Walk Reports 2026/1
Mileaters in Melbury Park 3rd Sept 2026
On the 3rd September 10 walkers and a photographer with a dog travelled to Evershot for a 5.6 mile circular walk in the Melbury Park Estate. The intense heat had ended and there were no steep hills to climb, no stiles to get stuck on but many exceptional views to enjoy. We enjoyed a coffee break under a walnut tree and continued through the park, past the Manor House back to Evershot to enjoy a visit to the old bakery to buy fresh bread and finish with an excellent lunch at the Acorn Inn.
Ian and Jennie
MILEATERS OUT AND ABOUT… 21st August 2026
In praise of the Ordnance Survey app Friday 21st August dawned sunny but cooler, so it was a relieved group of 15 Mileaters, and 3 dogs, who set out from the Affpuddle Car Park just after 10.00 am, for a wander in the woods of Affpuddle and Pallington Heaths, around Culpepper’s Dish. The walk was planned in the blazing heat of the previous fortnight, with no let-up in sight. Where to go that might offer shade? The map on the Ordnance Survey app identified a large swath of woodland around Culpepper’s Dish, un-walked by the Mileaters for some time. The chosen route, one of many shown, took us across short stretches of open heath, briefly along a quiet road, but mainly along shady woodland paths. We paused to look at Culpepper’s Dish, a huge natural swallet hole 90 metres across and 40 metres deep, before making our way in a westerly direction along wide tracks. Refreshments were consumed just short of the halfway point where the track widened and offered a patch of grass. We continued west, then north, across the heath with views across the valley of the River Frome, to the western end of the Purbecks. We then turned back east, through the woods, to the car park, where having walked around 5 miles, with only a few short climbs, we enjoyed a picnic lunch before heading home. If you are looking to find a walk, locally of further afield, I recommend the Ordnance Survey app, it offers routes for a range of activities and all abilities. Martin Fitzgerald
Mileaters walk 11 August 2026
Despite the forecast of high temperatures, 18 walkers/diners and 4 dogs started (and finished) our walk: a gentle 'stroll' through river meadows, heath, forest and along country lanes east of Wool. The strange postbox was of interest at our 'hydration break'. The mud pit which proved quite an obstacle on our previous walk here many years ago was non-existent unsurprisingly. Most walkers were grateful for the rather flat nature of the walk and the shade. Our first choice of pub - the Black Bear in old Wool- had changed hands and no longer served food. The Ship Inn, however, was a revelation to most: great service and good food. The large serving of cheesy chips, however, proved too much for two of our walkers. I suggested they handed them out alongside the road after lunch.
Phil
