On Foot

On Foot RYALL BOTTOM

Emma Tabor and Paul Newman

Distance: 4¼miles Time: Approx. 2½ hours Park: On the side of Ryall Road as you enter Ryall Walk Features: There are a couple of sharp gradients on this route, especially the final section back up to the start. The outer section is through farmland with the return route following the Monarch’s Way, with glimpses of some of the holloways in the area. While the terrain itself is not a challenge, a lack of footpath signs, along with some overgrown stiles in a poor state of repair and electric fences, can make the going slow. However the views and sense of tranquility are well worth it. Stout boots, an Ordnance Survey map and secateurs would be useful!

Each month we devise a walk for you to try with your family and friends (including four-legged members) pointing out a few interesting things along the way, be it flora, fauna, architecture, history, the unusual or sometimes the unfamiliar. For October we walk from the secluded village of Ryall across a picturesque tapestry of fields and enclosures, with good views from the hills around Ryall Bottom to the surrounding hillforts of Pilsdon Pen and Lamberts and Coney’s Castles. Although there is little of historical building interest, the walk twists and turns to reveal constantly changing vistas and other views to the east of the Marshwood Vale as well as across to Golden Cap and Lyme Regis.

Directions Start: SY 408943 1 From the A35, park on the right-hand side of Ryall

Road as you reach the village sign for Ryall (there is a layby with space for approximately three cars on the right, just before the sign). There are good views across to Colmer’s Hill and the sea. 2 Walk into and then through the village, past Ryall

House and, after ½ mile, at the junction with

Pitman’s Lane, turn right by Hope Cottage onto

Lower Lane. Head downhill, past Pothills Farm.

Towards the bottom of the lane, after 200 yards, pass the sign for Mayfield on your left (do not go up this drive) and keep ahead towards some gates as the lane carries round to the right. Go through the small gate next to a large gate (please close) by a house - there is no footpath sign here. Through >

here, pass next to buildings and onto a lovely grassy footpath. 3 Head along the footpath for ¼ mile. At the bottom of the path, go through a large metal gate to meet several converging tracks. Here, take the left-hand stony track which, after 70 yards, enters a field.

Follow the right-hand edge of the field and, after a few more yards, you will see a gap in the hedge on the right. Walk through a small copse to soon reach a stile. (At the time of the walk this was overgrown).

Cross over the stile into a field and walk diagonally across and downhill to a large metal gate. There is a stile to the right of this but it is impassable, so go through the gate and then through another large metal gate, across a brook on a farm track, with farm buildings to your left. Now go straight ahead into a field, through an electric gate (which is a bit tricky) and then straight up into the field. Keep to the left-hand side of this field for 100 yards, until you come to a stile in the top left-hand corner.

Leave the field by this stile to enter a copse. Cross a wooden footbridge and then go over another stile to leave the copse and into a field. (At the time of completing this walk there was a temporary electric fence inside the field boundary and close to the stile which made negotiating the stile difficult). 4 From the stile, walk in a straight line across the field, looking for a stile on the opposite side which will take you through a hedge. (At the time of completing this walk, this stile was poorly maintained and overgrown). Cross this stile into another field. Go straight across this narrow field to a double stile through another hedge. 5 In this next field, head towards your right; first, walk along the contours of a slope and then drop down to find a stile in the hedge and trees at the bottom, past a scrubby area. Go over this stile into a small, narrow holloway. Climb up, across a bridge and then through another stile into a field.

Head towards your right. You can either follow the right-hand edge of this field or cut slightly diagonally across to a stile through a gap in the hedge to your right. Go over this stile into the next field. The footpath now heads to your left, aim diagonally across the middle of this crop field, climbing at first and then dropping down towards some farm buildings. 6 Before the farm buildings and just before you leave the field, turn sharp right to follow a track along by the hedge and the top boundary of the field you have just walked across. You have now joined the

Monarch’s Way. The field you have just crossed is now below you, to your right. Walk up the track for 250 yards to reach a large metal gate with a

Monarch’s Way sign. Here, go to the right and follow a tree line/hedge with good views to your right. You soon pass through another metal gate.

Here, keep the tree line/hedge on your immediate right. Do not follow the track as it goes up to

Copper Hill. The path is indistinct at first so follow the tree line, roughly level with the contours. Follow this field edge, which soon starts to go up slightly to meet a small metal gate. Follow the path through this into a field. Keep round to the right on the path, with the tree line still on your right, until you reach the far right-hand corner of the field and a large metal gate with another Monarch’s Way sign.

Go through this to emerge into another field - there are now expansive views to the coast. Follow the tree line for 300 yards and then look for a gap on your right to leave the field. This takes you down into a grassy lane. Turn left, go through another metal gate and follow the lane which becomes a holloway. Keep going to the bottom of this lane to meet Venn Farm, on the bend of a road. 7 Take the bridleway on your right, past the pigs, and keep on this path into a field, with a hedge on your left. Turn left through a wooden gate into another field. Cross this small field, go through a larger wooden gate then up and across the field to the far left corner with an opening and a bridleway sign.

Go through this opening at the top of the field with the tree line on your left. At another wooden gate, turn left onto a track, over a brook. 8 Walk along this track (Butt Lane) for ⅓ mile, passing a house on your right and, as the track becomes tarmac, you will soon see a bridleway sign on your right. Here, turn sharp right and walk along the field edge for 150 yards. As the field edge turns away to the right, cross the field making for its left-hand edge. Follow this as it climbs slightly and bends around to the left to soon meet a wooden gate and a bridleway sign. Turn right into this field and follow the valley uphill, heading for the very top corner and staying above Right Bottom. At the top corner go through a small wooden gate, climbing steeply through a very narrow overgrown area, to take you back to the start.

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