A Walk on Wednesday: To see a Giant

The Cerne Giant.

This rampant fellow strides across the hill beside the ancient village of Cerne Abbas, just a few miles north of Dorchester, Dorset. (just look at that sky! that is how it was here on Sunday – perrrrrrrrrfect)

I have been yearning to go on a proper grown up walk. I spend a lot of time walking with 3 year olds and in places where pushchairs can go, so for the sake of balance, it was time for a real ‘up hill, down dale’ walk that would give me a bit of a cardiovascular work-out – and walking up that hill to the top of the Giant’s Head certainly does that.

But first I just had to find the church garden that Cathy had posted a photo of last week. I have been to Cerne Abbas so many times, but did not know about this wonderful little gem – thank you Cathy!

What a beautiful place

With huge scented magnolia flowers in the far corner, smelling deliciously of lemons
and the myrtle beaming in the sunshine
There was a plant list in the little gatehouse, why did I not stop to take note of what type of magnolia it was to be flowering at this time of year – an excuse for another visit soon.

From the garden my friend and I walked up the street past this rather elegant house, which looked across the street at these extraordinarily enormous begonias – what a culture clash!Then past ancient walls and through the iron gate to cross a graveyard

to the fields beyond

the leaves of the beech trees glowing yellow in the early autumn light

The footpath goes through the woodsand then along below the Giant’s feet, but we climbed to the top, walking alongside the fence and were rewarded with glorious views of the village below.

Not sure why these two pictures are such different colours when they were taken minutes apart – but looking in different directions.

At the top we came across this bird who seemed very used to walkers passing by

I think it could be a Whitethroat, but you might know better.

We walked along the top of the hill searching for the footpath. We were aiming to follow  the Giant’s Circular walk as written about by Rodney Legg in his book Dorset Walks, written in the 1990s.

I was wondering about how to make this walk an ‘Art Walk’ and my friend pointed out all the shapes and textures in the landscape: the lines of grass in the foreground, the geometry of the fields, the domes of trees and shrubs and the fluff of seed heads before the wind takes them, there are also white dots of sheep on that green hill.

It is obviously a good year for sloes. 

Everywhere a beautiful view, both of us were born in Dorset and enjoy our deep connections with the landscape.

The hill is a permanent pasture grazed by sheep which allows for all sorts of flora and fauna. I must look this flower up in my wildflower book.

At last we found the path we were looking for and headed down into the valley towards Minterne Parva  ……

To be continued ……..

I’d love to see where you have been walking, just add a link in the comments. It can be a walk you took years ago or this week, it would be fun to walk along with you.

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