Ebble at Faulston

The River Ebble beside Faulston House.

Faulston House Dovecote

An interesting sight as you walk along the Ebble Valley, is the Dovecote at Faulston House. The Dovecote is a large and imposing circular tower with a conical tiled roof, the construction of the tower is flint with dressed limestone bands, and there are all manner of interesting architectural features are represented; doorways half way up the tower, blocked windows and signs of extensive repair or remodelling in one area. It doesn't look as if dovecote was this buildings original purpose, and that's maybe as it wasn't. It's said to be the last of 4 towers which, along with walls and a moat (the last section of which was filled in the 1930's), protected the original Faulston Manor (now long gone). The manor of Faulston dates to the late 11th century, though the when the first house was built, I don't know. It appears though that by the late 14th century it had become a substantial estate and gained licence from the King to crenelate the manors walls. Like most of the manors of England it lived through history, turbulent times and interesting tevents, before it's demise; the house which lays adjacent to the tower today is a much more recent build. The tower is a really fascinating building, I'd love to take a closer look.

Cranborne Track

When you're out walking the byways and ancient tracks which criss-cross Cranborne Chase it's easy to lose yourself in the wonder of the landscape. No doubt the landscape has changed drastically over the last century, the industrialization of farming, societal changes, and all that. Though under the dappled shade of veteran trees, which line an ancient track, upon whose trunks a myriad of historical names and events are memorialised, the land appears timeless. It's a beautiful place, the Chase.