The Wednesday Walk 24th February 2010

The Plan

A Witchampton Walk

The Leader

Wendy and Beatrice

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Trudy, Beatrice, Tony H, Sue.

The Walk

Five of us set out. We left the car in the usual spot in Witchampton, near the estate gates and headed off in the direction of the Horton Inn. The morning section was very enjoyable although a bit muddy. As the photographs show, we saw plenty of snowdrops. The weather was overcast but not unpleasant.

David joined us for lunch and afterwards Wendy returned to Wimborne with him.

Then the rest of us set off on the afternoon section ... and quickly came to the conclusion it might have been the wrong decision. It started to rain soon after we left the pub. Along the way, we had to trudge through a very muddy field full of young steers, which frightened Sue and Beatrice, especially when they came a bit too close for comfort! We encountered seven or eight stiles which was bad for Beatrice. We also trudged through some unbelievably slippery mud. And the rain continued for most of the walk. Apart from that, it was a good walk.

The Pub

The Horton Inn. Their special deal was two meals for £8. As there were six of us, we all got in on the deal. Three had ham, egg and chips and the other three had gammon. Everyone enjoyed their chosen food.

The Wednesday Walk 17th February 2010

The Plan
A walk to East Chaldon

The Leader
Trisha

Who Turned Up
Trisha, Wendy, Beatrice, Ros, Trudy and David

The Walk
After yesterday's low cloud and rain we were lucky today to have blue skies and sunshine. A good day for a Purbeck walk. We drove to Dagger's Gate on the hills beyond West Lulworth where we left the cars. We were only minutes into the walk when we came across a squad of soldiers running with heavy (70lb) back loads. It was interesting to watch the expressions on the faces of the men at the front of the run (having their kit dutifully weighed to make sure they were not cheating) with those way back along the pathway. Once we came to the highest point on the walk we had a good panoramic view of the sea although the distant coast at Portland was a bit hazy. We also came across snowdrops, daisies and primroses. The last part of the morning walk involved some steep up and down hills which made us ready for a drink at the pub.
After lunch we set off on a different route back with only one steep climb. Once again we benefitted from sunshine and blue sky. At the end of the day we called at Wendy's for buttered hot cross buns and tea. Thanks, Wendy.

The Pub
The Sailor's Return at East Chaldon. A big improvement on last week. Not only was the pie good (turkey and ham) but the baked potatoes were not bad either. And we managed to finish Trisha's crossword.

Next Week
Meet and Beatrice and Tony's for a Witchampton walk.

The Wednesday Walk 10th February 2010

The Plan

A Breamore walk.

The Leader

Trisha, assisted by Wendy

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Ros, Sue, Trisha, Beatrice, Tony H and David

The Walk
We drove through Fordingbridge and out on the Whitsbury road, parking alongside the road near Whitsbury Cross. We began with a short detour to see the woodland snowdrops (see pictures) and then set off through the woods towards Breamore. The air was chilly but didn't look threatening. And that was deceptive. About ten minutes later we were attacked by driving snow on an icy wind. Not at all daunted by it, we pressed on with more blizzards chilling us to the bone until we reached the pub at Breamore. We arrived to find we were the only customers, which was hardly surprising in view of the weather.
After lunch the snow had disappeared and the walk back to the cars was decidedly pleasant: cold but brisk.

The Pub
The Bat and Ball at Breamore. A pleasant sort of place alongside the main Salisbury Road. The bar maid was very accommodating, but she was also the serving wench and the cook. When other customers finally arrived the bar maid was in the kitchen, cooking, and we wondered whether we should drag her away from preparing our meals or take over the bar ourselves. In the event we alerted her to the customers and she left the cooking unattended. Maybe that was why those who ordered baked potatoes and/or omelettes were disappointed with their meals. Those who chose wisely (steak and ale pie) were well satisfied.

Next week
Meet at Wendy's for a walk to East Chaldon. If the weather is bad, check before leaving home.

The Wednesday Walk 3rd February 2010

The Plan
The Wareham Forest

The Leader
Wendy

Who Turned Up
Wendy, Trisha, Sue, Beatrice, Tony H and David

The Walk
The morning started with a miserable drizzle interspersed with periods of rain. Hardly the best weather for walking. We decided to drive to Wareham and play the walk according to how we found the local conditions. In the event, we parked in a side street and walked through Wareham to the Granary on the quayside for a morning coffee. To our delight, we found the restaurant has been refurbished and is now quite a delightful place to eat. After coffee, we walked up to the tourist centre and had a browse around, followed by more browsing in a charity shop where Tony bought a new belt. We then drove to The Silent Woman for lunch. (For the benefit of our overseas readers, I should explain that The Silent Woman is a pub and not some strange mute lady we chose to call upon!) This was where Jackie joined us for an hour. Nice to see you with us again, Jackie.
By now the rain had passed by and after lunch we drove a few yards down the road to the Sika Trail car park in Wareham Forest. During the morning we had heard loud blasts coming from the Bovingdon Camp direction. We heard more after lunch and saw a RN helicopter buzzing overhead. We assumed the military were at their war games. The cloud was beginning to break up as we enjoyed a pleasant walk through the forest trails.
We finished with tea and biscuits at Wendy's. Many thanks, Wendy.


The Pub
The Silent Woman. We've eaten here before. The food is good but expensive so most of us opted for a brunch. No pies!!

Next Week
Meet at David's for a walk around Breamore.