Flower farming in a drought

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18 September 2022

The dry summer has been difficult, says flower farmer Charlotte Tombs as she makes plans to work around drought with her 2023 plant choices

Some of Charlotte 2022 dahlias – Seniors Hope, Creme de Cassis, Burlesca, Franz Kafka, Molly Raven and Zippity Do Da
Images: Charlotte Tombs

I won’t bore you with how I was going to have natural free spring water for my flower beds this summer. Nor how I was going to have irrigation in all the beds. Or how (like always) the plumber never came when he said he would, and has only just turned up some eight weeks later – which is rather late. Or even how I’ve spent hours watering and keeping things alive this summer and I’m never going to get those hours back.
In fact I just had to give up on some beds and as a consequence had to cut down on the flower orders I’ve been able to take on.
But of course there is always next year to do things differently; with different plants and different varieties. The great thing about gardening, as I’ve written before, is you always get another season to try again.

These dahlias remind me of fruit salad penny sweets – they are Daisy Duke, Totally Tangerine, Burlesque and Molly Raven, with cosmos apricotta and scabious salmon rose.

Climate change plants
Perennials are the way forward if our summers are getting hotter and our climate is changing – I will certainly be looking to grow more drought-tolerant plants myself. Of course they are more expensive, but they can be grown from seed and some will flower in their first year. Good choices for this are achillea, yarrow and eryngium, or sea holly, which is the most beautiful steely blue colour and the bees LOVE it so it’s a real winner for the garden.
It’s a good idea right now to take the time and have a good look around your garden; see what has survived and thrived in your poor parched flower beds.
Drought-tolerant plants tend to have grey or silver leaves – the light-coloured leaves reflect the sun’s rays. Often the leaves also have tiny grey hairs on them, which help to retain moisture around the plant’s sensitive tissues. Some plants which really don’t mind a drought are echinacea (or coneflower), nepeta (or catmint; be warned, cats really do love this plant!), agastanche, salvias, lavender and rosemary. A lot of ornamental grasses thrive in dry conditions, unlike their moisture-loving cousin otherwise known as your lawn.
The zinnias this summer have been amazing; they love it hot and dry. They are considered a ‘dirty flower’ because they make the vase water dirty, but a small drop of bleach will help prevent this.
There is an autumnal nip in the air first thing now, and thankfully a heavy dew which is helping my thirsty flowers. It’s certainly been a challenging summer for a cut flower grower.

Looking sweet in the meadow (and on the roadside too)

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Editorial team

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17 September 2022

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September is a month of abundance, even after a summer drought, says foraging expert Carl Mintern as he enjoys the literal fruits of the season

meadowsweet or mead wort, Filipendula ulmaria, with flying insects searing for honey and pollinate the flowers

This year has been a test of water management for both us humans and the natural world, with droughts seen across much of the country and record temperatures to boot. Indeed, many of our trees have decided to shed brown leaves as early as mid-August, giving some areas a very autumnal look and feel already.
I, along with you I am sure, am hoping that the coming weeks and months give our surroundings a chance to recover from this summer with some much-needed rainfall.
I have also noticed that many of our hedgerow harvests seem unaffected by the conditions, with a bumper year for blackberries and also many nut trees looking extremely bountiful.
One such tree is the walnut (Juglans regia), a prized tree in the forager’s inventory. While many people are surprised to hear that we can go foraging for walnuts in the UK, the walnut tree has been growing here since Roman times and can be found in many parks and larger gardens, as well as on roadsides. Indeed, it is one of the things I will often spot from my car on journeys all around the Blackmore Vale and surrounding area.
As with most nut trees, the trick is getting to the ripe nuts before the squirrels, who are particularly adept at outwitting us human collectors when it comes to timing our harvests.
Ideally you will wait until the shell has started peeking through the green husks which are in clusters of two to five. They are green and oval in shape, looking a little like a lime from a distance, and inside is the wrinkled seed. As the nut ripens, the shell forms and hardens around it. Once collected and dried out it can be stored for up to a year.
In the world of foraging, nuts hold a special place for me, alongside mushrooms, as they can form the centrepiece of a meal and offer a huge amount of protein and other nutrients. As such, it should come as little surprise when I say that the walnut tree is by far my favourite tree to find on the landscape.

Wait to harvest walnuts until the shell has started peeking through the green husks

Meadowsweet
The next plant I wish to share this month is meadowsweet, (Filipendula ulmaria), a truly abundant wild herb that likes a damper environment – hopefully the autumn will deliver one. This sweetly-scented plant was famous both as a strewing herb, scattered on the floor for its scent, and as a flavouring for mead. Today I use it to infuse many things, from vinegars to custards.
Last September I undertook a challenge where I only consumed food I could procure myself, with not a single thing bought from a shop, and I made meadowsweet custard by infusing my goat’s milk with the flowers from this plant, which deliver an almond flavour with hints of vanilla.
All parts of the plant are edible and can be added to soups or sauces, giving a deliciously sweet aromatic flavour to sweet dishes such as stewed fruits. The bitter roots, along with the leaves and flowers, have been used dried as a tea.
Traditionally found in damper meadows, meadowsweet grows prolifically in the Blackmore Vale along roadside ditches which have been created and maintained to irrigate agricultural land. It is both abundant and easy to find and identify.

Wild pears are free for the picking, and just the same as those you’ll buy in the supermarket

Wild fruit
Finally this month, I would like to draw your attention to the possibility of finding other fruits we usually associate with cultivated harvesting. While I will spotlight no one in particular, I think its easy for us to forget that wild strawberries and raspberries proliferate in wild spaces all around us, along with wild blueberries and currants.
As I sit to write this article, I can see a heaving bowl of pears, collected from a wild pear tree growing on an almost unused roadside connecting two small hamlets. The differences between the pears I have and the ones in the shops? Well, apart from the fact mine taste better, and were free, not much at all …

Is this the perfect autumnal bake? Simple-but-perfect apple turnovers

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Editorial team

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16 September 2022

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The hot and sunny summer will have been a blessing for all the parts of our lovely county that benefit from the tourist trade. After a difficult two years with the effects of the pandemic, to have full beaches and local attractions (and therefore full bars, restaurants and shops), will have been wonderful for all kinds of local businesses.
The weather has definitely made the last couple of months more interesting for our local farmers
though. It still remains to be seen how much of an impact that will have on the levels of locally-grown produce in our shops. While some crops will have benefited – it’s been good for the blossoming wine industry – others are struggling. If you want to show support for our local farmers and those who source their ingredients from them, then do try your local farm shops and delis and buy from them direct – even an occasional small spend helps if we’re all doing it.
This recipe is made using apples which are just coming into season. Dorset has a wide range of apples and while some apple turnover recipes insist on Bramley apples, I would recommend you try any kind – sometimes the texture of the apple inside the pastry adds something wonderful to the bake, rather than just a soft inside. Heather x

Ingredients

2 packs of ready rolled puff pastry (fridge cold)
10 to 12 apples
1 tsp cinnamon
2 to 3 heaped tbsp soft brown sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1tbsp Demerara sugar to finish

Directions

Peel and core the apples and chop into small pieces (0.5cm cubes).
In a small saucepan, add the apple pieces, the soft brown sugar and the cinnamon. If you are using a sweeter apple variety then use less sugar here; you can always taste and add more if you need to. If using a sour apple variety, like Granny Smith or Bramley, then use slightly more sugar.
Mix the ingredients well until the sugar and spice coat the apple pieces and then turn on the heat to medium. Gently cook the apples pieces until they soften. If you are using a Bramley apple, the apple pieces will completely lose their shape, but something like a Pink Lady will just soften to lose the ‘crunch’ when you bite them – this is what you are looking for. This will take 5-10 minutes and be careful not to let them burn on the bottom by giving them a stir as they cook.
Leave this mixture to cool completely (you can make this stage ahead and leave in the fridge until you are ready to make the turnovers).
Pre-heat the oven to 180º fan/Gas 5. Grease and line two baking trays.
To make the turnovers, roll out the pastry and gently cut into squares – there are no rules here, the size of the square is up to you. Some love a huge turnover, some like little turnover bites.
Dab a little of the beaten egg around the edge of the squares. Place the apple mixture onto one diagonal half of the square and fold the pastry over to make a triangle with the mixture inside.
Press down the edges with a fork.
Carefully move them to the baking tray. Brush beaten egg across the top and sprinkle over some of the demerara sugar.
Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on how large they are) until crisp and golden brown.

Heather Brown is on the committee of the Guild of Food Writers; she is a home economist with a passion for Dorset’s brilliant foodie scene, as well as a dab hand at fixing websites, and with a penchant for taking a good foodie photo. Heather runs Dorset Foodie Feed, championing Dorset’s food and drink businesses, as well as working one-to-one with clients.

Sherborne School’s A level success

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Editorial team

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16 September 2022

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Sherborne School and Sherborne Girls are celebrating superb and well-deserved A level results.
Sherborne School leavers look to start their degree courses, which range from Veterinary Science, Medicine, Mathematics and Engineering to English, History and Theology.
Sherborne Girls will be taking up a range of courses including Aerospace Engineering, Law, Veterinary Medicine, Physiotherapy, Liberal Arts, Medicine, Graphic Design, Economics and Finance, International Relations and Neuroscience.
Pupils from the two schools will be studying at top UK universities including Oxford, Cambridge, and Russell Group and prestigious overseas universities including Hong Kong University, as well as universities in Norway, Estonia, Spain, Paris and New York.
At Sherborne School, 28 per cent of Upper Sixth boys were graded A, 60 per cent A-A and 83 per cent A-B. Given the additional challenges that they had to endure throughout their Sixth Form careers as a result of the pandemic, these achievements are all the more impressive and a special mention is made by the school of Denys, a Ukrainian HMC scholar, who achieved AAAA despite coping with the dreadful events unfolding in his homeland. Headmaster Dr Dominic Luckett said: ‘We could not be more proud of them all, not simply because of their stellar academic and co-curricular achievements but for the superb young men that they are’. Sherborne Girls are celebrating a record 26 per cent at A grade. Sherborne Girls’ Head, Dr Ruth Sullivan, said: ‘I would like to congratulate our outgoing Upper Sixth who have been a privilege to work with during their time at Sherborne Girls. They have shown a level of maturity, good humour, focus and stoicism beyond their years, while continuing to be caring, compassionate and supportive of one another. I have never failed to be impressed by their approach to learning and life.
‘I, along with all the staff at Sherborne Girls, wish them every success as they embark on the next stage of their journeys.’

Sherborne’s boys celebrate GCSE results

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Editorial team

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16 September 2022

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Just as the A level cohort had to contend with the added pressures, constraints and frustrations of the pandemic, so this year’s GCSE candidates were required to work towards their examinations against the background of considerable disruption and uncertainty. Despite that, they have done magnificently well – 22 per cent of their GCSEs were awarded the top grade of 9; 48% grades 9 and 8; and 67% 9 to 7 (equivalent to the old A*/A grades).
On an individual level, 18 boys achieved ten or more grades 9-7. Among them is Bertie T, who secured an exceptional 12 Grade 9s, a feat emulated by only a dozen or so pupils across the country.
Hot on his heels were Max S with ten Grade 9s and two 8s, and Hector K with ten 9s and one 8.
Just as impressive were all those boys whose grades demonstrated the power of hard work, commitment and self-belief.
Headmaster Dr Dominic Luckett commented: ‘I am tremendously impressed by these results. They have shown great determination, resilience and ambition and their grades are a fitting reward. It is also worth noting that many of the boys have extremely busy co-curricular programmes and have successfully combined their sport, music, art, drama and outdoor activities with the highest levels of academic attainment. Great credit also goes to their teachers and the other staff who nurtured and supported them through some very challenging times. I am very grateful to them all.
Equally, I am delighted that pupils at our sister school, Sherborne Girls, have achieved similarly excellent results. Congratulations to them all – I want the boys to know how proud of them we are.’

Baden Powell – the Boy Scout who never wanted to grow up

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Editorial team

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15 September 2022

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In her open-minded new biography, Dorset journalist Lorraine Gibson unearths fascinating insights into the complex character of Robert Baden-Powell

Baden-Powell blowing his African Koodoo horn to wake the Brownsea boys (Scouts Heritage)

founder of the Boy Scouts. However, the astoundingly eccentric Robert Baden-Powell was a brilliant military strategist and hero of the Second Boer War, yet later became a pacifist who angered Mussolini and ended up on Hitler’s death list.
A conflicted character, he was a macho man who was obsessed with Peter Pan (he saw the play five times) and who was happy to don a frock and entertain troops as a drag artist.
He was an elitist man of privilege, but one who gave the poorest children opportunities to discover the great outdoors.
It started with a statue
After delving deep into the world of Boy Scouts and their famous founder, journalist Lorraine Gibson, who lives near Brownsea Island, became intrigued by the island’s role in the birth of the Scouting movement. She was hooked. In the pandemic of 2020, she reported on a fight between Scouts and anti-slavery protesters, hell-bent on throwing Baden-Powell’s statue off Poole Quay.
Now, 90,000 mainly lockdown-written words later, her first book, Robert Baden-Powell: A Biography, is published. It’s available from 16th September.

Baden-Powell’s mother, Henrietta Grace(Scouts Heritage)

She explains: ‘The more I researched, the more I discovered the dichotomy between his “two lives”, as Baden-Powell called them. His difficult childhood really drew me in – a domineering and unaffectionate mother whom he loved even though she forced him into the army at 19, dashing his dreams of becoming an artist.
‘My book considers a recently discovered telegraph that adds fuel to speculation over his relationship with a fellow soldier that endured for 30 years, until, at the age of 55, he secretly married a 22-year-old woman.’
She adds: ‘This is not so much a warts-and-all tale, but a what-caused-the-warts tale. I leave the reader to make up their mind.”
Researching in the pandemic had many restrictions, but thanks to modern technology Lorraine was able to interview Baden-Powell’s granddaughter, who is still in the scouts in her 80s, and his grandson, as well as his great grandson, who lives in Nova Scotia.

Baden-Powell in gauntlets and high British boots taken by David Taylor in Mafeking 1900.
Image: Australian War Memorial.

She said: ‘I was blown away by the support I got for my fresh take on the man. I got access to his diaries and school records and when lockdown lifted I had the rare opportunity of seeing archived scouting material curated on Brownsea Island.’
And how was writing her first book? ‘The spare room became my writing turret. My computer was on at 4am and sometimes I would sneak there during the night when an idea came to mind. I was paranoid about losing my work so had back-ups on all manner of devices.
‘The wall was covered in hundreds of Post-It notes and a timeline. My husband and two daughters were very patient. ‘I’d be watching YouTube videos about Baden-Powell while I was cooking, and suddenly rush off to write something.
‘There were a few almost-burnt suppers that year!”

Baden-Powell as a clown (far right) in 13th Hussars’ panto at Lucknow 1877

Potentially there are more charred offerings in store for her family: Lorraine is already embarking on another book. She revealed exclusively to The BV: ‘I’m moving from a man in shorts to a man in rhinestone catsuits! I’m a huge Elvis fan and so was my dad.
The title of my next book is Elvis: The King of Fashion. What Elvis wore is so culturally relevant. Ask someone how they imagine Elvis and you can almost guess their age. White suit and capes – the Las Vegas 70s. Black leather in the 60s era and drainpipe jeans in the 50s. I’m really hoping to get to Memphis next year to do some real-life research.’

Lorraine Gibson turned her spare room into her writing turret

Robert Baden-Powell: A Biography is priced at £25 and will be available from 16th September.
ISBN: 9781399009300
Pen & Sword History

King Arthurs celebrates some ‘significant’ results for GCSE pupils

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Editorial team

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15 September 2022

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King Arthur’s School is thrilled to share the outstanding achievements of some of its students in their GCSE examinations and vocational qualifications.
Moving on to study A Levels at Yeovil College, Eleanor Bowman was excited to receive 10 GCSEs, achieving one Grade 9, a Distinction, three Grade 8s and five Grade 7s. Additionally, She managed to find time to complete and achieve a Level 3 Free Standing Additional Maths qualification. Eleanor is looking forward to enhancing her Level 3 learning by taking maths, chemistry and English at college. Ben Morris succeeded in achieving a Distinction, one Grade 8, four Grade 7s, two Grade 6s, two Merit 2s and a grade B (Level 3) in his Free Standing Additional Maths.
Ben leaves King Arthur’s to study A levels in maths, physics and English Language at The Gryphon School Sixth Form.
Also choosing a mixture of sciences, maths and English at A level, Katie Bolan is taking up her A level study at Yeovil College. She was thrilled to achieve two Grade 8s, four Grade 7s and four Grade 6s.

Next steps
With such wide-ranging opportunities of further study available to young people, the King Arthurs’ team are proud that 16 per cent of their students will take up apprenticeships locally. Harry Cropper moves on to an apprenticeship at Thales Engineering, a prestigious apprenticeship programme.Harvey Lane secured his land-based apprenticeship through Wiltshire College and University at the start of his KS4 studies. Two students are moving to the newer T Level vocational courses, with the remaining 80 per cent of Year 11 moving to studies at college or sixth form.
Students have been confident in choosing courses out of county, as well as at local institutions.
They reported how pleased and proud they were, with many wanting to pass on their gratitude to teachers and staff at the school. It was a wonderful opportunity for the school to celebrate success.
‘We are extremely proud of all the hard work and awesome achievements of our students.’ said Headteacher Jen Jacklin. ‘After what has been a disrupted and difficult time, our students have risen to the challenge and demonstrated resilience and commitment to their success. As a school, we congratulate each and every student for their individual success and send our very best wishes for their future studies.
‘The improvement since the last set of formal exams in 2019 is both significant and exciting, and demonstrates what a rapidly improving school King Arthur’s is. Our teachers have worked tirelessly to support students to ensure they could achieve and take their next steps. As always, we will be thrilled to hear what our students achieve in the future and look forward to them joining our school alumni so we can stay in touch.’

Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival 2022

By

Laura

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15 September 2022

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‘J’adore le Cheddar! Et les flapjacks aussi!’
Madame Maryline Lecampion’s eyes twinkled as she described the food she had tasted at Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival. She was part of a delegation from the French town of Montebourg, twinned with Sturminster Newton. Today the team were promoting Camembert, Normandy’s best-known cheese – and taking every opportunity to try food from the other stands. ‘We have been coming here for ten years now, and it is superb.’

Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival 2022 — image: Pengelly Media

Crowds of people swarmed into the two huge tents lined with stalls. The team from Buckshaw Blewe have been making cheese for five or six years from their sheep’s milk. The blue cheese was delicious and attracted attention. Lyburn Cheese from near Salisbury had an incredibly strong (and delicious) Old Winchester Extra Mature. White Lake Cheese, a Somerset producer, had an excellent range from Driftwood to the interestingly shaped Tor. Some cheese vendors found it hard to keep up with the demand for samples as people made their way around, tasting new cheeses and seeing a few old favourites.

Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival 2022 aerial shot — image: Pengelly Media

Some cheese producers had been busy in lockdown, creating new varieties of cheese. Book and Bucket displayed their entire range, but a new one, Wilde, is seasonal. “It’s a cow’s milk cheese with locally foraged wild garlic from Cranborne Chase.”
Feltham’s Farm from Templecombe had two newish kinds of cheese. La Fresca Margarita was created in lockdown and is a queso fresco, while the newest cheese, Gert Lush, is a creamy cross between a Camembert and a Saint Marcellin. Wherever you looked, there was the inspiration for a cheeseboard, from Bath Soft Cheese to a Smoke N’ Jack from Padstow Cheese. People were buying the cheese and tasting; some returned for a favourite and others were influenced by a sample that hit the spot.

cheese stalls in the grand marquee at Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival — image: Pengelly Media

And the smell. We’re not just talking ripe cheeses here, but the warm, heartening smell of a cheese toastie from Westcombe Cheddar luring people to its stall and the scent of freshly picked apples from Elwell Fruit Farm. Annie and Will from Sparkenhoe Farm in Leicestershire brought some of their finest cheeses made from their cows and attracted attention from impressed Dorset buyers. If you buy Leicester cheese from a supermarket, you should taste their Sparkenhoe Red Leicester- there’s no comparison. “It’s one of the best shows we attend,” said Annie.

producers chat room at Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival — image: Pengelly Media

You could interact with producers, find out how they make their cheeses and get a few recommendations and inspiration. There were a series of interesting talks by makers too.
But, of course, cheese needs an accompaniment, and the festival had so much choice here as well. There were charcuterie stalls and sellers with savoury biscuits, cider, and gin (so many different varieties of gin on sale and being tasted!).

christine's puddings at Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival — image: Pengelly Media

But the Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival has so much more than cheese, and showed how integral it is to the community of Sturminster Newton. There were bird boxes galore from Men in Sheds and a fundraising tombola from Vale Pantry. And so many beautiful crafts, from the man patiently weaving a basket to ornate glass decorations and vibrant knitted hats. There were fairground rides for children and entertainment shows. The organising committee seemed to have thought of everything.

family entertainment at Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival — image: Pengelly Media

People gathered and sat on hay bales to watch violin and guitar band Ribble entertaining with uplifting music. Families sat chatting, catching up with friends or sampling one of the many food offerings, from Greek souvlaki to Italian pizza. The sun shone on a beautiful autumnal festival, giving people an opportunity to eat outside and enjoy the atmosphere. They came to find inspiration for regional food and some of the tastiest award-winning cheeses in the Westcountry and beyond. Although this year’s cheese festival coincided with a sad and poignant time for the country, the organisers had decided that the event would continue, and the atmosphere was one of life going on.

Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival | image: Pengelly Media

(Un)pleasant tales of Lydlinch’s hunting country clergyman | Looking Back

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Editorial team

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14 September 2022

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A former Rector of Lydlinch was obsessed with hunting – but his first quarry was an unfortunate old woman, says Roger Guttridge

You won’t find a country clergyman like him today, which is probably just as well, for the Rev William Chafin was far too outrageous for the modern era.
The one-time Rector of Lydlinch was obsessed with hunting and has been called the ‘epitome of the sporting parson of 18th century England’.
He was also a renowned eccentric who always dressed in ‘old boots and greasy leather breeches and refused to change even when dining with the Prince of Wales’.

No excessive tenderness
William’s character owed much to his unusual upbringing.
Born in 1733, he was the 11th and last child of George and Elizabeth Chafin, wealthy owners of Chettle House (now a grade one listed building on Cranborne Chase).
Sadly, only three of William’s ten siblings had survived infancy, a record that their father put down to the excessive tenderness bestowed upon them.
Determined to improve William’s chances, George had the newborn immediately baptised, then removed from his mother to be wet-nursed by the estate shepherd’s wife.
William himself later recalled: ‘I remained in this cottage under the care of the good inhabitants until I was nearly five, without once sleeping in my father’s house.
‘As soon as I could crawl, I was carried by the shepherd to his sheepfold every morning, even in the very depth of winter.’
William was known for his robust constitution, and he put this too down to his upbringing.
He was still riding to hounds at 80 and only suffered a decline in health after being struck by lightning while sitting at a window in 1817.
Even then he survived another year, eventually dying in 1818 aged 85.

Lydlinch’s Old Rectory today Image: Roger Guttridge

From fleas to elephants
Chafin is also famous for his book Anecdotes and History of Cranborne Chase, first published in the year of his death and which reflects his hunting obsession.
According to his contemporary, Sir Archie MacSarcann, William hunted ‘everything from the flea in the blanket to the elephant in the forest’ … ‘But his chief sport was afforded by foxes, hares, rabbits and owls,’ said Sir Archie.
Chafin’s biggest fan was the novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott, who sent some handwritten notes about him to Lord Montagu, which survive in a copy of Anecdotes in the library at Beaulieu.
Sir Walter reveals that William’s ‘first commencement as a sportsman [was] rather inauspicious – he shot an old woman [and then] left his game where it dropped without staying to bag it.’

When a servant at Chettle House announced that a woman called Goody had been shot dead, ‘there was a confession in the boy’s looks which made his father exclaim: “There sits the rascal that killed her.”’
What the coroner’s inquest decided is unknown but Sir Walter reports that the boy’s father confined him to a garret for a month on a diet of bread and water.
The young William whiled away his time by trapping hungry sparrows using bits of his bread as bait.
In a separate letter to Lord Montagu, Sir Walter describes how the young Chafin also ‘shot an old cat’, for which offence he served three months in the garret on bread and water, this time amusing himself by hunting rats.

Deer hunters on Cranborne Chase in the 18th century

Owl hunting
It’s not clear when Chafin became Rector of Lydlinch but he was certainly in post by 1769 and probably continued until 1776, when he inherited the Chettle estate following the death of his brother, another George.
Diarist Stephen Terry wrote that the entire Chettle household got sucked into Chafin’s hunting, apart from the butler, who ‘superintended the garden’.
Terry added: ‘The old cook supervised the cuisine in the kennel as well as in the kitchen, and got the footman up in good time to do his part in the house before he was booted and spurred for the chase,’ For rabbit-hunting, Chafin maintained a pack of miniature beagles, each a mere 12 to 14 inches high, which he carried in panniers on his horse.
For owl-hunting, his parishioners were the first pack, flushing out a distressed bird on a sunny day and pursuing it until it sought refuge in a bush, at which point the beagles would be released.
Chafin’s inheritance included the manors of Lydlinch, Folke and North Eggardon.
Tradition has it that he sold Eggardon Hill near Bridport to his friend Isaac Gulliver, Dorset’s leading smuggler, who planted fast-growing trees on the summit as a marker for contraband ships approaching the coast.