The Wednesday Walk 10th February 2016

The Plan

Avon Heath Country Park

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Jackie, Trudy B, Trudy H, David

The Walk

We parked adjacent to the footbridge at St Leonards, and crossed over into the Avon Heath Country Park. The weather was cool to start with but we soon warmed up and enjoyed a very pleasant stroll through the park. It is one of the largest in Dorset with beautiful scenery consisting of forest, heather and heathland. It has many different species of trees, plants and wildlife. The RSPB and Dorset County Council maintain and protect the natural surroundings.

After lunch we enjoyed another stroll back through the woods and heathland.
Thanks go to Trudy for the photographs.

The Pub

The St Leonards Hotel. This is a hotel we have used before and enjoyed a decent meal. You’ll find something unique thing about this place if you study the walls in the bar area. They are inscribed (behind protective glass) with the signatures of pilots who flew from local wartime airfields. Here, you’ll see the names of Guy Gibson (of dambuster fame), ‘Catseyes’ Cunningham, ‘Sailor’ Malan, Douglas Bader (the legless fighter pilot) and Johnnie Johnson. One of our walkers (not with us today) has a house that abuts Bader Road in Canford Heath, named after the pilot. My understanding is that he pronounced his name Bah-der, but many people seem to call it Bay-der. I wonder why?

Next Week
Meet at the end of Knyveton Road at 1030 (opposite Boscombe Gardens)