Throop, Piddle Wood and Kite Hill

This walk is a very familiar one, as it’s not very far from where I live and is a good route for the morning dog walk.

Starting at the tiny hamlet of Throop the path has good views across the meadows towards Kite Hill and soon reaches the first bridge to cross the River Piddle.

Where the path meets the road I turned right with Turnerspuddle Farm on my left. The farm is guarded by a rather aggressive Alsatian dog and I often wonder if the pair of metal gates are high enough to keep it at bay. Fortunately it was hiding somewhere else and not leaping down the yard barking vociferously as I passed by.

With the farm behind me the route joins the Jubilee Trail and heads north on a gentle ascent through farmland with cattle and horses for company.

A rather splendid ancient thatched barn comes into view and for once it hasn’t been converted into a residential home and all the better for it in my opinion.

The path lined by large oak trees now reaches its steepest section but it doesn’t last long and it’s not that steep and certainly doesn’t demand a stop to draw breath. At the junction a cattle feeder stands alone in the muddy field with the village of Bere Regis clearly visible in the distance.

There are a choice of paths here and on another occasion I might drop down the hill towards the village and return to Turnerspuddle via Black Hill.

The path for this route passes another cluster of farm buildings and then heads westwards into Piddle Wood. A mixed woodland with both deciduous and coniferous trees. The path through the woods sits high above the A35 but although the road is barely visible there is a constant drone from cars and lorries. This does detract from an otherwise peaceful country walk.

Just off the path is an old woodman’s hut. I remember seeing it for the first time a number of years ago. It was in better condition then but as each winter takes its toll the hut falls into a more terminal state of disrepair and I can’t help but wonder how long it will remain standing. Believe it or not it is still used by a coppice maker who I met there on a previous walk, so there is life in the old hut for a while.

The track continues through the woods before it starts to descend and the views open up again with the village of Briantspuddle not too far away.

It’s a gentle descent before rejoining the Jubilee Trail, but only for a short distance as the route veers down a path on the right which then follows the River Piddle. The meadows here can get waterlogged and water will overflow onto the path – a good pair of walking boots or wellies are advisable just in case. This section of the route is a little enclosed by trees and hedgerow but birdsong is all around

There is also a pleasant place to stop and enjoy the sound of the river. In the summer young children paddle in the river and play on the rope swing suspended from the large tree. Away from their smartphones and PlayStations these are simple amusements which are free and still part of living in the countryside.

One last stop at the bridge crossing the Piddle and the walk comes to an end. Despite the grey overcast sky it was a pleasant and varied walk which can be completed in a little over an hour, not including stops along the way.

The proverb ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ could be applied to this walk given how often my feet and the spaniel’s paws follow this well trodden path in all seasons. But saying that rather misses the point. Whilst the route is the same there is always something new to see. Weather and the changing seasons greatly influence the experience and although this journal will include mostly new and previously unexplored routes there is comfort in following a familiar walk.

No longer is a map required so my mind, eyes and ears can concentrate on what I see and hear around me. I may not be able to photograph all I see and on this particular outing the weather and light were not that favourable. For that reason I have included a small selection of images taken on this walk on previous occasions, which only serve to demonstrate how the same walk can be so very different.