To walk the Portland Railway Lines
The Leader
Bill. Nice to see you on a Wednesday walk, Bill.
Who Turned Up
Bill, Wendy, Trisha, Sue, Trudy H, Beatrice, David
The Walk
We'd seen the weather forecast so we knew it was going to be wet, but not THAT wet. The plan was to follow the line of the old Merchant's Railway on the Isle of Portland, a route taken by Julia Bradbury in a television programme. She was luckier with the weather. We took packed lunches as a previous trip to Portland had yielded a dearth of eating houses. We parked on open land near Portland Castle, where new buildings seem to be springing up in preparation for the yachting events in next year's Olympic Games. The only sign of rain was a dampness in the air so we set off in good heart. We then took a very steep trail that was once the trackbed of a rope-hauled quarry railway. The climb was arduous but the view from the top was spectacular as we looked back over the huge harbour and Chesil Beach. We then walked towards the Verne Prison along the line of another old railway line. As the going underfoot got rough, so did the weather. The rain got steadily heavier until we found ourselves getting soaked. Approaching Easton, we came across a pub and, being now distinctly soggy, we made the decision to abandon our packed lunches in favour of hot mals. After lunch we walked into Easton and used our bus passes to ride back to the cars. The day was finished off with tea at Wendy's.
The Pub
The Clifton Hotel, near Easton. The menu was excellent value for money and the helpings were very generous. Even the pie eater was tempted away from his usual dish.
Next Week
To be decided.
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