David and I (Alison) have enjoyed hiking and walking all week with 8 guests, on our guided Kings and Kingdoms trip in south Wiltshire and north Dorset.
Saturday, our final full day, arrived, and temperatures had cooled relative to previous days. We jumped aboard the vans with Kevin and Andy and made our way to a small Dorset village full of charming cottages. Today we explored the Cranborne Chase, a former royal hunting ground in north Dorset. Here we looked around the beautiful country church and saw a grand country house.
We made our way on tracks across the old parkland for the house. Cattle grazed in the field and we saw a hare. We continued through agricultural land with fields of wheat and barley that had turned yellow in the sun. Barley is identified by its ‘ ears ‘ long whiskers and wheat does not have them. We soon arrived at a Dorset village on the Cranborne Chase. With its village church and thatched cottages, it was charming, like something out of a Thomas Hardy book.
Following old woodland paths, we easily imagined the smugglers who may have used them before. As we walked through an area of woodland, grateful for the shade, we spotted deer in the woodland. At first one, then three, then four.
We walked on and soon reached our lunchtime stop on a farm. We enjoyed pretty salads with halloumi cheese, cheddar, tuna, tomatoes and pepper and a nice cold drink. We sat on shady tables beneath the outdoor cover with views of the donkeys and chickens.
After lunch the humidity grew so it warmed up. We followed the lane into another small Dorset village that had a church. We walked along the old tree lined avenue where the lords and ladies once galloped their horses. At times, we caught glimpses of the old house. David shared stories and histories and told us about the tale of the house, which was a little spooky! We saw more fields of wheat and barley and an ancient long barrow.
There were lots of wonderful butterflies including a Peacock and the Small Blue, a very pretty butterfly. We fell into a rhythm of walking, the sound of our boots on the path. There was plenty of lovely chatter amongst everyone, along with moments of quiet.
Then we reached our final Dorset village. Here a master thatcher lived. Two playful hares on the roof of his house. Around the corner are the remains of the old village well.
We explored and then hopped aboard the vans with Andy and Kevin once again to return us to our country inn. Cold drinks to celebrate our achievement was the next activity. We had walked 8 miles and we had conquered the heatwave! We clinked our glasses with a resounding “Cheers.”
David and I enjoyed a farewell dinner with our guests. It has been a wonderful week despite the heat. We wished everyone a safe onward journey and hope to see them again.
Alison, David and our guests have been enjoying a Kings and Kingdoms hike in south Wiltshire and north Dorset, a truly picturesque and historic part of England. If you feel inspired to explore here, get in touch and we can send you a mini brochure for our self-guided walks.
