All too suddenly, the last of Caroline Nairns monthly walks are over for another year...or possibly not!
A good group of club members assembled in the car park of the Bankes Arms in Corfe Castle early on a March Sunday morning.
Heading out of the chocolate box village with its thatched and stone roofs we found ourselves in the middle of feeding time on Corfe Common. Although common land, it is owned and managed by the National Trust so commoners have to pay the Trust to graze their animals. Primarily the common is home to horses and pony's and our arrival coincided with one of the owners turning up to feed her pony, which in turn enticed a harras of them.
Venturing further south we headed toward Kingston which gave us great views of the surrounding valley, before heading back down to Willybeck farm with its holding pond and redundant water wheel.
The fields were alive with newborn lambs all sprayed up with a number that corresponded to their mothers. Totally unfazed by humans, they were happy to walk right up to us hoping we were going to feed them.
We followed the Corfe River back into the village and welcome refreshments at the Bankes Arms.
After a hearty roast we were treated to a coffee on the house as one of our number knew the landlord from a wine tasting session courtesy of Palmers brewery!
We just had time to watch the steam train pull into Corfe Castle station before heading back to Weymouth and the start of the sailing season.
If there is enough interest, Caroline may organise a sail to Swanage one weekend, then walk to Corfe over Nine Barrow Down before catching the steam train back to Swanage and a night of revelry.
Watch this space!
Submitted on 4th April 2016