Got it

Tarrant Crawford

Park where you can along the verge of the Tarrant Crawford road.

  1. Go through the gate to the north of the road.

    Lat:50° 49' 34'' N(50.8261°)
    Long:2° 6' 49.7'' W(-2.1138°)
    OSST 92081 02958
    w3w: ///scanty.liability.posts

  2. Head along what was obviously an old road from Spetisbury to Tarrant Keyneston. Although it was never metalled and has lost its hedgerows, at some point it seems to have acquired some telegraph poles.

    Lat:50° 49' 37.9'' N(50.8272°)
    Long:2° 6' 50'' W(-2.11388°)
    OSST 92075 03081
    w3w: ///folks.leader.snowballs

  3. After a short stretch on a terrace above the valley the old road soon drops down the side of the hill, through some bushes. On your left is Tarrant Abbey Farm which incorporates some of the ruins of the old abbey buildings.

    Lat:50° 49' 42.6'' N(50.8285°)
    Long:2° 6' 48.6'' W(-2.11351°)
    OSST 92101 03225
    w3w: ///configure.suckle.cowboys

  4. Take a close look at the land around the clump of trees on the right. Is this where the abbey church was? The presence of nettles is always a sign of disturbed land, and it certainly appears to have been levelled at some time.

    Lat:50° 49' 45.1'' N(50.8292°)
    Long:2° 6' 45.7'' W(-2.11269°)
    OSST 92159 03303
    w3w: ///jammy.sloping.wishes

  5. And what, if anything, is the significance of the large yew tree in the hedgerow? And why doesn't St Mary's have any windows on this side?

    Lat:50° 49' 46.2'' N(50.8295°)
    Long:2° 6' 43.1'' W(-2.11198°)
    OSST 92209 03336
    w3w: ///yourself.regulates.shuts

  6. As the old road swings round into the farm yard, follow the track across the corner of the field towards the church. Go through the gate, and onto the farm road.

    Lat:50° 49' 47.6'' N(50.8299°)
    Long:2° 6' 44'' W(-2.11223°)
    OSST 92192 03381
    w3w: ///bleaching.repelled.portfolio

  7. Following the farm road round to the left briefly, take a look at the stream just before the bridge. It is interesting to note that there is a masonry structure in the middle of the stream-bed. Was it an old mill? A bridge? Or possibly a fragment of the nuns' rere-dorter?

    Lat:50° 49' 50.9'' N(50.8308°)
    Long:2° 6' 41.3'' W(-2.11148°)
    OSST 92245 03481
    w3w: ///forms.prank.collects

  8. After visiting the church, continue along the river-side path that eventually leads to Tarrant Keyneston until you reach a track branching off up the hill to the right.

    Lat:50° 49' 58.4'' N(50.8329°)
    Long:2° 6' 38.4'' W(-2.11066°)
    OSST 92303 03714
    w3w: ///northward.retiring.shadows

  9. Follow this track up over the hill and down the other side until it comes to a T-junction. Turn right and head back down to Tarrant Crawford Cross.

    Lat:50° 49' 44.4'' N(50.829°)
    Long:2° 6' 6.9'' W(-2.10193°)
    OSST 92917 03280
    w3w: ///motivates.styled.clinic

  10. Go through the gate opposite the cross and walk up the edge of the field back to the top of the hill. Incidentally, this path is shown on older maps as running diagonally across the field from Tarrant Crawford Farm.

    Lat:50° 49' 26.4'' N(50.824°)
    Long:2° 6' 39.3'' W(-2.11092°)
    OSST 92283 02725
    w3w: ///table.note.dried

  11. You can still see the old gate incorporated into the fence opposite the farm. One can just imagine the farmer and his family, all dressed up in their Sunday best, heading through the gate and off to the old church.

    Lat:50° 49' 23.2'' N(50.8231°)
    Long:2° 6' 42.3'' W(-2.11176°)
    OSST 92224 02625
    w3w: ///plots.sector.worlds

  12. At the top of the hill, you are back where you started.

    Lat:50° 49' 31.4'' N(50.8254°)
    Long:2° 6' 48.5'' W(-2.11347°)
    OSST 92104 02881
    w3w: ///inert.guessing.minds