Roundhouse

 

There's a single standing stone, or menhir, appeared in Church Bottom, not far from the Iron Age roundhouse reconstruction. It looks great. The Iron Age roundhouse is a living history feature, part of the Chalke History Festival, I'm imagining the standing stone performs a similar function. It's good to see projects like this; archaeological reconstructions and living history are such effective methods of public engagement and education. They put flesh on archaeological bones.

Round House

A small Iron Age roundhouse reconstruction in Church Bottom, a nicely executed example too. Very cool indeed.

Broad hedge or narrow wood

I can't make my mind up as to whether these represent broad hedges or narrow woods? You'll come across a lot of footpaths like this, shown as open paths on OS maps, although upon visiting you'll find a path running through a couple/few meter wide band of shrub and tree. I'm not complaining or ought, they're handy for crossing this exposed landscape under a relentless summer sun, particularly with your hound in mind when the more shaded walking the better. We took this example this morning; a branch off the Ackling Dyke which crosses the Ox Drove before descending through Church Bottom into Broad Chalke and the Ebble Valley about 2 miles or so. A lovely route.

Church Bottom morning

The weather wizards had forecast scorchio for the entire day, so Geoff and I got out walking early this morning, and by 0700 we were over 3 miles out into the Chase. The mist still hung in the folds that empty into Church Bottom, and already it was hot enough to have me sweating. We did 11.7 miles overall, beginning at Vitrell Gate, along the Ackling Dyke, descending through Church Bottom, crossing the Ebble Valley, up over Stoke Down, along the Old Shaftesbury Drove, back down to the Ebble Valley retracing our outward route back to Vitrell Gate. It was a good move too, getting out early, by the time we got back to the car around 10.00 and it was sweltering.

Return to the Chase

This morning we returned to another landscape we'd not walked in what seems an age, Cranborne Chase or more accurately the Ebble Valley...we were last here in July 2020.  Man, was it beautiful out this morning. Chilly at first, Jack's breath lingered in the shade, although once the Sun began to evaporate the early mists the temperature rose swiftly. The light was gorgeous too. We did just over 12 miles this morning, though with the loveliness of the day it was a breeze. Starting from Vitrell Gate we made our way along the Ackling Dyke Roman Road, leaving it to descend through Croucheston Drove into the Ebble Valley, crossing it's titular river, before ascending the other side of the valley via an unnamed drove up onto Bishopstone Down,  where we joined the Old Shaftesbury Drove, following it's course awhile before descending through Stoke Down towards Broad Chalke to again cross the Ebble Valley and it's titular river, finally ascending via Church Bottom back up towards to the Ackling Dyke, along which we returned to Vitrell Gate. The best walk we've done in ages with everything feeling just perfect. I felt connected to the land like a scalextrics car to an expansive free roam track, it's energy recharging me, driving me along. It's astounding the positive psychological and physical effects walking can have on you.