The Wednesday Walk 22nd May 2013

The Plan

Woodlands to Verwood

The Leader

Trudy B

Who Turned Up

Trudy B, Trudy H, Wendy, Sue, Tony and Beatrice H, Tony and Diane R, David

The Walk

We drove to Woodlands and parked on the village green, as on previous occasions. The morning walk started well but we went a little off course and a chat with a local villager was needed to point us back in the direction of Verwood.
After lunch we headed north to Edmonsham before turning back towards Woodlands. The going was good, the weather stayed cool but dry, and bluebells were seen in abundance in Boys Wood.
Our thanks to Beatrice and Tony for tea and cakes to round off the day.

The Pub

The Albion at Verwood. We were pleased to have Brian join us for lunch. The waitress was cheery and friendly and offered Trudy B a free drink after the meal she ordered was unavailable. The cod and chips went down well with several walkers. David’s pie was tasty but only half the size he would have liked. Diane’s ham had a suspicious smell. Otherwise all was well on the food front.

The Wednesday Walk 15th May 2013

 

The Plan

A Winterborne Walk

The Leader

Wendy

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Sue, Trudy B, Trudy H, Ros, Tony H, David

The Walk

It was raining when we all left home this morning, but the heavy clouds had passed by when we arrived at Winterborne Clenston. As usual, we parked in the field beside the rather lonely village church. A large bull was present in the next field, somewhat intimidating to the ladies. We crossed the road and walked through Whatcombe Wood where we saw numerous bluebells. In places the ground was well coated with them. Wendy will be able to tell you the names of the other flowers. Several of the walkers had brought welly boots but the going was generally good with no really muddy patches.
After lunch we walked the fields parallel to the Whatcombe Road to make our way back to the cars. The day remained dry with the odd patch of sunshine breaking through the clouds. On the way home Sue’s car was attacked by a heavy lorry on a blind bend, sending Sue partially off the road. No one was hurt.
We finished up with tea and cakes at Wendy’s house. Thanks to Wendy for the tea and to the Trudys for the cakes. They were all mouth-watering and the rhubarb upside-down cake was particularly delicious.

The Pub

The Milton Arms at Winterborne Whitechurch. A quiet, neatly-kept pub on the main A354. We had to wait a while for the food which was above average price. Maybe they had to catch an extra chicken to feed the two male walkers. But when the meals arrived they were nicely and freshly cooked. The two men were well satisfied with their Hunter’s Chicken, despite the time it took to cook it. We had no crossword puzzles but Trudy H made up for it by setting us the task of solving her own self-made puzzles. Thank you, Trudy.

Next Week

Meet at Beatrice and Tony’s at 0945 for a Verwood walk.

 

 

Bluebell Walk

Sorry for the absence of a write-up this week. The blog master has succumbed to a change in the weather. But you can enjoy some of the photographs taken by the more hardy walkers. And, if you're quick, you can have a free Kindle download of one of my books. King's Priory will be free on Amazon for one day only, starting later this morning. You can find it at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Priory-Hampton-Warlock-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00BPV6OQ2/ref=tmm_kin_title_0

The Wednesday Walk 1st May 2013

 

The Plan

A walk from Fiddleford to Sturminster Newton

The Leader

Wendy

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Sue, Tricia, Tony R, Beatrice and Tony H, David

The Walk

What a gloriously sunny day. The temperature only got up to 17 degrees but the clear sky made it an ideal day for a countryside walk. We parked, as usual, at Fiddleford Manor, crossed the main road and walked up through Piddles Wood. The going was generally firm underfoot with just a couple of minor muddy patches. With the greenery yet to fully bloom, we caught a view of the old fort from between the trees but were unable to determine how to actually get to it. It was pleasing to note that styles we expected to find near the end of our route are gates.
After lunch we crossed the main road and walked through narrow lanes to get to the fields beside the River Stour. We came across an interesting development at the old mill where an Archimedes Screw has been installed to provide hydro-electric power. More details can be seen at:
http://www.potenergy.co.uk/fiddleford_mill.php
Wendy has promised to inform Lew about this site. My thanks also go to Wendy for reminding me that we saw bluebells, primroses, wood anemones, cowslips, violets, ladies smock, cherry blossom, celandines and blue speedwell. Finally, our thanks go to Beatrice and Tony for providing tea and cake at the end of the day.

The Pub

The Bull at Sturminster Newton. The food was plentiful and well-prepared. No pies but the wild boar faggots were tasty.

 

Next Week

Meet at Diane and Tony’s at 0945 for a bluebell walk