Ebble at Faulston

The River Ebble beside Faulston House.

River Ebble

 

It's been quite a while since we've walked the chase, May of 2023 in fact, and it was good to be back in archetypal England, a region of chalk hills and chalk streams. The latter a rare beast indeed. They reckon there's only about 200 chalk streams in the world, and 160 of those are in South and East England. One is the beautiful crystal clear River Ebble which runs through the Chalke Valley. This morning we crossed the icey cold Ebble via a clapper bridge at Fifield Bavant, a manor mentioned in the 1086 Doomsday Book as Fifehide held by Alvred of Marleborough. On its' way to join the River Avon, the Ebble quietly rushed through the valley.

The Ebble

What a glorious sight, one of the many treats of chalk downland walking, their crystal clear chalk streams. There are only around 200 chalk streams on Earth, on Earth!, and 85% of them are found in southern and eastern England...how cool is that, and how blessed to live in said region. It's easy to understand why our ancestors held rivers, streams and wet places in such reverence; they embody life. What's not so cool is that so many of these priceless chalk streams are in a bad way; thankfully though the Ebble is not one them and radiates a real 'waters of life' vibe. Quite mesmerizing.

Cranborne

This morning Cranborne Chase looked like this. It's such a beautiful tract of land, a landscape I find always welcomes and rewards you. There's so much to see, so much diversity of environment and flora and fauna too, and there are so many tracks, droves and paths, as well as the walk-able back lanes, that you can create infinite routes, mixing up the woodland grassland ratio as you like it. This morning we set out again from Vitrell Gate making our way along the Ackling Dyke Roman Road, leaving it to descend through Church Bottom towards Broad Chalke to cross the Ebble Valley and it's titular river, through the village we rose up across Gurston Down, where we saw a drove of maybe 2 dozen Hares... I'd never seen that before...blew my mind, then onto the high ridge where we joined the Old Shaftesbury Drove, following it's course awhile until we arrived at Chiselbury Camp hillfort. Chiselbury's position high on the ridge way affords some spectacular views along the Nadder and Ebble Valleys. Chiselbury's a very subtle univallate earthwork, causing me to wonder about it's practical application as a 'fort' and deciding the term 'camp' was far more apt, in reality that's probably true for many of the univallate 'hillfort' sites.  Across the entire site, bank, ditch, interior and exterior thousands of delicate Cowslips (Primula veris) are popping up, soon they'll carpet these chalk grasslands, and that is a sight to see. After taking the views, a couple of pocket eggs and a drink we retraced our steps. Along the Old Shaftesbury Drove, down across Gurston Down into Broad Chalke, where we stopped by the River Ebble so Geoff could cool...being a chalk stream even in summer the water is chilly, before finally ascending via Church Bottom back up towards to the Ackling Dyke, along which we returned to Vitrell Gate. Outstanding, a 12.3 mile walk of absolute bliss, and another walking meditation.

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.

Back to the Chase

Our Walk through Cranborne Chase today, looked like this. From the top: we began our ramble early this morning taking the Ackling Dyke (Roman Road) through Knighton Wood, emerging on the ridgeway we followed the Romam Road through ripening fields of Barley, enjoying fabulous views along Croucheston Drove and into Croucheston Hollow, continuing on the Roman Road we descended into the Faulston Drove, with it's stunning view out over Throope Down, we chilled for a while by the cold clear River Ebble, before following the Ebble Valley with the high ridge towering above us to Broad Chalk, where we rose up to the ridgeway again via Church Bottom. Nine miles this morning of absolute perfection and back to the car before 10.00 and the heat of the day. Again, fabulous walking, and again, few folk about. A real tonic body and soul.

The Chase

Our Walk through Cranborne Chase today, looked like this. From the top: through Stonedown Wood up on to the Ox Drove, across Woodminton Down and into the Ebble Valley, up Marlycombe Hill, through West Woodyates, With Penbury Hill on the horizon, and wispy clouds above. Eight miles of pure loveliness; we would've gone further, though even when we arrived at 08.00 it was hot and I knew it would become too hot for Geoff, and so I clipped here and there, taking some shorter or more direct routes; it was a good move too, as by mid morning it was scorching and all our water had already gone. Fabulous walking though, and again, few folk about, other than we walked through farms or hamlets.

Chase

It dawned on me that we'd not been out to the Chase in a while, very remiss I thought. So this morning we took off inland for the chalk hills and rolling arable farmland of the Dorset/Wiltshire border, and the heart of Cranborne Chase AONB. There was no one about as we made our way through the traditionally managed  coppice of Garston Wood, which over the years I've watched rise and fall through the coppice cycle. On along the fringe of Mistleberry Wood with its ancient earthworks, recently they've been managing the woodland through here too, cutting and clearing the woodland fringe and in so opening the boundary path right up. Then through the Forestry Commission mosaic woodland of  Stonedown Wood, before arriving atop the high chalk ridge and the Ox Drove. The views from the Ox Drove are expansive, you can see into 4 counties on a good day, and today was a good day. As we walked along the Ox Drove I soaked up as much of the scenery as I could, below the Ebble Valley revealed itself, with new sights continually coming into view as others disappeared behind pockets of woodland or were obscured by the undulous landscape. Lovely walking the high road, though it wasn't long before we took another track and disappeared back down into Stonedown Wood and our return journey. A majestic landscape, for sure.

The chase

The Chase was stunning this afternoon. Walking through the Chase is like walking through a magical realm, a walk through time and space. For nearly two millennia people have taken the route I chose up onto the chalk ridge, today it's a picturesque coppiced hazel lined path, although its course is defined by a much earlier Roman road. People have, of course, walked this landscape for far longer, the land here bears testament to thousands of years of human activity through layer upon layer of archaeological monument and fieldwork. The top of the chalk ridge is exposed and the chill wind bites hard, but, man, the views, from up here you can see for miles, you can see so far you're looking into other counties. Above there are only a few smudges of cloud in a halcyon blue sky, and they're swiftly dispatched by the piercing winds. Flocks of birds resting amongst the ridges naked canopies, occasionally take flight in unison, swirling around before disappearing back in to the canopy, whilst high above larger birds circle and soar, gracefully following the contours of the terrain out of view. Throughout the afternoon the young sun tried valiantly to warm the world, and in the hollows he made some headway, though on the hills, no chance, here the hatches required battening down, the cold could not be overlooked. Along the sunken trackways the hedgerows rustle and every copse you pass is filled with the sound invisible activity, clearly not all the land's as asleep as you'd imagine. Now down around the base of the hills, shining threads weave through the valley, the Ebble, a glistening crystal clear chalk stream which bubbles and gurgles as it rolls over its gravelly bed. I love chalk streams, to me they epitomise the waters of life, they're always so clear and inviting, they've a magical quality. I follow a tree lined drove back up from the Ebble Valley towards the ridge, it winds its way slowly up the hillside through the warren of valleys and hollows. The day is drawing on now, the shadows were beginning to lengthen, and as they do darkness spills over the land consuming knolls and woodland as it spreads. It made for a lovely world of contrasting rich green hues. Soon the Roman road came in the view and the walk neared its end. What fantastic walking though. I'm the only human in this expansive landscape, I saw not another soul. The Chase was stunning this afternoon.

Ebble

There's nothing like a chalk stream, crystal clear waters which are always refreshingly cold and teaming with life.  The river Ebble is one such stream. Running through the Chalk Valley, the Ebble's always a pleasure to stroll along, its banks as filled life as its waters.