We found the designated car park in Tisbury without much trouble, and although it was a bit cold for some, we enjoyed the sunshine while Birdseye told us the usual stuff about our route.
We began by exploring by the railway line, near the station, and found a well-concealed route to a trail through fields of rape, which took us down to a stile at a minor road called Tisbury Row. Here the pack waited for Some Frog and Whiskey, who had somehow become separated, and were being retrieved by the hare.
Just down the road was a whip-in, from where we climbed up a track almost to the top of the hill at Haredene Wood, before bending to the right to descend to another whip-in at a T-junction in the woods, which were carpeted in bluebells. Having decided the trail wasn’t on the right, the pack headed left, where Ronlet found the only check-back of the evening. So it was back the way we’d rejected and down out of the woods on a bridleway that took us close to Withyslade Farm, where we followed a sawdust arrow up a minor track on our left to Swallowcliffe Woods, whereupon we kept to the edge all the way to another whip-in. From here we continued east along a track, turning first right and then unexpectedly left to cross a half-mile expanse of bone-dry field, leaving plumes of dust in our wake. Silent Running said it seemed like running through a desert – perhaps a flash-back to his days in the Foreign Legion.
We had had a large mast in view for a while, and when we reached it at the road Birdseye asked if we would like to take a short-cut, as time was passing and Kinky Bugger and Jibber had a skittles match to get to. With expressions of regret, some of them no doubt sincere, we agreed to forego the additional mile and a half. We therefore headed north and soon turned left into Swell Hill Wood, where we wiggled about a lot and got badly stung by nettles, the calls of “On on” being replaced by yells of “Ow ow”.
Once free of the woods, we ran down the side of a field and along the next side (wouldn’t a diagonal approach have been better?) until we reached a road. Turning left and running happily along it on the way to Chicksgrove, we were horrified to find the Compasses Inn completely blocking our path. Luckily, or more likely by design, Birdseye had brought some money with him, so we wasted ten or fifteen minutes of running time drinking beer and discussing various obscure, extreme and muddy races with Warthog. Even Madness succumbed to the lure of alcohol and had half a pint.
After the pub we retraced our route for a short way before taking a footpath on the left which led us through many fields back to the railway, and an unmanned crossing. We didn’t need to cross though, and instead carried on alongside the line, encountering some attractive sheep and lambs together with their owner and his friendly dog. The dog wanted to come with us, but we eventually detached it and crossed the railway line to continue to run close to the River Nadder, which was a bit to our right. A train came rattling past on the left on its way to Tisbury station, and soon we were nearly there too. Just a few hundred metres of road and we were back at the cars, having had a pleasant run and an unexpected drink. Well done Birdseye!
Afterwards, four of us went to the South Western near the station where we had more beer, and sampled that well-known hasher’s staple, ham egg and chips, which at less than a fiver was pretty damned good.
Hare(s): Birdseye
Hounds: Jibber, Kinky Bugger, Madness, Ronlet, Silent Running, Some Frog, Warthog
Social Hounds/Puppy Hashers: Not this time
Real Hounds: Whiskey
Price: Birdseye Listing # 466 |
