SEE THE STOURTON CAUNDLE STILE TRAIL FOR UPDATES!
The North Dorset village of Stourton Caundle is creating a Stile Trail for 2025.
***OPEN DAY 28th JUNE 13:00 AT THE TROOPER INN***
Ribbon to be cut by Steve Harris from BBC Radio Dorset Breakfast Show
(All images were taken in 2024 – before any work had begun)
A route of just under 2 miles (with an option of two shorter loops of about a mile or an all accessbile path) has been designed to circle the village, crossing 9 stiles in total. In an effort to generate funds to save the rapidly deteriorating Village Hall, encourage visitors to this usually forgotten part of Dorset and celebrate skills of local people, the Stile Trail has been proposed.
The village invited local individuals, artists, carpenters, iron mongers, stone masons, or any other type of business, group or organisation to be involved. The challenge – to make a stile special, in any way they please. This could be from a simple embellishment to a complete redesign of how a stile may work or look. The concept similar to the adopt a roundabout scheme, but with a little more freedom and a lot less traffic!
The Stile Trail will start and finish at the village centre, outside the Trooper Inn. It will then travel through the landscape, experiencing all the different designs, colours, functions and feels while learning more about the creators. It will also weave between the many elements of Stourton Caundle’s unique history.
The Trail, with map and information about the producers and history of the village, will be for sale in the pub with all the proceeds going to the Village Hall Fund (Charity number: 301183).
For more information please contact:
The Stiles
Stile 1 – Needs completely rebuilding, stone base, hidden under bramble and accessible only through a field and back garden. – Dean Harris @ Marnhull Stone
Stile 2 – On Cat Lane – All Saints Bishops Caundle School
Stile 3 – Entrance onto the bridge over the village stream – SAVED – for the village
Stile 4 – Exit off the bridge – SAVED – for the Village
Stile 5 – Newest stile to have been built leading to Brimble Cottages. – Dorset Forge and Fabrication
Stile 6 – Off Golden Hill, down a narrow alley and up a small climb. – Conygar Timber
Stile 7 – Alongside a track behind Manor Farm. – Castle Gardens, Sherborne
Stile 8 – From the field to the track by the old Saxon chapel. – CountryMen UK
Stile 9 – After a bridge at the western end of the lakes, entering the field of the lost castle! Last stile before returning to pub. – Jennifer Simon, artist
The two smaller walks are from stile 1 to stile 5 and stile 6 to stile 9.
An all accessible route is also in planning from The Trooper, past the lakes and Saxon chapel, to Stile 8 and 9.
