The Pitfalls of Planning Your Own Route; Weekly Walk #19 from Pepperbox Hill

Planning a route on paper can often be misleadingly simple, appearing to connect where it doesn’t, and showing paths where they may no longer exist. My circular walk from Pepper Box Hill Nature Reserve a few miles South East of Salisbury led me across over-grown, long-since-used paths, but was a test of my map-reading skills, and had me ready by the end to find more successful routes.

I should’ve known when I swung off the A36 onto a tiny byway that things were going to get interesting. It was a peaceful, pretty place with good views all around, but I was surprised at how difficult it was to access for a National Trust site. Its named after the brick tower atop the hill, which was built by politician Giles Eyre in 1606 as either a viewpoint for ladies following a hunt, a place for highway men, or a lookout post for the home guard.
 

I set off right from the car-park along the byway and, after passing a footpath hidden behind trees, followed it down the right-hand side of an open field to Whelply Farm. After a bit of trial and error in my attempts to find the path, I continued through the farm and left across another field and eventually into the village of Whiteparish. I followed a footpath the other-side of a single track lane and took a right at another path, where I had to wait to pass a man trimming the over-grown grass and weeds.

Two deer running along the footpath

I turned left at a cross-road of paths and back through a field with friendly donkeys to a busy segment of the A36. Here the path turned into a barrage of nettles and I had to cut through a field to get around. I followed into woodland near Brickworth Quarry and had to double back to find a footpath leading into a field. I had a snack stop before continuing across the field for what I hopped would be an easy stretch.

At Moor Farm, I spent about 20 minutes trying to find the footpath. The map showed it going directly past farm buildings, but I found either a sea of nettles leading to what looked like a fence or a boggy section behind the barn. I almost gave up and walked the farm track, but decided to duck under part of a barn and walk around the field, and found the style was on the other-side of the nettles; not exactly a great path to walk!

After two minutes I was lost again but eventually cut through a field to reconnect with a footpath following the edge of woodland. Now on the final stretch, I had to use my compass to find my way uphill and into a thicker section of woods. Perhaps it was my foul mood or tiredness, but I swear the woods were out to get me, tricking me with their enclosed branches, tripping me up where they sought fit. I even stumbled upon a mossy tree stump surrounded by bluebells, and seeing as I couldn’t imagine many people walking this way, figured I was trespassing upon a fairy home.

I finally found myself back at the A36 where I’d swung my car in earlier, and once again had to dive across the busy road. Despite the hardships, I had done it, and was proud to have at least walked my circular, though next time I may have to pick a more tried and tested route, one with less farms and fewer fairies!

I used the National Trust website to research Pepperbox Hill. You can read more about it, here.

You can see a summary of the route, here.

The Animals of Figsbury Ring; Weekly Walk #15

After I excitedly bought a host of maps of my nearby area, I planned my first route along parts of the Monarch’s way from Figsbury ring, an Iron Age hill fort in Wiltshire. I passed through the Winterbournes down to the village of Ford, before a treacherous crossing of the A30 along a section of Roman road and back to the car-park, learning a few things about what makes a good route.

I parked at the free National Trust car-park at Figsbury Ring, and walked the ring to the North West corner and along a footpath forming part of the Monarch’s Way. I descended steeply, then passed under a railway bridge into the Winterbournes.

I decided to cut through the village, planning a shorter walk, but gave in to temptation and extended the route along a footpath. I had the experience of once again having a herd of animals flock towards me, before heading into a thick bog. I should’ve guessed from the faded sign and over-grown bushes that this path was rarely used, but continued regardless into thick mud. Next time I’ll follow the Monarch’s Way to the point where I came out.

I washed my boots in a nearby ford, and then continued the footpath across fields to a bridleway, and saw a few people paraponting, a prop-plane circling, and an ultralight flying, all presumably coming from the nearby airfield at Boscombe Down. I extended the walk on a bridle-way to Ford (an actual village this time) and met a friendly pony as I passed his field. I followed the road over a bridge and through the village, then followed the signpost to a footpath, which strangely began after a private drive-way, so I skipped through quickly!

I followed the path to a B-road, and then continued along a footpath through a field and back to the Winterbournes. I counted on the map-marked pub being open, but found it boarded up, another reason to walk a route on your own before taking others. I exited the village across the A338 and took a bridle-way up past a pig farm. I then ascended steeply up to the A30, which took a while to cross as the traffic never seemed to end, but finally managed to cross to a stile and a Roman road.

I continued the Roman road over another B-road up to a spectacular view over Laverstock and Salisbury. I finally took a bridleway back to the Monarch’s Way, down a footpath, and over another section of the A30, before heading back up a field to the start at Figsbury Ring.
  

I was proud to have plotted my first route, but would next time think about walking it in reverse. This way, you get the busy A30 out the way first, and end on a pub, which when you combine the free car-park with a national trust site and great views, makes this a really great walk, and even more fantastic as it’s only a five minute drive from my house.