Dorchester Abbey - Day 11 - Sat, Aug 23rd

Note:  At the bottom of the page is a video of the pictures we took today.

As an obsessive flyer gatherer, one of the flyers that I picked up at the visitor's center or at a pub or coffee house advertised "Traditional Skills in Action" at Dorchester Abbey in Dorchester-on-Thames.  So I'd spent the last couple days online to see if we could get there.  I found a bus we could catch 1 block away, ride for 20 minutes then walk 1.5 miles into the village to the Abbey.

Jim was very quiet about his misgivings when we alighted from the bus in the middle of nowhere.  Just a bus stop along the side of the highway and nothing but trees and bushes in sight.  (He later told me that since there was a bus stop on the opposite side of the highway he figured we could at least return easily after discovering we were lost.)  Thus he dutifully followed me as we took a narrow path to steps up to the overpass, crossed the highway and continued walking past a field being harvested.  Soon we came to a cemetery, and though my directions didn't say to go through it, I took us diagonally thru the pretty cemetery with weathered stones and  then through the intriguing village streets.  Our walk took longer than it should have because I was stopping constantly to take pictures - of a road named Martin Lane, a stone cottage with thatched roof, interesting buildings etc.

We finally arrived at the Abbey but diverted to the 16th century  Fleur de Lys Inn & pub (dated 1520) across the street for lunch.  It was #1 on my list based on reviews I'd read of the 5 eating places in the village.  We ordered lunch from the chalkboard menu above the bar and chose pints of the local ale.  Going back outside around the building thru the car park and into the lovely beer garden surrounded by very high hedges we enjoyed the calm and drank our pints. 

Click for more of the rich historic info on this Abbey.  Christians have worshipped on the site for nearly 1400 years.  The current building was begun in the 12th century replacing two earlier Saxon cathedrals. 

Inside the Abbey and in the gardens were people demonstrating skills/crafts that built the Abbey and supported the Monastic Community.  Many were hands-on experience mostly partaken by children.  There were Stonemasons, Wood Carver, Pole Lathe Turner, Stained Glass Artist, Embroiderer, Calligrapher, Herbalist, Weavers, Spinners, Dyers, Coracle Maker, Blacksmith, Basket Maker and Beekeepers.  We also followed the walking tour of the inside of the Abbey which serves as the local parish church and regular musical concerts.

Several hours later we visited the Museum in the Abbey to pick up walking maps of the village.  There is evidence of human settlement in Dorchester from Neolithic times -  Iron Age people, then a Celtic market centre then a Roman town.  It later became the centre of the Saxon settlement where the king of the West Saxons was baptised in 635 becoming the centre of Saxon Christianity.  In 1140 Dorchester's Augustinian monastery was founded and the Abbey was built on the old Saxon foundation.

After perusing the various leaflets (Walk thru 10,000 years of archaeology, Walks in and around Dorchester No 1,2, 3, 4, 5) we chose a short walk but quickly got lost - although the tower of the Abbey is always in view.  Instructions like:

"Immediately after the bend and before the roundabout, note that the footpath sign is by a gap in the hedge on your right.  Go thru the gap in the hedge and bear right across the field towards a hedge.  The path follows this hedge until a well defined track crosses the path; here you turn left."

"Turn left along the path between two walls.  Turn right at the next barrier and carry straight on until you reach an iron kissing gate."

"Turn left and go over the footbridge which crosses the Thame at its confluence with the Thames. Follow the Thames Path as far as a barbed wire fence, then bear left up to the kissing gate which leads onto....."

 

We found ourselves in the middle of a field and heading towards the center of a large herd of cattle.  Noting a woman crossing toward us we hailed her asking if she was as lost as we were.  No she grew up around here and set us on the proper course after regaling us with tons of historical information about the area including the fields where we now stood.  The many small hills to our right are called Dyke Hills, built in the late iron age were used as fortifications by the Romans.  A small brick building is one of many nearby the Thames so the English could defend against a German invasion during the World Wars.

Almost back to the Abbey and walking thru the Allotments (patches of land deeded individually for farming by the locals) we came across an older woman walking her dog.  She too was very eager to talk about the history of the nearby towns and the beauty of them for visiting.

After returning back to Oxford we ate dinner at Chutney's Indian Brasserie  (click here for website).  We'd seen it our prior 2 visits but it was always packed.  Since term has not yet started we were able to get in.  They were very friendly and the indian food was the best we'd ever eaten.  We will definitely return.

Here is the video of the pictures we took today.

DorchesterAbbey from James Sandefur on Vimeo.