All this week David and I (Alison) have had the pleasure of walking and hiking with guests on our guided Kings and Kingdoms walk in south Wiltshire and north Dorset. It’s a little known area that is stunningly beautiful with connections to Thomas Hardy and some beautiful rolling hills and ancient villages and towns.
On Friday the heat wave we have been experiencing in England continued, but temperatures peaked around 31 C, so much cooler than it had been the last few days. After breakfast with Andy and Kevin, we all boarded the air-conditioned vans and rode to the Saxon hilltop town of Shaftesbury. A fascinating town with a rich history, a former abbey and of course Gold Hill, a cobbled hill lined with beautiful cottages famous for the Hovis bread advert.
David gave us a tour of the town and we enjoyed the views from Park Walk and Castle Hill over the Blackmore Vale. A scene that has changed little since Hardy’s time. Shaftesbury was ‘ Shaston’ in Hardy’s novels. Our guests enjoyed some free time in the town and browsed the book shop, sat in the abbey grounds and looked around. Then Andy and Kevin took us to lunch at a little country pub in a small village. Here we met Natasha in our team and had roasted vegetable foccacia’s with whipped feta and a cold drink.
Next we descended into a valley, brimming with wild flowers including a pyramid orchid and clover. We walked along the valley floor through summer grasses until we reached the village and our next country inn which made for a welcome sight. After everyone had freshened up we all enjoyed dinner together, talking over the day, our lives in different parts of the world and more besides!
Our guests have been enjoying a King and Kingdoms inn to inn guided holiday in south Wiltshire and north Dorset. If you have been inspired to explore this stunning area with us then please get in touch to find out more about our self-guided Kings and Kingdom walks.
