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The West Dorset Magazine, July 29, 2022
Health & Wellbeing
Walking West Dorset
with retired Dorset rights of way officer Chris Slade
FROME VALLEY TRAIL: 10th WALK This walk is mostly on asphalt as there are so few footpaths crossing the water meadows in this part of the Frome Valley. It makes a circuit of about seven miles starting at West Woodsford. Park at the roadside near Woodsford Castle Farm where there’s space opposite the bus shelter. Walk past the farm buildings and turn left, heading north across several fields from which you get a good view of the ancient Woodsford Castle. After crossing the Frome, the path turns right and heads east for a mile, sometimes skirting the meandering Frome. Towards the end, your route is crossed by an invisible, unsigned, public footpath path that crosses the river without a bridge! When you reach the road, turn left and head north, crossing several bridges. After half a mile you reach youcantalk.net is a new wellness and mental health resource launched by Bridport-based duo Kerry Miller, pictured, and Alex Fender. It features lots of free resources to help people relax and take stock. If you’ve read my earlier posts you might remember I wrote about Life Reviews and the clarity they can bring, and the usefulness of ‘Check-ins’ to explore past behaviour
a crossroads by a watercress farm at the start of the village of Tincleton. Turn right and follow the road through the village until, after turning left, you get to the ‘main’ road opposite the tiny village hall. Turn left and head west along the road for a couple of miles. It’s rather narrow and without verges so be careful of traffic.
Eventually you reach Norris Mill Farm where you join a BOAT (Byway Open to All Traffic) that wends its way south. When you reach a ford, turn back 20 yards and join a footpath that loops over a bridge upstream and then rejoins the BOAT. You’ll soon find a stream across the way. This one has stepping slabs visible under the surface. If you
have decent walking boots you won’t get soggy socks. At Lewell Mill Farm, join the road that takes you up to Tenantrees where you turn left and walk a mile back to your car.
Working together to make a (youcantalk.net/alexandraon-life-reviews). I was thinking about the power of Life Reviews and Check-ins recently as something new came into my life: a family of moles. The moles are conducting a subterranean nocturnal assault across the middle of the lawn. There is obviously a mature mole leaving big
widespread untidy mole hills in the heart of the lawn and tiny apologetic looking mole hills zig zagging alongside towards
the fence, certainly nothing to make a mountain out of. A builder, working on the house, gazed at the lawn carnage and told me with a
