Dorset 30-31 October 2013

We have just spent a couple of days visiting Dorset.  On the first day we visited Wimborne Minster and then Athelhampton Hall.  No photos of Wimborne Minster, but a couple showing the front of  Athelhampton Hall and some of the twelve Pyramid trees which are yew trees  more than a hundred years old.  We had a very pleasant time wandering around the house and then through the gardens.

We moved on to Dorchester before spending the night at The Fox Inn in the small village of Ansty about 12 miles north.  Refreshed by a large breakfast, we set off for Sherborne and a visit to the Abbey.  Luckily the filming of scenes for ’Far from the Madding Crowd’ had been completed last week and all evidence of film crews removed.  After a meander around the town, we visited Sherborne Castle which was a house rather than a castle! Sir Walter Raleigh acquired the Old Castle in 1592. At first he tried to modernise it, but then he built a new house in 1594 on the site of the Hunting Lodge in the deer park.  After visiting the “Castle” (house) we walked around the lake in the grounds and up a hill to look at the ‘Old’ Castle ruins.  The rain held off and we thoroughly enjoyed being out in the fresh air.  I think we both regret that Annie’s knee problems mean that walking is very limited at the moment but at least Annie enjoyed the walking that we did do.

We spent the afternoon with Hannah, James and Rosie at their home in Milborne Port which was only a few minutes drive from Sherborne.

Rosie spent most of the two hours we were with them asleep in Annie’s arms – Annie was more than happy!

As the daylight began to fade we set out to drive back to Fairford and the end of another pleasant break.