Today was a washout.
It had been raining all night and was still raining when we met at Pamphill.
We went to the farm shop and enjoyed a cup of coffee and a chat before setting off for lunch.
Our intention was to eat at the Lamb's Green but it was closed. So we drove on to the Dorset Soldier and enjoyed a two-courses-for-£6.50 meal there.
It was still raining when we left the pub.
NEXT WEEK
Meet at Kingston Lacy at 10.30
Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Wednesday, 13 January 2016
The
Wednesday Walk 13th January 2016
The Plan
A Wareham
Forest walk
Who Turned Up
Jackie, Wendy,
Sue, Tricia, Trudy H and David.
Trudy B
and her sister joined us for lunch and completed the afternoon walk with us.
Welcome to Dorset, Trudy’s sister.
We were
also pleased to see Tony and Beatrice over lunch.
The Walk
It was a
colder day than we have been used to, but sunny enough to make an enjoyable
ramble. We started the walk at the Sika Trail car park on the Bere Regis Road,
almost opposite The Silent Woman pub.
A pub called The Silent Woman? Yes,
really. It was originally called The
Angel but was referred to in Thomas Hardy’s novel, The Return of the Native, as The
Quiet Lady. So the owners changed the name sometime in the 1920s to The Silent Woman. I do not intend to
include here any jokes about silent women. I might not survive the reaction!
Incidentally, the area around the pub is called Coldharbour. With its Angel pub, it was a place where a traveller
could find a harbour against the cold.
Our route
took us across Coldharbour Heath and Carey Heath. We did have some reservations
about how much flooding and mud we might encounter along the way but luck was
with us. There was nothing we could not cope with. After passing beneath Carey
Road, we joined the Wareham Forest Way, crossed over the fast flowing River
Piddle, and continued into Wareham.
After
lunch - with Trudy B and her sister now a part of the group – we walked back
through the town, past St Martin’s church, which holds an effigy of Lawrence of
Arabia. We crossed the main bridge over the Piddle River and went on through
Northmoor Park. From there we joined the forest path that took us back to the
cars. It was a pleasant walk.
Thanks
must go to Jackie for the tea and Dorset Apple cake back at her house. Our
overseas readers should know that Dorset Apple cake is a delicious local food
not to be missed when visiting our county.
Thanks also go to Trudy H for the photographs.
Thanks also go to Trudy H for the photographs.
The Pub
The King’s
Head in Wareham. We were all pleased to see Beatrice and Tony join us for
lunch. We wish you well on your road to recovery, Beatrice.
The food
was good. The pie eater was under strict orders not to have a pastry-topped pie
here because of raised cholesterol levels, but he did manage to find a tasty
fish pie on the specials board.
Wednesday, 6 January 2016
The Wednesday Walk 6th January 2016
The Plan
Talbot
Heath and Meyrick Park
The Leader
Trudy B
Who Turned Up
Trudy,
Wendy, Sue, Jackie, David
The Walk
It was a
much better day than last Wednesday, when we had to curtail our plans. This
time we parked in Langside Avenue in calm, sunny conditions. The walk took us
out onto Talbot Heath which was a bit muddy in places but generally easily
tackled. At the far end of the heath we walked out into Branksome Hill Road and
then Glenfurness Avenue before entering Mayrick Park and the golf course. Two
walkers then took the shorter route to the club house while the other three
took a more roundabout route.
After
lunch we took a slightly different route back to Langside, passing through Pug’s
Hole and again crossing Talbot Heath. Pug’s Hole is believed to have been named
after a smuggler known as Pug who is said to have hidden his contraband here. That
would have been some while ago, of course. The wood is a mixture of coniferous
and deciduous trees and attracts birds such as nuthatches, coal tits and
goldcrests. Talbot Heath - which we crossed in each direction - is today only a
small remaining fragment of an area which once stretched from Christchurch to
Dorchester. It is dominated by heathers and gorse. Wildlife here includes
lizards and adders. Birdlife includes stonechats and dartford warblers. Along
the way, we passed by some tall radio masts and wondered at their purpose.
Military maybe? They don’t look like civilian phone or television masts.
The Pub
The Pulse
café within the Mayrick Park Gold Club. As last week, the food was good and the
service friendly.
Next Week
Probably
a Wareham walk.
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