Meet Cindy and Paul

Cindy Chant. Founded Sherborne Walks in 2013.

Cindy has earned a reputation as an enthusiastic and incredibly knowledgeable guide, promoting Sherborne in her own inimitable style. She has over 50 years of accumulated knowledge from living in the area and a passionate interest in its heritage and has devoted herself to the history of this ancient and beautiful town. Be warned – Sir Walter Raleigh is her true love!

“We had the most delightful walk with Cindy showing us all the hidden pathways in Sherborne with a few extra snippets of information on the way. A truly delightful tour guide who is very frank and says just what she thinks…..very refreshing!! If there is an award for best walking tour guide it should go to this very interesting lady!” [August 2018]

Cindy offers the High Season guided walks twice a week, and a number of special occasion walks.

Cindy was not always a Blue Badge Guide…..

In 1957, she left school, and immersed herself into London’s East End, nursing at the Royal London Hospital.

Fully fledged as a registered nurse, she then spent a year in Paris, France, returning to become a high flyer with Freddie Laker and his Airline Company.

After spending time in many corners of the globe, she returned to nursing, specialising in Plastic and Burns Surgery, finally becoming theatre sister in the small, but busy Sherborne Yeatman Hospital.

Following marriage and family life, she became a midwife, delivering many Dorset and local babies, then for twenty years happily worked in public health as a health visitor, getting to intimately know the area and people of North and West Dorset.

Later she offered up-market Bed and Breakfast from her home in deepest Dorset, before high flying once again becoming Sherborne’s own fully qualified Blue Badge Guide.

Paul Birbeck. Associate.

Since 2013, Paul has worked as a holiday guide across southern & south west England and led small private adult groups walking holidays to Devon, Dorset, Somerset & beyond. He became a South West Region Blue Badge Guide in 2018.

His previous career included secondary school teaching in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire; Geography & Environmental Education Advisor for Somerset, Headteacher in Kuwait, Windsor and Somerset, School Inspector and a School Management consultant. 

He is very knowledgeable and familiar with the social, economic & political history, geography & geology that create the distinctive character of the West Country.  

A confident and relaxed guide who has a reputation for making things interesting for clients. “His enthusiasm was passed onto the group and we all felt that not only had we walked along this incredible coastline, but we also had learnt so much about it. A top rate leader. Good local knowledge and friendly.” [HF guest feedback]  

THANK YOU for such a brilliant tour around the town of Sherborne. Everyone had a great day and I have received many notes from attendees commenting on the quality and detail provided. They also found both guides highly personable and very knowledgeable and passionate about the town.” [Tour Manager, Historic Houses Association. Sept 2018]