Dorset Walks

Friday March 30th Turner's Puddle

A slightly longer walk than normal, with a steep uphill section and some very boggy bits - but it will definitely be worth it!

From the church we'll walk uphill along an ancient 'green lane' - a route we last walked nearly 3 years ago. Then we were here on a June evening, in March this path will be very muddy. Starting off in the clay soils of the flood plain of the River Piddle we climb 200 feet to the gravel soils which provide the acid conditions that have led to the heathland flora at the top of this hill. On the way we pass a band of chalk, visible in the banks of the path. Woodland birds such as Jays and Great-spotted Woodpeckers are common here and we should also be able to see Buzzards hunting around the hilltop. A Red Kite has been seen recently not far away.

The first part of our walk finishes at the mysterious blue-grey Sarsen Stone, a relic of a pre-glaciation landscape.

Next we walk north-west along through the heathland at the top of the hill, part of the Jubilee Trail. The Devon Red cattle here are used in the summer to keep the grass short on the heathland reserve. At the end of this section is a very rare species of tree only recently discovered in this area.

The final section takes us down through woods and fields back to the church. On the way the path crosses a bog and cuts through a rhodedendron thicket.

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