the energy of spring is particularly tangible, and visible in every corner of the landscape. Following ancient droves, tracks and paths we wound our way down through, across, and up the other side of the beautiful Ebble Valley. By the time we reached Chiselbury Camp Iron Age Hillfort on the Old Shaftesbury Drove the sun 's warmth had wrestled victory from the early morning chill, and it felt as if all nature rejoiced; I certainly did. Sat on Chiselbury camp's defencive bank we had clear views across the lovely Nadder Valley, Salisbury in one direction Shaftesbury in the other. Above us in a clear blue sky half a dozen birds of prey circled gracefully as they eyed breakfast, most striking though was the Skylark song which filled the air above the camp and surrounding grass downland. We could've sat here all day, it was a perfect English rural scene; though we weren't finished, and it was back down to Broad Chalke and a welcome dip in and drink from the Ebble for Geoff, then the long climb back up to the Ridgeway and journey's end. All achieved before midday; nice. 

Keep walkin

'Keep Walkin' carved in what felt like sinister font into a veteran tree aside the Old Salisbury Drove; encouragement or a warning I thought? This is the countryside after all, 'gat off moi land' and all that; so with that in mind we continued on our way......toot suite.

Spring Equinox

 

Light's been in ascendance since the Sun's return at the Winter Solstice, and now the Sun's reign begins proper. With growing warmth everything throughout nature stirs; verdant new shoots reach for the sky as spring blooms and blossoms; across the open fields hares box and race; in the forest the mares will soon be giving birth; whist the chorus of excited song from hedgerow and canopy is universal. An equinox blessing to y'all at this moment of awakening; game's on.

Fresh greens

Events of recent years have shown us that the food security we take for granted is far more fragile than I think anyone thought; it's time to start thinking about putting old skool back on the menu. There's a natural larder out there. Take Nettles (Urtica dioica), they're delicious, nutritious and versatile, they're abundant and they're free, and now is the perfect time to start collecting them; cook as greens from fresh or dry as vegetable/seasoning (Nori-ish) for soups Et al. Every little helps.  

Chapmans Pool to St Aldhelm's Head and back again; part 3, Emmetts Hill

Rested and St Aldhelm's Head conquered, it was time for the return leg of the walk. The views from St Aldhelm's Head along the Jurassic coast are outstanding; different headlands and coastal features highlighting the regions unique geological mix of limestones, chalks, clays and sands; a World Heritage Site after all. You'd have hoped that reaching the top of the head the walking thereafter would all be relatively level, but you'd be mistaken; first the two huge sets of stairs that run down, through, and up the other side of a steep sided valley between St Aldhelm's Head and Emmetts Hill had to be conquered. The stairs down are one thing, the stairs up are something else; though once completed the remainder of the walk is a cakewalk; follow the well trodden cliff top path that winds around Emmett's Hill, and take in the lovely vista of Chapmans Pool and the coast beyond as you go. At just 4 miles, not a long walk; although beyond the very beginning and the Emmett's Hill section, it was technical and challenging throughout. You can't beat walking in Purbeck for blowing away the cobwebs.

Chapmans Pool to St Aldhelm's Head and back again; part 2, St Albhelm's Head

 

If I thought the under-cliff around Chapmans Pool was difficult terrain I was in for a shock; the terrain on the second portion of my walk upped the ante somewhat. I continued along the shoreline, rather than the escarpment route; a decision which in retrospect I came to regret. There'd been a fair amount of slippage and collapse, and most of my passage around the coast was over and through various sized boulders and loose rock; it was quite intense going, and looking at my course ahead I began to question how sensible my choice of path had been...of course, the alternative could've been just as problematic. As it happened, the climb up the escapement wasn't much better; jumping between bramble and ivy covered boulders, gave way to loose wobbling rocks and shifting rock scree; by the time I'd reached the top of the escarpment I'd got all hot under the collar (I'm not good with heights; sometimes worse than others...today was a 'sometimes worse' day); everything appeared steeper today, more extreme, more sketchy than I remembered. I'd intended to explore and chill for a while before I undertook the last climb up out of the quarry, although I scrubbed that deciding instead to make the climb right now; I feared it may have become insurmountable in my mind, and I didn't relish retracing my steps. Even though I'd taken this route hundreds of times before, and it's not particularly difficult, the ascent was made challenging by my over-thinking of it; still, in the end I made short shrift of it and after scrambling and reaching the quarry top lay in the hot sun catching my breath, my hands shaking. A bit of adventure.

Chapmans Pool to St Aldhelm's Head and back again; part1, Chapman's Pool

 

It was destination Purbeck this morning; to be specific Chapmans Pool and St Aldhelm's Head. An age old track leads down through Hill Bottom to the rocky cove of Chapmans Pool; where you'll find a couple of fisherman's huts clustered around a small slipway and sea wall. Like many of the spots along this section of the Jurassic Coast it's a picturesque pearl set in a rugged forbidding landscape. My route this morning was going to be along the coastline out to St Aldhelm's  Head, and along the cliff top back. As long as I can remember there's been a winding path which wound through the rough grass and tenacious shrub of the under cliff just above the rocky shore (the term 'path' is used loosely); in recent years erosion appears to have done for a lot of the path, making for a difficult traverse; it's surprising how much this apparently timeless landscape can change in just a couple or so years. One aspect that hadn't changed was the towering cliff capped escarpment that dominates Chapmans Pool, it still looked magnificent; I've roamed this Jurassic island for decades, and over those years my wonder at the majesty of the place has not dulled. I'm sure in time a new route along the under cliff will develop; in the meantime the broken and uneven rocky terrain is more full body workout than walk. One observation I made was that I didn't see a single piece of rubbish on this portion of my walk; of course it could've been that all my senses were engaged it keeping myself upright, though I think not, there was just no shit on the shore...which was nice.

March Moon

Another full moon, and another perfect evening for a full moon fire.

Burley Old

Burley Old

Barton Cliff

 Barton Cliff bleeds into the sea.

Bathing blooms

Willow (Salix) blooms enjoying the spring showers.

 

Lily

 'Lily was here 7th April 1969' 

It's not often you come across female graffiti, or is it? On finding Lily's scribe in Anses Wood, I was struck by an assumption I've always made about the graffiti I find...that for the most part it's been carved by boys/men.  I suppose it just seems a male thing to do, as does carrying the penknife; often the subject matter too would support that assumption. I understand modern Graffiti/street art, which you'd have imagined to be more equitable gender wise is still dominated by males creating the bulk of work. Taking that into consideration, and how gendered past societies have been, I still believe that I don't come across female graffiti very often, and that the great majority of the historic carved graffiti in the forest would've been carved by males, and that that probably continues to be the case for contemporary carvings.

Ivy

Winter in the forest is a thin time for grazing, and the ponies will take any opportunity to snack down on a tasty morsel; here they've taken great care to strip clean the soft outer bark off a filigree of Ivy (Hedera helix) wrapped around a fallen veteran oak.

Useless

The perennial forest question 'when is a bridge not a bridge'. The above scenario is played out  throughout the forest, although none more so than on Mill Lawn Brook through Ober Water; where four bridges in succession are regularly unusable. Here a perfectly serviceable bridge made useless by being cut off by flood water; surely this situation could easily by avoided with a little forethought in design. I had to attempt some physics defying mad crane like run to bridge the water gap; enough to say, I only achieved limited success in walking on water. 

Verge clearance

With the A35 closed the authorities have taken the opportunity to cut some of the verges back hard; I don't remember them ever being so clear. The transformation is highlighted by the uncut verge opposite; a striking difference. The clearance has certainly opened up the road, as well as the views across Ober Water below Markway Bridge. 

Avon Water

You'd never imagine that as recently as 2017 Avon Water was a broad straightened deep cut stream; now it's definitely one of the forest's stream restoration projects that has most quickly born results; today Avon Water is completely unrecognisable from the stream and landscape it was. A part of me embraces the change, positive as it is, although another part of me laments the loss of a loved stream side walk; nowadays at this time of year even defining where the stream flows is problematic, and even in the drier season the re-establishing carr/bog woodland environment remains soft and wet underfoot; though today with some judicious hops, skips and jumps, some nimble footwork across lain branches and sticks, and a bit of occasional clambering, a sort of stream side walk route was negotiable. Although 'walking' didn't really describe our outing this morning; still, nice out mind.

Gorse burning

 

Continuing my regular theme of the curated forest; another vital yearly maintenance activity is burning the gorse (Ulex). Around the forest gorse and heather are burnt ostensibly to generate new growth that'll benefit conservation projects, and to reduce the risks of wild fires; but also to keep in check colonisation by gorse, which would become invasive if left to their own devices. 

Early blossom

I spied my first Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom of the year on the bank of Avon Water near Ossemsley Ford; ’twas the only I saw too, and there were plenty of Blackthorn around; just a handful of flowers brightening a solitary branch. Flowering way before the pollinators take flight, Blackthorn being hermaphrodites, can please themselves. 

Graffiti on the hill

The local graffiti artists have been busy again; I discovered some fantastic new works of art around the water tank up on St Catherine's Hill. The water tanks, especially the circular one, have become galleries displaying the latest works of spray-can excellence; this 'crew', I'm assuming they're an established collective of artists, are using some interesting techniques and use colours, creating some nice effects. I say more of this type of thing.