A few months ago I did a circular walk from Dinton along the south side of the Nadder valley to reach Fonthill Park and then return on the north side. Today I am walking with my walking buddy Nigel from New Forest Navigation we are going to follow the same paths but in the opposite direction.
The start point for our walk is the Village Hall car park in Dinton (SP3 5EB) (Grid Ref: SU015313). From the village hall we walk into the village and then turn left along the B3089, Hinton Road, and soon turn right onto Snow Hill. We pass the old telephone box which is now used as a community book swap and follow the lane to St Mary’s Church.
Just to the left of the church a footpath leads through the National Trust Dinton Park car park. We take this and head into Dinton Park following a well-worn path heading west.
This path leads us in front of Philipps House. This property was built between 1814 and 1817 for William Wyndham (1769-1841). The house was then called Dinton House and it stood on the site of a former house which had been the home of the Wyndham family since 1689. William Wyndham was a descendant of Sir Wadham Wyndham (1609-1688), he had served as one of the “Fire Judges” following the Great Fire of London.
The house was purchased by Bertram Erasmus Philipps (1870-1947) and he changed the name to Philipps House. In 1936 Philipps leased the house to the YMCA and he and his wife moved to nearby Hyde’s House a former rectory which he had purchased in 1924.
During World War II the park in front of the house was requisitioned for use by the United States Air Force and they erected a number of Nissen huts. After the war in 1943 Phipps, who was childless, gave the house and parkland to the National Trust.
We follow the path through the parkland to reach a gate by woodland and continue heading west to pass some lakes. The path is overgrown so we opt to walk in the field alongside. Hopefully it will be cut soon, however, it was like this the last time I walked here, if it is still the same in a few months I will report it to the Rights of Way Officer at Wiltshire Council.
We now enter woodland and follow the path to a junction of tracks near Teffont Magna, here we turn left and walk downhill into the village.
At the B3089 we turn right and walk a few metres and take a footpath on the left which goes beside a cottage and then through a gate into a field.
After crossing a fields we reach a junction of paths and turn right and follow a path through fields along the edge of woodland, Upper Holt.
Our route briefly takes us through woodland to reach a junction of paths, here we continue heading west on a path below Cleeve Copse. On reaching a gate we go through and head across a field beside the woods.
After passing a cottage we turn left to join a minor road we head up to a junction where there is a cottage with railway memorabilia in the garden.
We go over a crossroads and within twenty five metres go across another crossroads and continue through Underhill Copse to Ridge.
At another crossroads we once again go straight over passing on old chapel which has been converted into a residence, we then turn right into Little Ridge Wood.
This is a cracking bit of woodland and we follow a bridleway that descends into a valley and then climbs the other side where we get a stunning view.
We follow the path as it passes Fonthill Clump and then descends through farm buildings into the village. Here we turn left and pass the bus shelter and then at a junction turn left to take the minor road into Fonthill Park, going through the arch of the grand Palladian Lodge which dates from 1756.
Our route is now beside this minor road through the park. To our left is Fonthill Lake and we soon pass a picturesque cricket ground on our right.
Fonthill Lake was created in the mid 1700’s by building a weir on the Fonthill Brook. This was part of the creation of the park for the then owner William Beckford who built a long demolished house on the estate which was known as Fonthill Splendens.
At a footpath on the left we leave the road and take the path which goes close to the side of the lake. After going through a gate we make a slight detour from the path and head uphill to have a look at a grotto. This was one of a number of grottos that William Beckford had built on his estate and dates to the late 1700’s.
On reaching the dam at the end of the lake we stop on the grassy bank for our lunch it is a very tranquil spot. However, in mid the1820’s the then owner of the estate John Farquhar built a six story wooden mill beside this dam and alongside it a five story weaving factory. Around two hundred people worked on the site. When the estate changed hands in 1830 the new owner James Morrison had the buildings removed to restore the aesthetics of the lake.
There are three stone buildings by the dam. These were built in the 19th century to house waterwheel drive pumps which were used to pump water up to reservoirs. In May 2011 a hydropower turbine was installed and this generates power which is fed into the local grid.
Refreshed from our lunch we cross the dam and then turn right on a footpath which soon heads uphill through woodland to reach fields. Following the way marked route we soon turn to the south and head towards Tisbury.
As we near the village we cross Fonthill Brook.
The footpath joins a track and we follow this to reach Duck Street where we turn left and follow this to a junction where we head straight over to join The Avenue and then soon take a footpath on the left which heads across fields towards Court Street.
At the road we turn right, crossing the River Nadder at Court Street Bridge and then in under 100 metres, before the railway bridge, we turn left and go through gates on a footpath leading to properties.
At a junction of paths by the houses we go straight on and soon head through fields with the railway line to our right and with the River Nadder to our left.
The path crosses the railway line. This is the mainline from London Waterloo to Exeter so we heed the warnings to “Stop, Look and Listen” before crossing. On the far side of the railway we turn left and go parallel to the line as we walk through woodland. On arriving at a level crossing we turn right and head uphill on a farm driveway.
The track leads to a gate which we go through and continue uphill in a field with young calves. After passing a barn we go through a gate and cross arable fields heading towards a track.
After crossing the track we head east through a field of sheep to reach a minor road.
At the road we turn right and then after just over 200 metres take a footpath on the left which goes beside a property to reach fields. We are now walking along the northern edge of Common Hill Wood and there are fine views to our left over the Nadder Valley.
Staying with this path as it heads east we reach All Saints Church in Sutton Mandeville. This church dates from the 13th century with the tower added in the 15th century.
Through the churchyard we continue to the road and turn left to walk through the village. When the road forks we go left along a tarmac byway which passes a cottage and then goes through woodland heading towards Fovant. As we near the village we take a footpath on the right and go through fields to reach a minor road where we turn left. At a crossroads we go straight over into Church Lane.
Before reaching the church we go right on a footpath across a stream. At a junction of paths we keep right and head uphill to pass a property and join a minor road. Here we cross and head steadily uphill towards Fir Hill Plantation.
Through a kissing gate we turn left and follow the path around the top of the hill with a good view of the Fovant Badges to our right.
At a track we turn left and then almost immediately right to continue walking along the top of the ridge. We are now on a path at the southern edge of Fovant Wood and we follow this towards Home Farm.
At the farm there is a junction of tracks, we continue eastward with the woods on our left. This track soon leads us down into Compton Chamberlayne where we turn left and follow a minor road out of the village.
At a point where the road turns to the right we go straight on along a track heading towards Dinton Mill.
Dinton Mill and adjacent cottage was built in the late 17th century and early 18th century. It sits beside the River Nadder in a picturesque location.
After passing the mill we turn left at a junction of paths and follow this route to reach the railway line. Once again we cross with care and follow a path leading to the B3089. Earlier in the year when I walked here it was very boggy and running with water, but today it is dry underfoot.
At the B3089 we turn left and walk unto Dinton and then turn left into Branch Lane to return to the village hall.
To follow my walk you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer 130 Salisbury &Stonehenge; )S Explorer 143 Warminster & Trowbridge; & OS Explorer 118 – Shaftesbury & Cranbourne Chase
You can view this 16.5 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here
17th September 2024
© Two Dogs and an Awning (2024)
All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it. To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk. It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.