Fonthill

 October 2026

We started in the direction of home and stopped at Fonthill for a morning walk  around the Fonthill Park estate in beautiful autumnal weather. Starting at the Beckford Arms (SP3 6PX) we walked clockwise around the estate through Fonthill Gifford, Stop Farm, stables, a grotto and back to the pub. There are plenty of signed tracks and it’s easy to create a walk of your chosen length. Look out for the Fonthill Arch and various grottos and beware a rather steep section just north of Stop Farm. 

John was thrilled by a dam and hydropower, then we took lunch in some luxury at the Beckford Arms in Fonthill. 

Yet another good walking trip though Mark’s unexpected return on Tuesday and Tim’s unwelcome steak pie plus various phone calls did take off some of the shine.

Salisbury

 October 2026

Miserable weather today. We appreciate the importance of rain after such a dry and hot summer but we could not cheerfully walk in it so we decided to take a bus to Salisbury where we spent much of the day in and around the majestic cathedral. It holds an original 1215 Magna Carta in a special exhibition. 

The cathedral has a very fine spire and is lofty and airy. We joined a well informed guide on an hour-long tour and saw many things we would have missed. I particularly liked the exquisite model of the cathedral in process of being built. 

A snack lunch then the adjacent museum has plenty of interest and we spot the grave and house “Arundells” of ex prime minister Edward Heath.

In the evening, having cancelled our booking elsewhere, we stayed in at The Grove and enjoyed our evening meal followed by a great quiz. We did well enough to win three packets of pork scratchings!

Shaftesbury

October 2026

Mark left us, feeling unwell, but we three walked from Ludwell into Shaftesbury, approximately 2.5 miles. Ludwell is in south Wiltshire (as is Salisbury) and Shaftesbury is in Dorset. 

We found several stiles to be challenging but overall the walk was pleasantly varied through farm land, fields, isolated houses and the built up edge of Shaftesbury. Lunch at The Mitre was very good (we enjoyed the coronation chicken and the pleasant waitress) plus a fine view over the hills.

Gold Hill, made famous by Ridley Scott’s Hovis advert, was a delight and the adjacent museum equally so.

Popping in to the Abbey grounds (the Abbey itself having been demolished by Henry VIII) we are met by a genial local reporter for Alfred local radio who quizzes us on our impressions of Shaftesbury – which we are pleased to give. You can hear it here https://thisisalfred.com/podcast/the-alfred-daily-8th-october-2026/ (Listen from 43.50 to 48.00)

We return by a partly different route though we can’t avoid the tricky stiles.

Supper at the Benett Arms in Semley. Approaching the village, on single track roads in near total darkness we find the road closed, necessitating a retreat and a long diversion.

The steak pie has pastry like mdf and Tim can’t finish it. Worse, it revisits him overnight. There is little atmosphere in the pub and we leave early, returning to the Grove for a final pint. 

It promises to rain tomorrow morning so we may reconsider our walking plans.

Dorset & Wiltshire Border

October 2026

John drove us to the Woolpack Inn at Totford for lunch, followed by 3.7-mile circular walk in the Candover Valley (WW4903). From Totford (SO24 9TJ) we walked clockwise up to Brown Candover (The Wayfarers Walk) then turned south at Moth Farm, west along the Oxdrove Way then south again on the Wayfarers Walk back to the Woolpack.

 It’s further than you think from home in Cambridge when driving takes in the M25 but we experience no hold ups and this walk is a useful break on the way to just outside Shaftesbury. The Candover Valley walk is suitably varied in warm weather and our sandwich lunch is substantial.

After lunch we headed on to The Grove Arms in Ludwell, where we were staying for the next three nights.

The Grove Arms is welcoming, providing double rooms and a single. Evening meal is good.