Welcome
to Knowlton Circle Benefice which unites 5 parishes and 6 churches in Dorset as a single local church, at the same time having respect to particular Christian worship traditions within the individual parishes: formal and less formal, the contemporary and the ceremonial.
What has happened to our summer? We have had the odd few days here and there of warmth and sunshine , but on the whole it's been rather disappointing not to say cold and grey at times. I suppose we should be grateful not to have had the 40 degrees of the Mediterranean heat but a little more warmth would have been nice. We can always hope for an Indian Summer later in September.
It's that time of year when we start to plan our Autumn activities, one of them being the annual Dorset Historic Churches Trust " Ride & Stride ". Dorset Historic Churches have been very generous to our churches in the Benefice in the past and we always try to participate in the" Ride & Stride" day in order to raise funds for the Trust. As a benefit 50 % of the sponsorship money and donations raised can be returned to the individual parishes if they so desire, so it is a winner all round!
We try to vary the route a little each time and this year after starting at Cranborne and riding or striding to Edmondsham and Woodlands we are branching out across some delightful countryside from Woodlands through new plantations of Sycamore and oak , past Woodlands Manor and across fields by pathways to Horton Church. The church is an 18c rebuild of the original Benedictine Priory, in a curious " L " shaped layout but is interesting to see. After a pause we follow further pathways across fields up a gentle incline to Chalbury Hill where we find one of the most delightful churches in Dorset. Originally 13c but with later additions it retains its 18c box pews and triple decker pulpit. Whitewashed inside and out it is light and airy and has stunning views on the south side almost down to the coast!
From Chalbury it is a short downhill path to Hinton Martell of which a short stretch is somewhat overgrown. Long trousers and sleeves are recommended to avoid being scratched. This patch is short lived but the views en route make up for the inconvenience, arriving at Hinton Martell which is a 19c church with some very unusual features and carvings.
The total walk is less than 8 miles and relatively easy walking. There are one or two stiles to negotiate but not a problem if you are reasonably fit. We plan to break at Woodlands for a BYO picnic and most churches provide some refreshments on the way. Participants can do as much or as little of the walk as they wish, joining or leaving the group to suit themselves for whatever other plans they may have for the day. Our Parish Organisers for "Ride & Stride" can arrange car transport to get people back to their starting point or cars. The walk will be led as usual by Jill Howes, a very experienced walker and who is very knowledgeable about local history.
Jill, Elspeth and I have done the walk already to make sure it is "do-able" and I was very surprised at what beautiful countryside lies hidden beyond the roads that we drive along so often without knowing what is beyond. It is certainly well worth seeing.
Sponsorship forms are available from your parish organiser or from me. You can either be sponsored, sponsor someone taking part or simply make a donation. For Cranborne we have set up a "JustGiving" page online in the name of Elspeth Brown.
We have always been fortunate in the past that the weather has been kind to us, in fact it was rather too hot last year, so we hope it will be more temperate and hopefully dry. It is always a very enjoyable and successful day, not only financially but socially, getting to know your fellow parishioners and also those you don't know so well.
Do come and join us at Cranborne on Sat 14th September starting at 10.00am!
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