Dorset group: 12 Aug 18

Despite a terrible weather forecast, 9 walkers set off from Broadmayne across gentle terrain full of maize crops, towards the hamlet of Whitcombe, home of crime writer Minette Walters, to visit beautiful small 12th century church where William Barnes, the 19th century Dorset poet was once curate. On the way we found a tree full of delicious wild plums, at least we think they were plums, helping us to forget the rain!

Then on to Came in the next valley to view the splendid 18th century Came House proudly looking over the valley before it, to visit St Peter's the 14th century church where William Barnes not only preached but is also buried. On our way we passed a pen of glorious Gloucester Old Spot pigs, eager to greet us, squealing enthusiastically but hoping of course for treats no doubt. We also saw the enormous walled garden of Came House which sadly is little used save for a few pigs and guineea fowl foraging in the undergrowth.

After a picnic lunch in the church at Came, we set off along the Winterbourne stream, almost dried up from the previous hot spell, towards the village of West Stafford, home to the 'Downton Abbey' writer Julian Fellowes, for some liquid refreshment at the Wise Man pub. Thomas Hardy based the marriage of Tess to Clare in his famous novel 'Tess of the D'Ubervilles' at the essentially Jacobean church of St Andrews nearby in the centre of the village.

Once refreshed, we set off for Broadmayne again, taking a shorter (due to the difficult weather) but on the way meeting a huge boisterous bull with two heifers in a field with only a barbed wire fence and eventually further down the field, only a few yards between he and us! At one point he was very close and looked highly dangerous, rearing his head, annoyed perhaps that we were there at all. However we went on our way unscathed back to Broadmayne where our leader Andrew invited everyone back for a delicious cream tea! Despite the weather conditions it was an extremely enjoyable day.

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