The Wednesday Walk 10th June 2015

The Plan

A Branksome Woods and Bournemouth shore walk

Who Turned Up

Trisha, Wendy, Trudy H, Diane and Tony R, David

The Walk

Did you know that Branksome Chine Gardens, Branksome Woods and Pinecliff Gardens cover twenty five hectares? The site stretches from Penn Hill to the seafront and includes Branksome Chine. It has tennis courts and a bowling green. There now, don’t you feel better for knowing that?

We met at the usual car park off Leicester Road and walked down through Branksome Woods to the shore. It was a pleasant walk at a gentle pace with little in the way of steep climbs. When we got to the shore we noticed an onshore breeze. A pity because the sun was shining brilliantly and the beach looked clean, open and enticing. No one volunteered to join the few beach-lovers lying on the sand, quite rightly as we were out for a walk, not a swim. Here’s something else you may not know. Bournemouth has seven miles of soft, golden sand and this has helped the town to win four Blue Flag awards, two Seaside Awards and a Green Tourism Business Scheme Silver award. Not entirely aware of this, we were simply glad to enjoy a sunny day out by the beach. We walked on to our usual lunch-time venue for this walk, the café beside the Argyll Bowling Club.

After lunch we reversed the walk until we got to Diane and Tony’s beach hut. There we stopped to put our feet up and enjoy a welcome pot of tea. Then we ambled back to the cars.

Trisha generously offered tea and cakes at her house to round off the walk. Thank you, Trisha.
And our thanks go to Diane and Trudy for the photographs. Well done, ladies.

The Lunch Stop

The Argyll Bowling Club Café. We have eaten here before and always found it basic, but very good value. Two walkers had the chicken breast fried in garlic and promised to carry out the return walk down-wind of the others.

Next Week

Meet at David’s at 10am for a Whitbury to Breamore walk, with an end-of-walk cake baked by Trudy H.