Weekly Walk 13 - Dinton Park and the Fovant Badges

Another historical walk this week on a five mile loop from Dinton Park, home of Phillipps House, a National Trust property built for politician William Wyndham, and past two picturesque Mills around the River Nader, with a view to the iconic Fovant Badges.

Dinton is an award winning village nine miles east of Salisbury, and the many beautiful stone buildings and inviting pub made this clear when I arrived. I parked at the free National Trust car park opposite the village green, and set off down Snow Hill along the main road to a footpath on the right opposite a junction. I followed the path over the railway line and along a stream to Dinton Mill.

I crossed a bridge to a track beside an open field of sheep and ducks, when a farmer arrived to feed the sheep, which I guessed as the sheep flocked around his Land Rover bleating hungrily. Before long I was in Compton Chamberlayne, home of grade I listed Chamberlayne Park House, which was huge and almost looked like a fortress behind its steely gates.

I took a steep uphill path and stopped for a quick tea break, when two ladies passed, happy to chat about the beautiful weather. To the left, I had a view across the valley to the Fovant Badges, royal badges etched into the hills similar to the famous Wiltshire chalk horses. They were quite striking, though more striking were the sheep that flocked to me as I stopped to take a picture, perhaps expecting their lunch.

I continued across an open field to a narrow passage skirting the edge of Fovant Woods, where I saw a deer dart between trees, and another two as I descended towards the road. They must be high in numbers as I’ve seen one on just about every walk I’ve taken. I walked along a minor road before a sharp right across a path to a field. I crossed the field and another road through a series of kissing gates, and finally left downhill to a stile and Mill Farm. I stopped a while at a peaceful spot beside the stream, before continuing the path along the river to the Farm.

I took a tunnel under the railway and emerged at the edge of a field, and followed it around to a batch of trees. I passed through to a field, and crossed past a barn and a few fields to a road. I crossed into Dinton Park and caught my first glimpse of Phillipps House, which could easily have been the set of a period drama, and beside the lake made a nice spot for lunch. The house is open at weekends, and perhaps would’ve made a nice end to a morning’s walk.

Research courtesy of the 50 Walks in Wiltshire Guide.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dinton-park-and-philipps-house/